Sony DCR-TRV22 MiniDV Digital Camcorder Review

by Robin Liss
Published on May 22, 2004 12:00 AM



I first looked at the Sony MiniDV DCR-TRV22 at the Consumer Electronics Show 2003 in Vegas when Sony announced it. Now, a few months later, after looking at it in full review I'm more impressed - with the camcorder and video quality, but not the value. The problem is that the feature set doesn't match the price. The DCR-TRV22 and it's sister models the DCR-TRV19 and the DCR-TRV33 are all great camcorders for the individual who wants total point and shoot simplicity. However there is one feature that has greatly shifted my opinion on the DCR-TRV22. A user on the CamcorderInfo.com message boards pointed out that to solve the problem of the camcorder being controlled by the LCD and having no external buttons, you can just flip the LCD around and press it against the side of the camcorder. It's actually an amazing find because it allows you to adjust the focus, exposure, and every other feature with out shaking the camcorder and this 'discovery' makes the DCR-TRV19, DCR-TRV22 and DCR-TRV33 much better values. There are much better values out there which I would recommend as alternatives, including camcorders by Sony - like the DCR-TRV22's own sister camcorders, the DCR-TRV19 and the DCR-TRV33.

This is my second time looking at the DCR-TRV22. I first saw it when it was introduced at the Consumer Electronics Show 2003 in January. At that time, I did a first impressions review where I looked at the camcorder under very controlled circumstances. It was locked down on a tripod, the lighting was set, and as a result you couldn't do any tests of image quality or video quality. Most of my conclusions about the camcorder stay the same in this review, however because of the fix that someone discovered for the problem of the touch screen LCD, I'm supporting this camcorder much more. I also now was able to test the video quality and the quality under low light conditions, and I must say I'm amazed at how good it is for a camcorder at this price point. It's outstanding. You can read my first impressions review of the DCR-TRV22, though some of my conclusions have changed.

We've also started to use number ratings for the features. These number ratings take into consideration other models on the market, from $500 to around $5,000. You must consider the price and 'expectations' of a camcorder when looking at the number. I will comment at the bottom of every review on the score, and how well it is compared to other models in the price point. The ratings are all on a 1-10 scale. At the end of the reviews they are all weighted and added together to give a score for the camcorder. We've also added a new 'Who's it For' section, which breakdown different buying 'groups', and how good the camcorder is for them. The ratings in camcorder tour rate the placement of features. If a camcorder doesn't have a feature (say like still photography) it doesn't get a score.

Video Performance (6.5)
The Sony DCR-TRV22 includes a 1/4 in. 680K pixel Advanced HAD™ CCD with a Carl Zeiss™. The effective pixel count for video on the DCR-TRV22 is 380K. The F range is 1.7 to 2.2, and the focal range is 3.3 - 33 mm. The filter diameter of the DCR-TRV22 is 30 mm. I was extremely impressed with the video quality of the DCR-TRV22. Now the rating is only 6.5, however that is because there are camcorders out there, such as three chip camcorders which produce much better images. However, similarly priced camcorders, such as the Canon ZRs and the similarly priced JVCs and Panasonics are expected to score around or lower than this price.

Sony rates the horizontal resolution of the DCR-TRV22 as 500 lines, lower than the DCR-TRV33, other Sony models, and other DV camcorders which are rated as high as 530 lines of horizontal resolution. This relatively 'low' resolution rating doesn't mean a thing, and in fact it shows how little horizontal resolution ratings matter. The camcorder provided a beautifully sharp picture with great color depth. Each color was well represented with no over saturation in one color area. There was no noticeable grain in normal lighting conditions, and I couldn't see any artifacts. In the past, I've felt that the lower end Sony camcorders produce to many artifacts for any dark colors, especially blue, however I didn't see any of that with the DCR-TRV22. The picture was not grainy at all, and produced really good looking images. I think the CCD in the DCR-TRV22 is a great one, producing wonderful pictures for the price point of the camcorder.

