If you are planning on purchasing a camcorder, you must be intimate with the types of camcorders and how they may gain your specific needs. The formats of video cameras include, VHS, VHS-C, 8mm, Hi8, Mini Digital Video (Mini DV), DVD and Digital 8. Each format has it is masters and cons

VHS

The VHS format is the oldest type of camcorder. This type of video camcorder is fast getting outdated, because you may only play back the video on a VHS VCR system. VHS camcorders are not almost as clear as digital video camcorders that offer clear video with 540 lines of resolution, VHS video cameras only offer 240 lines of resolution. They likewise weigh more and are much more bulky, that dv camcorders. You may only find these video camera applied because their technology is now outdated.

VHS-C

The VHS-C format offer 240 lines of resolution, just like VHS. These analog camcorders come in a littler size that the VHS camcorder models, but use the same technology. The video tapes applied in VHS-C camcorders are much littler in size than VHS, just in a littler camcorder design. VHS-C is considered old technology and not applied today in newer models.

8mm

If you are looking to record more than 1 hour, then 8mm camcorders are perfect. These video cameras may record up to 5 hours of footage and they offer better video quality that VHS cameras. In order to view video from your 8mm video camcorder, you need to connect the camcorder to input jacks on your TV or your VCR system.

MiniDV

MiniDV, short for mini Digital Video off the clearest and most bright colors out of all the types of camcorders on the market, and they’re little in size only 4 inches in width and height. Mini dv camcorders may fit in the palm of your hand, making them very easy to handle and transport. And if you like editing your video footage you may connect dv camcorders to your computer system. Transferring the video is a snap with the FireWire connection. Once the footage is in your computers hard drive you may burn it to dvd, add it to your web website or email little clips to friends and family.

Digital8

Digital8 camcorders offer the best of both worlds, Hi8 and DV. You may use 8mm and hi8 video tapes combined with the best effigy quality found in digital camcorder formats. Digital8 camcorders are more prominent and heavier than Mini DV camcorders, but they are also for less in price. The Digital8 system offers 540 lines of crystal clear resolution.

DVD Camcorders

The most recent form of digital video cameras are DVD camcorders. These camcorders are little in size, just like Digital8 and Mini DV camcorders. The big divergence equated to other camcorder schemes is that DVD camcorders use recordable DVD discs such as DVD-R or DVD-RW. The big gain to dvd video cameras is that they may be played on your home DVD player, and of course the quality is the best you may find.

Price comparisons

If you want to buy the most inexpensive priced camcorder go for a VHS analog camcorder, you don’t get the same quality as digital camcorders notwithstanding if you plan on filming family vacations this ought to be sufficient for your needs. Then there are DVD camcorders, they are the most pricey of digital video cameras, but at the same time, they are the most recent technology supplying the best effigy and sound quality. Lastly is the mini dv format, this is in all probability the best camcorder for the price and quality. Small in size and somewhat priced. Review top manufacturers such as Panasonic, Sharp, Canon and Sony which offer the very frequent Sony Handycam.

Most helpful customer reviews

179 of 183 people found the following review helpful.
The BEST top bang-per-buck value in digital camcorders!
By CQ DX
This is easily the best value DIGITAL camcorder out there today, hands down. ‘Digital8′ is just as good as ‘MiniDV’ in terms of resolution and picture/audio quality. Why pay more for MiniDV? For under three ‘Benjamins’, you get reliable digital video and audio quality with over 500 lines of resolution, and a proven medium (Digital8) whose videotapes cost half as much or less than MiniDV tapes. The video quality in low light is also excellent, with a low light switch and feature that works great. And size-wise, the camcorder is not much larger than a MiniDV unit. It is feature-rich and comes with all the accessories you would need, including a charger, battery, lens cap, A/V cable for connection to your TV, a USB cable and software for connection to your PC or Mac. The owner’s manual is one of the best i’ve ever seen, with very intuitive diagrams and easy to operate instructions. And the battery level meter and ‘time left’ indicator on the LCD view panel is very useful and amazing in it’s detail and usefulness. Folks, this is one serious digital camcorder that is available ‘for a song’! Great job Sony!!!

UPDATE 1/2006: ‘Consumer Reports’ listed this camcorder as a ‘Best Buy’, and mentioned that Sony has the best ‘repair free’ history out of all camcorders! Proof that this is a GREAT bargain! I wrote my original review of this here last year.

152 of 156 people found the following review helpful.
Fantastic deal — (does not support Hi8 format)
By M. Harris
As the other reviewers have noted, the TRV 280 is a very good deal as a full-featured Digital8 camcorder. I have to warn prospective buyers not to believe any source you have read that suggests the 280 supports the analog formats (8mm and Hi8). It does not. If you need to import old 8mm or Hi8 tapes to your PC or Mac, get the TRV 480. I learned the hard way. My son is the benefactor of my error–as the happy owner of the TRV 280.

