On 6 Jul 2001 13:16:04 -0700, sergey@hiram.ru (Sergey J) wrote:

>I have recently bought a new Sony DCR-TRV17. It is perfect with one
>exception. I have a chandelier with 5 bright lamps in the dining room.
>When I shoot a movie from some distance of this chandelier, 5 vertical
>lines across the screen appear, though the chandelier itself is not on
>the screen. When I come closer to the chandelier, the lines disappear,
>but when I come back, they appear again.
>
>I figured out that the lines correspond the lamps in the chandelier:
>one line per one lamp. Again, if I zoom in, the vertical lines
>disappear; if I zoom out, they appear again.
>
>Same situation in the bathroom: I have 6 bright lamps in there. When I
>shoot something in the bathroom, the 6 vertical lines (bands) also
>appear. If I rotate the camera, the bands rotate with it as well.
>
>I have replaced the camcorder to another one DCR-TRV17. The bands
>appear again...
>
>Did anybody have such effect with his camcorder or any other camera?

Yes. Good as "HAD" CCDs are for improved color and
sensitivity, they do have the down side you have
noted. The best cure is using a properly shaped
rectangular lens shade that just misses cutting
into the picture at the zoom's widest setting.
Since you have no control of the shutter speed
outdoors with the TRV-17, advice to avoid using
high shutter speeds will not help. A similar effect
can sometimes be seen in lenses, but it tends to look
not as sharply defined. If it is any solace, my much
more expensive VX-2000s show the same effect...