Benchmarks

In this issue:

Panasonic PV-D607 VHS-C Camcorder
Sony CCD-TRV52 8mm Camcorder
Samsung SCL91 8mm Camcorder
Organica 3D Modeling Software
Pyromania! Pro

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As Good as VHS-C Gets

PV-D607 VHS-C Camcorder
($999)
Panasonic
One Panasonic Way
Secaucus, NJ 07094
(201) 348-9090
http://www.panasonic.com

view tech specs

One of the biggest problems with camcorders in the VHS-C format is that they generally aren't made for people who want to edit their videos. Second-generation VHS-C copies show more than their fair share of noise and resolution loss, and trying to find a VHS-C camcorder with an edit control protocol is pretty difficult. For these reasons, most manufacturers of VHS-C camcorders try to modify their gear for the point-and-shoot crowd, who will usually perform all of their edits in the camera with the record button.
Panasonic's PV-D607, which sits at the top of the company's VHS-C line of camcorders, is a curious specimen because it's one of the only VHS-C models available with an edit control jack (Panasonic 5-pin). This means that it's possible to connect the camera to an edit controller and control its functions remotely via cable, something that you'd usually only want to do with a higher-end format, like S-VHS, Hi8 or DV.
Another feature that the PV-D607 includes that's rarely found on VHS-C camcorders: the ability to shoot digital still images and transfer them directly to your computer's hard drive. This kind of feature is very common on digital camcorders because, well, they're digital, and made for that kind of thing. The PV-D607, however, proves that you don't necessarily need a digital camcorder to transfer images directly to your PC without a digitizer.
So what is Panasonic up to with this camera? Here's a hint: where other manufacturers are busy beefing up their higher-end Hi8 and DV camcorder offerings, Panasonic hasn't given up on VHS-C just yet as a viable format for home videographers.

Bird in Hand
The PV-D607 has the same boxy-yet-compact styling that's shared by most other Panasonic Palmcorders. Though it is about the same length as the average compact camcorder, it's a bit taller than most, which might be a concern for videographers who hold small size at a premium. It fits well in the palm, however, and offers easy access to all controls; a focus knob sits directly under the lens, and most other relevant controls are placed logically around the camera body (not buried in a mess of on-screen menus).
One array of controls that's a little bit confusing to master at first is located directly on top of the camera. In camera mode, these controls toggle the image stabilization, digital zoom, still-image capture and digital special effects of the unit. This is simple enough to figure out, but because these buttons do double-duty as controls for the camera's still-image capture functions, they have three more ambiguous appellations attached to them (Memory, Mode, and Start). The overall effect is a bit confusing.
So what do we do when we're confused about a camera's controls? We check the manual, of course, and in the case of the PV-D607, we'd find it to be an excellent, succinct and well-written document. Many illustrations are given to help the beginner through some of the more difficult aspects of camcorder operation, and unlike many camcorder manuals, it's well organized and indexed.

On Tape
Video images shot by the PV-D607 look relatively crisp and colorful when compared to footage from a typical VHS-C camcorder. In today's market, it's not uncommon for camcorders in this class to have a hard time producing 200 lines of horizontal resolution; the PV-D607 came through with 230 lines. This certainly isn't anything to write home about, to be sure, but it's about as good as it gets for today's VHS-C cameras.
The presence of an automatic on-camera light is a great help for the resolution of video shot by beginners, who all too often shoot in too little light. How often have you squinted through a family member's home video, barely able to distinguish individual faces by lamplight? The built-in auto-light solves many of these problems, turning itself on automatically when lighting is inadequate.
Audio recorded with the PV-D607's built-in microphone was barely adequate, owing in large part to the poor quality of the VHS format's linear audio tracks. Luckily, an external microphone input is included to help you get a mike closer to the talent.
One particularly irritating thing about the PV-D607 is worth mentioning: the slow rate at which tapes are rewound. It took a full four minutes to get from one end of a 30-minute tape to the other.
To sum it up, the PV-D607 is one of the best VHS-C camcorders we've tested in recent years. Its faults are primarily those of its format - poor audio quality, especially - but nonetheless it performs very well even for a VHS-C unit. Its biggest problem is probably the price; at $999 suggested retail, you can get a Hi8 camcorder with similar features, better audio and much better image quality. To its credit, however, it retains the main thing that keeps VHS-C camcorders alive and well: interchangeability with home VCRs. Let's hope that Panasonic's decision to stick by this viable format is one that the entire industry will eventually embrace.


