On Sun, 30 Sep 2001 08:59:57 GMT, mdknight@pacific.net.sg (Sir Loin of Beef) wrote:

>Right now I'm using an old Panasonic NV-R500 VHS-C camcorder. I like
>to record small things like insects, etc. To do this, I cannot stay
>far from the subject and use the zoom to get a closeup since as soon
>as the subject is zoomed large enough the focus gets very blurry and
>even manual adjustment doesn't seem to help. The only way to get a
>sharp image is to use no zoom, and position the lens right in front of
>the subject.
>
>I was just wondering if this problem still exists on newer camcorders
>such as the Sony DCR-PC9.

Yes it does, but there is a simple, cheap, and excellent
solution: adding a single-element close-up lens or
two-element achromat (I like the Nikkor no.2 close-up
lens and 4T achromat, but there are many others that
work well) with step-up rings to fit the small lens
mounting threads to the larger threads on the close-up
lens. Benefit: the maximum magnification (high) is
at the zoom long end, and infinity-focus is often still
possible at the zoom short end (making single-scene
shots going from macro focus to infinity possible...).
Results can be very sharp.