"Ted" <tedb@spamno.com> wrote in message

news:8u8%b.28419$ws.3198329@news02.tsnz.net...

> "David Ruether" <rpn1@no-junk.cornell.edu> wrote in message

> news:E14%b.88$S9.69@nwrdny01.gnilink.net...

> > "Ted" <tedb@spamno.com> wrote in message news:403bc0dd@clear.net.nz...

> Thanks David for your very useful responses to my questions.

[...]

> Yes, this is what I would prefer, but the design makes this

> approach not nearly as comfortable as handling the horizontal

> Sony TRV-80 for example.

[...]

I find the "upright" form more comfortable to hold - the other

"crinks" your right hand uncomfortably...

[...]

> The PC330 also has a colour slow shutter feature which slows

> down the shutter speed for use in low light, but keeps the colours

> normal, instead of providing green video, which is the case with

> the nightshot function. If the camera is placed on a tripod, I

> guess this would be a valuable feature to have, but I haven't

> found anyone who has tried this. Does anyone know whether

> the colour slow shutter feature works well in practice if the

> camcorder is on a tripod?

It does not work well. If necessary, you can select a shutter speed

manually that is slower than 1/60th, but not as uselessly slow as

1/4 second. !/30th and 1/15th are usable, though both will

reduce resolution some and increase "stairstepping" (alternate

scan lines are removed). BTW, for infrared, select B&W mode

to remove the icky color...

[...]

> I did take some test stills in the shop, and the ones taken outside

> were quite acceptable, but the ones taken inside seemed to lack

> the clarity I am used to from a dedicated digital still camera.

> Regards, Ted

Yes - but if you look at smooth-tone areas in even good light,

the noise level is high at resolutions above 640x480 (NTSC).

ANY still camera will do better...

--

David Ruether

d_ruether@hotmail.com

http://www.David-Ruether-Photography.com