We were pleased that Sony didn't skimp on the TRV820's ports and jacks. The automatic focus worked well and adjusted quickly when we zoomed and panned simultaneously. Although not a true mechanical optical focus (you are actuating servo-motors that move the lens) the focus ring is a nice addition and makes the TRV820 intuitive to use with a natural feel. You can then adjust the focus by turning the easy-to-grasp focus ring, located on the front of the lens where it should be.
Located toward the front of the camcorder, you can easily switch between manual and automatic settings. Perhaps the most important of these controls is the focus button. This makes it easy to make adjustments while shooting.
Most of the essential control buttons like manual focus, program mode and exposure are conveniently located right on the body of the camcorder. The zoom lever sits on top of the camcorder behind the VTR transport buttons and is controlled using your index finger. The TRV820 also features a 25:1 optical zoom and 450:1 digital zoom that relies on a 1/4-inch CCD with 460,000 pixels to deliver a decent digital image. The TRV820 also has a color eyepiece that you can use for more precision or to save battery. The large viewscreen makes monitoring your shots or reviewing your footage comfortable. It sports a large 4-inch flip-out color LCD viewscreen, with brightness control and a small speaker with adjustable volume control. That said, if you've been shooting on 8mm or Hi8 tape and you want a digital solution that's compatible with your 8mm tapes, or you like the idea of printing images without using the computer as a middle man, read on, the TRV820 could be just what you're looking for.Ībout the size of a regular Hi8 camcorder, this Sony Digital8 camcorder is well balanced and fits snugly in one hand. While it does have some manual control over focus and exposure and both external microphone and headphone jacks, it doesn't have manual white balance, an important feature for intermediate and advanced shooters. The TRV820 prints business card-size color images of still images and frames of video.Īs amazing as that is, this camcorder isn't for everybody. You could never tell by just looking at it, but there's a color printer built right into its compact body. This baby not only captures still images and stores them on its tiny Memory Stick, but it also prints them. The bar has been raised in the Sony Digital8 camcorder format with the DCR-TRV820, the gem of their Digital8 camcorders. In 1999 when Sony introduced the Digital8 format, video hobbyists and critics alike were impressed with its ability to record a high-quality digital image onto a normal 8mm or Hi8 tape.