Sony DCR-TRV33 First Impressions Camcorder Review

by Robin Liss
Published on Jan 19, 2004 12:00 AM



The MiniDV DCR-TRV33 by Sony carries a price tag of $800. With this model line - Sony has moved almost all the functions inside the LCD screen. The major upgrade of the DCR-TRV33 over it's other lower models is the addition of a Mega pixel CCD. The camcorder handles alright, and is certainly a good choice if you are interested in high resolution stills and want a very simple point and shoot camcorder.

Video Performance
At the Consumer Electronics Show 2003 the conditions were such that it would be impossible to make judgments about the video quality of the camcorder, especially if I were to try to compare one camcorder to another. The problem was that each camcorder was displayed under carefully controlled lighting conditions where there were many odd colors and it a very bright situation.

The Front
The DCR-TRV33 is a pretty thin camcorder - Sony has done a lot of work with these models to make the camcorders smaller. The lens, which is situated at the top of the front of the DCR-TRV33, sticks out slightly to the right of the camcorder, past the edge. Below the lens, to the far left, so far it actually is not even under the lens, is the stereo microphone. To the right of that is the IR sensor which has a small tally light for indicating when the camcorder is recording. Below the microphone and the IR sensor is the S-Video in / out port.

The Right Side
Most of the in and out ports for the DCR-TRV33 are located on the right side of the camcorder. The USB, Firewire and A/V in out are located towards the top center of the DCR-TRV33. The ports are covered up by a removable, yet hanging, piece of hard plastic - which seems much sturdier than the rubber that has been used on past models. On the right side of the DCR-TRV33 towards the lens is the microphone in port and Lanc / Control-L port. The headphone jack is also on the right side of the DCR-TRV33, all three are in a vertical line. The handle strap overlaps these ports - which automatically set off an alarm in my head that he users hands could possibly cover up the microphone, headphone and Lanc ports. However, after playing with the camcorder and also having people with much larger hands place their hand in the strap, I've come to the conclusion that they are far enough towards the front of the camcorder that even a big hand can hold the camcorder with out covering up the ports. Towards the back of the camcorder is the power dial, you can select VCR Mode, Off, Camera Mode or Memory mode. The Memory Stick eject button is located closer to the lens. Lastly, almost at the front of the DCR-TRV33 is the Memory Stick slot. The slot is different than the spring loaded types of previous camcorders, it opens by simply swinging open a small door and sliding in the Memory Stick. The door simply clicks open and closed - it's different but seems to work fine.

The Back
There's not much going on in the back of the DCR-TRV33. It's really too bad in my opinion. I really think that with these new models Sony made a mistake in moving so many controls inside the touch screen LCD and it seems that they could have at least put optional, manual 'button' versions of these controls on the camcorder, possibly in the back. On the upper left of the DCR-TRV33 is the color viewfinder, just to the right is the battery eject button and to the right of that is the DC power in port. Located below and center of all those is the battery. Directly below the DC in port is the record button and the other side of the mode dial. I'm really disappointed about how much of the control of the camcorder is now dependent on the touch screen LCD. Sony in my opinion should have kept the jog dial for manual control and menu browsing in the back - as it had been on previous models.

The Left Side
The left side of the DCR-TRV33 is identical to that of the DCR-TRV22 and DCR-TRV19 (Review, Specs, $372) (as are the other surfaces on the camcorder, it's the same body) with the exception of an added ''Megapixel'' logo on the bottom right of the LCD. At the top of the camcorder, located towards the lens is the Carl Leiss logo, and moving towards the back near the viewfinder, is the Sony logo. Located below the Sony logo are the back light and display batter info buttons. Unlike the DCR-TRV22 they are not a crystal blue color - rather just a simple silver. This is probably because in Japan (not yet in the US) Sony announced the DCR-TRV22 is three other colors (white, blue and orange). The button colors changes, and it seemed the US version of the DCR-TRV22 was just the silver version of the multicolor Japanese DCR-TRV22. The other color models had different color buttons. Located below the lens barrel (where all the writing and buttons are placed) is the swing out 2.5 in. LCD screen.

The Top
On the top of the DCR-TRV33 is the photo button and very small zoom control, as well as the viewfinder which extends out from the camcorder about half an inch. The Nightshot on / off switch and the intelligent hot shoe as you move closer towards the front of the camcorder.

