Sony Handycam CCD-TRV68: Review and Test Footage

SUMMARY-
The Sony Handycam CCD-TRV68 was released in 2001 alongside the CCD-TRV49, CCD-TRV58, CCD-TRV78, CCD-TRV88, and CCD-TRV98. This model appeared to be intended for the mid-range level consumer, but it lacked some aspects that previous model years were given. The body is hollow and tends to feel cheap, the feature list is smaller, and a it contains few annoyances that are just plain stupid.
CAMCORDER BODY-
The camcorder body is constructed of a pretty basic plastic, similar to what you'd find on any Sony camcorder from the 90s. Something about its construction, though, just gives it this cheap hollow feeling. Compared to the CCD-TRV65 (I have one of these as well, more comparison below), the camcorder doesn't feel as rugged.
The lock-power switch combination option has been replaced with a single power selection wheel next to the battery compartment (in the place that the lock/standby lever used to be). The focus control was moved from the front of the unit, between the screen and microphone, to the menu selection wheel that controls all the other options. Volume and screen brightness controls are no longer located on the side of the LCD monitor (volume was moved to the control panel inside the panel, but brightness was moved to the settings menu). The LANC jack was removed completely. The button interface for playback is no longer the amber-backlit soft-touch style, but rather, a basic array of buttons that have the decals embossed onto them. The microphone jack was removed, and the headphone jack was moved to just below the viewfinder. The price of Sony's cost cutting in this department are rather glaringly obvious.
INTERFACE-
The menu system is the basic Sony tape-camera menu system, containing all the options and quirks where you expect them. It has the basic Program AE modes, and retained the full suite of Sony Picture Affects as well. The digital zoom can be set from off, to 40x, to 460x on the CCD-TRV68; to see digital zoom on other models, consult the specs in the comments, (though, as you can see in the video, digital zoom lowers video quality considerably). The 16:9 wide mode option allows the user to capture video better suited for wide-screen televisions and monitors, just make sure you select 16:9FULL mode (as CINEMA mode will only cut off the top and bottom of the 4:3 picture). The camcorder has steadyshot as well, like most Sony camcorders; rather annoying caveat is that steadyshot supposedly doesn't operate in 16:9FULL mode (would be the only reason you want to use CINEMA). It has an option for turning on or off the nightshot light. LCD settings include brightness, backlight intensity, and the color/contrast. Tape settings include the recording mode, allowing the user to set between LP or SP quality/speed. ORC TO SET, which, when enabled, makes the camcorder change settings to better suit the recording environment. Tape remaining option shows how much recording space you've got left. Setup menu and others contain pretty general options: clock, date, font size, language, demo mode, world time, beep (camcorder's menu sounds), display (hide the display's decals), and the recording lamp.
There are also three EXTREMELY annoying things about this camcorder that I can't exactly wrap my head around. The CCD image sensors in these models tended to stop working entirely, this was reflected in MANY Amazon reviews, but Sony did not, to my knowledge, fix this problem (from what I understand, other models did not have this problem). The battery life was also rather short, especially now more than ever, with the ever decreasing supply of Infolithum L series batteries on the market. The annoying part is that Sony manufactured an AA alkaline battery case that fits these models, but it doesn't work on this one (it worked with the CCD-TRV65). Instead you get a popup text that says "infolithium batteries only", which is absolutely absurd.
COMPARISON TO PREV YEARS-
I have the CCD-TRV65 from 1998, so will be mostly comparing to that. Frankly, in almost every way, this camcorder is worse; the only exceptions found so far is the addition of a video light and a longer optical zoom. The video quality is worse (personal opinion, admittedly), the manual lens cap gets in the way and makes noise in windy scenarios, the mic jack was removed, the construction is cheaper, the microphone is mono instead of stereo, the counter is dumbed down, no remote was available for this "trim level", the accessory shoe was removed, and start/stop mode was removed.
CONCLUSION-
In conclusion, think it would be better for the consumer to have bought the CCD-TRV65 if possible. Had they bought this hoping for a typical good Sony camcorder, they'd have risked being disappointed.
SPECS IN PINNED COMMENT.
6/10
Anything I forgot to include in this review, or anything I got wrong? Put it in the comments! Thanks for reading :D
Camcorders on Reddit: / camcorders

[@beamthedeer]

I miss shooting on this camera, and now I kinda regret selling it. It still worked great considering I got it for $8 at a thrift store. Good news is now I can buy one again, but instead I bought the DCR-TRV250, because it had Firewire and an external microphone jack.

