On 17 Apr 2003 20:43:14 -0700, voice_of_reason@australia.edu (Quiet Voice) wrote:

>I am interested in purchasing a digital camcorder. But I know so

>little about the field that I am not even usre what features to look

>for, which ones are important and which omnes are useless gimmicks.

Useful: the best image and sound quality you can get

for the budget; everything else depends on your particular wants/needs...

>For, I've heard mention of cameras with "nightshot" features. Is this

>just a highly sensitive CCD for low-light conditions,or is it truly an

>IR capability? If it is IR, does it work off an active IR source

>attached to the camera?

All CCDs are very IR-sensitive, and normally have blocking

filters installed - the "NightShot" feature switches the

IR-blocking filter out of the way, leaving an IR-sensitive

CCD and generally green color (using the B&W mode improves

the "look"). In this mode the sensitivity is higher, so

the camera can be used in lower light levels than normally

possible. It can also shoot by invisible IR illumination,

which can be provided by the camera (this source tends

to be narrow-angle, uneven, and unflatteringly placed

below the lens...). Accessory IR lights are available.

>Also, along the same lines, I remember hearing some scuttlebutt about

>how "nightshot" cameras could be used to "x=ray" photos during the

>daytime. But then the manufacturer found out and disabled the

>feature.....but then hackers figured out how to re-install the

>feature. What's the true story behind this?

Basically what you said, though in reality, the "X-ray"

effect was ficticious. With either very thin or very

porous cloth (one layer only - rare in clothing...),

the IR-enabled camera can "see through" a bit. Forget

about using this for clothes, though...;-) As for

other uses, I enjoy shooting landscapes in IR - the

"look" is wonderful! For more onthis, see the TRV9

review at:

www.David-Ruether-Photography.com/camcorder-comparison.htm,

and look at the included IR frame-grabs...

>I would be very interested in any recommendations both for general

>features and even specific makes and models.

For "cheaps", look at the Sony TRV19 (pleasant,

unannoying image with good color and sound);

for a bit more "upscale", with a sharper picture

(but less low-light range...), look at the TRV33;

If you have a bunch of Hi-8 tapes, you might look

at the best D8 camcorder you can find (the TRV740,

if any is still available on close-out). Above

these, there are many possibilities...