The Front (8.0)
The lens is located in the upper right corner of the front side of the camcorder. There is no focus ring surrounding the lens. Below and centered with the lens is a silver colored plastic plate that extends down to the bottom of the camera.. The silver plate includes no buttons or ports, and only has decals. To the left of the silver plastic plate is a dark gray plate. On the dark gray plate there is the the infrared receiver, and inside that is a small red tally light which turns on when you are recording. To the left of the infrared receiver is the stereo microphone. Below the microphone is the S-Video in / out port, covered by a piece of soft plastic.

The Right Side (7.0)
Because of the small form factor of the DCR-TRV22, most of the buttons are on the right side. Starting at the back of the camcorder where the viewfinder is located, the first button at the top of the left right side of the camcorder, at an angle, so it also falls on the top of the camcorder is the photo shutter button used to take pictures. Moving towards the lens, is the the small zoom control. Next, there is a small indentation where the night shot slider button is located, where you can toggle from turning nightshot on or off. Lastly at the top is the smart shoe.

Below the night shot is is 'patch bay' which includes the Firewire, USB and A/V in out ports. Normally, I strongly object to the placement of any ports on the right side of the camcorder, because they become absolutely useless during filming if your holding the camcorder with your hand (the plugs get in your way). It's not so bad with the DCR-TRV22 because the ports that are on the right side, are typically not using during filming (other than the AV in / out - which I would prefer to have in the back). Down slightly and all the way towards the back of the camcorder towards the battery is the power dial. The dial has a small green button to lock in our out the change of power modes.

Towards the front of the camcorder, located down on the lower 1/3rd is the pop out Memory Stick slot. The slot is controlled by a slider button located in front of the power dial that controls a spring action which pops the Memory Stick in and out. There is a nice hinge door that protects the Memory Stick once inside. To the right of the Memory Stick slot of the DCR-TRV22 is the Control-L / Lanc port for external editing controllers or an external zoom controller. I like the placement of plugs in this area, beyond the handstrap but behind the lens, though if the camcorder had a manual focus ring it might make it hard to operate the focus ring while there was something plugged into the Control-L port.

The Back (6.5)
The color viewfinder is located at the top left of the DCR-TRV22. Right below is is the battery port which takes up most of the back of the camcorder. To the right of the viewfinder on the DCR-TRV22 is the AC in port where you plug in the power cord for the DCR-TRV22. The placement of the port is terrible. When you are operating the camcorder through the viewfinder, and running of AC power, the AC adapter plug pokes your eye or your nose. It really gets in the way! I preferred the placement of the AC adapter on the bottom of the camcorder, below the battery pack, though it still stuck out. I like the way that JVC does it with the AC adapter being a 'battery-like' plug, where the plug then falls down from the camcorder, completely out of the weigh of the operator. On the DCR-TRV22, located below the AC adapter is the record button. Below the record button on the TRV22 is the other side of the power dial, with a small little green lock which you have to push in to change the power mode.

On earlier Sony camcorders, there were actual buttons that controlled the picture features. The main reason for the point deduction on the back is, first off, that there are no major buttons on the back of the camcorder other than the record button. There should be exposure buttons, backlight, display, menu, etc. - however it would be unfair to deduct the camcorder too much for this reason because there will certainly be deductions for the all LCD controlled manual function in the Picture Control section. The second reason is that AC port. It's terribly positioned. It is not like people don't use their viewfinders when their camcorders are plugged in - it makes it nearly impossible to do so with this placement.

The Left Side (6)
The majority of the left side of the camcorder is taken up by the 2.5 in. LCD screen. Above the LCD screen is the Backlight and Battery Info Buttons. The rest of the right side of the camcorder is taken up by logos. The Backlight and Battery Info Buttons are a transparent teal blue. The rest of the left side of the DCR-TRV22 is taken up with Sony logos. I really wish that Sony had included an external display on the side of the LCD screen that acted as a counter for the tape, as well as a battery time monitor. It's a really nice feature. Although it may not seem worth six points, combined with the lack of utilization of the area above the LCD for buttons for manual control and the lack of a counter (one of the few features that you can put on the right side of a camcorder on top of an LCD), I think that the camcorder deserves the score.

