On 10 Jun 2001 03:09:18 +1000, chris sander (sander@genome.wi.mit.edu) wrote:

>Is there any difference in video quality between
>a 650K pixel CCD and a 1M pixel CCD ?
[...]

There appears to be a slow general improvement in
Sony video cameras with time - often in ways that
surprise me. The original VX-700 one-chipper
(expensive) was so-so, and the original small PC7
was poor (Sony's 3-chippers have always been good,
but have also improved some with time...). My TRV-9
was so-so, the PC-1 noticeably better, the PC100
a bit better yet (in sharpness, color, low-light
image quality [but not ultimate "reach"]), and
the TRV30 looks like it may improve things again
(see: http://www4.big.or.jp/~a_haru/index.html)
The low-light losses from using ever-smaller
pixel sizes appear to be offset by the use
of "HAD" chips - though these do show more
problems with very high contrast edges and
imaged very bright light sources. The extra
pixels do appear to improve the video image.
I often dismissed still-capability in video
cameras as silly, but it does unexpectedly
appear to bring with it some improvements in
the one-chip video image... (I have not tried
the PC5/TRV11, but TRV11 video that I have seen
looked good. It may [or may not] be as good
as the video quality of the PC100/110/TRV20
[I have not tried these side-by-side, but I may
try to do this if I run across a TRV30 to
try - and add these to the camcorder reviews at:
www.David-Ruether-Photography.com/camcorder-comparison.htm ].)