Sony DCRTRV530 Digital8 Camcorder with Builtin Digital Still Mode
By: Sony Average Rating: 3.0 Total Reviews: 26
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 On: 2004-09-13
This camera is excellent for capturing videos, and the still picture quality is ok if you are outdoors. For shooting still pics indoors & especially during night-time, you must have a very bright light source or a brightly illuminated room. The optical zoom is great. The memory stick is a nice addition but Sony should have provided a 32 MB memory stick as a standard accessory. The software is good enough to get started but I recommend Adobe Premiere and an iLink (firewire) cable if you are serious about editing video. Battery Life is adequate but I recommend buying another battery. Overall I highly recommend it.
Pros:
1. Portable, small and light weight, but big enough to hold steady.
2. Extra-large 3.5 inch LCD screen.
3. Photo quality is ok but you may need a separate camera if you are a stickler about quality.
4. Reversable swivel screen for viewing from any angle.
5. No detectable motor noise or hum when recording.
6. Easy operation and simple controls.
7. Ive dropped it several times with no problems.
Cons:
1. Battery must charge in unit... not easy to remember. Get a charger or a second battery because you will forget to charge it and may miss the good shots.
2. Software is fair but useable.
3. Included memory stick is insufficent for camera, buy 32 or 64 MB memory stick.
4. You must remove camera from the tripod to change tapes.
 On: 2003-04-24
Excellent, digital and optical zoom. Special efects wonderfull. I would be great better resolution for taking pictures.
by: Anonymous On: 2002-07-03
I recently bought the 530 some time ago and let me tell you it was the biggest mistake of my life.I am so happy this camcorder is discontinued because it wont make others as angry as it made me. First off, the digital stills are laughable. VERY WEAK! The camera is bulky. I cant even get my finger to rest confortably on the zoom. I end up holding the damn thing with two hands!
Okay, the optical zoom is good (thats where it gets ONE star from me). However, the digital zoom is so awful that its pointless that its even there. Picture is very grainy at times when seen on my TV. This had my family very disapointed as I was filming my first borns first few steps. I was REALLY angry. This camcorder was a bust for Sony and Im glad they threw it out. I will be getting the MINI DV soon.
 On: 2002-05-28
...Comfort and user friendliness is important to me and this just didnt have it. The zoom function was difficult to control and it was hard to reach the zoom button on top of the camcorder and it just didnt feel right to move the lever left to right as opposed to front and back. The viewfinder was only B+W. My Sony Cam from 91 felt more ergonomically correct than this unit. Glad the TRV530 is discontinued. The TRV117 is a much better choice.
 On: 2002-02-05
this model is being discontinued by Sony, replaced by the TRV-520. Biggest change is the new one will no longer play the hi-8 tapes, only digital. Smaller screen, other minor changes. but because its being discontinued, you can get it really cheap elsewhere. .... by the way, camera is awesome. A little bulky by todays standards, but it can do tons of stuff.
On: 2002-01-18
I already own the extremely small JVC GR-DVP3U and was looking for a good second camera. I needed something larger for more recreational use.. The features that caused me to buy this unit where the Sony name, large LCD and the fact that the digital8 format would allow me to still dubb and play my Hi8 and 8mm tapes. I took for granted that the images would be crystal clear and the capabilities would be as expected in 2002. Howver, I will be returning this camera within my alloted 30 days. The low light capabilities are non-existant. I tried filming in my living room with 3 lights on and the images were worse than my old 8mm Viewcam. Outside in bright light if operates fine. Still images are pathetic! This is not Sonys best work. look elsewhere.
On: 2002-01-06
This was my first video camera that Ive ever owned. I really liked the video quality in a lighted area (daylight or lots of indoor lighting). I also liked the sound quality especially with a help of the zoom microphone. Also loved the 3.5" LCD and the high range optical zoom (25X). But was disappointed with the nightshot (even with the IR optional lighting accessory). The Digital still photo quality is less than average, i.e. dont buy this camera if Digital still photography is as important as video recording for you. I was also very disppointed that I was not able to use my Remote Commander to view the Digital still photos (memory). I wish that I would have spent a bit more and bought the DCR-TRV 830.