The Top (7)
The viewfinder is located at the back of the top of the camcorder, on the right. There are effectively two sides to the top of the camcorder, the silver side on the right and the gray side on the left. After the viewfinder on the top there isn't anything more on the top of the camcorder. On the gray side, starting at the back of the DCR-TRV22 is the photo button. Next is the small zoom control, and then, after a small 'depression' is the hot shoe. Features that could be added would be a record button on the top of the camcorder, a stick up microphone (which I really don't understand why it would take that much more plastic and wiring to do). Overall, the biggest missing feature on the camcorder, most noticed by the large depression where they used to be on older camcorders - is the VCR control buttons. Once again, hidden inside the LCD screen, these buttons are no where to be found - and justify the biggest point deduction for this section.

Picture & Manual Control
Automatic Control (9) For automatic control, I don't think any camcorder beats the Sony 2003 MiniDV line. The combination of the Spot Focus and Spot Metering controls with a pretty accurate, though sometimes slow to react focus (the reason for the point reduction) give it a 9. The camcorder also has seven pretty reliable automatic exposure modes which work quite well, especially with the addition of the backlight button.

Overall Manual Control (3) The problem with the overall manual control on the Sony DCR-TRV22 is that they've taken away all the buttons! All the control on the TRV22 has been moved inside the LCD touch screen. It's terrible. When I first saw it I thought you would suffer from camcorder shake. There is a slight solution that I mentioned earlier, but it still doesn't give you the control and finesse of real buttons. It's truly terrible. There is also no focus ring, and no dials to quickly adjust any features. It's really a step downwards from the great manual control that Sony once used to offer. The camcorder also lacks gain and true shutter speed control. I find myself practically failing the DCR-TRV22 on manual control. The reason they get any points at all is only because they give you the actual control.

Zoom (6.5) I'm really disappointed with the zoom control on the DCR-TRV22. Of course if the DCR-TRV22 included a switchable focus / zoom ring it would get an 8, if it included a zoom ring it would get a 9 and if it included a true zoom ring, not servo motor controlled it would get a 10. But that is just not going to happen in this price category. The real problem with the zoom control on the DCR-TRV22 is that the button is way to small, making it impossible to get variable speed zooms on the camcorder. I think there are six zoom speeds, though it is very hard to get anything other than ultra fast because of the small amount of physical space that you must move the zoom control between one zoom speed and another. I don't quite understand why Sony decided to put the smaller control on the DCR-TRV22, when it obviously could have taken the larger zoom control offered on other 2003 MiniDV models.

Focus (4) At least they give it to you. All the focus control is done through the touch screen LCD. In my first impressions review I blasted the camcorder because you couldn't adjust the focus, exposure, or other features with out giving it terrible shake. The reason I didn't score this a 1 is because of the 'discovery' by a user on one of the message boards that if you turn the LCD around and against the side of the camcorder, it's almost like there are real buttons. Now they aren't dials, and they aren't easy to operate, or located around the lens (like a ring) or in the back, but this solution is better than what I originally thought the camcorder offered.

The other reason that the camcorder doesn't completely fail is the Spot Focus feature. It's a really great feature for those consumers who don't know how to run manual focus but know that the camcorder doesn't always get the focus right. With the spot focus feature, you just touch the area of the screen you want the camcorder to adjust the focus to. It's really great, and besides a second or half second delay half delay here or there it's a wonderful feature - though it really doesn't help the camcorder out in the manual focus arena.

Exposure (4.5) The exposure control is just the same as the focus control. It is completely controlled through the menu and you get the touch screen Spot Metering feature to adjust the exposure just like the Spot Focus feature. The reason I give the exposure another half point over the focus is because Sony does offer an impressive 24 steps of exposure, while some manufacturers only offer six or eight.

Shutter Speed (0) Even though the DCR-TRV22 shutter speed is rated at 1/4 of a second to 1/4000, there is no manual shutter control on the DCR-TRV22 other than through the Auto Exposure modes, but those adjust the exposure as well, and they don't tell you what the true shutter speed value is.

White Balance (7) The white balance control is pretty good. The DCR-TRV22 offers four modes, automatic, indoor, outdoor, and set it yourself. The only downside to the white balance control is that it is controlled through the menu.

