Sony Hi8 Handycam Camcorder Review

As most of us are well aware of, having a Hi8 camcorder has slightly become outdated. This is only because the majority of the filming industry has become wholly digital, or at least on miniDV cassettes, and thus making Hi8 cameras obsolete. For a while, I was sure that manufacturers are going to stop making these type of camcorders, solely because demand has shot down. However, that demand is now starting to rise again with the coming of Sony's newest Hi8 camcorder. I am talking about the Sony Hi8 Handycam Camcorder with 2.5" SwivelScreen LCD Monitor, Model: CCD-TRV138.

This amazing camcorder has some of the best features that can be put onto a camcorder. At first, I was not very impressed, solely because it was a Hi8 handycam, however, the more that I researched and played around with this camera, the more that I loved it. Now, I actually prefer this camera over many of the digital ones - even the models with high-definition. This camera comes with 20x optical zoom and 990x digital zoom. If you know anything about cameras, than you are well aware of the amazing zooming capabilities this camera has. And think, it's all within a seemingly "outdated" model. Also, this camera comes with a CCD image sensor that has a total of 320K pixels and a total of 200K effective pixels.

You can record up to 400 lines of horizontal resolution with hi-fi sound on either 8mm or Hi8 tapes with this really cool camcorder. This Handycam also comes with a pre-programmed Auto Exposure mode, which makes it extremely easy to adjust your camera's setting depending on the filming situations. Some of the various filming modes include beach, sports, landscape, sun, moon and portrait. These modes will give you the crispness that you want from your video camera.

Another great feature is the NightShot Plus infrared system. This filming system can actually record video in natural looking video, even when the shooting light is extremely low. This camera has built-in LED light, which brightens the video and reduces shadows, without being overbearing. If you aren't a huge fan of autofocus, or your filming conditions won't allow it (such as in crowded events), than you can take advantage of the manual focus.

This camera comes with various effects that will let your home video actually be entertaining - for your friends. Some of the fader effects include mosaic, white, black, stripe and monotone. Also, some of the various picture effects include: sepia, slim, stretch, solarize, mosaic, pastel and negative art. All of these features will let your film look extremely fun and interesting, while giving you a professional quality to your home videos. Also, this camcorder connects to your VCR to easily make VHS copies.

I once thought that filming in Hi8 would be outdated, and uninteresting. However, this particular camcorder has quickly changed my mind. Also, the price tag of this camera beats that of a digital camcorder. With the average price of $239.99, you can film like a professional without having to pay the professional price.