Is Eight Enough?
8mm Face-Off
Camcorders in the 8mm format have long held their own in the consumer realm. With point-and-shoot simplicity, compact 120-minute tapes and superior audio quality, these little cameras offer one of the best price-to-performance ratios available in the consumer electronics arena.
With most of the prosumer videographers of the world leaning toward S-VHS, Hi8 or DV, the notion of a "serious" 8mm camcorder has to make you wonder if such a device would be worth the effort. Still, there is that sparsely inhabited space that exists between the money-making prosumer videographers and the serious home video enthusiasts who want a little more from their camcorders. Though their audiences (and budgets) may be small, these industrious videophiles are discovering that the process of shooting and editing home movies with a camcorder and a few accessories can be a rewarding creative endeavor.
For those who take the 8mm format seriously, we'd like to turn our attention to two new 8mm camcorders: the Sony CCD-TRV52 and the Samsung SCL91. Both have microphone jacks, headphone jacks and built-in LCD monitors - excellent features for taking the first few steps toward advanced video techniques. Both, too, will likely be interesting to those in the hobbyist crowd whose passion for video exceeds the size of their wallets.

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Eight Millimeters, Sony Style CCD-TRV52 8mm Camcorder ($1099) Sony Electronics One Sony Drive Park Ridge, NJ 07656 (800) 222-7669 http://www.sel.sony.com view tech specs

The Sony CCD-TRV52 is, plainly put, one of the finest 8mm camcorders available on the market today. It won the 1997 Videomaker Best 8mm Camcorder of the Year award, and for good reason: it has most of the features necessary for serious hobbyist work, and it pushes the limits of what the 8mm format is capable of in terms of image and sound quality.
Still, the CCD-TRV52 is not without its flaws. For one thing, it's rather expensive--at $1099 list, a number of good Hi8 camcorders are available with comparable features (without the LCD monitor). But for those who are after the very best that the 8mm format can offer, the CCD-TRV52 is hard to beat.

Turn it On
Like most of Sony's camcorders, the TRV52 is well designed and proportioned. With your right hand in the camera strap, access to Record, Zoom and Standby buttons is a cinch. With your left hand, you control the camera's other main functions, such as Focus, Digital effects and assorted Menu commands. Also controlled with the left hand is the Program AE (autoexposure) button, which toggles between Sports, High-speed Shutter, Twilight and Auto modes. While some may miss the twisting dial that controls many a camcorder's Program AE system, we found that the push-button method is actually easier to operate while shooting in most situations. When shooting with the LCD monitor flipped out, however, the Program AE button was a little awkwardly placed.
Looking into the viewfinder (or onto the LCD screen) reveals a wealth of information about the camera and its current settings. A familiar-looking hand denotes the activation of the SteadyShot function; icons also exist to indicate Program AE mode, Focus mode (manual or automatic), Backlight function, tape speed (SP or LP) and a number of other standard functions.
In the Digital Effects department, the CCD-TRV52 offers Mosaic, Solarize, Black and White, Sepia and Negative Art. The most useful of these for most people is probably Sepia, because it effectively conveys an old-time cinema look. The control that activates these modes is a simple buttonwhich, like the Program AE modes, is easy to access in most shooting situations. There are two 16:9 shooting modes offered on the CCD-TRV52: one which simply places two horizontal black bars on the top and bottom of the screen, and one which actually distorts the aspect ratio of the picture for playback on 16:9 television sets.
One minor problem was noticed while shooting with the LCD monitor flipped out: the slightest camera movement tended to cause streaks to appear in the image. Other than this, the LCD performed well, producing a sharp, viewable image even in direct daylight. Also, the unit's automatic focus, white balance and exposure systems performed amazingly well, shifting almost instantaneously to compensate for changing conditions. Even a shot that moved from the bright outdoors to a dimly-lit interior produced seamless results with no apparent hunting for the right settings.

Serious Shooting
If you're the type of videographer who plans on growing into a more serious shooter as your skills increase, then you'll find that the CCD-TRV52 is equipped to grow with you. The presence of microphone and headphone jacks will help you gain better audio in your productions, and the Control-L connection will let you connect to an edit controller at some point in the future. The presence of a mounting shoe on the top front of the camera body is also a plus; this feature, which is getting harder and harder to find on consumer-level cameras, is great for attaching an on-camera light, or perhaps a small shotgun microphone.
As for picture quality, the CCD-TRV52 is just good enough to allow dubbing of a single generation (from the camera to VHS tape, for example) and still retain a decent image for home viewing. Colors are richer than most 8mm camcorders, and when the lighting is right, there is very little noise present in the picture. For potential nonlinear editors, the image quality is good enough for high-quality home video production. It's not prosumer-quality, to be sure, but again, the prosumer crowd is best served by Hi8, S-VHS and DV equipment.
For the price, Sony could have gone one step further and included a way to control the iris directly. Even without this important feature, however, the CCD-TRV52 holds its own as a serious camcorder for serious video hobbyists.

