"Erik
B" <erikb33@bellatlantic.net> wrote in message
news:Gs0hb.33511$yU5.10825@nwrdny01.gnilink.net...
> I
am seriously considering buying one of these and can't decide which. I
>
like the fact that the TRV80 is smaller and has better lux levels (&
>
nightshot capabilities) but I like the manual controls and 3CCDs of the 950.
> I
am ok with spending more for better quality, but I am concerned about
>
getting the 950 and then being disappointed in low light situations (being
>
outside at night, concerts).
I have
not tried the TRV70/80, but I have a TRV30 (similar to the
TRV50/PC120)
and a TRV950. They have about the same (lack of)
low
light range (unless the TRV30 is used in IR mode - but do switch
it into
B&W mode also or the "greens" will get you! ;-), and both
provide
sharp images with good color. Both have major drawbacks
for me:
the motion-artifacting with contrasty subjects with the TRV30
(maybe
the 70/80 cures this[?], but it was my hope that with the 14-bit
processor
and higher pixel-count of the TRV30 compared with the
TRV20/PC100-110,
this same problem would be lessened - but it
got
worse...), and the absurdly high contrast of the image with the
TRV950
(dark tones go undifferentiated black, medium-light tones go
NTSC
broadcast-illegal blank white - usually a 1-CCD fault, but here
it is
in a new 3-CCD camera...). Match the subject lighting/contrast
(and
motion) to the camera, and both produce excellent video - but
neither
is a good general-use camera, unfortunately. The only
alternatives
that are both compact and fairly OK for general-use that
I have
seen are the TRV900, and the distant-second Panasonic
EZ30U/950,
both only available used...
For
more info, these sites may be interesting:
www.David-Ruether-Photography.com/vid_pict_characts.htm
www.David-Ruether-Photography.com/camcorder-comparison.htm
www.David-Ruether-Photography.com/sony_dcr-vx2000.htm
www.David-Ruether-Photography.com/camcorder--comparison.htm
--
David Ruether
d_ruether@hotmail.com
http://www.David-Ruether-Photography.com