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Skateboarding => PHOTOS/VIDEO => Filming/Editing => Topic started by: bluntfullofmid on March 18, 2021, 12:00:48 PM

Title: Any TRV900 Tips? (1st Time User)
Post by: bluntfullofmid on March 18, 2021, 12:00:48 PM
So i decided to buy a TRV900 off eBay to film skating here and there and random "lifestyle" stuff. I've previously had a DVX100 but never dealt with a TRV or VX. Anybody have any pointers or tricks?

if only skateperception were still around  :'(
Title: Re: Any TRV900 Tips? (1st Time User)
Post by: bataaard on March 18, 2021, 01:43:58 PM
_ never reuse the tapes, always put new ones in
_ don't film on the last 5 minutes of tape
_ don't change brand of tapes
_ if you have glitches, use a head cleaner tape (same brand as your other tapes) -> record 10seconds with it, switch to play mode, play 10seconds of the tape. never rewind.
_ buy an external mic because the sound of the trv is not good
_ if you need a fisheye, use the century babydeath or opteka 37mm, to fit it you'll need a step up (or down) ring
_ if you need a handle, go the diy route. the plastic cheap handles suck
_ use your camera manually for exposure and white balance at least
Title: Re: Any TRV900 Tips? (1st Time User)
Post by: Billy Bitchcakes on March 19, 2021, 01:57:34 AM
_ never reuse the tapes, always put new ones in
_ don't film on the last 5 minutes of tape
_ don't change brand of tapes

I used TRVs for years and did all of those things ruthlessly, it's not that big a deal in my experience certainly not worth the hundreds of extra dollars you'll spend on tapes if you use it a lot. If you can easily afford it though then yeah go for it
Title: Re: Any TRV900 Tips? (1st Time User)
Post by: bataaard on March 19, 2021, 03:21:18 AM
did that aswell on vx1000 and vx2100 years ago and it fucked them up.
maybe the trv is stronger, good stuff !
Title: Re: Any TRV900 Tips? (1st Time User)
Post by: nickpaolucci on March 19, 2021, 06:33:27 AM
_ never reuse the tapes, always put new ones in
_ don't film on the last 5 minutes of tape
_ don't change brand of tapes
_ if you have glitches, use a head cleaner tape (same brand as your other tapes) -> record 10seconds with it, switch to play mode, play 10seconds of the tape. never rewind.
_ buy an external mic because the sound of the trv is not good
_ if you need a fisheye, use the century babydeath or opteka 37mm, to fit it you'll need a step up (or down) ring
_ if you need a handle, go the diy route. the plastic cheap handles suck
_ use your camera manually for exposure and white balance at least

never heard this one. is this a trv thing or does it apply to all dv cams?
Title: Re: Any TRV900 Tips? (1st Time User)
Post by: Jordan Wiens on March 19, 2021, 10:12:29 AM
i agree with not re-using tapes and sticking with one brand (sony if you can, because those are lubricated), but i haven't heard of the not using the last 5 minutes thing.
Title: Re: Any TRV900 Tips? (1st Time User)
Post by: sn00p on March 19, 2021, 10:57:01 AM
glitching may occur on the first couple minutes and last 5 minutes of tapes. at least in my experience.
Title: Re: Any TRV900 Tips? (1st Time User)
Post by: bataaard on March 19, 2021, 02:18:53 PM
on some vxs, if you insert a tape that is on its last minutes, it sometimes tell you to eject it and you can't rewind, can't do anything. once it's locked in this mode, you can eject and put the tape in again, but it still ask you to eject. very very annoying!

apparently filming on the last 5 minutes wears out the motor of the tape deck a lot more than the usual use. maybe this one is a legend but i'd better be safe than sorry.
Title: Re: Any TRV900 Tips? (1st Time User)
Post by: nickpaolucci on March 22, 2021, 06:35:07 AM
on some vxs, if you insert a tape that is on its last minutes, it sometimes tell you to eject it and you can't rewind, can't do anything. once it's locked in this mode, you can eject and put the tape in again, but it still ask you to eject. very very annoying!