Sony CCD-TRV52
Score Card

Video: 4
Audio: 4
Manual: 5
Control: 3
Ease of use: 3
Overall rating: 3.8

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Another Eight from Samsung

SCL91 8mm Camcorder
($799)
Samsung
105 Challenger Road
Ridgefield Park, NJ 07660
(201) 229-4000
http://www.samsung.com

view tech specs

In more or less direct competition with Sony's CCD-TRV52 is Samsung's SCL91, one of the company's first camcorder offerings that includes a flip-out LCD monitor. Like the CCD-TRV52, the SCL91 is an all-around solid camcorder, but it has both strengths and weaknesses that the Sony model lacks. The most immediately obvious difference is price: the SCL91 lists for $799, a full $300 less than the Sony CCD-TRV52. The low price makes it attractive right off the mark, but is there really $300 worth of difference in quality and features between the two? Let's take a closer look to find out.

First Shots
Though the SCL91 shares several design features with the Sony CCD-TRV52, the Samsung unit is considerably larger and bulkier. It's not hefty to the point of being unwieldy, but it does have more mass than many 8mm camcorders in its class. Because the SCL91 has no image stabilization, this extra weight is something of a boon, as it makes it a little bit easier to hold the camera steady while you're shooting.
Operation of the SCL91 is simple and straightforward. The camera rests comfortably in the hand, and is not at all awkward to operate. For beginners, a system of Help screens describes the functions of the camera's fader, titler, zoom, backlight compensation, manual focus, self timer, insert edit and program autoexposure functions. This is a feature that Samsung began including on their camcorders in 1997, and it has proven to be an excellent way to get camcorder owners to become more familiar with their equipment without even opening the user's manual.
Most of the SCL91's systems are controlled by well-placed buttons that are easy to locate and operate. Though the camera does have an on-screen menu system, none of the camera's major controls are buried there; all are placed on the camera body itself. Operating the manual focus control (a small ring located on the bottom front of the camera) is considerably easier than most push-button style inner focus systems; in fact, it was easier to dial in a sharp focus with the SCL91's ring than with the CCD-TRV52's dial. The zoom control, however, was a bit disappointing, offering only a single zoom speed, and a slow one at that. The camera's automatic focus systems were likewise a bit slow to respond.

Parting Shots
In most ways, the SCL91's performance dipped just below that of the CCD-TRV52. Colors were not quite as vibrant; the LCD was a little bit harder to see in bright light; automatic systems were a little slower to respond; etc. Audio, however, came through with flying colors on the SCL91, and was every bit as crisp and clear as that of the Sony unit. Though the image quality wasn't quite as good as that of the CCD-TRV52, it was good enough to allow a single generation of editing.
Bottom line: both camcorders in our 8mm shootout passed the test of the serious amateur, offering features and performance that would allow beginners to grow in the craft. But if you have the extra money to spend and you want the best 8mm has to offer, go with the Sony.

Samsung SCL91
Score Card

Video: 3
Audio: 4
Manual: 4
Control: 3
Ease of use: 4
Overall rating: 3.6

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Don't Panic, It's Organic

Organica 3D Modeling Software
($299)
Impulse Inc.
8416 Xerxes Ave. N.
Brooklyn Park, MN 55444
(612) 425-0557
http://www.coolfun.com

view tech specs

One of the biggest hurdles that beginning 3D artists have had to overcome is the relative difficulty of the software interface. To make things easier, Impulse Incorporated has developed Organica, a 3D imaging tool that attempts to bring the process of modeling down to a level that anyone can understand. With Organica, you can create complex, well-rounded three-dimensional models and animations in minutes that look like you spent all weekend designing. Though it isn't the easiest or most elegant design interface in the world, Organica does bring the process of 3D modeling and animation down to a level that beginners can immediately comprehend and enjoy.
The secret of the Organica system of modeling is a set of complex mathematical systems that 3D designers call Metaballs. Put simply, the Metaball system allows you to create complex 3D curves by placing two simple shapes near one another. The software calculates and renders all of the slight gradations and curvatures that occur where the two shapes intersect, almost as though a skin were being stretched over the whole. Thus, a series of closely-placed spheres becomes a tube, or perhaps even a tree branch.
Organica is certainly not the first product to make use of the Metaball concept. Nor is it the finest expression of this complex and very powerful 3D design tool. Instead, the designers of Organica have taken the Metaballs idea out of the forest of sub-menus and options that usually hide it and brought it to the fore where beginning 3D modelers can immediately see its benefits.

