Cons: No steady-shot feature, battery does not hold charge for long.
The Bottom Line: I recommend that you pay the extra $30 and purchase the next model up, the CCD-TRV338. The steady-shot feature will help make the viewing more enjoyable!
azolivas's Full Review: Sony CCD-TRV138 Hi-8 Analog Camcorder
I bought this camcorder to replace an older Sony camcorder that I have had for 5 years that stopped working. It was going to cost me just as much money to buy a new one as to have the old one repaired. I bought this camera yesterday @ Best Buy. It is the only Hi-8 camcorder that they sell. I took it home, opened it up and was amazed as to how much smaller it was than my old camcorder. I charged it up and tested it out last night. It worked great except for one thing, it does not have the steady-shot feature. As my wife already complains about how shaky I filmed with the old camcorder which did have the steady-shot, I could imagine how much more she would complain with one that did not have that feature. I assumed that all newer camcorders would have this feature, but I was wrong, I guess I should have researched it more. I am going to return the camcorder today and then purchase the next model up which has the steady-shot feature, the Sony CCD-TRV338 @ Frys Electronics($269). Now don't get me wrong, the camcorder is lightweight and the price was great ($239), but there is no way we would be able to watch homemovies with the shakes! This camcorder is way lighter than our old one, thus making it harder to keep it steady. Too bad Sony did not put this feature on all their camcorders, it is needed!
I also noticed that the battery that came with it would not hold a charge, as I was testing it, you could see the minutes depleting on the indicator as I was just checking the menu and setting the clock. I wonder if this is done to get people to buy extra batteries?
I will write another review once I purchase the CCD-TRV338 model.
Recommended:
No
Amount Paid (US$): 239.00 Recommended for: Budget Buyers - Best Values to Fit the Budget
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