Gain (0) There is no manual gain control on the DCR-TRV22, so the camcorder scores a 0 in this area.

Still Performance (4.5)
The DCR-TRV22 can record 640 x 480 stills to Memory Sticks using the progressive shutter though they are not very good quality. The DCR-TRV22 includes an 8 MB Memory Stick in the box. It is pretty disappointing. This is the primary reason for the low score. The DCR-TRV22 includes a pop out Memory Stick slot on it's right side. The DCR-TRV22 includes both a USB port and a USB cable for transferring your still images from your camcorder to your computer.

The camcorder can also record 320 x 240 or 160 x 120 MPEG-2 Movies in the MPEG-EX mode which only limits the recording length of the MPEG movie to the size of the Memory Stick. The quality isn't that great and the movies are quite jerky so I again wouldn't recommend it other than for direct to web recording.

VCR Mode (6)
The VCR mode in the DCR-TRV22 is completely controlled by the touch screen LCD. No functions have been taken away, you can still stop, play, pause, fast forward, rewind, and shuttle frame by frame. The problem is again that it is all controlled by the LCD screen. Not only does this mean that there are no physical buttons to touch, but also that when you are watching video, some part of it is always going to be covered up by a superimposed 'FN' button or some other VCR control. It's a real nuisance.

Low Light Performance (6)
I was very impressed with the low light performance of the DCR-TRV22. Of course, compared to a three chip camcorder with 1/3 in. CCDs it was not very impressive, but considering the price category it is very amazing. There was very little grain produced when the camcorder shot in low light situations. And the camcorder produced a watchable image with some detail in what would be considered candle light lighting conditions. In medium low light conditions the camcorder did pretty well. And in normal room conditions, which are technically, low light, the camcorder performed amazingly. It was really great.

The other low light features that I must mention are the Night Shot and the Color Slow Shutter (also kindof known as Color Night Shot). The Night Shot mode uses infrared light to produce a green, think of all the images of bombs in Baghdad in Iraq night vision picture. The Color Night Shot slows the shutter speed down to I think 4 frames per second so each frame is exposed for a while and can get a lot of light. Neither of these two features are useable however and I wouldn't recommend shooting any important events in them.

LCD / Viewfinder (9.0)
I feel terrible giving the LCD screen such a high score, because I hate that everything is dependent on it. However the 123K pixel LCD screen is pretty impressive for being a touch screen. One thing I feared is from all that touching the screen would get smeared with hand grease and eventually break, however one Sony official said ''the screens are are built to withstand constant usage due to being 'Touch Panel.' '' I guess that means you don't have to worry, though we'll have to see if Sony warranties will cover broken LCD screens from someone pushing the button a little too hard.

The color viewfinder is fine, though I would prefer it be black and white. The overall form factor of the DCR-TRV22 is quite small, so small that the viewfinder had to be extendable. The extendable and bendable (that should be an ad slogan) color viewfinder is nice.

Audio (7)
The audio options on the DCR-TRV22 are plenty and audio quality is pretty good with minimal motor and operator noise. You have both an external mic in port and a headphone out port. In addition to this the DCR-TRV22 includes a hot shoe for attaching and powering an external microphone. I do wish however that the camcorder offered audio dubbing, audio recording level control, and independent recording to the different audio channels.

Handling (7)
The DCR-TRV22 handles much better than I expected it to. It's a really small camcorder, the DCR-TRV22 is 2 and 7/8 in. wide, 3 and 5/8 in. height and 4 and 1/2 in. long. Pretty small. It also weighs in pretty light, at only 1 lb 2 oz with out the battery. I would say that the shape is nice for hand held shooting, though I wish the front lens extended out more for better grip. The camcorder is light enough that you will be able to operate it with one hand for an extended period of time.

The problem with the handling is when you want to adjust anything. This is where the touch screen LCD fails. Although the fold back solution helps, it still means that you are going to be accessing buttons on the side of the DCR-TRV22 that have no feel to them so until you can really train yourself, you are going to have to look every time you want to adjust something. If you are operating the camcorder with the LCD screen open, and are trying to adjust features you're going to add a lot of shake to the image.

