On Thu, 31 Jan 2002 04:33:07 GMT, Ed Anson wrote:

>I have been using a DCR-TRV103 for a couple of years. It does a pretty
>good job, but not great.
>
>I am thinking of getting a TRV900. It sounds like an excellent camera,
>and I can almost afford it ;-)
>
>Here's my question: Given the difference in quality between the two
>cameras, would the result look strange if I used shots from both cameras
>in a single production? If I can get away with that, I might almost be
>able to justify the cost.
>
>Normally, I work with one camera, but I am planning a project that
>requires two (well, really three) cameras -- one for the master shot and
>the other for close-ups. It seems I could use my old camera and a new
>TRV900, but I'm concerned about the effect of cutting to different video
>quality in the same scene. Unfortunately, I can't see what it will look
>like without buying the camera, but the need for the second camera is
>what would justify spending the money.
>
>I suspect someone else has tried something like this. What does it look
>like?

Good advice from SMD and K, but I mix cameras all the
time (well, sorta...;-), of varying capabilities. I would go
for the best you can get for the main camera (sounds like the
TRV900), and use the others for quick cutaways, mostly
tele close-ups, where they may look best). In a good NLE,
if the original material was shot in good enough light, and
if nothing was overexposed, you should be able to match
color, contrast, and brightness (and even sharpness, if
you are careful...) well enough for brief cutaways
(particularly if using dissolves and not hard cuts) to
get away with it. In a recent wedding edit in a dark chapel,
using four cameras, one of which was a PC1 on a pole
(not known for its good low-light ability...), I was surprised
how, well ,"acceptable" the cutaways to this camera looked
on a good TV. The original footage was far darker, less
colorful, and grainy, and it was strongly blue-magenta,
and I thought it would be useless - but with tone-adjust,
contrast/brightness, saturation, sharpening, and
color-balance filters applied, the result was a very grainy
image of poor quality, but not TOO different-looking
(if not very critical...;-) a match for the other footage
(TRV900 and two VX2000s). It looked terrible on the
computer monitor, but when blended in with the other
material in brief clips with dissolves, it provided
useful cutaway views that looked OK even on a good 27"
TV...
But, when you can afford it, a second TRV900
would be nice...;-)