Rating: 
Summary: Don't hold your breath
Review: I just ordered this camcorder yesterday, but I highly recommend it because of my experience with my parents' TRV340. It's crisp picture and ease of use will satisfy most home recording needs and at least yesterday was a good deal. However, the main reason I'm writing this review is to warn you that you may be in for a long wait for it to arrive from Amazon.com, even though they say it usually ships in one day. Mine is scheduled for shipping on November 15th, eight days after I ordered it. As my wife is 37 weeks pregnant, we hope it gets here before the baby does.
Rating:
Summary: Don't hold your breath
Review: I just ordered this camcorder yesterday, but I highly recommend it because of my experience with my parents' TRV340. It's crisp picture and ease of use will satisfy most home recording needs and at least yesterday was a good deal. However, the main reason I'm writing this review is to warn you that you may be in for a long wait for it to arrive from Amazon.com, even though they say it usually ships in one day. Mine is scheduled for shipping on November 15th, eight days after I ordered it. As my wife is 37 weeks pregnant, we hope it gets here before the baby does.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent Camcorder
Review: I purchased the trv340 about two weeks ago and couldn't be happier with the camcorder. Although I was initially concerned about shooting in low-light settings with a 1/6" CCD, my fears were quickly put to rest. The camcorder shoots beautifully in low light settings, and compared to other camcorders in a similar price range, the picture quality on the trv340 is outstanding. Additionally, the menus on the 340 are incredibly easy to maneuver through. Sony included several ports on the camcorder (most notably a usb port, so those without a firewire card can still view and edit video and pictures on their computer). Although the mic does, as the other reviewer noted, occasionally pick up tape drive noise, I haven't found it to be a problem in filming. If you're in the market for a camcorder, be sure to take a look at the 340. You won't regret it.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent Camcorder
Review: I purchased the trv340 about two weeks ago and couldn't be happier with the camcorder. Although I was initially concerned about shooting in low-light settings with a 1/6" CCD, my fears were quickly put to rest. The camcorder shoots beautifully in low light settings, and compared to other camcorders in a similar price range, the picture quality on the trv340 is outstanding. Additionally, the menus on the 340 are incredibly easy to maneuver through. Sony included several ports on the camcorder (most notably a usb port, so those without a firewire card can still view and edit video and pictures on their computer). Although the mic does, as the other reviewer noted, occasionally pick up tape drive noise, I haven't found it to be a problem in filming. If you're in the market for a camcorder, be sure to take a look at the 340. You won't regret it.
Rating: 
Summary: Disapointment. . .
Review: I'm sorry ~ I could not get past all the buzzing. Plus this camcorder must have been made for a man's hand. It was very big and clumsy and aukward placement of buttons and strap . . . .
So, if you are a male and hard of hearing then check this out because SONY products usually are good!
Rating:
Summary: so far so good..
Review: i've owned the Sony TRV-340 for a few months now and so far have no complaints whatsoever. i've taken quite a few videos with it in various circumstances and light situations and have been very pleased with it's over all performance.
the menus and controls are very user friendly and easy to handle.
it shoots with amazing brilliance and picture clarity.
it's unfortunate that others find that the built in microphone picks up some motor noise because i have not experienced any of it. infact, the sound quality was one of the first things that i found remarkable about this camera. the mic is very sensitive and yet free from any unwanted hum you normally get from a camcorder recording. and believe me, having worked as a proffessional in the advertising industry, i am not easily pleased.
perhaps my only regret is that they didn't include a built in backlight or pop-up flash with it. but, you can always buy one put it on the provided intelligent shoe. oh and the software that comes with it is useless. it's horribly primitive!! if you want to maximize use of this great camera, i suggest you buy software that will give it justice!
if you are thinking on getting the TRV-340, don't hesitate. it's a wonerful camera that's priced just right!
Rating:
Summary: Excellent Camcorder!!!