Jacks / Ports / Plugs (9.5)
The DCR-TRV22 offers, Mini AV In / Out, S-Video In / Out, Firewire In / Out, USB In / Out, Microphone in jack, headphone out jack, AC Adapter plug, Control-L / Lanc port, as well as a hot shoe. These are practically all of the needed ports. The only complaint I have, and it is small, is that the AV In / Out jack is a mini one and not three, real sized AV jacks.

Other Features (6)
Battery Info The Battery Info feature lets you see the remaining time left on your battery on the LCD screen with out truly powering up the camcorder, even though it takes power to use this feature. I think it's a little odd and can't see many practical uses for it.

Bottom Loading Tape Mechanism This isn't so much as a feature as a terrible downgrade. The tapes of the DCR-TRV22 are loaded from the bottom. This means if you want to changes tapes while the camcorder is on a tripod, you have to take it off. It also means that you have to turn the camcorder upside down to change tapes, creating much more hassle. It's a terrible 'feature.'

Analog to Digital Pass Through This has become very 'in-demand' in the past year. Analog to digital pass through allows you to use the AV In port on the camcorder to use an existing analog source, such as a VHS VCR, plug it into the camcorder, and convert it to a digital signal either for recording to MiniDV tape or for transferring to a computer

Comparisons (no score provided)
A very interesting video comparison is that of the Sony DCR-TRV22 vs the Sony DCR-TRV33. Even though the DCR-TRV33 is the 'upgraded' model, costing $100 more, the actual CCD size is smaller. The DCR-TRV22 includes a 1/4 in. 680K CCD while the DCR-TRV33 includes a 1/4.7 in. Meagpixel CCD. An almost absolute rule in camcorder technology is that a camcorder with a larger sized CCD will produce a better picture, as long as the pixel counts are relatively high (which they are in both the DCR-TRV22 and the DCR-TRV33), and the lenses are similar (they are practically identical in the DCR-TRV22 and the DCR-TRV33).

The differences in the video quality of the two camcorders while shooting under well lit conditions is barely noticeable, in fact, unless you have a professional test monitor or an HDTV, I don't think you'll be able to tell a difference. From close observation, I believe that the DCR-TRV22 gets a better rating in color reproduction and depth, while the DCR-TRV33 produces a slightly sharper image. This is most likely explained by the higher pixel count on the DCR-TRV33. I reluctantly say that I like the picture of the DCR-TRV22 better than the DCR-TRV33 in normal lighting conditions, but the difference is so subtle I wouldn't consider it subtle enough to change my buying decision.

However, there is a significant difference in low light performance. The DCR-TRV22 has a 17.5% larger CCD than the DCR-TRV33. That's a significant difference - and that difference becomes obvious in low light conditions. The DCR-TRV22 performs better than the DCR-TRV33 in low light, although both camcorders do pretty well. The big advantage of the DCR-TRV33 over the DCR-TRV22 is still performance. The DCR-TRV22 includes a Megapixel chip, which will give you slightly useable stills. You can't print 640 x 480 stills and expect them to look like real photographs. The 1024 x 768 stills produced by the DCR-TRV33 however can possibly pass for a true Photograph. If you are looking for a hybrid digital still camera and camcorder, skip this model and spend an extra $100, it's worth it.

When compared to the lower DCR-TRV19 model, I would go for the DCR-TRV19 over the DCR-TRV22, as long as stills are not your thing. Pretty much if they are, skip the DCR-TRV22 and go with the DCR-TRV33. The DCR-TRV19 offers all the great features, picture quality and more of the DCR-TRV22 however it does not offer a Memory Stick for capturing stills. With the DCR-TRV19, your stills are captured to the tape, though the quality will not be that much worse than the 640 x 480 resolution offered by the DCR-TRV19. If you don't care that much about still qualify, save yourself $100 and buy the DCR-TRV19.

