The black-and-white EVF is adequate, but the large 2.5-inch color LCD monitor is the better bet for framing your shots. MPEG movies and digital stills can be recorded onto the accompanying 4 MB Memory Stick, which can then be downloaded to your computer via USB. Like all DV camcorders, the audio is recorded at CD quality levels--PCM digital stereo. Should you need more professional sound than the built-in mic provides, a mic input jack is located on the camcorder.

Because the DCR-TRV730 uses the DV format, you can download your footage to a computer for editing using an IEEE 1394 cable. Analog pass-through ports are built-in, letting you digitally archive all your old analog footage. Also included are a shoulder strap, lens cap, battery, AC adapter, and remote control.

With no knowledge of camcorders and a basic understanding of how to connect the power to the cam so that you can charge the battery, you can start making movies.

Video quality is superb and the sound recording works very good. When compared to my old analog tapes the quality of a digital recording is amazing.

Once you master the basics (which is all you ever actually need to know) you can advance at your own pace and learn how to fade in and out and add great titles. Sony provides a number of easy to use titles that overlay on your recordings, or you can make your own.

The instruction booklet is thick with detailed explanations of what, why and when - but the first few pages use pictures and simplicity to explain how to use this unit right out of the box.

One great new feature: Sony has made it easy with scroll wheel that also depresses and allows you to navigate many menus with only your thumb.

I connected my TRV730 directly to my new desktop using the Firewire cable (included with your camcorder!) and loaded the software (Studio DV) that came with my computer (HP Digital Video Desktop System) and within minutes I was controlling my camera from the computer. There is also a USB port if you do not have Firewire capabilites.

I was able to upload several hours of old movies up and into the computer with no problems at all. This unit is backwards compatible (the TRV130 and TRV830 are NOT!) so you can view all of your old analog based recordings.

These new Lithium ION based batteries are great because you can charge them anytime you like without affecting the "memory" and you can charge the unit without ever removing the battery.

I have other cameras that use the first generation lithium-ions and found them to be great batteries that lasted and lasted. These next generation ones are simply smaller with the same amount of power.

Nightshot works great in low light conditions and SUPERnightshot makes it possible to record in virtual darkness. I walked outside on a pitch black night and zoomed in on the license plate of a car across the street and it read perfectly. No way could I read that plate with my own eyes and I have great vision.

The Steadyshot is seamless and works well. My last camcorder (the analog one) did not have this feature and you can tell the difference in my recordings. When you are zooming in, the effect of Steadyshot is increased.

The bottom line is that this camera has a lot of nice features that make it worth the price. The most important feature is that it is easy to use and the controls are intuitive so you can start using your camera as soon as it is charged.

I am a pro-Sony consumer and have spent thousands of dollars on various Sony items. I do this because they WORK and when they don't, Sony stands behind their products with a warranty.

You REALLY don't need those expensive in-house warranties sold at Circuit City and Best Buy, despite what you may read in other reviews. The only decision you should be making is where to save the most money.


Great all-around value. But accessorize your purchase!   October 27, 2001
 13 out of 13 found this review helpful

I purchased this camera over a week ago and have time to thoroughly test this camera. I have tested every feature and am ready to review. I took this camcorder on a ride to Daytona Beach for Biketoberfest and didn't miss a single item that I wanted to film thanks to this camera and the accessories I purchased. If I could give this camera 4.5 stars I would.

Video Quality: 4.5 Stars
The video quality is great -- good light or bad. There is a slight delay in the auto-focus if lighting fluctuates or if there are items close and distant from the camera. This is especially noticeable immediately after you turn the camera on. Once the camera has done its initial focus it is pretty quick. Of course, you are welcome to try to use manual focusing but it too would take you that long to switch to manual focus and then adjust the display.

Night Shot: 4.0 Stars
Night shot is better than most cameras. However, it appears as if you are shining a green flashlight into the dark. The "Super Night Shot" feature is worthless to me. The sample rate is slow and the video unfocused 75% of the time. This feature could have been exchanged for something else useful. I will say that the regular night shot is crisp and clear as opposed to snowy / grainy like other digital camcorders.

Zoom: 4.0 Stars
The zoom is steady and crisp.

Sound Pickup / Microphone: 4.0 Stars
The microphone picks up the zoom button if you "flick" it on and off rather than "ease" it. Play with it for a while and practice before you start taking video that has important audio with it. The microphone is otherwise good. It picks up all the sound you want and keeps the unwanted background sound to a minimum. If you think it needs improvement you can purchase the external microphone kit or use your own mic plugged into the external mic port.

In-Camera Video Editing: 3.5 Stars
The in-camera video editing options are nice to have if you blew all your money on the camera and don't have the $$ to spend on the firewire card to do your editing on the computer.

Included Software: 3.0 Stars
The software does the work easily but lacks some features. I recommend trying a few other shareware versions of other products before you settle into the provided software.

Recommended Updates:
Sony Handycam Camcorder Value Kit ($80) -
Includes Sony Carrying Case and an Extra Battery
The case will keep your investment protected. The extra battery allows you to keep filming while your other battery charges.

Ambico Lithium-Ion Battery Charger ($49) -
This kit allows you to plug the battery in the car charger or at home in a standard outlet. If you are going to be filming for an extended period of time, consider purchasing at least one extra battery and the charger. The Sony Kit provides the extra battery.

Sony DV Editing Kit ($89) -
This kit is called EZ Editor. The kit gives you an internal PCI two-port firewire card, a firewire cable, and Pinnacle Studio 7 SE. The software is very easy to use, and very effective. You can upgrade the software to a more professional feel for about $49 online. The installation of the card is easy, the software is simple and has a multitude of features and is 100% compatible with the camera.