71 of 72 people found the following review helpful.
FOR NOW, THE BEST & MOST AFFORDABLE DIGITAL CAMCORDER
By NPUL
After doing hours of research on the internet (and I do mean hours and even days) EXTENSIVE research, I have found that, for the money ($259 from Amazon w/free shipping & also getting the Amazon Visa Card for an added discount), this is the best deal as far as digital camcorders go available today. It is certainly the cheapest priced digital camcorder I could find brand new, and the best built camcorder, especially when compared to the many mini dv’s available (they look like they could break if you look at them the wrong way)! I had a friend who had a mini dv camcorder comment on their delicate nature, and her mini dv camcorder also quit working after only a few months of normal use (think about the same price range as digital 8 now–not more costly mini dv camcorders).

The Sony digital 8 camcorders may be discontinued soon by Sony (at least that is the asumption from what I read), but I have read more positive reviews (at this price range) for the Sony digital 8 camcorders than any of the comparable mini dv camcorders IN THIS PRICE RANGE. I purchased a Samsung (JUNK JUNK-AVOID) mini dv camcorder from Sam’s Club prior to purchasing the Sony DCR-TRV280 from amazon.com, and I was more than disappointed in the performance of the Samsung mini dv camcorder. The picture from my old RCA Autoshoot VHS-C camcorder produced a picture much better than the Samsung could. I couldn’t believe how horrible the quality was on the Samsung mini dv camcorder! This was difficult to tell in Sam’s Club as all of their camcorders are in a very bright area of the store.

Also, I think blank tapes (8mm/high will be available still for several more years, and this Sony digital 8 camcorder suits my purposes quite well. The tapes can be erased and reused many many times with very little loss of quality, if any, when well taken care of. I must state the opposite of most people when asked “should I go for mini dv or digital 8?” I say go with digital 8 if you’re a “point and shoot” person like I am. Consumer Reports also states that these digital 8 camcorders are amongest the best buys in digital camcorders available today. You have to remember too, that Sony is a big name with a big reputation of producing great quality electronics.

Oh, another thing, how many digital camcorders can you get hours upon hours of use out of a single charge on one battery? Check out the optional batteries that are available with these digital 8 handycams. The NP-QM91D is the longest lasting (6 to 12 hours on 1 charge!) Also compatible with this digital 8 handycam is the NP-QM71D and NP-FM50. BEWARE of generic batteries, however (I found out the hard way!) Sony makes many of their newer models to detect the generic batteries and cause the camera to shut down and not charge the battery. I just sent back a generic NP-QM91D that was only $37.50 (Sony brand is around $149 new). Just stick with the Sony brand name infoLITHIUM batteries only. I re-ordered and got the NP-FM50 for $44 from amazon.com (Sony brand). It will give 2 to 3 hours recording time, which, when combined with the battery that came with this camcorder, will be about 4 hours of battery time. This should be plenty for most users. The batteries also recharge remarkably fast (except for the first two batteries I mentioned. Those require an optional “fast charge charger” to get them to charge quickly).

By the way, the Samsung mini dv had many complaints of low battery time (40 minutes or less). I think Sony makes the longest lasting batteries, and I have done a lot of research on this! I hope you will take my word for it, and check out this digital 8 handycam yourself!

See all 60 customer reviews…

Sony Dcrtrv260 Digital8 Handycam Camcorder

Sony DCR-TRV280 Digital 8 Handycam Camcorder w/20x Optical Zoom

Go digital. Capture high-quality digital audio and video with Sony’s DCR-TRV280 Digital8 Handycam camcorder. The DCR-TRV280 features Digital8 recording for three times the color bandwidth of VHS, supplying you with stunning video performance. The CCD imager captures clear and elaborate images for systematically outstanding effigy quality. With Sony’s NightShot Plus infrared system you may capture natural-looking video, even when shooting in low light.

Don’t let it is compact design fool you: the DCR-TRV280 carries great power with the Stamina battery power-management system, which allows you to continuously record for up to 12 hours on a single full charge. Editing and sharing hours of video is easy with the i.LINK DV interface, which allows you to effortlessly connect your camcorder to your TV or PC.