Manual Control
The DCR-TRV33 does have more actual picture elements which you have manual control over than Sony's similarly priced digital models from a year ago (the Digital8s). They've added the ability to control white balance over the previous models. But the are very inaccessible because you have to use the touch screen LCD to use any of them it's not a upgrade in my opinion. I like the touch screen - and I would be fine if that was an option - but Sony has forced the user into the touch screen. The camcorder does also include seven auto exposure modes which you can select from the touch screen LCD - as with previous Sony models.
Zoom
The only manual picture element which is not controlled via the touch screen is the zoom. It is controlled by a tiny zoom slider, only about 1.5 cm long - way too small in my opinion. It's not a terrible zoom control and I actually was suprised at the small level of control I could have with it but the small size makes it very hard to get variable speeds.
Focus
The focus is sadly controlled by touch buttons on the LCD. Similarly priced digital models by Sony (Digital8 models) last year had focus rings however the company decided to not put them on the DCR-TRV19, DCR-TRV22 and the DCR-TRV33. Another way of controlling the focus besides auto and manual mode is Sony's spot focus mode - which I really like. It allows you to touch on any element of the picture and the camcorder will adjust the focus to that part of the screen pretty fast - it's a nice in-between for people who want a little more control over the focus than just straight auto.
Exposure
Exposure on the DCR-TRV33 is also controlled by the touch screen, of course the camcorder can be put in full auto mode if you choose. We counted 22 steps of exposure control, the same as every other Sony camcorder on which I've counted the number of exposure steps before. The camcorder has a Spot Metering function similar to the spot focus control. It is also a nice in-between. Of course, I really wish Sony had included a ring around the lens to control the focus and a dial to control the exposure. If you want to adjust any picture element with the DCR-TRV33, you have to swing open the LCD - a total pain. It makes shooting one handed while adjusting picture settings virtually impossible and it would add unwarranted shakiness to the picture when you're shooting on a tripod.
White Balance
The DCR-TRV33 has four white balance modes to set the camcorder in - controlled by the menu. Full auto, indoor, outdoor and the last in manual, with which you can manually set the white balance.

Still
The only upgrade of the DCR-TRV33 over the $100 less DCR-TRV22 model is the addition of a 1/4.7 in. (still the same size) Mega pixel CCD. If you're into digital stills this upgrade is worth it - in fact it makes the upgrade from the DCR-TRV22 to the DCR-TRV33 worth a lot more than the upgrade from the DCR-TRV19 to the DCR-TRV33 i.e. if you are going to spend an extra $100, and go with the DCR-TRV22 over the DCR-TRV19, spend an extra $200 and go with the DCR-TRV33. The camcorder can produce 1152 x 864 pixel resolution stills - however I can't really judge their quality for the same reason I couldn't judge the video quality. The DCR-TRV33 includes an 8 MB Memory Stick (not the one in the picture, that is a prototype of the 1 GB Memory Stick which Sony plans to make available sometime soon). The USB port which is located on the right side of the camcorder is used to transfer the stills from the camcorder to the computer, of course if you have a Memory Stick slot or reader in your computer you can always just pop out the card. The DCR-TRV33 has a Memory Stick mode as well as off, camera and VCR. When the camcorder is in Memory Stick mode you can do read and write functions such as playing back pictures and deleting pictures as well as doing a slide show - there are other Memory Stick functions that you can do but I'm not going to list them here because I didn't have enough time with the camcorder - or have the DCR-TRV33 manual.

VCR Mode
The VCR mode is pretty simple except that unlike with older models - all the functions are controlled by the touch screen LCD - there are no actual buttons. I don't really object to having the VCR buttons on the LCD because if you are going to be using the camcorder to watch previously shot video, you are going to most likely have the LCD screen open. Of course, it wouldn't be bad if Sony included hard button controls either in the area hidden by the LCD or on the top of the camcorder. Maybe by recommendation with this camcorder will be to just tape the remote to the body - that has actual button controls!

Low Light Performance
The DCR-TRV33 includes Sony's Night Shot capability and the Super Color Slow Shutter night shot capability but I can't make any judgments about the night shot, the color night shot or the low light performance of the camcorder because it was impossible to do so at CES 2003. I am weary of the low light performance of the DCR-TRV33 however because the CCD is only 1/4.7 in., which is quite small and small CCDs typically do not do well in low light situations.

LCD / Viewfinder
The viewfinder on the DCR-TRV22 is a color viewfinder as I mentioned earlier. The 2.5 in. LCD screen is what this camcorder's all about. The screen seems relatively sharp and high quality, and also it is quite responsive to your touch - it better be considering how many things are controlled by it.

Audio
The audio options on the DCR-TRV33 aren't so bad. I couldn't monitor the audio well in the loud environment of CES, however, I promise you that the mic placement on this camcorder is going to create problems and you will get a lot of camcorder operator noise. I think it is going to be very hard to avoid hitting that microphone when your handling the camcorder. However, Sony does include the necessary microphone in port, and headphone out port and a hot shoe for using your own external microphone. This is one 'manual' or rather advanced controll area where they didn't skimp on (as other manufacturers often do).

Handling
The DCR-TRV33 and the other two entry level Sony MiniDV models have a very square, 'boxy' feel to them. Although I was unable to take them off the tripod at the show, I imagine that that boxy feel will make is somewhat hard to grip the camcorder. The zoom and record controls seem placed fine and are easily accessible when holding the camcorder in your right hand via the normal strap, however I think that the user will run into problems when they try to do any manual or non 'point and shoot' function. Because you have to open up the LCD screen to adjust any picture settings or do anything other than take photos, zoom in and out, record and turn night shot on - it's going to create a very problematic situation (maybe you should tape the remote to the top of the camcorder). If you're not shooting on a tripod, or if you want to conserve battery life, whenever you open up the LCD it's going to shake the camcorder. I think a lot of people are going to run into this problem. The inaccessibility of the camera controls without using the LCD is going to make the camcorder very hard to handle other than in straight 'point and shoot' environments. Of course, the DCR-TRV33 will do a very good job in these simple shooting environment's. It is pretty small and no manufacturer offers any feature that comes close to the spot metering and focus functions - it's just that I think it's going to be very hard to get a stable and quality picture at the same time.