[@FatCatTech]

I've got a video on the DCR-TRV250 as well! Do love that camcorder, it's one of those that, for some reason, it feels real easy to get cool shots of things with.

[@nickdiba7512]

Excellent demo. Thank you!

[@Darkstar22177]

Thanks for comparing it to the TRV65. I was about to get the 68 until I read the description. I guess I'll be getting the 65 now.

[@FatCatTech]

Getting the TRV65 instead is a good call!

[@SarpErsoy]

I still have my parents' CCD-TRV98. I don't have any empty casettes so I have to buy it from somewhere else. Can't wait to record some videos with it

[@emoluvr2]

is there anyway i could put a different lens on this camera like a fisheye lens or something, and if so then how, thanks!

[@SedatedClips]

Yes. the circle with a line through it on the lens is the threading. match those numbers to a fisheyes threading and you got it

[@SkatAddams]

Thank you so much !!

[@chanderprakash3159]

11:49 This shot is looking very haunting.

[@kennerfee100]

I have a Sony DCR-TRV350 that I found at my local thrift store that included everything for only $15. This cam usually goes for like $90-$100 because it can easily transfer analog Hi8 tapes and can easily capture analog video from a VCR. You can digitize analog video from a VCR by either recording it onto a Digital8 tape or transfer it to your computer through FireWire.

[@FatCatTech]

NOTICE: A previous version of the description stated that the headphone jack was removed, this is not true. If there is any reference to the headphone jack being removed (I think I fixed all of them, but just in case), please let me know so I can fix it. SPECS AND A FEW OTHER THINGS BECAUSE I MAXED OUT THE DESCRIPTION CHARACTER LIMIT: SPECS: -Cassette type: Standard8 or Hi8 -Fastforward time on a 2 hr tape: about 5 minutes -Image Sensor (TRV49/TRV58): 1/4" CCD | 270,000 total pixels | 250,000 effective pixels -Image Sensor (TRV68/TRV78/TRV88/TRV98): 1/4" CCD | 320,000 total pixels | 200,000 effective pixels -Lens filter (all models): 37mm -Zoom (TRV49): 20x Optical | 450x Digital -Zoom (TRV58/TRV68): 20x Optical | 460x Digital -Zoom (TRV78/TRV88/TRV98) 20x Optical | 560x Digital -Minimum Illumination (TRV49/TRV58): 1 lux -Minimum Illumination (TRV68/TRV78/TRV88/TRV98): 0 lux (this is because of nightshot. I have noticed that these models -seem to be VERY capable of low light, however). -LCD (TRV49/TRV58/TRV68/TRV78): 2.5” | 61,600 pixels -LCD (TRV88): 3” -LCD (TRV98): 3.5” | 123,200 pixles (TRV88, included) -Weight (TRV49/TRV58/TRV68/TRV78): 2 pounds (910 grams) -Weight (TRV88) 2 pounds (920 grams) -Weight (TRV98) 2 pounds (930 grams) As mentioned above, these models do have one thing that is consistent between them, and that is their low light ability. WOW, these things can see. Think that may be because of the rather large image sensor. Something kind of interesting I noticed while looking at the specs, is the pixel count for the different models. The TRV49 and 59 have a lower total pixel count, but a higher effective pixel count, while the other models have a higher total pixel count, with a lower effective pixel count. I'm curious if anyone knows, what might the effect be on the video quality, if any?

[@Joscraft_05]

Even the PAL models of those cameras WITHOUT steadyshot have 290k effective resolution. That's now too close to the 350k effective resolution of Digital 8 cameras.