Features of the Sony DCR-TRV280

Digital8 Recording The Digital8 recording format delivers three times the color bandwidth of VHS with significantly less video noise, supplying stunning video performance. Digital8 records digital audio and video comparable to MiniDV on lowcost Hi8 tapes.	2.5-inch SwivelScreen LCD Display rotates up to 270 degrees
1/6-Inch CCD Imager, 460K Pixels Gross 1/6-inch CCD Imager with 290K (effective) pixels provides great detail and clarity along with great digital video performance.
20x Optical/990x Digital Zoom The optical zoom helps to fetch the action close up from far away. Digital Zoom Interpolation means that extreme digital zooming is clearer, with less distortion than with former types of digital zooms.	SteadyShot Picture-Stabilization System Picture-stabilization scheme uses motion sensors to observe and compensate for camera shake without compromising picture quality, as galore other digital stabilization schemes do.
2.5-Inch SwivelScreen LCD Display (123K Pixels) Provides magnificent watching clarity with bettered resolution. The high-resolution 123K-pixel LCD screen rotates up to 270 degrees for multiple observing angles, providing sharp, elaborate images for monitoring or playback.	Stamina Battery Power-Management System Using the optional NP-QM91D InfoLithium battery, the DCR-TRV280 may without disturbance record for up to 12 hours on a single full charge, providing extra-long battery life.
Multilanguage Menu Change the menu display from English to English (Simplified), Canadian French, Latin American Spanish, Brazilian Portuguese, Korean, or Traditional Chinese.	Easy Dubbing Connect the Handycam camcorder to a VCR to effortlessly make VHS copies of your home videos. The camcorder may control up to 59 brands of VCRs.
NightShot Plus Infrared System With Sony’s NightShot Infrared System you may capture natural-looking video, even when shooting in low light. Record subjects up to 10 feet away using the built-in infrared system, but without the overall monochrome color mutual with earlier low-light recording systems.	USB Streaming Stay connected to family and friends by broadcasting live video with audio over the Internet using the USB interface. You may even play back your bestloved recorded scene on the camcorder’s tape. It’s like having your own video-conferencing system.
Sony’s AccuPower Meter System	InfoLithium Battery with AccuPower Meter System Charge the battery at anytime–unlike NiCad (Nickel Cadmium) batteries, Sony’s rechargeable lithium-ion batteries are not subject to a life-shortening “memory effect.” Sony’s exclusive AccuPower meter displays the battery time remaining in minutes, either in the viewfinder or on the LCD screen.
Program AE (Auto Exposure) Modes Program AE modes make recording easy even when filming in challenging situations. Choose from Portrait, Beach & Ski, Sports Lesson, Landscape, Spotlight, and Sunset & Moon modes.	Picture Effects Get originative when recording or playing back your videos with Sony’s Picture Effect Modes. Effects available in Camera mode: Negative Art, Sepia, Monotone, Solarize, Slim, Stretch, Pastel, and Mosaic.
End Search Automatically advances the videotape to the last five seconds of the recorded scene. This prevents without intention recording over antecedently recorded videos.	Battery Information At the touch of a button, battery info is displayed on the LCD screen when charging or when the camcorder is turned off. The display will show how much the battery is charged in 10% increments and the recordable time left on the LCD screen or in the viewfinder.
Photo Mode Using Sony’s Adaptive Frame Interpolation for better effigy quality, you may store hundreds of person still images with seven seconds of audio on the videotape.	Built-In White LED Light Brighten your video, and reduce shadows when shooting in low-light situations. The LED light uses substantially less power than do bulb-based light systems, with the same light output.
Manual Focus Allows the user to manually adjust the focus of the camcorder using the dial. Manual focusing likewise allows the user to control the focus in difficult situations in which either the environs or the subject does not grant the camcorder’s autofocus to carry out optimally, such as when shooting through a window or in a crowded environment.	Titling Add professional-looking titles to your video. Select from 8 presets, or custommake 2 titles with up to 22 characters.
	Fader Effects Enhance your personal videos by adding professional looking fader effects. Choose from Black, Mosaic, White, Monotone, and Stripe.
i.LINK DV Interface A digital high-speed bidirectional interface which provides Audio/Video communication amid two compatible devices. This connection allows for pure digital transfer among gimmicks equipped with an IEEE1394 interface, such as camcorders, digital VTRs, capture cards, and PCs.	Easy Handycam Button Using a camcorder may be daunting for a great deal of people, so with a press of the Easy Handycam button, most of the innovative features of the camcorder are “locked out,” leaving only the buttons necessary for recording operational.

What’s in the Box
Sony DCR-TRV280 Digital8 Handycam Camcorder, AC-L15 power adapter/in-camera charger, NP-FM30 InfoLithium rechargeable battery, AV cable, USB cable, lens cap, shoulder strap, CD-ROM with USB driver (PicturePackage Software version 1.5 for Sony).