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
• Performance Times
  • Pause to Record
    0.5 seconds
  • Power-up to Record
    5 seconds
  • Fast-forward/Rewind (30 min. tape)
    1 minute 15 seconds
• Strengths
  • Good resolution
  • Manual exposure control
  • Microphone and headphone jacks
• Weaknesses
  • No time code
• Summary
  A great performer at a decent price

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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
• Performance Times
  • Pause to Record
    1 second
  • Power-up to Record
    5 seconds
  • Fast-forward/Rewind (30 min. tape)
    1 minute, 20 seconds
• 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

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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

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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
• Recommended System
  • Processor
    Pentium MMX 166MHz+
  • Memory
    32MB+ RAM
  • Graphics
    DirectDraw support
  • Hard Drive
    4GB+ or RAID array
• 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

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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
• Recommended System
  • Processor
    Pentium MMX 166MHz+
  • Memory
    64MB+ RAM
  • Hard Drive
    4GB+ or RAID array
• 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