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- From: swk@tylos.East.Sun.COM (Steve Klosterman - Sun BOS Hardware)
- Newsgroups: rec.video
- Subject: TR200 - initial review
- Date: 16 Nov 1992 16:13:06 GMT
- Organization: Sun Microsystems Inc. - BDC
- Lines: 60
- Message-ID: <1e8hajINN398@seven-up.East.Sun.COM>
- Reply-To: swk@east.sun.com (Steve Klosterman - Sun BOS Hardware)
- NNTP-Posting-Host: tylos.east.sun.com
-
- This weekend, my wife and I purchased a Sony TR200 handycam. This is our
- first camcorder, although we've used older VHS machines before. We compared
- the TR81, TR101 and TR200 using the 81 as our model to beat. I have some
- questions at the end that I'd like more experienced owners to comment on!
-
- We paid $1199, locally. No mail order place expects to have them. (for
- comparison, the local TR81 price was $999, approx $100 more than mail order).
- The TR200 has all of the features of the TR81 except superimposing a single
- image onto the video.
-
- It uses a new battery technology, lithium ion, 1/2 the size of normal
- batteries and immune from the 'memory' capacity problem. With battery,
- it weighs under 2 lbs and is 25% smaller than the TR81. Max battery capacity
- is 1 hour. It's smaller than our 35mm camara and very easy to just 'take
- with you'.
-
- It's rated at 3 lux, vs 2 lux for the TR81. I haven't done
- a spec comparison, but the same 410,000 pixel, resolution. Slightly
- different lens. I believe it uses the 1/3" CCD instead of the 1/2" (TR81).
-
- It has a extremely fast zoom and a new focusing mechanism which is *very*
- fast. Going from a macro-focus of my ring finger (1/2") to a wide angle
- scene 300' away, it refocused in less than 1/2 a second. The TR81 took
- over 2 seconds with a lot more hunting.
-
- The docking station is very clever and convenient. You connect to your
- audio/video system with no cables needing to be plugged into the camara...it
- just slides into a guide on top of the box.
-
- So, how do we like it? OK, not blown away.
-
- My previous, infrequent experience is with a 6 year old VHS unit. I was
- expecting Hi8 to be "breath-taking", AFM sound to be "stunning", colors and
- quality to be substantially better than my older tapes. Hooking it up to my
- Sony XBR television and stereo, our initial tapes were disappointing.
-
- 1. Under low-light conditions (indoors), the picture is very grainy. Perhaps
- I'm expecting too much from Hi8? I tend to believe that the difference
- in lux ratings is marketing hype. There was a noticable 'reddish'
- tint to indoor shots.
-
- 2. In very quiet settings, the microphones pick up the sound of the tape
- drive motor. This verges on 'driving me up the wall'. Do all of
- the handycams suffer from this, though? The sound, overall, seems
- to be pretty good. Since I plan to use this to videotape concerts,
- though, this is a major drawback.
-
- 3. the new focusing (very fast) mechanism works great, but appears to
- hunt a lot more than I'd expect, drifting slightly in and out
- of focus as my subject moves around a room (just noticable).
- Perhaps the slower focusing on older camaras do the same thing
- but damp the visual annoyance instead of fast, severe swings.
-
- Do *all* of the small camaras exhibit similar symptoms to these?
-
- I'm going to live with this camara for a week, decide what I can live with
- and what really bugs me. My tendency would be to move up to the TR101 rather
- than down unless the TR81 genuinely solves the annoying things.
-
- Steve K
-