On Fri, 27 Jul 2001 19:56:27 GMT, jhue@geocities.com (Pond Scum) wrote:

>I'm considering buying a Sony TRV20, but my wife will kill me if it has
>worse low-light performance than her old Panasonic VHS-C camcorder. Is
>there any possibility that the TRV20 will be worse at indoor shots in
>normal room light than our old VHS-C camrcorder? It's a very basic
>model, about two years old, probably the least expensive one they made.
>
>I was considering the Canon Optura Pi when I could get it for $200
>less than a TRV20, but now that I'd have to pay about the same for
>each of them, I'd rather get the TRV20. Any reason to prefer the Optura
>Pi over the TRV20 at the same price?

It is quite possible the VHSC camcorder will operate
satisfactorily in lower light than the TRV20 - BUT,
if given enough light (*bright* interior or higher),
the TRV20 image will be VERY noticeably sharper
than the VHSC, and the color will likely be better,
too (same for the Optura Pi, though I have not tried
it...). The TRV20/30/PC100/110 are optimized to
produce very sharp images in good light, with good
color saturation, at the expense of low light range...