On: 2001-12-31
Im very happy with the image quality presented by this camera. The built-in mic, however, is quite sad. It picks up the buzzing of the camera when recording. This is especially annoying during quiet moments, but it can still be heard even when there are other environmental sounds.Will a external mic fix this problem? Guess Ill have to shell out around 80.00 Sony dollars to find out. As noted by others here in the reviews, the digital still picture component of the camcorder is useless (but taking digital still pics is not the reason to buy this camera - - moving into the digital video recording/editing realm is). Also, it is true that the picture quality degrades quickly under minimal lighting conditions (more so than my previous analog Cannon Hi8). A decent camera, overall. I hope to be more on the positive side once I start editing video with it.
On: 2001-12-29
I have an old Sony hi-8 camcorder that no longer works. Since I have many years of hi-8 recordings, I decided to move to digital-8 format. I purchased the TR530 from Circuit City. It played our old Hi-8 tapes very well. When I recorded my kids in a well-lit room, the picture quality was much worse than the old hi-8 tapes. It was unacceptably grainy. In bright sunlight, picture quality was okay, but certainly not any better than Hi-8. Since all reviews that I had read about the Sony digital-8 camcorders were good, I assumed that I had a defective camcorder.
I took it back to Circuit City and they replaced it with no hassle. To my surprise, the new one had just as poor of performance as the previous one. I called Sony and they could not help me. I then took the camera into Circuit City to demonstrate its problem with the salesman who sold it to me. After connecting it
to a large screen TV, he agreed that the picture quality was poor. He then connected a demo model up to the TV, and it, too, had an unacceptably grainy picture. The salesman was visibly embarressed. I returned the second camera for a full refund. (Circuit City gave me no hassle). My experience with Sony Digital-8 camcorders appears to be unique. Perhaps our local Circuit City received a batch of bad
camcorders. I dont know.
On: 2001-12-27
With this being my first digital camcorder, I really hoped that the video quality was a lot better. I was under the assumption that the video was "crystal clear and near-broadcast quality however the video from my 530 has been anything but. The video is very grainy in all light conditions and very grainy in lower-light (indoor with a few lanps on in room). There actually are only a few settings on the camera and I have played with all settings from all set to automatic to playing with individual settings manually. I have no problems connecting it to a computer and uploading video via the firewire. I did not expect much from the still-shot camera capabilities (USB uploads) as I have a very good digital camera and would equate the quality of the trv530 stills to a $39.00 digital kids camera. Again I am very disappointed with the quality of the video as I was expecting near-broadcast quality. [...] Thanks! Tom...
On: 2001-12-18
This camcorder has been great for my family. The digital stills are o.k. when we dont have our Olympus available though resolution is no comparison to a still digital camera. We can view our old films too now that we have another camcorder that accepts 8mm and Hi8 analog videos.My only disapointment, a biggie! is that I have not been able to get the camera to cooperate with the firewire connection on my computer. It recognizes my card but once the camera is hooked up, everything freezes. Once I disconnect, the computer is back to normal. I would like to know how the others here got this feature to work. (I am using win98 v 2). This was the main reason I chose this camera instead of analog. I really want to try editing and making videos on the computer once I get this straightened out. Can somebody help?
On: 2001-12-16
I just bought this camera and I am pleased. First at all, this device can be operated (easy operation) since you open the box and charge the battery. Some people have written about the inconvenience of a b/w viewfinder. I dont think so; certainly, with the excellent color display why would you like see the viewfinder? On the other side, professionals can "read" an image even it is in black and white.
Second at all, it can be carried (inside a Sony bag, of course)with its accesories (literally ALL its accesories) and you will not be tired; obviously, this is an enormous advantage, specially if you are planning the "trip of your life", that is, 5-6 weeks with a camera in order to record every little detail. You wont need to visit a doctor after the trip because the pain in your shoulders.
