I just ordered my TRV-DCR70!!! Yipppeeeeeee!!!!

Now, can anyone tell me what I need to purchase as accessories for my new "baby?" I realize that I will need another battery, and a camcorder bag.. but what else? <giggle>

I honestly don't know what comes with the camera. What about a fire wire cable? Any suggestions?

No one in the house will talk "camcorder" with me since I have driven everyone crazy. So... Maybe we can all chat, huh?

Anyone have any tips they would like to share with me?

I have a Sony PVC-RZ24G computer 2.66 w/512 RAM. It is called a "Media" computer, and has tons of programs on it. I am a photography nut, and want to try my hand at nature type movies. I hope I am able to record my movies, then eventually add music to them on my computer. When I purchased my computer, I certainly had camcorder on my mind.

(Can you tell I'm excited?)
Jacqui

Warning: Pick your camera case carefully. Many are compact but don't really contain enough room for extras that you may want to carry all the time. You should definitely get a spare battery and I would suggest that you buy either a 4 hour or 6 hour battery. I paid a bit extra for the SuperQuick charge model. (models numbers NP-QM71D or NP-QM91D) and I also bought the quick charger AC-SQ950D - it really is FAST and it comes with a DC cable so you can charge the battery in your car - good if your batteries are too low and you are on the road!
You will need a firewire card and cable since Sony doesn't include these with the camera. You will also need some video software. I heard that the Sony software is lousy. I have read that ULead puts out a good software for downloading and editing your video footage. I got and OEM version with my camera but haven't yet had a chance to install the software or download ANY of the footage. Just got back from a big vacation and now the holidays will eat up my time!
Will post again with more info...

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Thanks for reading,
Mathfiend

Couldn't fit all this in first message...so here goes a second!

Another toy that I think is worth investing in is a remote control tripod. This would be particularly handy if you will be recording with a tele lens in the great outdoors! I used one to record an operetta and it worked great. It was great to be able to zoom in and out, focus, pause, etc without touching the camera. The resulted video was very smooth! Sony makes three models and I tried the 680 model, but I returned it and will be trying a VIDPRO TT-2000RMC because it seems to have a better mechanical design. I have to order it online so I'm not really sure how well it will work. This remote also has a couple of extra functions that the Sony doesn't seem to have. I hope all functions will work with my camera and will let you know how I like it once I get it. I'll be trying it out on Dec. 5 and can let you know soon after that.

You might also want to consider filters for the lens (a polarizing filter would be helpful in bright sunlit conditions since it will reduce reflected glare and help the true colors shine through.) I got a relatively inexpensive set of filters with my camera bundle and they seem to be doing the trick.
You might want to buy a good wide angle lens and perhaps a zoom lens, but you cannot zoom in far unless you are using a tripod. Do not buy Digital Optics or Titanium brand lenses. They worked poorly with this camera so I returned them. I later found out that they are not high quality lenses and are very overpriced. I ended up buying a Raynox HD5000 Pro wide angle lens, but it really doesn't perform much better than the cheaper Sony 0637H wide angle lens with my camera. You might want to consider investing in a Sony HG wide angle.

Good luck and I hope you enjoy your new toy as much as I am enjoying mine!

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Thanks for reading,
Mathfiend

Mathfiend.....

Thank you so much for the well written/ informative reply to my post! There is so much information in your post that I printed it out as a "check list" of must haves for my camcorder.
Re: the tripod... I was very interested in this option for my outdoor shooting, but didn't know if they worked well. Let me know how your VIDPRO performs for you.
I already knew about the polarizer from my still camera photography, and it's on my check list already. I love the color saturation you get from these filters, especially in the sky/cloud formations. They certainly do make a dramatic sky, don't they?

Again... Thank you so much for your post! Now, get that footage downloaded, and let us all know how it turned out! LOL!!!

One more thing... In my subject line.. I know it is a DCR-TRV70, not a TRV-DCR70... I guess I was a little too excited when I made my post.... sorry <blushing>

Jacqui

One more question .....

What firewire connection is on the Camcorder itself? Is it a 6 pin, or a 4 pin? I looked all over the Sony site, even the one that shows the camera, and you can look at the ports. I can't tell from that either.