apparently filming on the last 5 minutes wears out the motor of the tape deck a lot more than the usual use. maybe this one is a legend but i'd better be safe than sorry.

thanks!
Title: Re: Any TRV900 Tips? (1st Time User)
Post by: shredslap on March 23, 2021, 03:14:51 AM
For the audio input, you’re going to want to manually set it somewhere slightly higher than marker.
Title: Re: Any TRV900 Tips? (1st Time User)
Post by: Marsellus Wallace on December 14, 2021, 12:35:49 AM
different question but didn´t want to start a new topic: is there any way to manipulate the zoom intensity on the trv?
compared to the vx, it zooms way faster which simply doesnt look as smooth. Everytime I film with the vx I appreciate its slow zoom and feel like its way easier to film
Title: Re: Any TRV900 Tips? (1st Time User)
Post by: pedro_mayn on December 14, 2021, 04:40:56 AM
different question but didn´t want to start a new topic: is there any way to manipulate the zoom intensity on the trv?
compared to the vx, it zooms way faster which simply doesnt look as smooth. Everytime I film with the vx I appreciate its slow zoom and feel like its way easier to film

I wonder if this is just a limitation of the fact that the TRV's zoom rocker is smaller and probably more contrived due to that fact?

I couldn't see any setting on it or any button on the camera to point towards it other than setting Digital zoom on or not.
Title: Re: Any TRV900 Tips? (1st Time User)
Post by: user18081971 on December 14, 2021, 02:56:52 PM
I don’t remember if my old trv had this setting but I had another Sony camera where you could set the zooming to either ‘smart’ which is smooth and steady, or whatever the other setting which was just fast/unstable zoom in/out.
Title: Re: Any TRV900 Tips? (1st Time User)
Post by: Billy Bitchcakes on December 17, 2021, 05:34:05 AM
I don't remember having any trouble controlling the zoom on a TRV, think it just takes some getting used to but you can definitely zoom slowly / smoothly
Title: Re: Any TRV900 Tips? (1st Time User)
Post by: Stretch on March 13, 2023, 12:32:51 PM
I'm looking into buying a TRV900, is it good for capturing tapes or is it advised to use a capture cam?
Title: Re: Any TRV900 Tips? (1st Time User)
Post by: bluntfullofmid on March 13, 2023, 12:39:18 PM
I'm looking into buying a TRV900, is it good for capturing tapes or is it advised to use a capture cam?
I own a TRV and use a different camera as a cap cam. i just remember from the skateperception days that people would say the heads would get worn down from playing back footage and capturing onto a computer
Title: Re: Any TRV900 Tips? (1st Time User)
Post by: pedro_mayn on March 14, 2023, 05:21:07 AM
I'm looking into buying a TRV900, is it good for capturing tapes or is it advised to use a capture cam?

Don't confine a TRV900 to a capture cam, it's better than that. Be nice to it and it'll be nice to you, well it should do.
Title: Re: Any TRV900 Tips? (1st Time User)
Post by: Billy Bitchcakes on March 14, 2023, 09:56:02 AM
I don't think they mean only using it as a capture cam, just whether to buy a separate one or not.

I used TRVs for years. Always reused tapes and never had a capture cam. I had the odd fuckup with glitches but I guess who hasn't. Overall it really wasn't that bad. Saying that though back then I had no money or decent workflow, if I were to do it now I'd probably just buy a cheap cam and keep it wired in to my PC. It would be handy having it just sitting on the shelf ready to go. If you can find a DV cam for cheap then no harm in grabbing it.
Title: Re: Any TRV900 Tips? (1st Time User)
Post by: FROTHY on March 14, 2023, 10:12:25 AM
The wooden VX mic did a pretty good job on my TRV. Better than the budget Rode knockoff I had.