Home > Consumer Reviews > Sony DCR-TRV33 Mini-DV Camcorder

When looking for a camcorder, I essentially wanted something that recorded good quality video footage, with some basic editing features.

Overall, this camcorder has absolutely loads of features (most of which I'll never use!). It's small & light; the super-steady shot function works well, with most camera shake removed. Picture quality is superb (Carol Zeiss lens), as are sound recordings. This camcorder has the added benefit of recording in 16:9 widescreen, which has even better picture quality (rectangular CCD). As with most DV camcorders, the optical zoom (10x) is good, with the digital zoom (120x) being near to useless!

Feature-wise, this camera has firewire AND USB slots; as well as normal recording, it can be used as a webcam (USB streaming) and digital camera (stores pictures on Sony Memory Sticks). You can also record short MPEG videos to the memory stick. Other features include night-vision, DV in and out, a remote control, AV in and a rather nify touch-screen for the menu. Menu-wise, the options are displayed in a easy to use and informative manner, which makes a nice change! It's also quite light and has an accessory shoe.

I only have 2 issues with this camera - (1) standard battery life is only 1.5hrs, so you'll need a better battery; (2) as with most new camcorders, the tape loading mechanism is on the bottom of the camera, which means removing any tripod connections if you want to change the tape!

Apart from that, definitely a recommended buy!

Overall, a very easy to use piece of equipment. As with all Sony camcorders, ejecting the tape is a bit of a pain - it's underneath the unit, which means having to take off any tripod equipment before taking out the cassette. Battery life is acceptable - you'll need to buy an extended battery to film any long shots, and there is no carry case supplied!

Apart from the above, the actual unit is very, very nice. Lots of features - for a start, it has a stereo microphone, decent zoom (I tend to leave the digital zoom switched off), touch screen menu, remote control (for recording AND playback), and will also film in 16:9 widescreen. It's also fairly light and will act as a camera (camera shots are stored on the supplied Sony memory stick).

The 'super steady shot' feature also works well, reducing the amount of camera 'shake' (it's quite noticable when you switch this feature off).

Build quality feels more solid than Panasonic models. The actual layout is also better than both Panasonic and JVC. The only thing to bear in mind is 'hand cramp' - make sure you physically hold the camera for at least 10 minutes before buying one, just to make sure that it doesn't cause your hand to ache! - Saying that, this applies to all camcorders.

Plugging in the unit to a PC or TV couldn't be easier. Most of the cables have been supplied - camera to TV SCART or audio/visual; camera to USB;camera to firewire (cable not supplied). The USB connection allows the camera to be used as a webcam if you want to... there are lots of other features, most of which I haven't had a chance to use as yet... But am definitely pleased - for the price, this is a good piece of equipment.

My search is over. After 2 months of research I have found what I was looking for. In one word "FANTASTIC". Even my newborn doughter likes to be in front of this camera. She always smiles when we are shooting. While my wife can just point and shoot, it still allows me to do spot focusing and spot metering which if you've never used these features on a camera, you will now. It's that easy. Low light features are great, the slow-shutter feature lets you take cool MTV-style videos in low light with great color quality. Software provided is OK. Good ZOOM. Picture quality has improved with Mega Pixels and almost all the buttons have been moved to the screen which make the camcorder really stylish and handy.

I've just bought one, and I'm impressed! It just feels good: a a reassuringly solid build compared to the similarly priced JVC GR DV700EK that I was also considering. The TRV33 feels balanced in the hand, is small enough to be extremely portable, has an easy to use no-fuss touch-screen menu system and setup procedure, and more features than you could poke a stick at (some of which I bet almost nobody uses).
The manual focus modes and exposure controls cater for more serious enthusiasts than I can yet claim to be. The wide-screen 16:9 mode is a really nifty feature: great for capturing action on sporting fields, stages etc., and the Sony's are famous for reasonable low light photography (mini-DV cams have a bad reputation for indoor photography under dim lights). The zoom works well and is pressure sensitive, allowing a gentle (watchable) pace of change.
I haven't used the still shot capability (I have a Fuji A201 still camera with twice the resolution). I've tried to use the webcam feature (my Fuji also does that, but needs the lights turned up incredibly bright), but couldn't get the Fuji driver to be listed in the MS Netmeeting Video Options dialogue - disappointing. The sony.com web site doesn't seem to address this as well as it should, and the driver updates section is a bit of a mess.
All up, I'm impressed and would recommend the camera heartily.

Having recently upgraded from a Sony Handycam, the TRV33 was the first digital camcorder we had used. Before purchasing, we had read many reviews and best buys to select our choice. We are not disappointed.
The DCR TRV33 is very easy to use. We had recorded our first piece of movie within minutes of the battery being charged. The replay to the screen is crystal clear, and the edit functions are easy to use.
Once downloaded, the picture quality is excellent. My only negative comment is that the sony memory sticks are expensive given the capacity they hold. My advice is to buy the biggest memory stick you can afford.

However, the overall size of the camcorder makes up for these small shortcoming. Its so tiny and compact that it fits in my handbag ! Its very light and quick to start filming with - essential when trying to capture those crucial moments with the children.