On Thu, 09 Aug 2001 01:43:27 GMT, "kgf" wrote:

[...]
>P.S. Is it just me, or is there a severe lack of "useful" digital video
>camera reviews? Both Videomaker and Computer & Video (or whatever the
>publication is called) do a poor job of providing useful 3rd parting
>comparative reviews - Since manufacturers can't standardize on ratings for
>lux, sharpness, color reproduction, wouldn't you think a review source
>could/should? (the same goes for online sources such as CNET, etc).

The producers of magazine/commercial-web reviews are not
interested in anything but "selling", so the reviews are shallow, and non-comparative...

>I appreciate the input from professionals (such as John Beale, etc),

And, I trust, me, with...:
www.David-Ruether-Photography.com/camcorder-comparison.htm ;-)
Though there are no current one-chippers covered
on this site - I have checked a few, though, and may
expand the coverage since a few of these are good
enough to actually bother using them...;-)

>but as
>the average parent buying a camera to videotape my kids, I just don't want
>the bulk or cost of a TRV900.

It is about the size of a good Hi-8 (and smaller than
some "prosumer" Hi-8s) and far smaller than those
"full size" VHS camcorders people seemed eager to lug
around (how quickly we forget...;-), and only about
$150-180 more expensive than "fancy" one-chippers - and
the picture in both bright and dim light is superior,
and it has a better fold-out screen and more useful
manual (and auto) controls available...

>Good knows this newsgroup can debate just how
>each camera uses its pixels, # of lines of resolutions, size of CCD's, etc!

A good comparative review takes a LOT of effort (and
understanding of video cameras, lest it be just yet
another comparison of features and specs, with little
information on real performance under varying conditions.
For one-chippers, I suggest this site (though it may
take a little sleuthing to find out what is being shown
about what particular camcorder model...):
http://www4.big.or.jp/~a_haru/index.html
It does, though, take some knowledge about video imaging
to appreciate what you are being shown...