Summary:
This camera is great all around. It has every port for input and output that you would want (under current standards). The instructions are GREAT. Thank goodness they finally developed a manual written in English -- and English only! Now you don't have to flip around trying to find the portions that you understand.

I know I have pushed a few accessories here. I'm not a salesman or a Sony representative. My feeling, however, is that accessorizing makes the camera. This camera is nice by itself but is much more convenient once you add the things that make your life easier.

Each person may need different accessories (which is why they aren't included in the camera package) so use the information provided here to help you decide if you need these accessories or not.

I would recommend that you take the time to step through the owners manual and test each feature that they walk you through. It will prevent you from introducing yourself to the feature at a time when you'd rather be filming. If you purchase the carrying case, the manual fits snug into the front pocket. Keep it there and reference it.

Lastly, I recommend buying a warranty with your camera. Cleanings are recommended every 6 months, this is still a new technology and the warranty doesn't cost that much. I purchased my camera at Best Buy with the warranty. I can bring my camera into Best Buy for a free cleaning as often as I like. I have unlimited repair or replacement of my product should it need replaced. I don't usually buy these warranties, but when you spend this much on a camera, consider this insurance!


Great thing to possess   November 7, 2001
 11 out of 11 found this review helpful

I bought this camcorder 10 days before.
Earlier I had Panasonic PV DV800. I returned that one because I wasn't happy about video quality.
I liked TRV 730.
Pros :
Day light video quality is superb. Except night time it is not quite good. Mega Pixel digital photo is quite satisfactory.
USB support is very useful. You can just connect to computer and your camcorder will become virtual disk. It is pretty sleek and data transfer is fast.

Cons.
Memory is just 4 MB. I could hardly take 5 photos with high resolution. Separate Battery charger could be better. At night time even there is plenty of light, picture seems little dark.

Final Word:
There are many DV camcorder cheaper than this one. I will still recommend this based on quality. I found this digital 8 better than other DV's. Overall this is best bet.


Nice Camcorder once you get to use and know it better.   December 5, 2001
 10 out of 11 found this review helpful

I tried posting a review for this TRV707 last week, but apparently it did not show up. I will try again... I had mentioned my concern of what I thought was poor low light performance of this cam. It also takes poor still photos but I don't care for using it as a photo camera (I have dedicated Sony digital cameras for that purpose). Nevertheless I gave it 4 stars since everything else about it is excellent. Actually the low light video performance while dark is very amazingly noise free! There are hardly any snowy digital grainy pixel specs or noise in the dark scenes as compared to my 8mm! So I guess that is what folks mean when they are saying this cam has excellent low light performance. If that is what they mean, then yes it does have very low noise. But the scenes can be very dark in 100 watt light bulb lit rooms.
I bought the sony 3 watt flash/video light and it helps to brighten up the dark room scenes so that videos come out brighter. With this, I can highly recommend this Digital8 format camcorder. It probably is the best one out there right now and it is as good in video quality as the PC110 miniDV camcorder. Just don't get it for still pictures! For Videos it is very good to excellent. I do think that the colors are a bit washed out looking and not at all like I expected the vivid Sony saturated colors to be. But it is acceptable to me.
Battery life is about 55 to 60 mins recording time on and off using the color LCD. I don't mind the sharper looking black and white viewfinder, it saves on battery juice too.
Cameras tape transport does make some motor whining noise in operation but never is heard in my videos so not a problem. I do notice that the built-in stereo mics are not balance too good on my unit though... If I speak into the right mic, sound comes out correctly on the far right channel. BUT, if I speak into the left side mic, the sound comes out as if it is in the middle of the scene and not to the far left side. Seems the directional mixer of the mic is not working correctly. I have not tried external mics to see if this bug goes away. So am concerned if I can get accurate stereo panaroma sound recordings from my TRV730. Also flash still pictures come out with a "Blue Cast" or "Blue Tint" to them. Seems someone at Sony these days has a bad eye for color WB adjustments, since all of the high end Sony digital cameras (F505V and F707) have these "Blue Flash Syndrome" defects in them also and had to be sent back for a firmware fix. Other than these quirks, this camera really is one neat piece of engineering marvel. If you can live with the quirks I mentioned above, this camera will not disappoint you!
I love the ability to play my old 8mm tapes and to now archive them to digital realm in my spare time! Love it!


Great features, good quality, horrible light tolerance   April 22, 2002
 9 out of 9 found this review helpful

This camera obviously has great features at its reasonable price. The night vision is a very creative (however unnecissary) feature that I found to be fun to show to your friends however not needed for filming very often. Unfortunatly, you may find yourself using nightvision often because as you take stills in lower light conditions the quality decreases. This decrease is only noticed when looking at the pictures on a computer or on paper (or when looking at movies on a TV screen). However, this camera tends to be cheaper than most others because it records in a Digital 8 format. In other words, it records digitally on to regular Hi8 tapes which are generally cheaper than most miniDV tapes. However, keep in mind if you buy a 120 minute Hi8 tape, this camera will only record 60 minutes on to it because the data takes more room. The camera, however, is very user friendly and can run almost completely automatically as well as manually. The autofocus is very efficient along with an excellent optical zoom and an oustanding digital zoom (although quality does decrease with digital zoom). The camera acts extremely well in brighter conditions and clearly out performs many other cameras, it's the indoor low light coniditions that still need plenty of work.