Tech Specs
Sony CCD-TR930 Hi8 Camcorder
- Format
Hi8 - Lens
15:1 optical zoom, 30:1 digital zoom, 4.1-61.5mm focal length, multi-speed power zoom, f/1.4, inner focus, telemacro - Image sensor
1/4-inch CCD, 410,000 pixels - Viewfinder
Color, 113,000-pixel LCD - Focus
Auto, inner manual - Maximum shutter speed
1/4000th of a second - Exposure
Auto, manual, 6 program AE modes (spotlight, soft portrait, sports lesson, beach and ski, sunset and moon, landscape) - White balance
Auto - Digital effects
8 (stretch, slim, mosaic, solarize, black and white, sepia, negative art, pastel) - Audio
AFM stereo - Inputs
Microphone, S-video, composite video, stereo audio - Outputs
Headphones, S-video, composite video, stereo audio, Laser Link (infrared) -
Edit interface
Control-L -
Other features
Electronic image stabilization, 5-second shooting, stereo microphone, titler, alkaline battery adaptor, fader, 16:9 recording, LCD tape counter display, backlight compensation, edit search, infoLithium battery - Dimensions
4.4 (width) by 4.25 (height) by 7.1 (depth) inches - Weight (sans tape and battery)
1.9 pounds - Video Performance (approx.)
- Horizontal resolution (camera)
390 lines - Horizontal resolution (playback)
350 lines
- Horizontal resolution (camera)
- Performance Times
- Pause to Record
0.5 seconds - Power-up to Record
5 seconds - Fast-forward/Rewind (30 min. tape)
1 minute 15 seconds
- Pause to Record
- Strengths
- Good resolution
- Manual exposure control
- Microphone and headphone jacks
-
Weaknesses
- No time code
- Summary
A great performer at a decent price
Tech Specs
Sharp VL-E720 8mm Camcorder
- Format
8mm - Lens
16:1 optical zoom, 4.0-64.0mm focal length, multi-speed power zoom, f/1.4, inner focus, telemacro - Image sensor
1/4-inch CCD, 270,000 pixels - Viewfinder
4-inch LCD monitor - Focus
Auto, inner manual - Maximum shutter speed
1/500th of a second - Exposure
Auto, 4 program AE (autoexposure) modes - White balance
Auto - Digital effects
None - Audio
AFM monaural - Inputs
Composite video, mono audio (via 1/8-inch mini phone plug) - Outputs
Composite video, mono audio (via 1/8-inch mini phone plug) -
Edit interface
None -
Other features
Edit search, index search, fader, titler, backlight compensation, gain up, 16:9 recording, LCD monitor backlight, 10-second recording - Dimensions
7.1 (width) by 4.5 (height) by 3.75 (depth) inches - Weight (sans tape and battery)
1.6 pounds - Video Performance (approx.)
- Horizontal resolution (camera)
300 lines - Horizontal resolution (playback)
220 lines
- Horizontal resolution (camera)
- Performance Times
- Pause to Record
1 second - Power-up to Record
5 seconds - Fast-forward/Rewind (30 min. tape)
1 minute, 20 seconds
- Pause to Record
- Strengths
- Bright, clear LCD monitor
- Good video and audio performance
-
Weaknesses
- No edit protocol
- No microphone or headphone jacks
- Summary
These ViewCams keep getting better and better
Tech Specs
AKG CK 69-ULS Microphone
- Physical type
Shotgun - Transducer
Condenser - Pickup pattern
Hypercardioid, directional - Frequency response
20 to 18,000 Hz - Signal-to-noise ratio
85 dB - Power
Phantom; battery power via accessory (part number B 18) - Filter
Low-cut, 150Hz - Connector
Balanced XLR - Dimensions
With capsule extension: 12.5 (length) by 0.8 (diameter) inches Without capsule extension: 7 (length) by 0.8 (diameter) inches - Weight
With capsule extension: 3.5 ounces Without capsule extension: 2.5 ounces - Strenghts
- Excellent long-range pickup
- Dual-barrel design
- Weaknesses
- Expensive
- Accessory battery pack required for on-location use
- Summary
A great multi-purpose microphone for the serious videographer
Tech Specs
Fast DV Master FireWire Capture Card
- Platform
PC - DV Codec
Hardware-based (Sony DVBK-1) - Bundled software
Adobe Premiere 4.2 (full version), Sonic Foundry Sound Forge XP, CrystalGraphics Flying Fonts Lite, DiaQuest DQ TimeCoder - Inputs
IEEE 1394 FireWire, S-video, stereo audio - Outputs
IEEE 1394 FireWire, S-Video, YUV component video, stereo audio - Minimum System Requirements
- Motherboard
PCI local bus - Processor
100MHz Pentium - Memory
16MB RAM - Graphics
24-bit (16 million colors) - Hard drive
SCSI-2; 3.6 MB/second minimum data transfer rate - Operating system
Windows 95
- Motherboard
- Recommended System
- Processor
Pentium MMX 166MHz+ - Memory
32MB+ RAM - Graphics
DirectDraw support - Hard Drive
4GB+ or RAID array
- Processor
- Strengths
- Hardware DV codec
- YUV and S-video output
- Analog video inputs
- Weaknesses
- No true composite input
- YUV and S-video output cannot operate simultaneously
- Expensive
- Summary
An excellent, all-encompassing solution for incorporating both analog and DV footage in your nonlinear editing system
Tech Specs
DPS Spark Direct DV Editing System
- Platform
PC - DV Codec
Software-based (DVSoft) - Bundled software
Adobe Premiere 4.2 (full version) - Inputs and outputs
IEEE 1394 FireWire - Minimum System Requirements
- Motherboard
PCI local bus - Processor
133MHz Pentium - Memory
32MB RAM - Graphics
24-bit (16 million colors) - Hard drive
SCSI-2; 3.6 MB/second minimum data transfer rate - Operating system
Windows NT
- Motherboard
- Recommended System
- Processor
Pentium MMX 166MHz+ - Memory
64MB+ RAM - Hard Drive
4GB+ or RAID array
- Processor
- Strengths
- Inexpensive
- Easy to install
- Weaknesses
- FireWire only; no analog inputs
- Buggy in initial release
- No device control in initial release
- Summary
A good FireWire input/output solution for the low-budget nonlinear editor, once they fix all the bugs


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