On 3 Apr 2002 23:32:42 -0800, lawrence@vex.net (Lawrence Kwan) wrote:

Thanks for the information, but, YOW!!!!
Quick, buy a TRV900 now!!!! ;-) It looks like
this new one is a COMPLETELY different beast,
and FAR less useful for some purposes, alas...

>TRV950 has finally been announced in Japan,
>Will be released on June 10th, price not yet determined.
>
>- 1/4.7" 1.07M pixel CCD x3
> Effective pixels: Video-690,000x3, Stills-1,000,000x3
>- Optical Image Stabilization, 12x Optical Zoom
> F=3.6-43.2mm, f1.6-2.8
> 35mm equilvalent: Video 49-588mm, Memory Stick 41-492mm

A little "long" at the "wide" end of the zoom range, but the
greater width with stills indicates the lens will cover well
in terms of illumination and resolution evenness to the
corners of the smaller video frame compared with the still frame...

>- Stills: 1152x864
> MPEG1 movie capability
>- Shutter 1/4-1/10000; Filter size 37mm; 15 lux

OUCH!!! The TRV900 is a decent low-light camera; if
this 15-lux rating is true compared with other Sony
camcorder lux ratings, this will be a bright-light-only
camera, alas...

>- 3.5" 246,000 pixel Touch Screen LCD

UGH! I ***HATE*** that stupid touch-screen on
the PC9, and I suppose we will now be treated to
numerious "beeps" as people (try to) navigate the
nearly-invisible-in-daylight touch-screen. This
is MUCH inferior to the simple button/wheel menu
navigation on the TRV900!

> Allow focus+Exposure spot selection by touch in LCD

Who cares... It is generally unnecessary, and few
people bother to use it on the PC9, I suspect...

> 0.44" 180,000 pixels viewfinder
>- BlueTooth

Yawn.........;-)

>- Built-in Flash, pre-flash mode
> ?"Holograhic AF"
>- Custom presets, Zebra, Guide frame

Useful.

>- Can be used as PC Camera via USB
>- Use InfoLithium M series batteries

The 900 runs a LONG time on an NPF960...

> 8.4/7.2v Consumption:4.9W (no LCD)
>- 93x99x202mm 970g (without batteries)

The smaller size and weight will attract many buyers,
as will the (probably) very sharp image (though I do
not find the megapixel images of the one-chippers very
pleasant with motion...), but the lux rating is a
"deal breaker" for me, if true (and did I mention that
I HATE touch-screen controld?;-).

>Japanese URL:
>http://www.sony.jp/CorporateCruise/Press/200204/02-0404/