I am deciding to buy one of these cams, but which one? It seems that price difference between the two is $200-$300, but is it worth getting trv950 over pc330? I will mostly use it for home and vacation videos -- no pro stuff.

Any help is appreciated.

thanks,
webtekie

My very subjective and completely un-scientifically supported opinion says save the $300 for accessories for the 330.

Remember, the PC330 is one of those little hand-held deals. I can't stand them because my hands, inevitably, shake. And I always disable image 'stabilization' (always digital on small form-factor and low end cameras) on principal.

EDIT: But some people manage to do interesting things with them handheld, usually with a nice quality wide angle adapter.

The 950 is bigger and heavier, as you've no doubt surmised.
The 950 has better and more accessible manual controls.
The 950 has better color. The 330's rgb filter is an improvement over standard 1CCD color fidelity, but hasn't yet achieved 3CCD results.

The 330 has better 16:9.

Unless you really must have the smallest camcorder, the 950 is well worth it, IMO.

Must it be a Sony?
The Panasonic 3CCD dv953 is only slightly smaller than the trv950, doesn't do as well in low light, and doesn't have external zoom controller support, but
shoots brilliant video (and good stills) in lots of light, has better 16:9 (if this at all matters to you), and costs about $500 less (than the 950). If you're shooting indoors, though, and can't exceed the $1600 mark, and want better color and control, the 950 is probably your mate.

__________________
Breakthrough In Grey Room


DSR PD170
DSR PDX10
PowerMac G5
Final Cut Express

8bpp,

Where/how did you get the PDX10 avatar? I would like to sport one as well....

__________________
Breakthrough In Grey Room


DSR PD170
DSR PDX10
PowerMac G5
Final Cut Express

thanks MisterCivilised,

But it's going to be a Sony. I consider PV-953 to be Panasonic's biggest failure. I think 953 is potentially the best prosumer camcorder. Potentially, because Pana did not follow thru on it. They should not have put 15 LUX on it. 7 LUX would have made it a worthy competitor for TRV950 and may be (big may be) for VX2000. But it won't. I mean who would want to take brilliant video outside and use 200 W halogen light inside to take good video? Canon, JVC and Sharp I won't discuss at all for obvious reasons.
So it's going to be TRV950...or PC330...I am in dispaire...will decide soon because first baby girl is comming March 1 and need camcorder by then.
Will update on decision...

thanks a lot,
webtekie

MisterCivilised,

One more thing, when you say that PC330 has better 16:9 capabilities, what exectly do you mean? Also, what about lenses between the two, I read that PC330 takes the edge there.

thanks,
webtekie

I mean that the 330's 16:9 actually widens the image, it's anamorphic, for all intents and purposes, unlike the 950's which simply crops the top and bottom.

I don't know about the 330's lense being better than the 950's. It's probably the same, if anything. If you're referring to the Carl Zeiss name, it means nothing, the Sony Video Lenses are just as good.

The 953's low light performance does not a failure make, it has many good things going for it, and many applications. Who would use this cam indoors with a 200W halogen? Independent or beginning filmmakers, unable to buy more expensive stuff, but wanting to practice their craft of choice, that's who. Filmmakers are using lights like these all the time. Also, lux ratings are by no means standardized for all manufacturers; a Sony lux rating of 7 and Panasonic lux rating of 15 does not, in practice, equal a difference of 8 lux.

The 330 is a casual, point-and-click, vacationer's cam, where size, convenience, and stills outweigh the need for more refined, accessible control of the image and audio. Which of these descriptions sounds more like you?

__________________
Breakthrough In Grey Room


DSR PD170
DSR PDX10
PowerMac G5
Final Cut Express

I made it myself by re-sizing one of Sony's press images of the PDX10. I attached it.

Attached Images

 

You're the man, 8.

__________________
Breakthrough In Grey Room


DSR PD170
DSR PDX10
PowerMac G5
Final Cut Express

Aye, it's true. But on the subject of PC330 vs. 950...


I must change my opinion from above. If you can spend the extra $300, do so. The image quality will serve well.

EDIT: Haven't seen much mention of the audio advantages. The sony PC series always have those horrid top-mounted microphones. At least the 950 has a reasonably placed one, there will be less of a rush to buy an external.

I currently own a 330 and 950. Both are great and without a side by side I think anyone would be delighted with either. However when you do a side by side the 950 has the edge--beautiful edge sharpness and definitely better in low light (again slight but noticeable). In spite of this I might wind up selling the 950 and keeping the 330. Why? Weight and size is one factor, but even more important, for travel photography I feel that a wider angle of view is a big plus and the 330 has a much greater angle of view than the 950. On paper the difference is only 4 degrees I believe, but it seems more than that if you look at the videos from each. And yes I know I can buy a wide angle attachment for the 950 but this seems to defeat the purpose by degrading the image somewhat (any auxilary lens will degrade the image), and by adding to the overall size of the camera.
I haven't seen any comments on this site about angle of view. Is this not an issue with anyone else?

It's an issue, but at least for me, having to buy a wide angle adapter is worth it for having a camera that has superior color response, and more (But not enough) manual control.

Do you use your wide angle adapter much, and are you able to see much of a difference in image quality with and without it? I just might spring for the VCL-HG0737X. Is that the one you have?

I don't have my PDX10 yet, but a friend has a TRV900, and finds himself using it infrequently in his moviemaking experimenting. Doesn't do much 'family' shooting indoors, but said he does use it for that on ocassion.

I just ordered a Sony VCL-HG0737X wide angle lens for my 950. I'll compare the image quality with the adapter with the 330 and report the results--probably in a week or two.