Sony DCRTRV740 Digital8 Camcorder w/ 2.3" LCD, USB Streaming, Memory Stick, & Mega Pixel Video/ Still

I purchased a 2G SD card to store more pics that the one that came with it. I put in the card and kept getting a "card reader error". The store indicated that the cam cannot handle the additional memory for storing pics. If anyone knows which SD card I can purchase to store more than the 40 pics, please let me know.

This is an excellent camera, however, anyone spending more than $200 dollars for one is wasting their money for some very old technology. Buy one, if you can, but do not spend too much money.

This is a great camera, but I wish I had done a little more research before going ahead and purchasing this. The quality is absolutely great. It has the ability to transfer data with the iLink, and the backwards compatibility is also a plus. However, the "digital camera" aspect is pretty poor. If you want to take digital pictures, buy a digital camera. The photo resolution on the still images is horrible and the actual size of it is too small. Also, there are a ton of extra features on the camera that are worked into the price that are never used, like the superimposing is a waste. It you want to do things like that, you probably should look into some editing software.
If I could go back, I would have definatly got a MiniDV camcorder. The quaility is just as good but it's much smaller and more lightweight. After filming for awhile, your arm hurts lugging this monster around. I personally would stick with the Sony brand, only due to the great NightShot feature. If Cannon or Panasonic offered it, I would check them out. However, Sony is the only brand to go with in the ghost hunting buisness...

Pros: Picture quality, Hi8 Playback Capability, Price

Cons: Zoom Control, Image Stabilization, Bottom cassette loading, Handling Comfort, 15x Zoom

While holding out for the cost to come down on DVD camcorders and needing a new camcorder that would play my existing Hi-8s, I went with the backwardly compatable Digital8. The TRV740 appeared to be a solid choice with it's many features and great output quality. But when I first started to use it I was quickly disappointed by the following:

Zoom Control: My previous camcorder was a Canon ES5000 (Hi8). The TRV740's zoom control is awful in comparison with the Canon. It's very difficult to activate the slowest zoom speed as the sliding switch does not move smoothly. 9 times out of 10, you'll go right past the slow speed as the force needed to get the switch moving is much greater than the force to keep the zoom speed steady so an overzoom situation happens. Then you're zooming rapidly and have to slow it down which ruins the slow zoom effect.

"Super" SteadyShot: Huge disappointment here. Electronic stabilizers simply do not compare with optical stabilizers (Canon). It almost seems that when the stabilizer is turned off, Sony added shake to the image so that when the stabilizer is on, it looks better in comparison to when it was "off". Just a silly conspiracy theory to let you know bad it is.

Bottom cassette loading: Did you ever think you'd see a camcorder that had to be removed from a tripod in order to change the cassette? You've got it with this one. Unbelievable.

Handling Comfort: It's a little heavy and not something you want to use for an extended period.

15x Zoom: This is on the low side and the only reason I can imagine that they went with this low of an optical zoom is because of the poor image stabilizer. At 15x, let alone 20x, you need a tripod or it looks like you have some sort of neuro-muscular affliction.

I'll probably keep it to use as a player to backup my Hi-8 collection by playing those tapes to a DVD burner. I recommend looking for something else if you think you'd be bothered by the same things as I am with this camcorder.

This camera is excellent for capturing Videos, the Still Picture quality is good if you are outdoors, for shooting still pics indoors & especially during night-time, you must have a very bright Light Source or a very brightly illuminated room. The Optical zoom is just adequate but I would prefer 20X +. The memory stick is a great Acc., Sony should give 32 MB as Std Acc. I also have the EZ Editor Hard/Soft-ware but I am still struggling to get good output. Battery Life is adequate. Overall I would definitely recommend it.