>>On Thu, 23 May 2002 13:54:42 -0500, "Tom Simchak"
>> wrote:
>>
>>>Subject line tells the story. What's the difference (other than the medium)
>>>between a digital 8 camera and a mini-DV? One should be size, but is it
>>>really that big a deal?
>>>
>>>If you were to choose between a Sony TRV 240 and a TRV 25, which is your
>>>choice and (most importantly) why?

>On Fri, 24 May 2002 16:40:52 GMT, d_ruether@hotmail.com (Neuman - Ruether)
>wrote:
>
>>Read RGB's answer first, then add: I just bought a used
>>TRV730 (a megapixel "good" D8 model...). I'm familiar
>>with most Sony models of Mini-DV (see for comparisons:
>>www.David-Ruether-Photography.com/camcorder--comparison.htm),
>>except for the TRV25/27/950s, and with what people
>>have said about the TRV730 in the NGs, so it was not
>>a surprise to find that the lens is slightly soft at
>>short end and has noticeable purple-green fringing
>>at the long end, but it is fairly sharp short the short
>>end, is well-aligned - but it reflects/inverts bright
>>lights; no dead pixels; color is generally good, even
>>without having WB controls; smooth sky tones have
>>slight horizontal banding; full-resolution stills have
>>noticeable color noise; the audio records both some
>>camera noise and some handling noise, and is near-mono;
>>the zoom control is a pain-to-use horizontal sliding
>>thingy; low light range is poor; etc. Just what I
>>expected...! ;-) It does play back my Hi-8 tapes, it
>>can serve as a D/A converter box, and, within its
>>limitations, it can produce some nice-looking D8
>>footage - and batteries I have for other cameras fit
>>it. So far, I'm "happy" with it, but the Mini-DV
>>cameras are FAR smaller, with better and more numerous
>>controls, and with better lenses (but with less zoom
>>range). At "even-price", I would choose the Mini-DV
>>unless you have "legacy" Hi-8 analogue tapes to play.

On Sat, 25 May 2002 01:06:34 GMT, xyz@hotmail.com (xyz) wrote:
>
>I think I liked the video from the TRV17 slightly more than the
>TRV730. How would you compare the TRV730's video to something similar
>to the TRV17?

I think I covered most of the answer, above...,
but: under optimum conditions, the 730 image may
be slightly preferable; the TRV17 image may be
less condition-sensitive, and so often it may
look better. The TRV11/17/18-PC9 image is
a constant "good-average"; other cameras,
especially "megapixel" ones, may look better
under some conditions, worse under others - and
the D8 lens adds the softer-at-shortest-zoom
and color-fringed-at-longest-zoom limitations
to this. So, "on-average", I probably agree
with you, but not always...;-)