On Wed, 24 Jul 2002 08:27:53 -0700, "Luc" wrote:
>"Neuman - Ruether" wrote in message
>news:3d47b88f.7332296@newsstand.cit.cornell.edu...
>> On 23 Jul 2002 20:09:38 -0700, hotister@hotmail.com (T.T.
>> Lee) wrote:
>...
>> They use the same "imager", so the image quality is the
>> same (see www.David-Ruether-Photography.com/camcorder--comparison.htm
>> for comparisons with some other Sony "imaging types" - the
>> TRV30 is also the same as the TRV50/PC120). The ones of
>> interest to you vary in size, control layout, and mic
>> placement/sound - and I prefer the upright PC120 to
>> the horizontal-layout TRV versions...

>I wouldn't agree with that but that's personal taste (and probably depends
>also on how small your fingers are :-). So this is something you have to
>check for yourself in a store. However I'd also like to have camcorder as
>small as possible but I also noticed it's so easy with vertical camcorders
>to move your finger over the microphone. I don't have a doubt I could manage
>to operate these but I'm not so sure if I'd ask somone else to shoot with
>it.

It sounds like you are not "grabbing" it correctly. It
is held like a pistol grip, with the first finger just
reaching the zoom control. Not all fingers may be through
the strap, and some wrap around the front. Properly gripped,
it would be impossible to reach the mic unless you have far
longer fingers than my average-long ones...;-)

>> >By the way, what are all those "codes" mean? such as TRVxx, PCxxx?? Do
>> >they stand for anything (such as consumer camcorder, professional
>> >camcorder..etc?)

>> Just body type: PC is "upright" (and smaller); TRV is
>> "horizontal". The "PC"-type is more "upscale", with nicer
>> materials, better zoom "handle", better sound - but with
>> smaller LCD panel, though...

>Why do you say it's more upscale? You mean PC120 only? I looked at both
>camcorders and materials and definitely zoom handle are about the same. Why
>would the PC120 have better sound than TRV50? I think it's without any doubt
>worse because of the bad mic. placement.

The PC types are generally more expensive than the
horizontal types, use more metal in the body panels,
and use a metal slide control instead of the dinky
plastic lever - though this may have changed in the
PC120 which I have not seen, as Sony "degrades"
materials with the newer models, lowers the prices,
and increases the number of features... As for the mic
placement, in practice, all the cameras (3) I've had
with this placement had better built-in mic sound
than the similar models I've had with under-the-lens
mic placement (4), illogical as this may seem...