TIA :-)
Jacqui

Re the Firewire;
Most small items (cameras, laptops etc) have the 4-pin Firewire port on them. My TRV50 has a 4-pin and I would imagine your camera does too.

The 4-pin port is about 5mm long and a couple of mm wide.
The 6-pin port is much larger, sort of like a fat USB port.

I have ended up buying two cables. One 4-6 and one 4-4 pin so I can use it on whatever computer I come across (desktop or laptop).

Mathfiend has listed most of the "must-haves" already, but here are my comments;

1) Definitely get an additional big battery. I didn't bother with the quick charge. They cost a bit more and I find that if I have the time to charge I have lots of time, if I don't have the time, I wouldn't have time for even the quick charge anyway :-). The DC charger would be good though.

2) As Mathfiend said, get a bag that will hold all your goodies. But make sure it's not too big. I have one that just fits my camera, extra battery, remote, lens hood, 5 tapes and small stuff like cleaning cloth, memory stick etc. That way I can carry the essentials with me easily leaving all the extras (charger, discs etc) behind in a larger bag, car, whatever.

3) I got any extra Memory stick. For those times when you want to grab some semi-decent stills but are away from an upload point for some time. (BTW, since buying the TRV50, I have ended up leaving my film SLR at home most of the time unless I know I want excellent stills. I thought I would just carry both cameras around - but it doesn't happen!)

4) As your photographic experience would tell you, get a daylight filter to protect the lens. I bargained one into my initial purchase as an "essential".

5) Tapes. Get lots of tapes :-) I never have the time to download the footage, edit and save to CD/DVD like I plan. So I end up getting more tapes. They are not that expensive and they ARE reusable (theoretically <grin>).

Regards,
Clint

Hi Clint...

Thanks for the info on the firewire.

Having heard your opinion and Mathfeind's, I have decided to wait on getting my bag for the camcorder. I had to laugh when you said your SLR sits home now, and then I thought.. until I decide what camcorder bag to get, I'll use my Soft SLR case. (I already know imy SLR is going to be on the shelf for awhile!)

Re: batteries and chargers: Am I understanding the Sony website correctly, when it says the charger is IN the camcorder itself? There is NO external charger supplied?

Re: Memory Stick; when you snap a still, it this where you save it to? How do you like this feature? Have you tried short film clips saved to the stick?

Now, the tape issue what type does everyone use? I saw something about "with chip" and "without chip" May I ask what that's all about?

I would like to take the time now to say what a great board this is. Everyone is so friendly and willing to help. You guys are GREAT!!!!!

Thanks again!
Jacqui

Sorry - my posts were replicating.
I tried deleting, but it just added another one!

Now that's fixed too.

See my post below for the actual reply :-)

1) Charger
With the camera itself, there is no external charging unit - that is, you leave the battery ON the camera, plug in the supplied power cord into the mains power and the battery charges whilst ON the camera.

What this means;
Whilst it is nice and convenient to simply plug the power cord into the camera, it means that you cannot charge an empty battery whilst you run off and use your spare.

You can obviously still USE your spare, you just have to wait until you get home and don't want to do any filming before you can charge the battery.

If you think that this will be a problem then you can go and buy an external charger, such as the quick charger that Mathfiend was talking about.

2) Memory Stick
Stills can be saved to the MS at full resolution (approx 2Mp on your camera) or to the tape as a 7-second "still movie" at much reduced resolution, typically 640x480.
You can choose which you prefer through the menus - though I don't know why people would choose the tape option unless they don't actaully have a MS.

You can save short films to the MS directly, but only at 320x160 resolution.

I have done this a couple of times when I have accidently pressed the "record" button instead of the "photo" button.
The end result is a stupidly small and low quality mpeg video.

The reason for this option is for people to be able to shoot tiny videos that can be emailed or saved to a disc (small file size).

I prefer to take "normal" footage and then compress/reduce it later with software.

The only benefit of having this feature on the camera is that if you know that all you want to do with some footage you are about to shoot is to email it, then you don't need any special software in the middle - you can just shoot and then save the resultant file directly off the MS.

I have not yet found the need to do this....

3) Tapes with/without "chip"
I have not come across this term yet.

