Product description

Sony TG3 High Definition Digital Camcorder

Price: £416.98 This item Delivered FREE in the UK with Super Saver Delivery
Availability: Usually dispatched within 24 hours
Average customer rating: 4.5

Binding : Electronics
EAN : 4905524501537
Label : Sony
Manufacturer : Sony
Publisher : Sony
Release date : 2008-04-06
Title : Sony TG3 High Definition Digital Camcorder
Studio : Sony
Brand : Sony
Model : HDRTG3E.CEH
MPN : HDRTG3E.CEH
Package quantity : 1

Editorial reviews

Amazon.co.uk

"Pack up your troubles in your old camera kit bag, because Sony have produced the HD TG3E Handycam - the world's smallest, lightest, slimmest camcorder. Visually Sony's new toy is stunning too." The News of the World - 13th April 2008

"Sony's latest camcorder is the smallest and lightest on the market to capture video at the highest of HD resolutions." The Sunday Times - 13th April 2008

"In a few day's from now, you can buy the smallest, lightest high definition camcorder in the world, the Sony HDR-TG3E." The Daily Telegraph - 12th April 2008

Customer reviews

review by: date: 2008-12-02 rating:

Simply stunning spec for a bargain price !!!
Wow... what a stunner!

I bought this Sony TG3 video camera, having spent hours researching both Sony + Panasonic + Canon. I have stated some facts below that I have struggled to find on most reviews so hope it helps.

I am pretty clued up when it comes to gadgets, but I have to say even with my knowledge, the offerings out there from the 3 above manufacturers is not easy to compare when you have different formats- hard drives, memory stick, DV etc......!

I decided on the Sony memory stick option as many users of the HD camcorders complain about slow start up time and apparently they are VERY slow when trying to edit the footage on your PC. Also the HD video cameras are much heavier & bulkier.

The memory stick is rapid on start up and I am about to start editing some video.

My old video camera was a high spec Sony (approx 3 years old now) and I thought you cannot go wrong with this brand. Also the £60 cheque back offer was the icing on the cake for me.

I opened the box, charged up the battery and it is SO EASY TO USE! I worked everything out without even reading the manual. Yes you need to play around with it but it is not hard.

The video camera is designed for one handed operation if you need to do this. The touch screen is a doddle, the weight is just right, the zoom is easy to use, the menu is straight forward and I have to say the quality and sound is amazing.

I have tried it in darker conditions, daylight, played with the exposure etc and I have to say I can see why it won best product of 2008 - 2009!

I have read conflicting reviews on this product and I think that those complaining maybe don't know how to use it properly. Sony have made this VERY user friendly and that is what we all want. In my opinion, unless you buy a professional video camera probably 6 times the size & costing 4+ times more, you cannot better for the money.

The supplied 4GB card gives you approx 30 mins of full HD quality recording, if you want SD then I recall it giving you about 45 mins. Like most owners, I have now ordered a couple of 8gb cards & spare batteries (with HD recorders you need batteries anyway).

Battery time seems pretty good, I am getting approx 45 mins form each charge, which does not sound much, but bearing in mind how small this unit is, it is amazing!

I have just researched video editing software..... I have ordered, after much research - Power Director 7 Ultra. Amazon are the cheapest by far and it looks very impressive. I have tried Pinnacle in the past but their software is 4+ times the price, so I will save my money thanks and put it towards the cost of a couple of spare batteries & cards.

Make sure if you are buying edeting software, that you buy software that handles avchd (many of the packaged out there require you to upgrade to benefit from this feature).

If you ask me what are the negatives, I have listed a few but none of them are serious at all... I would call them small issues. That is why I have given this 5 stars as I think the positives heavily outweigh the negatives! :-

No case- I have never received one with any video camera, I have just ordered a Lowepro case that will fit this and my Sony digital slim camera together. They are cheap

No HDMI cable- Not a problem as I have ordered a good quality one off Ebay delivered for only £5.00

No remote control- I have to say this is the one thing I had to think about, as you have to sit near the tv to play it back in front of friends/ family

No way of charging he battery unless the camera is in its dock. Not really a big deal as the dock is diddy. You can always order a fast charger although this battery was charged in under an hour

**** If you want the best looking & one of the best performing HD video cameras out there then look no further.! ****

review by: date: 2008-11-09 rating:

