I purchased our Sony Handycam a year ago to replace my 12 year old RCA camcorder. I got the Sony CCD-TRV37 on sale at Sears and we haven’t been disappointed with it yet.
This is the first camcorder I have owned that had a LCD screen, a color one at that, remember my old one lasted 12 years. It actually took a little while to get used to, I was so used to looking through the viewfinder when recording. I still use the viewfinder though, especially when I know I’m going to be using it for a long period of time outside, so I don’t run down the battery too quickly. Using the LCD screen for a long time will drain the battery and you will have to recharge it.
Color LCD Screen - I love this! My old camcorder didn’t have one, so this was a definite plus. It’s about a 2.5’’ screen and it swivels so you don’t have to have it right in front of your face.
Battery pack and Infolithium battery - already installed in the camcorder, claiming 16 hours of continuous usage without the LCD screen. I haven’t tried continuous usage for that long, only about 2 hours at a time, and haven’t had any problems.
Video 8 format
Power adapter and power cord, A / V connecting cable for connecting to your TV, VCR or even your computer if you have the hardware and software like Dazzle DPM or something similar, and a shoulder strap.
20X optical/200X digital zoom - I can attest that the zoom with this model is great, it’s nice and smooth. My old RCA wasn’t too smooth when trying to zoom in on something.
Nightshot - where you can record at night in the dark, it’s kind of like nightvision that you see on TV in the action flicks. I haven’t used this feature that much.
Light - It has a little light on the front, at the top, for help with lighting, don’t be too close to the subject though because this little light is pretty powerful.
Built-in microphone - Located on the bottom of the camcorder, at the front, you have to be careful with this as I have already muffled the sound by accidentally touching it while recording.
It is fairly lightweight, easy to hold and use. You don’t have to read the manual before use, but I do recommend you read it to learn about all the different features it has.
The only complaint I have, if you want to call it one, is that it is hard to see the LCD screen when you’re outside, unless you’re in the shade. When I’m recording outside, especially in the sun, I usually just use the viewfinder.
My Recommendation
I definitely recommend this to parents who want to capture those precious moments in their child’s life and with this camcorder you don’t have to spend a fortune to do it. I got this on sale at Sears for only $399 and I think that it was regularly $499. I can definitely say you won’t be disappointed with the Sony CCD-TRV37.