Other Features
Battery Info
Sony is now including a pretty neat 'Battery Info' feature on their MiniDV models now. The battery info option allows you to learn how much time is left on the battery, both using the LCD and using the viewfinder; without turning the camcorder on. With the DCR-TRV33, you open up the LCD screen and press the battery info button and the battery information is calculated and displayed on the screen - with out truly powering up the camcorder (of course it does take power to display the battery information on the screen itself - but Sony says it's faster and more convenient than having to turn the camcorder on to learn how much batter time is remaining.
USB Streaming
As with last years models, the DCR-TRV33 includes USB streaming for using your camcorder as a web cam. You can hook it up to windows messenger to do web chats or use it for other web cam functions. I do not know if Sony actually changed anything with the USB streaming on the new camcorders and I was unable to test out the USB streaming at CES.

Comparisons
The DCR-TRV33 is the third most inexpensive MiniDV camcorder in the Sony 2003 line. It has the same body as the DCR-TRV22 and the DCR-TRV19. The only upgrade with the DCR-TRV33 over the $100 cheaper DCR-TRV22 is the addition of a Mega pixel CCD - of course if you care a lot about digital stills - this is an important upgrade. When I consider paying $100 more from the lowest model - the DCR-TRV19 to go up to the DCR-TRV22 - I don't think it's worth it. You get a Memory Stick slot but there is no upgrade in CCD resolution so the stills won't look that much better. Because the only reason you would go with the DCR-TRV22 or the DCR-TRV33 over the DCR-TRV19 is that they offer stills saved to Memory Stick (and they also offer digital pass through), you should only pay the extra $100 to $200 if the still quality upgrade is worth it. I don't believe it is worth it moving from the DCR-TRV19 to the DCR-TRV22, I do believe it is worth it moving from the DCR-TRV19 to the DCR-TRV33 (i.e. don't even bother with the DCR-TRV22 - what added capabilities you get aren't that great). So if you're considering the DCR-TRV19 but like the idea of a Memory Stick slot - shell out an extra $200, don't bother with the extra $100. If you don't think you need digital stills, don't downgrade to the DCR-TRV22, save yourself $200 and go with the DCR-TRV19.

As for shelling out an extra $100 for the DCR-TRV38 over the DCR-TRV33 - the most obvious upgrade is the larger 3.5 in. LCD screen - which can be useful - especially considering these camcorder's dependence on the LCD but there other major benefits which make the DCR-TRV38 a much better camcorder. I also like the DCR-TRV38 for other reasons, you get a much larger zoom control, there are more external buttons including focus and a focus ring. I really think that the DCR-TRV38 also handles a lot better and you will be able to get a much steadier picture with the camcorder. The upgrade from the DCR-TRV33 to the DCR-TRV38 is certainly worth it - however I would most likely stay away from spending an extra $200 to get the DCR-TRV39.

Combined with the DCR-TRV19 and the DCR-TRV22, the DCR-TRV33 replaces last years DCR-TRV18 with three camcorders. In the 2002 lineup The DCR-TRV18 cost $799 - while the lower priced digital models, the Digital8s were the entry level digital models. Apparently because Canon was beating Sony in some months in sales of Canon ZR models when compared to similarly priced Digital8 models - Sony has redone their model line reducing the number of Digital8 models from five to two, and replacing them with the DCR-TRV19, DCR-TRV22 and the DCR-TRV33. When compared to the DCR-TRV18, I would certainly consider this a downgrade on manual control, and certainly an upgrade is still capability. The DCR-TRV18 did not include a Mega pixel CCD - however it had a focus ring and many more external dials.

Conclusion
The DCR-TRV33 isn't a terrible camcorder - it's a camcorder for anyone who wants simple point and shoot capability with high resolution stills. It's certainly a better buy that the 'awkward' feature set of the DCR-TRV22 - which includes digital still capability - but lackluster resolution at best. I am pretty upset with the decision to move all the manual control of the DCR-TRV33 into the touch screen LCD - but if you just want to point and shoot - and have no desire for any practical manual control the DCR-TRV33 is an okay choice. Of course, if you can afford the extra $100 for the DCR-TRV38, I think it's certainly worth it. In every year's model line there are sweet spots. The prices of the camcorders usually go up by $100 from one model to the next - for simplicity. Usually the feature set upgrades are pretty standard - however in every model line there are one or two camcorders where it seems the upgrades are worth more than the $100 'upgrade cost' or in other words you get more features for your extra $100 than you do with other models in the line. I would say that the DCR-TRV33 is one of those, along with the DCR-TRV19 and the DCR-TRV38. It's worth spending an extra $100 or $200 to get the DCR-TRV33 over the DCR-TRV19 or DCR-TRV22 if digital stills and simple point and shoot capability is what matters to you.