On Wed, 27 Jun 2001 01:08:16 GMT, Steve Hoffmann wrote:

>I'm trying to decide on a 3 chip camera. I'd like to do some macro
>filming of small critters and maybe some filming at the zoo. The Canon
>GL1 seems like the obvious choice at this point. I tried one at my local
>dealer and with Canon's +2 two element diopter I can get the equivalent
>of 1:1 35mm reproduction at 12-13 inches when the zoom is set to 20X. By
>this I mean that a one inch object fills the frame side to side. I took
>some tape at the camera store with both the GL1 and my Elura IImc. Other
>than a much broader tonal range with the GL1 footage, I can't see much
>difference. Is there any reason to believe the Sony VX2000 would deliver
>noticeably better image quality? Also, I suspect that I'd loose
>approximately half my working distance with the VX2000 and the same
>diopter and reproduction since the VX2000 is only a 12X zoom. Any
>comments would be appreciated.

Read JB's comments above...
Both camcorders are reviewed at:
www.David-Ruether-Photography.com/camcorder-comparison.html
As for macro with the VX-2000, I do it often, using
various single-element close-up lenses and 2-element
achromats (mostly Nikkor). Lower-power close-up
lenses allow macro shooting at the tele end, and
infinity-focus at the short end, making one-shot
macro-to-overall-view clips possible - a neat
capability! As for cameras, I much prefer the image
quality of the VX-2000, but for zoo shooting, the
longer lens (and possibly better stabilizer for this)
of the GL-1 would make me consider it for this
specific purpose; for close-ups, a stronger diopter
will make up the difference (but with less working
space - which has not been a problem for me, even
with VERY high magnification). BTW, 52mm-mount
diopter-lenses with 58->52mm step-down rings work
fine, and greatly increase the selection available.