On 17 Aug 1998 14:42:17 GMT, clrandall@aol.com (CLRandall) wrote:

>I have heard that a certain sony model has been taken off the market due to the
>(so called) X-ray vision. Has anyone heard this? I assume it is the TRV-99
>because it comes with the extra infared light (which has been suggested is
>nesesary for X-ray). I own the TRV-99 and I still don't believe it will x-ray
>through clothes. Apparently several news casts have reported on this. Has
>anyone been able to succesfully X-ray?

Um, this has been covered in many posts recently (maybe too many
of them mine...;-) - go back and look...
The short of it: the Sony TRV-9 mini-DV camcorder and the several
Sony Hi-8 models with the "night-shot" IR feature can be used with
this feature turned on during the day (very nice look, with a red
or IR filter added, and in B&W-picture mode). Sony recently
announced (and MANY news organizations have picked up on
this...;-) that under some circumstances, the feature would permit
seeing through clothes (IR feature turned on; IR filter in place on
the lens, or on a video light if in the dark [not really necessary];
and with only some particular types of cloth [not very common]),
and that Sony was therefore not going to supply daylight-IR
enabled cameras (Darn! Daylight IR video is REALLY neat!!!).
This announcement seems silly for three reasons: the feature
would still work in low light; the feature sees not at all well
through most clothing - and not perfectly through any; and the
daylight use of this feature is so nice to have. One does wonder
about Sony's motives in making this unusual announcement...;-)