I am aware of tapes that have "cassette memory", which may be the same thing.

CM tapes allow you to find specific points on your tape very easily. It is beneficial for people who are filming a number of different scenes, particularly over a period of time, and who want to easily find a particular scene using the camera.
CM tapes are a bit more expensive than normal tapes (but not by a large amount).

I haven't been able to justify paying the extra dollars for CM yet - but I wouldn't mind perhaps buying just one tape to see how it all functions :-)

Hope this all helps,

Clint

Thanks Clint for another fantastic post. Now I am understanding the camera and it's features more clearly. I wish Sony had an online manual for their camcorders. A few years ago, I wanted to purchase a Yamaha keyboard, and found the manual for it online. It certainly made shopping for specific features/ models easier. Plus, I had something to do while I waited for my keyboard to arrive! LOL!

I must say again... I am happy that I found this board :-)

Thanks!
Jacqui

Someone posted this back in August;

http://129.33.22.12/release/DCRTRV70.PDF

I've found that if you are looking for another model, you just need to change the name of the file to reflect your camera.

Clint

Clint - Excellent!!! I will enjoy that manual myself.

Jacqui,

I ordered my new tripod today. It should be here by Wednesday. I also ordered the Sony in case the Vidpro is not satisfactory. I am recording my 22 year old daughter's senior vocal recital (she is a classically trained vocalist) and I want to get the BEST POSSIBLE video of her "15 minutes of fame".

I will give you a full report.

I also ordered an external mike ECM-MSD1 which is technically the only Sony mike that is compatible with our cameras. I will let you know what I think of that after I've recorded her concert.

I hope you are already enjoying your new camera. I am CRAZY about the fact that I can set the exposure manually. I was able to get some incredible video footage of sunsets in the Caribbean by lowering the exposure so that the sun wouldn't be a big fire ball in the center of the frame!!! I also was able to do the same to capture footage of my daughter and her peers performing on a stage with a black background. So, instead of the usual glowing featureless faces in a sea of black curtains, I was able to capture everyone's true features. Neat!

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Thanks for reading,
Mathfiend

Hi Clint and Mathfiend,

I had to post this to both of you because I saw no reply button to post a "Thank You" to you Clint. The link you posted certainly answered a lot of my questions about the TRV. You certainly have all the answers, don't you? I'm sure I am not the only one who checked out the manual for this model. I honestly had no clue that this camcorder had all the features listed on that site.

Mathfiend,

When is your daughter's recital? Wow, and now you'll be able to capture that 15 minutes of fame and watch it over and over. How wonderful! I am waiting for your critique of the tripods before even looking at one. I am also anxious to hear how the mic works out for you. Let us know, okay? Thanks!

I don't have my new camcorder yet, but I checked w/UPS, and it will be delivered tomorrow! I really am excited.

Sorry it took several days to answer both of your posts. I had a lot to do here so I wouldn't have to spend all my time doing housework when my new camcorder gets here! LOL!!!

You guys are GREAT! Thanks so much!
Jacqui

Hi Jacqui,

Don't have time to write a full blown post at this time (just got back from yet ANOTHER trip to VA - this time to see my daughter graduate from college (and to tape her singing the National Anthem and school song at the ceremonies. )

Sony 680 - lighter weight and thinner, but nicely designed. Less features on the remote, but acceptable.

Vidpro 2000RCM - heavier, but panhead not level - harder to pan left to right (which might actually give me MORE control in a sense), legs do not slide out or in very well. I'm going to try some silicone spray. BUT the remote control is GREAT!!! Can zoom at a wide range of speeds, can do a search from the remote to find the exact spot at which to begin taping, one touch button makes the display disappear and/or reappear on the LCD screen. Only other way to accomplish this is to touch the battery check button on the camera which would make it jiggle while taping! These are features that are not included on the Sony.

I will give you a final report after I decide which to keep - not sure whether I prefer a better built and mechanically superior tripod or whether I'll go for the better remote that gives me more control.

I'll try to give you a full rundown in a bit and may try to send you photos of the remote controls. I can also suggest a mail order vendor who has met all my best prices and also gives me good service. He can get you either one.


Susan

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Thanks for reading,
Mathfiend