Great video images but stills not so good
This is a beautiful camera. It feels surprisingly solid for such a small object. Video images taken with this camera is superb but because the camera is so small that without supporting it against something solid you get quite a shaky image if you zoom in. The 4 megapixel still images are not good enough to produce a 10x8 print from it - which is a shame because the rotatable flip screen is ideal for composing candid photos and taking image from high and low angles. This also means carrying 2 cameras if you want to combine taking stills and video. If you buy this camera, I suggest you carry a spare battery with you as you might find you run out of power just in the middle of taking Spielberg beating footage

review by: simoncpage.com date: 2008-11-02 rating:

The Sony TG3 is an excellent product
Been looking for a decent quality full 1080 HD camera for a while now and this is not only the best quality I have seen it is also one of the best designed with it's titanium casing and sleek minimal design. On my blog it made my top 50 gadgets for Christmas gifts this year and will be a strong contender for a while as none of the others on the market come close to the quality.

The only bad points I will note is:

1. If you want it on the very best quality video footage 4GB card included will only record about 30mins of video. If you put it in to HD SP mode it will record a good 70mins which for most people is still amazing. I suggest you buy a 8GB or 16GB card if you need the really best quality.

2. They don't include a hardcase which for a £400+ camera really should be a standard.

So if you are wondering "do I pay the extra to get this camera" - the answer is yes, as the other cheaper handhelds HD camcorders will disappoint you and be a waste of money.

review by: rocco698 date: 2008-10-30 rating:

Sony HDR-TG3 handycam
I have just taken delivery of my delightful Sony HDR-TG3 handycam. I chose this camera for 2 reasons: Firstly, there are similar looking products by other manufacturers but I always go with what I know and Sony make fantastic quality gadgets - I was not disappointed. Secondly, I like the design. I almost went for the HDR-CX11E. Clearly it's a better spec'd cam and obviously it costs more but I'm new to camcorders and I wanted something that was a little less intrusive. I think when you are wandering about with a traditional camera, that is, one where you place you hand through a grip, people tend to freeze, clam-up and demand you switch it off. With this one, it's a little less in-your-face. It's simple and it's more discreet....
So, yesterday a knock on the door and the postie hands me my box from Amazon. I couldn't contain my excitement. The packaging, a minor issue I know, was like opening an old 2G Apple ipod (for those of you that had one - you'll remember the packaging was as much a work of art as the device, unlike now of course). Then I found it. In it's own little compartment at the bottom of the box, wrapped in a dark brown hessian-like fabric. Behold, my new TG3!!! It just oozed quality. Sony have come up trumps with this on looks and feel alone!!
I left it to charge for a couple of hours and then tried it out. It's an absolute doddle to use. The menu is easy to navigate and fairly straight forward. Some of the icons have an explanation at the bottom of the screen. The screen is quite small for it's touchscreen functionality especially if you have fingers like turkey drummers (like me!). However, that aside, the camera is so easy to use. Just point & shoot. It's a thumb operated record button and the zoom is operated by the same thumb. It was a bit fiddly for the first few seconds but after that no problems. The stills-camera operation, whilst filming, is again operated by the same thumb. Again, easy. The pictures, at 4MP, appear to be very good.
If you want to play your footage back on the TV you get a selection of leads in the box but NO HDMI!! So I had to go out and buy one. The cheapest was £20.00's!!! Very annoying!!
Making movies, editing, whatever, is a bit beyond my technical capabilities at the moment. I use a 3yr old intel imac running Mac OS X 10.4.11. I've read on other write-ups that I will need the latest Leopard OS and imovie '08 and then it will be very simple. As it is, when I plug the TG3 into my mac via the USB cable (supplied), nothing happens!!
NEGATIVES: I haven't had it long enough yet. I'm very pleased with the picture quality (although it's not so good in low-light conditions - quite a lot of noise). The zoom lever is a bit fiddly and the compartment cover to access the battery and memory card tries to open itself if the camera moves slightly in your grip. But overall a well deserving 4 out of 5*'s.
I'm off now to go and play with my new toy. In the meantime, I hope this review helps you decide. And buy from Amazon with confidence. I've saved myself almost £150.00's!!!

review by: Katie date: 2008-10-23 rating:

BEWARE - Proprietary Software Nightmare
As with all Sony Products the hardware is first class but they absolutely ruin this following their pathological obssession with proprietary software. Whereas most other technology manufacturers are focusing on total compatibility; Sony remains the antithesis to this in some forelorn belief that it will make them more money. Please, before you spend a penny/cent on a Sony product conduct significant research and ensure that being able to hold a really nice HD Camera and do nothing else (edit/watch on PC/MAC etc) is really what you want. As a final point Sony, if you are reading this, please change your corporate direction, it is archaic, your technology is excellent and you could have so many more customers if you did.

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