Home > Consumer Reviews > Sony CCD-TRV68 Hi8 Camcorder

I really enjoy this camcorder. Lots of features, reasonably priced. My biggest complaint is that it comes with only a 2 hour battery, and upgraded batteries are expensive, but that is not a specific problem with this camcorder, but a general issue. I really like the infrared capabilities and steady shot features. You may want to upgrade to the TRV88 I believe, which provides a Video Link capability, which can transmit the 8mm taped image directly to your TV with the optional ...tv receiver. It would keep one from having to connect the camcorder to the TV via cables to view the images on the TV screen. The LCD playback screen on this camera works well and is pretty easy to view.

I purchased the Sony camera as a intermediate video camera. I figure the technology is still evolving for some of the new and exciting digital video cameras and storage devices, i.e. CD storage.

My first video camera was cutting edge technology at the time. I paid over $1200 for Sony Super 8mm with b/w viewfinder which started to eat and destroy tapes while on vacation. Fixing it did not make good financial sense. Today, $400 buys a camera rich in features with separate color LCD viewfinder.

Bottom line, this camera is a great family video camera. Easy to use right out of the box. Save your money and avoid more expensive, cutting edge cameras. Just figure that these things only have a life of 4-5 years and when it is time to trade in you can easily afford cutting edge technology that will be 4-years old. It is just not worth spending more for technology that will be dirt cheap in a matter of time and possibly, broken.

This is my second Sony 8mm Camcorder. I chose this to replace a 6 year old comparable model as I'm not yet ready to upgrade to a digital camera. I had a few observations about this product: First, I was suprised that it doesn't have stereo sound. This used to be standard in the Hi8 format. Second, it doesn't have a remote, a fact I did not discover until after purchase, despite extensive research. The remote greatly aids in playback and editing. Frankly, Sony was cheap to not include one. Third, the lens cap dangles from a string and gets in the way of operating the camera smoothly. My former camera had a built in lens cap which was much easier to use. You'd turn on the camera and it opened! On the other hand, the newer options are delightful! The steady shot image stabilization is worth every penny. The built in light helps correct so many color distortions and is far less cumbersome than attaching an accessory light on an attached shoe (which then blocked the LCD screen), and the night shot is just so cool. Overall, I'm quite happy with the picture quality. The TRV 68 is a good value overall for the price. It has a few features which enchance picture quality tremendously. I just think that Sony was a little stingy with the extra doodads to sway buyers to consider going digital.

This is the third video camera I have owned. The first was a Minolta, the second a Sharp. This is by far the best I have owned. The picture is crystal clear, the batteries last a good long time and recharge quickly, and the price was reasonable. The quality of the camera is excellent, the features are wonderful, love the night shot feature and the built-in light for darkness. What a terrific idea!

I am very pleased with the overall quality of picture with such a decent price tag. I finally committed to buying one with a less than $400 budget. Drawbacks are 2 hour battery life, upgrade is about ($$) bucks after including a quick charger, BUT I have not drained it yet and it charges quickly (4 hours). The steadyshot must work great because I feel that I am shaking like a leaf yet the picture is relatively stable. I wanted to be able to download video to my PC for editing and unfortunately realized that it requires another component (Dazzle Video kit - ($$). Also, the lens cap gets in the way, I plan on replacing the tether with a longer one to keep it away from your hand grip. It accepts filters for UV, etc. and were less than ($$) bucks. Overall good choice.