The biggest competitor to the DCR-TRV22 is the Canon ZR70MC. The 70MC offers much better manual control, better handling. Though much worse low light performance and video quality. The 70MC includes a Megapixel CCD however so you will be getting higher quality stills. The DCR-TRV22 is better for the point and shooter. The Canon ZR70MC is better in virtually every aspect except video quality and low light performance.

Who's It For (New Feature for Reviews)
In the new Who's It For section, try to figure out which section you fit into, and the corresponding comments should help you decide whether or not this is the camcorder for you.

Point and Shooter's (8)
Next to offering motion tracking, I don't know what else this camcorder could offer the simple point and shooter. If you're the type of user who just wants a camcorder that they can 'let run' - the DCR-TRV22, DCR-TRV19 and DCR-TRV33 is for you. However you do run into the same value problem as discussed earlier, the DCR-TRV19 and the DCR-TRV33 offer similar feature sets, for better values.

Budget Consumers (3)
Not a great choice. The camcorder doesn't offer that much more over the DCR-TRV19 for the extra $100. If you're a budget consumer, you're not getting enough bang for your buck with the DCR-TRV22, and you should go with the DCR-TRV19 and save some money.

Still Photo / Video Camera Hybrid (3)
A terrible choice because there are such better options out there. Spend and extra $100 and get the DCR-TRV33 with great video performance and a Meagpixel CCD, or if you're stuck in this price range go with the Canon ZR70MC.

Gadget Freaks (6)
With the touch screen LCD this is a pretty gadgety camcorder and it's slim and small to fit in your shirt pocket. Though if you're really looking for some 'gadgets' go with the DCR-TRV38 or DCR-TRV39 with their Bluetooth.

Manual Control Freaks (5)
This camcorder isn't for you. The DCR-TRV22 offers terrible manual control. The place to get manual control in this price range is the Panasonic PV-DV203 or the Canon ZR70MC, though they don't offer as good of a picture as the DCR-TRV22

Pro's / Serious Hobbyists (4)
If you're in this price range you probably care a lot about manual control and video quality, as well as low light quality. This camcorder is good for video and low light quality though terrible for manual control. I would recommend spending a little more on the PV-GS70.

Conclusion
The final score chart for the DCR-TRV22 is as follows:

Area Weight Raw Adj. Poss.
Video Performance
2.00
6.5
13.0
20.0
The Front
0.20
8.0
1.60
2.0
The Right Side
0.30
7.0
2.10
3.0
The Back
0.25
6.5
1.630
2.5
The Left Side
0.20
6.0
1.20
2.0
The Top
0.15
7.0
1.05
1.5
Automatic Control
0.50
9.0
4.5
5.0
Overall Manual Control
0.60
3.0
1.8
6.0
Zoom
0.75
6.5
4.88
7.5
Focus
0.70
4.0
2.8
7.0
Exposure
0.65
4.5
2.93
6.5
Shutter Speed
0.60
0.0
0.00
6.0
White Balance
0.55
7.0
3.85
5.5
Gain
0.50
0.0
0.00
5.0
Still Performance
1.20
4.5
5.40
12.0
VCR Mode
0.30
6.0
1.8
3.0
Low Light Performance
2.00
6.0
12.00
20.0
LCD / Viewfinder
.60
9.0
5.40
6.0
Audio
1.00
7.0
7.00
10.0
Handling
1.25
7.0
8.75
12.5
Jacks / Ports / Plugs
.80
9.5
7.60
8.0
Other Features
0.70
6.0
4.20
7.0
Value
1.25
3.0
3.75
12.5
Total (weighted)
97.2
170.5

In the end, the DCR-TRV22 is good for the point and shoot user who wants a small camcorder, but the problem is it's not a great value. Looking at the DCR-TRV22 in a broader context,I wouldn't recomend this camcorder. If you are looking at the 22 over the 19 because you are really interested in stills, go with the Canon ZR70MC (though this camcorder only is good for well lit stills) - however in the strictly $700 category (as in you don't want to spend a penny more or a penny less on your camcorder), I would pick the Panasonic PV-DV203. However, I would recomend the DCR-TRV19 or the DCR-TRV33 over the DCR-TRV22, and all the Canon ZRs - those camcorders provide much better buys.