Review: My wife and I bought this camcorder before we went on our honeymoon and we found it to be perfect! The quality of the picture is amazing. When we were replaying the tapes on TV it looked like we were watching DVDs. The sound was also very, very good. It's easy to use, everything is self explanatory. I realy like the feature that allows you to film and send it via e-mail as MPEG files. If you plan to send whatever you taped over e-mail make sure you buy 128mb memory card. (this memory card will allow you to record upto 1 minute) If you only plan to take still pictures, you will do fine with the standard (8MB) memory card that comes with the camcorder. Also, I recommend buying 2nd battery since the standard one, which comes with the camera will last you for about 75 minutes using LCD display (2 hours using viewfinder). I bought my second battery in a package with the camcorder bag (surpisingly the bag does not come with the camcorder). By buying in the package you will save $[money]...Overall, I love this camcorder and I think it the best Digital8 camcorder on the market. One of the reviewer complained about the size of this camera. I just want to say that my wife has the smallest hands and she said that it was not too big. However, if you find this camcorder too big, I suggest looking into buying MiniDV (step above Digital8; also $[money] more expensive for pretty much same features). Good Luck with your purchase!
Rating: 
Summary: Still working through all of the features
Review: My wife and I went back and forth as to which camera we were going to go with. I initially prefered the Canon Mini DV for about the same price as it was smaller and seemed more functional at the time. Besides, my in-laws purchased the 340 several weeks back and I was trying to be independent!But what truly sold us on the 340 was the 700X Digital Zoom. As we are expecting our first child, we knew that it would be important to be able to zoom in at long distances (little league, soccer, etc...) I was surprised to find as many features as I have (such as the digital fade effects, night vision, night color vision, stop motion animation and time lapse capability). The software is klunky and seems to offer limited functionality. I am still trying to figure out how to transfer from Digital Tape to the computer - so far it seems as if you can only transfer from the memory stick. Overall, I am very pleased as the picture quality is superb and it is compact and easy to take along. Seems to be a very good investment.
Rating:
Summary: Good Camera, but no for everyone.........
Review: The first thing that I think you should consider is the weight and size of the camera. If you like a smaller camera, go with a MiniDV, but if size is not a big deal, go with the Digital 8, mainly because it is more versatile epspecially if you have older tapes. If you plan to use this for trips, i recommend MiniDV, however I bought this to make Short films with, so size was not a big factor. One great thing about this camera is that you pay ...for features worth over 1400 dollars on a MiniDV with the same quality. However this model of the Sony left me with mixed feelings. I have used both its older brother the 740 and its younger brother the 140. THey are both excellent cameras. The 140 is great, it skimps a bit in features, but for 500 dollars its a great deal. Also the 740 is great with its megapixel ccd, but you will pay an extra 100 for it. This is a nice balance between the two, however the picture feature was subpar. I decided not to return it because I got an excellent deal on it. Great features of the camera include: The super night shot (people complain becuase it is green, but it will record in 0 lux, and seriously, who needs to record color in 0 lux?)
The night shot is great (Color in 4 lux!!!)
The super steady shot (GREAT!!! NO TRIPOD REALLY NEEDED IF YOU HAVE A DECENTLY STEADY HAND)
Memory Stick (decent pictures if you need to send on the internet?) ... The quality on still pictures cannot be compared.
Rating:
Summary: This is a great video camera for the price!
Review: This is a great video camera for the price. After getting a chance to play around with my parent's camera, I fell in love with the TRV340. This is my first digital video camera and I'm very happy with it. It produces great video and sound, though you can't compare it with a mega-pixel or 3CCD camera. The camera uses Sony's digital 8 format which lets the camera read older 8mm tapes. Digital quality on Digital 8 tapes is equal to that of MiniDV. So, if you've got a collection of those tapes, this is a great way to convert them into digital video. The camera is a little larger than the MiniDV cameras, but the added weight makes it less shaky in your hand. Because of the included Firewire (IEEE 1394) port, it's a breeze to transfer video to your computer, provided it also has a Firewire port. I use a Mac so I can't comment on the quality of the included windows editing software. The battery that comes with the camera won't last very long and I highly recommend an additional battery, though they are a bit pricey. I also recommend a good, sturdy tripod, and a screw-on UV filter. This filter costs very little and will protect the lens from scratches and smudges. Another good accessory would be a boom microphone that attaches to the intelligent shoe. Sound is often overlooked on camcorders and most of them have terrible onboard mics. While this camera has the ability to take digital stills and save them to a memory stick, the resolution is very low and the pictures don't look very good. They're somewhat disappointing. I highly recommend this camera to anyone looking to get into digital video or anyone with a collection of 8mm tapes that they want to preserve.
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