Summary: You can do better

Comment: There are plenty of decent, basic Hi-8 cameras out there with nightshot and flipout LCD viewfinders. My advice? Get one of those.

My company uses the TRV118 to rent to customers because it's supposed to be easy to operate and pretty much dummy proof, but customers complain if they have to change a tape, and I don't blame them. I don't know who had the bright idea to put the tape door on the bottom of the camera, but I sure hope they're not working for Sony any more!

In order to change tapes (god forbid your daughter's dance recital is a minute longer than the standard 60 minutes) you have to remove the camera from the tripod, unscrew the base plate, pop the tapes and screw everything back together. And just that quick, you missed the debut performance of your own future Broadway star!

There's nothing Sony can do to make up for the frustration and lost moments used up changing tapes, except perhaps take it back and give you a coupon for a Canon ZR70MC MiniDV!

Summary: beware

Comment: now... i bought this cam not long at all maybe about six months now..... and well lets jus say it was cool at first it's not brodcast quality video or nuthin jus a simple camcorder. BUT!! now the camera doesn;t wanna work in camera mode i mean the camera shows a black and white blurry screen in the view finder and the lcd screen.
and the sony people aren't even tryin 2 help they tryin 2 sell me some official sony cleaner thing... look out when buying

Summary: Great Start

Comment: This camera is a great start for any person who has never done filming before. The camcorder has many tecniques to experience with I am only 13 and I have never filmed before. This was a great choice for my first camera.

Summary: Decent camcorder

Comment: Being the first camcorder that I have, I can't really compare this with others. However, this camcorder is pretty decent. It's small and lightweight thus great for travel companion. The playback quality is pretty good. It may look blurry if you watch it on the LCD, but looks much better when you plug it to your TV. It uses Hi-8 tape, which is more expensive compare to 8mm. The nightshot feature is not that great, it's blurry (black and white of course). So if you are buying this camcorder for its nightshot capability, I'd suggest browsing for a different one. The battery only lasts about 80-90 minutes (with LCD screen and non-continuous recording), and it takes about 2.5 hours to fully charge it.
Overall, it is still a good camcorder, especially for beginners and for daily use.

Summary: Great little camera

Comment: I previously had a Sharp viewcam, but, after 4 years it went dead. I decided to stay with the Hi-8 because my old tapes were in Hi-8, and didn't want the extra expense of going digital. I am very happy with this camera. The night-shot is a great feature - it's really amazing, you can tape your baby sleeping in a pitch black room if you want. If you're looking for a Hi-8 camera, this is an excellent choice.