Sony TRV-900 User Manual

Sony TRV-900 miniDV Camcorder

Notes by Rob Danielson 9/03

Owner's manual:

http://www.sonystyle.com/pdfs/3864632142.pdf

Everything humans might want to know about the TRV-900:

http://www.bealecorner.com/

TRV-900/950 User's Group (may find used ones for sale too)

http://www.camcorderinfo.com/board/list.php?f=13

Suggestions:

MANUALLY set these function:

• Shutter Speed

• "Exposure" Aperture setting using with the Zebra display.

• Color Balance on White Card

• Use an External Mic and set Mic Level Manually

• In bright daylight, use ND filter and Set Gain Shift to -3dB

Check battery condition, it takes about 30-60 minutes to charge.

Check the lens for dust etc, remove the shade and ONLY CLEAN WITH LENS TISSUE!!! Use only lens cleaning tissue - not nose tissue,

When you first turn-on the camcorder, check that the “AUTO Lock” Button is not ON, put this switch in the center position . If you can find it by the main power switch, pull back the “photo mode lock-out” button so it won’t go into this mode when you put it into camera mode.

Check these Menu Settings before you shoot (BOLD items are especially important): Open side screen, press "menu" button:

- - - Auto Shutter: ON Progressive Scan: OFF for live video, ON for taking stills.

- - - Digital Zoom: ON

16:9 Wide: OFF

SteadyShot: ON AE Shift: Middle Position Gain Shift: -3dB for Bright Lighting Frame Record: Off Int. Rec: Off

- - - LCD Color: Middle LCD Brightness: Middle Zebra: ON

- - - -

Record Mode: SP!!!

Audio Mode: 16 Bit!!!! Mic Level: Manual. Adjust so peaks do not make the red light come on. Use an external mic and monitor with headphones.

Remain: Auto

- - - Clock Set: Set to date, time Auto TV: OFF TV Input: Video 1 Letter Size: Normal

- - - World Time: whatever,.. Beep: OFF Commander: ON Display: LCD Rec Lamp: OFF Color Bar: OFF

Press "menu" buttton again to turn off menu options.

= = = = = = =

From the “Beale’s Corner TRV-900 Website, Other Tips & Tricks:

if you go manual and slow the shutter down then you can also hit the exposure after and remove much of the noise in the picture. But you can't select exposure to reduce the gain and then select shutter! You have to learn the button pressing order .

If you select FF in VTR mode you get a blue screen. But you can hit FF again while it is fastforwarding to temporarily display what you are passing on the tape. When you release it goes back to the FF blue screen

Reducing Gain and Using Neutral Density Filter The camera can have the gain reduced by 3db, and a "GS" appears in the viewfinder. This reduces the overall gain for normal shooting conditions, yet allows the gain to go up in low light. I recommend this setting for reduced noise.

If you cannot figure out why the headphones don't seem to be working, see if the volume control on the flip out screen has been turned right down. In addition to adjusting the headphones level, this control also adjusts the speaker level when headphones are not plugged in.

The Sony VHS VCR remote (model RMT-V158) in mode 1, will control the TRV900. All of the other transport controls work, including using the shuttle for various speed forward/reverse play. The Sony RMT-V229 remote also works.

Oddity: The TRV900 can record in DVCAM format if the tape is pre stripped in the DCVcam format. It still uses unlocked audio. DVCAM format normally has locked audio.

Static with mic connections. There's a liquid product called "Stabilant 22" from D.W. Electrochemicals, Ltd. http://www.posthorn.com/Stab_2.html that supposedly removes noise from connectors like that of 1/8’ (3.5mm) mini-jacks.

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