On Wed, 4 Oct 2000 11:52:15 +0800, "David Winter" wrote:

[......long original deleted, comments below......]

1. Ummm...;-)
2./3. The VX-1000 finder is quite good, especially when
the color is switched off... The VX-2000 AF is VERY good,
and it is slow-responding, meaning that even in low light,
and even if you slip "off target" for a bit, it does not hunt
nearly as much as the next-best I've seen - it looks
the closest to hands-on focus I've seen (and hands-on
manual focus is not too bad with this camera [good focus
ring, so-so finder sharpness]). Front element diameter is
not a reliable guide to light-gathering ability if the
lens speed rating is true and fast (good, fast lenses
can be made with smallish front elements - it is just
harder to design them...). A good AF system mostly solves
the exposure problem, but in situations where it does
not, the options are "klunky" in the small camcorders,
as you say...;-)
4. The 60-minute limit was a pain, solved by using two
cameras, and now by using the LP mode with Mini-DV
(good up to about 93 minutes).
5. Still can't get into those little fold-out screens,
though the nice large one on the TRV-900 was tempting
to use for interior stationary-camera video work.
Some advantages of new Mini-DV camcorders:
- portability
- unobtrusiveness
- good image and sound quality (in the very best)
- good color-balance preview capability
- good auto controls (in the very best)
- AC power independence with relatively tiny
high-capacity batteries
Or, to put it another way, I will carry and work with
good Mini-DV camcorders up to the size of the VX-2000;
I will not lug around and struggle with
large/heavy/incredibly-expensive shoulder-mount
cameras... (I would rather go back to still photography
than do that! ;-).