On Mon, 6 Jan 2003 06:55:49 -0500, "Ron Charles" <portugal@3web.net> wrote:

>I need a bit of advice on buying a rock solid 1 ccd MiniDV cam for use in

>hi-end doc. work. While we currently have an XL1s and a AGDV100, these are

>too large for some field uses where we have to be less obvious.

>Our budget is around $1000 US and we have looked at the JVC GRDV3000u and

>the Sony TRV27 and TRV30 models, but are not sure about the actual broadcast

>worthyness of the images we have thus far seen.

>Does anyone know if the 980K video pixels of the TRV30 is much better

>looking on TV than the 680L video pixels of the TRV27???. Does the cheaper

>JVC product have the durability and image quality of the Sonys. IS there

>another choice in the sub $1K range which has at least 1 to 1.5 megapixel

>ccd and 10x optical zoom???

>Ron Charles

>ITJ Travel Films

>Montreal, CANADA

These may be useful for seeing what you lose

as you go from "top-end" "prosumer" Mini-DV

image quality to "good low-end" 1-CCD (NTSC):

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

www.David-Ruether-Photography.com/vid_pict_characts.htm.

I doubt that any 1-CCD Mini-DV camcorder would

be acceptable as a main camera for "hi-end doc

work", though for special uses, or for a "look",

it could be used... Maybe best for this work:

a PD150 (nearly black, not very large, with

excellent auto controls [for quick, reliable

shooting] and very good low-light picture - see:

www.David-Ruether-Photography.com/sony_dcr-vx2000.htm

[though the DVX100 should also serve well...]),

or, for a smaller camera with good image (but

only in good light), the DVCam version of the

TRV950. If you must go 1-CCD, and want "tiny",

look at the PC101/TRV27 - but the contrast

will be higher and highlights will burn out

easily - and more "jaggies" will show. If

you can control lighting contrasts and can

do a lot of image processing in post, the

TRV30/PC120 can look very good...