On the Sony TRV-9 mini-DV camcorder:

I like (almost) everything about it.
Hits:
- sharp lens, that also works well
with wide converters.
- excellent stabilizer (the best I've
seen in any camcorder), with no
unpleasant artifacts (except in low
light, where it seems to rob some
much-needed gain).
- excellent standard VF (the fold-out
one isn't useful to me, especially
in daylight), though it needs a
better eyecup.
- excellent AF - the best I have yet
seen (I use this camcorder's AF, but
no other's, for most types of work).
- analogue input (allows me to digitize
analogue tapes, or use a video EQ
to alter a DV tape in real time
to sharpen, color-correct,
contrast/brightness-correct, etc,
without loss of quality).
- very small and light (until I add
a side handle, a wide-angle converter,
and an external mic and battery
box, that is...;-).
- can use one type battery that is also
useable on the VX-1000.
- long battery life.
- a rarely useful, but interesting IR
night-vision mode, with built-in IR
light source (which is uneven, so it
looks best with the lens zoomed out).
Misses:
- poor low-light ability.
- low color saturation, with excessive
blue even in good light (I copy tapes
shot with this camcorder through a
video EQ, keep the copies, and record
over the originals). The resulting
image is good, but not quite so good as
that of the 3-chippers mentioned here...
- the usual mini-DV camcorder (VX-1000
generally excepted...) audible whine
in the audio (and powering my external
mic without a power socket on the
camcorder has been awkward).
- a touchy-but-controllable-with-practice
zoom control (finger placement toward
the center of the rocker switch helps).

If I could do a little reprogramming of
the color level, AE bias, and color balance,
and add a power socket, this would be one
very nice mini camcorder. As it is, it still
is (when I copy the tapes to improve them...).


On the new Panasonic mini 3-chip DV camcorder:

I had a chance recently to briefly check
out a couple of these new Panasonics.
Hits:
- good sharpness in both bright and dim
light (though it is a touch less sharp
than the Sony VX-1000 and TRV-9
[stabilizer off] in low light - about
the same sharpness in bright light).
- excellent color in both bright and dim
light, slightly beating the VX-1000
in room-light, easily beating the TRV-9
indoors.
- the WA converter that comes with it
is good.
- it is VERY small and light.
Misses:
- AF is so-so, and engaging MF seemed
awkward.
- poor standard-VF sharpness.
- the stabilizer isn't very good - it
robs sharpness from the image, and the
image size changes when it is engaged.
- no headphone output?
- no external mic power out?
- the 43mm filter size strikes
me as odd...

It uses a docking station for connections,
which can be handy. Even though this camcorder
is small and light, it may be best used on a
tripod, given its focus and stabilizer
characteristics... For a tiny camcorder,
the picture quality is outstanding.


Hey, I haven't yet seen the perfect camcorder,
but the two above are rather nice (and I will
be keeping my VX-1000's for now...;-).