Panasonic AG-456UP S-VHS Camcorder

• Lens
  Variable-speed 12:1 optical zoom, f/1.6, 5.6-67mm focal length, 100x digital zoom
• Image sensor
  1/3-inch CCD
• Focus A
  Auto with manual override
• Maximum shutter speed
  1/8000 of a second
• Exposure
  Auto with manual override
• White balance
  Auto or manual
• Digital effects
  Still, strobe, tracer, wipe, mix and fade
• Audio
  Stereo AFM hi-fi, linear mono
• Inputs
  External stereo microphone
• Outputs
  S-video, composite video, stereo audio
  
• Edit interface
  Control-M (Panasonic 5-pin)
• Other features
  Vertical Interval Time Code (VITC) read/write, diopter control, in- viewfinder indicators, camera mode edit search
• Record & playback
  • Horizontal resolution (camera)
    420 lines
  • Horizontal resolution (playback)
    400 lines
• Performance times
  • Pause to record
    1 second
  • Power up to record
    3.5 seconds
  • Fast forward/rewind (30 min. tape)
    2 minutes, 30 seconds
• Dimensions
  5 1/8 (width) by 9 11/16 (height) by 18 3/4 (depth) inches
• Weight (sans tape and battery)
  6 pounds

The Family Grows
CCD-TR600 Hi8 Camcorder
1 Sony Drive
Sony Corporation
Park Ridge, NJ 07656
($1299)

Sony's TR camcorder family continues to grow with the addition of the CCD-TR600. This unit sits just one step below Sony's flagship TR700, the main difference being the TR600's lack of RC time code capabilities. And while the TR600 offers features that will make the sophisticated videomaker take notice, anyone desiring high quality video will find it easy to operate.

The TR600 retains the shape of past TR models. It weights less then three pounds fully loaded, and is easy to hold and use for long periods. Most of the controls are where you need them, and they provide good tactile response.

Images enter the TR600 through it's f/1.8, 12x power zoom lens; digital magnification extends the zoom to 24x. You control both normal and digitally-extended zoom with the zoom rocker switch. You can switch focus between auto and manual modes, the latter controlled by a small dial wheel found below and to the left of the lens.

If you're not adept at holding a camcorder still during shooting, you can turn on the SteadyShot stabilization. The TR600's stabilization uses horizontal and vertical motion sensors to smooth out your image; the TR600 performs image stabilization digitally on the CCD instead of with a moving optical prism. The viewfinder indicates when SteadyShot and manual focus are in use.

The TR600 sports two methods of exposure control. The first is Sony's AE (auto exposure) mode. The normal position sets the iris and shutter speed for normal shooting. Three other settings raise the shutter speed as necessary up to 1/2000th of a second. A fourth position locks the shutter at 1/4000th for recording fast action shots.

Regardless of the setting of the AE control, you can override the exposure using the Exposure button and adjustment wheel. When you press this button, an exposure indicator appears in the viewfinder and reacts to the wheel as you turn it. Once you select an iris setting, the TR600 stays locked at that setting regardless of shooting conditions. White balance is automatic with no override available.

At the back of the TR600 is a Menu button and selection wheel. Pressing this button produces a menu screen in the viewfinder which you can use to set up the unit. Menu choices include Commander (to turn on or off reception from the external remote controller), beep signal on/off, clock set, mike wind buffer on/off and digital zoom on/off. You can also set the internal date; turn the tally light on or off; engage edit mode or choose right channel, left channel or stereo audio playback.

The TR600 also offers the standard time/date and edit search features, as well as a function that automatically records for five seconds every time you press record.

You view what you're shooting with the unit's color LCD (liquid crystal display) viewfinder. The display has adequate sharpness for manual focusing; a diopter adjusts the viewfinder for eyeglass wearers.

The TR600 offers seven effects you can incorporate into your shooting. You can fade your scenes to or from black, or scramble them in or out with a mosaic effect. A picture effect button on the left side of the unit steps through the other digital effects. The first setting is normal followed by mosaic, solarize, black & white, sepia tone and negative. In recent years different camcorders have offered these effects, but here are two that rather uncommon: slim and stretch. These squash or elongate your image to give your video a funhouse mirror effect.

Audio enters the TR600 through its internal stereo mike; a stereo minijack allows use of an external mike. The TR600 has a stereo headphone jack for monitoring your sound.

A strip along the top of the unit lights up the playback controls when you toggle the camcorder into playback (VCR) mode. You'll find stereo audio, S-video and composite video outputs on the right side.

The wireless remote control operates all transport functions, provided you point the remote toward the front of the camcorder.

The Sony CCD-TR600 works nicely and is simple to use when in full automatic mode. The auto iris setting changes quickly with varying lighting conditions, but the change is smooth and the iris does not hunt when bright subjects pass by.

The manual focus wheel is quite sensitive, and focusing quickly without overshooting takes a little practice. A momentary push of the focus button kicks in the auto focus to get you into the ballpark.

Although the TR600's resolution and color reproduction is good for the Hi8 format, its images just don't quite stand up to those of the TR700. While color reproduction is quite good, colors seem less saturated and the image a bit less sharp than in the TR700. Nevertheless, the TR600 produces very useable images.

Most of the digital effects available in the TR600 have been around for quite some time, and the serious videomaker will probably find limited use for them.

The focus override--and especially the iris manual override--offer a high degree of control when setting up your shots. And bravo to Sony for retaining the external mike and headphone connections.

If you're looking for a camcorder to start making serious videos, or you simply desire a high quality unit to capture family events, the Sony CCD-TR600 is definitely worth a closer look.