On Thu, 19 Sep 2002 12:54:18 +0200, "Randy Wisman" wrote:

>"Oversharping"?
>Take a look at the videoframe comparisons at the next link.
>Check the VX and GL side-by-side, they match closely.
>
>http://www4.big.or.jp/%7Ea_haru/temp020829/0208_3CCD.html

This is a good site, with good comparison frame grabs
of various camcorders. You are right that the images from
the top few imagers (the VX2000, TRV950, and GL2) are
now more alike than different, with but minor differences.
For those after "the best", even in good light one can
still see differences, though...

In the first building comparison (the one that shows the
Coca-Cola sign), I see the following differences:
- VX2000: very good detail, fairly clean edges, very low
sharpening effects, normal contrast, neutral color (but
with a slight tint of red), good color saturation...
- TRV950: very good detail, (slightly better than the
others), fairly clean edges, very slight sharpening effects,
normal contrast, neutral color, good color saturation...
- GL2: very good detail, fairly clean edges, slightly
greater sharpening effects than the others (see the quite
visible dark outlining on the top white edge of the center
building), normal contrast (a BIG improvement over the GL1),
neutral color (with a green tint), good color saturation...

In the park shot (with trees and sky), I see the following
differences:
- In detail: the 950 and 2000 have noticeably better
fine detail, evident almost everywhere in the images.
- In oversharpening effects: evident in all at the edges
of the branches against the sky, but most obvious in
the GL2 image, where the white outlining width is
rather large.
- In color bias, saturation, and tinting: there are some
reversals from the above - all are again fairly close...

In the red-flower bush:
- Exposure and color-bias (WB) variations make it
difficult to evaluate these, though the 950 appears to
have the best detail overall and least blooming of the
reds; the GL2 appears to be the worst...

In the last building comparison (the one that shows just
building sides and no water or streets), I see the following
differences:
- VX2000: very good detail, fairly clean edges, very low
sharpening effects, normal contrast, neutral color, good
color saturation (see tree and sky), a slight tint of red
in the sky...
- TRV950: very good detail, (about the same as the
VX2000), fairly clean edges (but with some smear - see
the sky edge of the left-side building), slight sharpening
effects (see the slight white outlining on the top edge
of the center-left building), normal contrast, neutral color
(with a slight yellow bias), good color saturation (but
not as high as the VX2000, evident in the tree)...
- GL2: very good detail (slightly worse than the VX2000
and TRV950), fairly clean edges (but with some smear - see
the sky edge of the left-side building), slightly greater
sharpening effects (see the quite visible white outlining
on the top edge of the center-left building), normal
contrast, neutral color, good color saturation (but not as
high as the VX2000), a slight tint of green in the sky...

In the first strip of resolution charts (there are some
odd discontinuities evident [in all in the circles and
diagonals] that should not be there, and which may affect "readings"):
- The oversharpening effects are obvious, with the
VX2000 best, the GL2 worst; contrast appears similar for
all; little else is notable...

In the last strip, testing low-light range:
- The 2000 remains "the champ" (with a brighter image,
finer "grain", and better sharpness, but the GL2 is a
fairly good "second"...

Well, but for the slightly lower resolution and
greater oversharpening outlining of the GL2 relative
to the TRV950 and VX2000, and differences in low-light
performance (which is surprisingly close between the
VX2000 and GL2, but not equal), other picture differences
that one can glean from still frame-grabs appear to be
quite minor... I would like to see the motion-video
images from these three cameras, though - some cameras
have much more annoying picture artifacting with motion
than others (the GL1 and TRV30 are examples of these...).