Digital video is hot, but MiniDV camcorders and the tapes they require aren't cheap. Sony developed Digital 8 technology as a solution: these camcorders can record a digital signal onto a standard Hi8 tape. Sony's DCR-TRV520 is solidly in the middle of Sony's current Digital 8 line.
It has Memory Stick for digital still capture -- a trickle-down feature formerly offered only on Sony's top-of-the-line models -- and a 3.5-inch LCD monitor. While it's a bit bulkier than a typical digital camcorder, and the picture quality isn't quite as good as true MiniDV, the TRV520 offers an excellent, reasonably priced introduction to the advantages of digital video.
Features
Typically, electronic image stabilisation reduces image resolution as it compensates for camera shake. However, by using an oversized imaging chip, Sony has managed to implement electronic stabilisation with no perceptible loss in picture quality.
It's a minor inconvenience that Sony chose a detachable lens cap for the TRV520, rather than a lens cover that opens automatically when Record mode is engaged. On the other hand, it's cheaper to replace a lost lens cap than to have a malfunctioning lens cover repaired.
Nearly all of Sony's recent camcorders have featured NightShot infrared shooting mode, which lets you record in absolute darkness -- so long as you don't mind green monochrome pictures. (The infrared "illumination" is supplied by an emitter on the camera, which has a range of about 3 metres.)
While last year's Digital 8 camcorders couldn't play back analog 8mm/Hi8 as digital video, the latest crop can. In other words, you can play an 8mm or Hi8 home movie in the TRV520, send the digital output to your computer for editing, and then record the digitised footage onto a blank tape for archival. Alternatively, you can use the analog inputs to record from another camcorder or a VCR.
Connectivity
Except for the "AC In/Battery Charge" power jack located at the bottom rear of the TRV520, all plugs are hidden behind a rubber flip-out panel on the right front side. This can get clumsy if, say, you're wearing headphones and using an external microphone while viewing an external monitor (as many prosumer-level video makers do).
Though the analog inputs are useful if you want to archive a home movie library, it's unfortunate that you have to use Sony's proprietary mini-plug-RCA cable for composite video instead of your own dubbing cables (which might be of better quality). At least the S-video input/output is the standard five-pin design.
The Memory Stick is inserted into a slot built into the cassette loading tray. Having the Memory Stick slot on the outside of the camcorder would be more convenient, which is exactly how Sony designed the TRV10, PC100 and TRV20.
The "Intelligent Accessory Shoe" on top of the TRV520 can supply power to -- what else? -- Sony's "intelligent accessories," including optional video lights and microphones. It can also be used as a regular accessory shoe for non-"intelligent" accessories.
Look & Feel
The TRV520 is sized like a typical Hi8 camcorder, and may feel bulky if you're accustomed to the petite designs of many DV cameras. Once you get used to it, however, the extra weight and additional length helps stabilise handheld shooting.
I really like the zoom slider located on the top rear of the camcorder, as well as the fact that its top zoom speed isn't jarringly fast. (I've complained in the past about the zoom rockers on Sony's DV camcorders; they're tiny and so over-responsive that it's to get a slow, smooth zoom with them.)
I also appreciated that Sony built the manual focus ring right onto the camcorder lens. The Focus switch, located on the lower left side near the front, has three settings -- Auto, Manual and Infinity (focus-free, which is useful if you're not zooming and don't want any focus "hunting" while you shoot).
When the TRV520 is plugged into an AC source, the battery is recharged internally. I'd prefer a separate recharger because if I have more than one battery, I can recharge one while shooting with the other.
Performance
Because Digital 8 was conceived more for the casual consumer
than for the serious videographer, the picture quality is a bit lower than what you'd get with Sony's MiniDV camcorders. Still, the image quality beats standard Hi8 -- horizontal resolution is a solid 360 lines, whether image stabilisation's on or off. That even surpasses the performance of some low-end MiniDV camcorders, such as Panasonic's PV-DV910.
Sony has also tweaked its camcorders to increase the perceived sharpness of images, so that the TRV520's 360 lines of resolution looks about as good as the 400 lines recorded by Canon's Elura. There's a tradeoff, though, in the form of barely visible "sawtoothing" on diagonal and curved lines. (Sony's higher-resolution MiniDV camcorders don't have this problem.) It's unlikely that 95 percent of the population will ever notice it; I only bring it up for that 5 percent who will, and I'd recommend that they step up in class to MiniDV instead.
Colours are rich and true rather than bright and vibrant, and the reds look slightly muted. There's very little colour bleeding or dot crawl.
The Memory Mode digital stills aren't as good as those on the extraordinary DCR-PC100 or DCR-TRV20, and there aren't as many size and quality options. The TRV520 offers only two compression levels, and all pictures are at 640 x 480 resolution. There is, however, a setting so you can either shoot a full video frame (good for sharp-looking still life shots) or a single field (yielding a softer image, but also less blurring on action shots).
Stereo audio is excellent, as you'd expect from Sony's digital camcorders. Audio can be recorded either in full CD-quality 16-bit, or 12-bit which you can use to mix a music or narration track over later.
Value
With a street price of under AU$2,500, Sony's DCR-TRV520 costs about what an analog Hi8 camcorder would. That's consistent with Sony's Digital 8 marketing strategy: "digital video for the masses."
Anybody who needs top-of-the-line digital video quality should look at Sony's higher-end MiniDV models instead. However, if you simply want better sound and picture than analog camcorders provide, don't have ready access to MiniDV cassettes, and want the ability to digitise an existing tape library, this is an excellent deal.
Sony Mavica DCR-TRV520 Digital 8 Camcorder
Company: Sony
Ph: 02 9878 9712; Fax: 02 9888 6264
Price: ERP AU$2,459.
Rating: 4 Star
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