The BEST Small-Budget Camcorder on the Market

Very often manufacturers create very similar models which
are priced not so similarly. The CCD-TRV37 and CCD-
TRV57 are a good example of this. These two camcorders
are very very similar, with one of the few differences being
a more powerful digital zoom for the TRV57. The TRV37
is priced significantly lower however, at a savings of almost
$200! This makes the CCD-TRV37 a truly affordable
“starter’s” camcorder.


Once you have decided that you do not need to spend the
extra cash on the few “extra” features of the TRV57, the
CCD-TRV37 is a great value for you money. You get all
the same basic features that make the TRV57 and Sony
camcorders arguably the best camcorders at any price level.
These key features of the TRV-37 are: a Lithium Ion
Battery System, 20XOptical/200 Digital Zoom, O lux
recording, and a built in video light.


Lithium Ion Battery

Remembering back to my childhood days, I can remember
vividly my father’s frustration at the limited battery-life of
his video-dinosaur. It always seemed that no matter what he
tried he would always run out of battery just as my
basketball team was mounting another 4th quarter
comeback.

The TRV-37 makes use of the Lithium Ion battery system,
which with an investment in an upgraded battery (NP-
F960) can offer recording power for up to 12 hours, long
enough to satisfy just about anyone’s recording needs.


Digital Zoom

Consistent with most of Sony’s latest camcorders the
TRV-37 comes equipped with a powerful digital zoom.
While the resolution drops rather dramatically the digital
zoom does come in handy up to around 200X.


0 Lux Recording

Years ago my parents purchased their first home video
recorder. It consisted of a rather large video camera which
had to be wired into an equally large VCR at all times. The
picture quality was extremely poor, something like 16 LUX
or so (which meant that recording in any light conditions
short of perfect was pretty much impossible). Since first
introducing camcorders years ago Sony has continued to
remodel and improve their models to the point that they
now include a nightshot setting which performs at a
remarkable 0 LUX (recording in complete darkness).

Built-in Video Recording Light

This light comes in handy when recording in low light
situations. Even considering the aforementioned 0 Lux
capabilities it is still a good feature to have because the
more light you can put on a subject, the more colorful and
the sharper your recordings will be.

Final Verdict

For those contemplating a new camcorder purchase, the
first decision to make is whether or not to go digital. There
are many advantages to owning a digital camcorder as
opposed to a traditional analog one, however there is a
significant accompanying price jump.

The digital/analog debate can most simply be described by
noting the following; a otherwise identical digital
camcorder will cost about $300 more than its analog
counterpart, in exchange for providing you slightly better
audio/video quality as well as extensive post-recording
editing/data transfer options (such as transfer of still photos
to a computer).

While the CCD TRV-37 is not digital, it IS a solid
camcorder which you will not be disappointed with. I
believe that this camcorder is very reasonably priced and is
one of the few non-digital camcorders that I would consider
purchasing myself.

Internet Deals

Should you eventually decide that the TRV-37 is for you,
please do yourself a favor and do a little online research.
There are some great deals out there if you take the time to
look. For example, www.1-877camcorder.com offers the
TRV-37 for $389, a decent savings off of the Epinions list
price of $599.