[@avpfilms27]

Interesting 🧐

[@yankysmits]

This reminds me of a old psa that I watched at school

[@silvaramirezedgarmanuel551]

hi man, i got the same camera and im having trouble to use it on the obs program, y just connect de cable to the jack from the camera to the usb video capture but it only gave me audio, what do you do to get the video signal, thanks and awesome video

[@epicchris1985]

Great demo of this unit.. Crazy how bad this is as the newer unit compared to the 1998 TRV65 (that I own too) By all accounts Sony did this to push people to the newer Digital 8 or even Mini DV units and it caused such a backlash that Sony then came up with Hi8 XR units that actually showed Hi8 was still good and nowhere near this bad lol

[@Joscraft_05]

Hey PAL versions of these cameras without steadyshot where far better. Those PAL models that didn't have steadyshot have a resolution of 290k effective pixels too close to the 350k effective count of digital 8 cameras.

[@bubbatheballer1076]

Video’s dope I love the footage. Do you have any experience with the trv58?

[@FatCatTech]

I haven't used the TRV58, but I can't imagine it's too radically different from the TRV68, so I'd say that I've used it by proxy.

[@bubbatheballer1076]

@@FatCatTech okay cool thank you

[@Dirtyvjuice]

I have a question i have the same cam camorder but your colors and brightness is a lot better then mine. My cam corder is very dark even when expose is maxed like in a normal room its so dark and you can barely see anything so is it broken or something?

[@joaquin5007]

How does this unit hold up at night . Gunna be doing some rave footage and party footage and was wondering if the unit came with a flash or how it performed in low levels of light

[@MabalGT]

How did you get the cassette recordings on your computer?

[@keeganwoods3108]

Hey, is there any way someone could give me an explanation/shoot me a link with instructions on how to convert recorded footage on the 68 to the digital format. I want to be able to throw footage I shot on my 68 into premier and make some cool stuff. Any thoughts/info is appreciated. Thanks

[@nooxb723]

i'm about to purchase this camera, how do i get the footage onto my computer?

[@mitchpolitiske7503]

I've been trying to use mine lately, and I noticed that it was really having issues with exposure. On sunny days it would be almost completely over exposed and the image would be totally white. Have you had that problem? Is that a fault with my camera or a common issue? Maybe a bad sensor after 20 years.

[@pippablack8876]

hi there - can I please ask how you managed to get your mini DV tape footage converted digitally onto your computer? Is there a feature on this camera that makes it more straightforward? Thanks in advance, about to buy this camera

[@FatCatTech]

Important note: This camcorder does not record to MiniDV tapes, this camcorder records to Hi8 or Video8 tapes. You're in luck, though! I made a video all about the process I used for analog to digital footage conversion, unfortunately it's a little bit overcomplicated: kzbin.info/www/bejne/jZjLc3mOndZpnbc If you don't feel like buying an entire *second* camcorder and an entire *second* PC, you may want to go the route of a USB video capture device (these come in many varieties, the two common ones being "EasyCap" and "WinTV" types). Then with those you can capture the footage using any old OBS style of software.

[@13thmystik]

I'm looking for an adapter for this camera! I have one but it seems like it only has an s-video port. What adapter is used for a digital transfer?!

[@ipimpigalli3813]

In short, I use a Sony DCR-PC110, connected to a Windows Vista computer via FireWire. The DCR-PC110 has the A/V "Passthrough" feature, so it can take any analog source (ie. a Hi8 camcorder A/V out or a VCR), and convert it to a digital stream. After that, I deinterlace the footage with AviSynth and QTGMC.

[@user-tg6fe1ty6o]

I cant hear the playback there is no sound please help

[@kenneth_mirez]

nice footage. How did you upload the videos from the videocam to a computer?

[@nooxb723]

u ever figure it out ? lmk

[@kenneth_mirez]

@@nooxb723 youtube

[@mallory358]

Do you know how to connect this camcorder to a smart tv so that I can playback my tapes?

[@FatCatTech]

Does the TV have an S-Video or A/V RCA jacks?

[@kylep12001]

How did you get it on to your computer it only has a s video source and a av output?

[@FatCatTech]

It's possible to convert A/V and S-Video to digital signals with converters

[@kylep12001]

@@FatCatTech will it work with just a capture device, s video, and av plug?

