Need help with taking pics using memory stick

[denden_k]

Whenever my husband & I take still shots using the memory stick of

our Sony DCR-TRV20 camcorder inside the house, the pics ALWAYS come

out dark, just like using point-and-shoot cameras w/o flash. I saw a

flier in our bunch of paperwork that we can buy a separate flash for

it. Do we have to? There's a "Backlight" button which I played

around but it didn't really do the trick. Is there any way to get

around this problem. Thanks.

[carl smith]

I suggest using a real still camera, not a video camera to take still photographs. You'll notice a sudden increase in quality.

[glen_johnson]

The first thing to check on is whether or not you can increase the gain. If you can, bump it up 6dB and see if you like what you get (this fix is free if its available to you).

 

If you can't increase the gain, then consider the purchase of an accessory light. Or just turn on more room lights or open any shades or drapes. If you increase the light falling on the subject to on the order of 100 LUX or more, most video cameras will give a pretty decent picture.

[matt_marshall]

The design and operation ov video cameras are never exactly the same as dedicated still cameras, which usually come with a built-in flash. If you want to continue using your TRV20 then I would recommend you invest in an external flash, otherwise you should get a dedicated still camera.

As for the backlight button, that is only for compensating silhouetted images.

[mark_postma]

Not the best answer, but with my trv25 I can get better stills if I shoot a second or two of live video to tape and then pull the stills from there. They aren't as big, but if you are going to send them over the web or show them on a TV it is still digital quality for a TV screen.