Finally, lets talk about prices. It is true that technology is expensive. And it is true too that Sonys best performance equipments are really expensive. But, for this price you obtain basic accesories and an excellent software package, so you will be able to do whatever you want without an additional investment. I hope you think about this next time you want to buy any other brand.
On: 2001-12-10
This camcorder is very good with the recording but the still images are not all that great. The quality of the still images are a little dark and blurry but i dont use the still image function that much so, its up to you. It is very easy to use and pretty light weight. Some good features are the night shot, ilink, and the different titles or modes that you can have. The ilink is for those that have a sony television so that you can plug a reciver in the back of the TV and the laser shoots from the camcorder to the reciver and you can play the movie without any cords. One thing they need to have is a light which will make it a better film. Otherwise the zoom is more than i need and the automatic focus reduces the shaking of the video. Another thing is to buy it online because you can find it alot cheaper than any store would have it. I hope I was a help for your decion of buying this camcorder.
by: Anonymous On: 2001-08-29
This is an excellent buy. I bought 3 of the TRV 30 series camcorders and found this to be the best just because it has a bigger display LCD3.5" and it is moderately priced. I think the picture quality is much better than the 230 or the 330 which were the other two.
I do agree that the still shots could have been much better to print. But overall, the graininess of pictures is much less than that on the 230 or 330.
I do not know about the higher end ones like 930 etc. But this one is value for money
On: 2001-07-24
For me this camera had the perfect mix of features so I picked it up to record my hiking adventures. First off the motor was so loud it was terrible (louder than my gals voice in some scenes). I took it up Mt Timpanogos and discovered that not only was it too loud, but the 360 degree mic was overpowered by even the smallest breezes, and colors of flowers and plants got totally washed out in bright sunlight (can be corrected by a filter). The B&W viewfinder is useless (I couldnt make out a deer standing in shadow 20 meters away) and the LCD is hard to see in bright sun. It was also way too heavy to carry in a pack all day. In low light conditions it gets very grainy (to be expected, but not to this degree). I returned it and now am trying a DCRTRV17. Same mic and LCD but with a color VF, much smaller and lighter (DVC), a super quiet motor, but only 10x op-zoom.
by: Anonymous On: 2001-06-10
This is my fourth camcorder. My first two were JVC, Then when they wore out I ordered a Panasonic and sent it back the next day. This one seems just right although I did order a Vidio light for it. I only use the still shots for e-mail or web as anyone knows you can not get pro prints with small resolution. I have a high resolution digital camera for serious stuff and this is great for fun times.
by: Anonymous On: 2001-06-09
the camera works ok, but there is nothing that "wows" you. Its digital, but it doesnt enhance the picture quality much. It doesnt have many effects that can be done with it. The imput is somewhat awkward on the camcorder. And the editing software is extremly basic, meaning not to many options, not an easy imput. really disappointing for more then an entire weeks pay.
by: Anonymous On: 2001-06-09
the key reason i bought this camera was because of the "built in camera." As you probebly know, you can take still shots, and put them on the computer. The quality is really awful, its not even worth taking the picture, even if you have a good printer. Forget about the still-frame mode on this when disiding what camera to buy.
On: 2001-05-30
Buyer beware. The 640 X 480 pixel resolution of the still photos cannot be printed in an acceptable quality. I have been happy with the camcorder functions and the digital media is easy to work with but the poor still quality is a real problem for me.
by: Anonymous On: 2001-05-25
sony puts out ads proclaiming great things, but that just makes the truth hurt more. the features are ok, but nothing "wows" you. the quality comes off as shabby, and the tech support is nothing short of terrible. accually, im quite dissappointed, but you might not be as picky as me.