[@kylep12001]

@@FatCatTech what equipment did you use?

[@FatCatTech]

@@kylep12001 There's a number of ways to digitize analog video, mine tends to be one of the more overly-complex ones. Here's what I do: I run the video from the camcorder, through the A/V cord, to another Sony handycam (such as a DCR-PC110) that has an A/V "passthrough" feature (This will convert the analog video to a digital video). I then connect that camcorder to a computer via a FireWire cable (which can sometimes be referred to as iLink). Since the computer I use to import the video has Windows Vista, it will automatically open a program that can import the video through the firewire. I made a video where I explained the process here as well: kzbin.info/www/bejne/jZjLc3mOndZpnbc

[@BryanMiraflor]

it's nuts how this image quality is 2001 and was acceptable lolol

[@Joscraft_05]

It was a shit very low end camcorder with ONLY 320K pixels from that era like the Hi8 CCD-TRV128 models from 2004. Digital 8 versions of that time had way higher pixels and better sensors with firewire ports. Also a lot of miniDV models from that era was excellent with very good quality and a lot of models with 1MP, but also the models with 680k was very good (800k pixels if is a PAL camera).

[@hybridramper-futurearmy1160]

How to connect this camera to the TV

[@jordanvelazquez6321]

With adapders.

[@marvee7289]

How do you transfer ur tapes to computer?thanks

[@FatCatTech]

(sorry I'm replying to this late, KZbin doesn't notify me of some comments for some reason) I've made a video about my process, it's a little complicated but it gets the job done, and I'm satisfied with its results! In short, I use a Sony DCR-PC110, connected to a Windows Vista computer via FireWire. The DCR-PC110 has the A/V "Passthrough" feature, so it can take any analog source (ie. a Hi8 camcorder A/V out or a VCR), and convert it to a digital stream. After that, I deinterlace the footage with AviSynth and QTGMC.

[@elizabethmarsh4424]

What did you buy/use to get the tape onto the computer??

[@ipimpigalli3813]

In short, I use a Sony DCR-PC110, connected to a Windows Vista computer via FireWire. The DCR-PC110 has the A/V "Passthrough" feature, so it can take any analog source (ie. a Hi8 camcorder A/V out or a VCR), and convert it to a digital stream. After that, I deinterlace the footage with AviSynth and QTGMC.

[@baragonkunfan94thesecondar60]

is there a PAL model of this camcorder?

[@horrortimeproductions5504]

I don't think you would have a problem, using a NTSC unit shipped. Here in the US, we can't use a PAL unit. As none of the TVs support that standard. I've read several posts in forums, that say UK televisions accept both. The power supply for the camcorder is universal, as long it says 220V on it. I'm saying, as long your TV accepts NTSC, you can playback footage with no problem. For capturing it to PC, you can use VirtualDub with any USB capture card. Just make sure it's set to NTSC in settings. :)

[@elenalu5877]

Hello! I have this exactly cam corder and I want to connect it to the tv but it only came with a white and black rc cable and it does no work! It used to work on older tv and I’m trying to use it on a plasma TV. I don’t know what to do.

[@FatCatTech]

I'm not sure, it seems like it might just be an input setting on the new TV or something. I'd suggest double checking that the connectors are plugged into the right RCA port, or perhaps consulting the TV's manual to make sure there's not some random setting that needs to be changed.

[@elenalu5877]

FatCatTech thank you so much ! I will take your advice!

[@smallboto]

I have one, but the problem is everything is in Japanese and when I insert the tape it always pops out, if you wanna reach out to me you can ask for my discord or gmail

[@FatCatTech]

If my memory serves me correctly, Sony's camcorders were region locked in terms of language. If it's Japanese, you likely will not be able to change it to English (could be wrong about that, though). Whether or not that's true, I can't quite say with confidence, as I cannot read the Japanese manual for these camcorders. As far as the tape issue, that could be a wide number of problems. I had a similar issue with a CCD-TRV65 after I had dropped it, piece of plastic in the tape deck wouldn't allow the mechanism to shut all the way. Unfortunately, the only repair I ended up doing was to take the deck apart and put it back together again, started working after that.