On: 2001-05-23
I have been using a Sony 8mm camcorder for a number of years. I bought this because my wife wanted a digital camera and I wanted to edit video on my computer.The digital editing has worked out well and it has been fun, once I got my firewire card to work right. The software that comes with it works adequately. I was disappointed in the video quality in low light situations. It gets very grainy compared to my old 8mm unless you turn on Nightshot, but then everything is a shade of green. The digital camera piece is also disappointing. The picture quality is very poor, though OK for my wife that prints mostly 2X3 inch pictures for scrapbooks. She went with this size because anything bigger looks bad. I do not like looking at the pictures on screen because of the poor quality. For the price I dont know that you can get any better and I still enjoy and use it, but the quality wasnt as good as I had hoped.
On: 2001-05-19
Sonys Digital8 cameras have been consitently good for a number of years. This new line (the 30 series) seems to be a step down from their usual high quality.I bought the TRV530, and for the most part, I am pleased. First off- the good features: this camera has a very nice, high-rez 3.5" LCD screen, a more sensitive focus ring than previous cameras, and all of the built-in connections are streamlined along the cameras base, freeing up room around the headphone and mic connections near the base of the lens. Now, the bad. Most of these comments are more aesthetics than anything, so itll just take a little getting used to. Sonys new line now uses the InfoLithium M-series batteries, which are about half the size and twice the price of the L-series batteries used on all previous D8 cams. All of the digital, picture, and auto-exposure options are deep within Sonys on-screen menu instead of having easy-access buttons. This camera is very compact in size and shape, which is very nice and sleek. However, one compromise of the cameras size is that now, the tape loads from the bottom. At first this is kinda cool, but then you realize that if youre using a tripod and need to change tapes, you must pop the camera off the tripod, remove the mounting plate, eject the old tape, pop in a new one, and remount the camera on the tripod, which, in my opinion, is extremely stupid on Sonys part. Another thing that really annoys me is the Black and White viewfinder. Whereas all of the cameras in the 20 and 10 series had color viewfinders, all of Sonys new cameras have Black & white viewfinders, which makes it impossible to pick out anything colorful when its too bright to use the LCD screen. Also- whereas Sonys TRV720 had a huge 4" LCD screen, the largest LCD screen you can get now is the 530s 3.5" screen. (The TRV730, the so-called "replacement" to the 720, only has a 2.5" screen.) But again, all of the above comments are aesthetics only, and Im sure that eventually I can get used to these changes. However, one new feature that bothers me a bit is the grain. Sure, all cameras will become grainy in low-light situations because you have to gain up the iris in order to see. But Ive been noticing a subtle but distinct graininess even in full sunlight. The cameras in the 20 series had a slight grain to them all the time, but in this camera the grain seems a bit more defined. All-in-all, its a good camera with many nice features (like the 1/30th sec shutter speed- great for a more film-like look.) But the problems with grain and the overall stupidity of a Black and White viewfinder knock down my rating for this. The TRV-20 series was a work of art. The new TRV-30 series seems more like a step in the wrong direction. Sony, why mess with a good thing?
by: Anonymous On: 2001-05-05
Really love this camera. Colors and detail are very nice. Using it for DV to computer editing; Putting 12 minutes of footage of my kids in Mpeg2, burning to a CD and sending to relatives. Firewire functionality great. In low light its grain is there and it hunts a bit in autofocus but with good light its great. Nice manual focus and sound it better than any other camera of this grade that Ive had (3). Sure blows away anything that Canon has under a k. Very pleased so far.
On: 2001-03-23
I purchased this camera a few weeks back. Ive had camcorders for nearly 15 years and I can tell you that this camera is definantly worth every penny. The 3.5" screen is so easy to use. It makes every shot a breeze. The 7oox zoom allows you to get close-up that were previously not possible. I use it alot at my daughters musicals,etc.No longer do I have to position myself near the front on the floor. I can go to the back of the gym at the top of the bleachers and do my filming. Having the memory stick feature to be able to take digital pics is just an added bonus that puts this camera over the top. Hats off to SONY for an all round PERFECT camera. No complaints.
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