Model Building
The user's manual that ships with Organica states the premise of simplicity quite clearly: "We at Impulse already know that no one who buys software wants to read manuals. So don't read this manual. Just install the software as explained in the installation instructions so you can just go play." To test how easy Organica was to use, we did just that: installed the software and started playing with the software without consulting the manual. Indeed, we found ourselves marveling at the ease with which we could drag and drop the numerous provided Metablox shapes into impressive-looking 3D models. Then again, we have had quite a bit of experience with other 3D design programs; the first-time beginner in 3D will probably find it necessary to hit the manual pretty hard to sort out the basic concepts involved. While Organica's interface isn't the most intuitive we've ever seen (that award would probably go to MetaCreations' Bryce family of products), it certainly is simpler than most. The most obvious drawback in the interface is the tendency for selected objects to move and rotate in curious ways; it might take several tries, for example, to make a selected cube rotate into a precise position with the mouse.
The types of models that Organica is best suited for creating are those that imitate nature - trees, animals, human beings, aliens and the like (hence, the product's name). The main purpose of the software, in fact, is to free its users from the necessity of either spending multiple hours dealing with complicated software or of buying pre-made models in order to have nice-looking, lifelike flora and fauna. With Organica, those who want to add complicated forms to their 3D works of art - be they video titles, multimedia presentations or just an afternoon's goofing around - can do so with a maximum amount of creativity and a minimum amount of sweat.

Video-Friendliness
Computer-based video editors will be glad to hear of Organica's ability to create 640x480-pixel .AVI (Video for Windows) files that drop easily into Adobe Premiere, Ulead MediaStudio or any other standard nonlinear editing software. For this reason alone, Organica is worth the purchase price for those who have a way to output Video for Windows files onto tape (via encoder, genlock or video capture card).
Note that Organica doesn't include a high-quality rendering machine for creating photorealistic images. Though it will provide a decent-looking graphic or animation that's suitable for many purposes on its own, the main purpose of the program is to make models for use by other products. 3D models created in Organica can be exported in several standard file formats (including .LW for NewTek's LightWave, .3DS for 3D Studio Max and the industry-standard .DXF for a number of older applications), where they can then be further manipulated and rendered to your heart's content.
In short, Organica is a fine product for all those who have ever wished there was a way to create natural-looking 3D models on their own without spending too much time learning the interface. It isn't for everyone; more specifically, it isn't for people who already know how to make high-quality organic 3D images on their own. But for those who are thinking of getting into 3D animation with a minimal learning curve, Organica may be the answer.

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Fire and Explosions, Royalty-Free Pyromania! Pro ($249) Visual Concept Entertainment P.O. Box 921226 Sylmar, CA 91392-1226 (800) 242-9627 http://www.vce.com view tech specs

Having watched quite a few hours of video that our readers have submitted to the Videomaker/Panasonic tape contest, we are well aware that plenty of you out there in video-land are making your own digital action-adventure movies just for the fun of it. For these people especially, we have a treat in store: Visual Concept Entertainment's Pyromania! Pro, a collection of inexpensive royalty-free conflagrations on CD-ROM. Originally photographed on 35mm film stock and then scanned frame by frame at 2048x1536 pixels, these thirty-odd explosions, flare-ups and clouds of burning debris are of sufficient quality to enhance any videographer's titles, action sequences or other situations that require a little bit of canned heat.

Blow it Up
When you purchase the Pyromania! Pro collection, you get two CDs full of pyrotechnics in three different formats: standard video files (Video for Windows for the PC version, Quicktime for the Macintosh version), Targa sequences (for use with high-end video capture boards like the Truevision Targa 2000 and others), and mattes (a series of JPEG images that include each frame in the sequence). Let's discuss each of these formats on its own, as each has its own pros and cons.
All of the standard .avi (Video for Windows) or .mov (Quicktime) video files can be easily dropped into the timeline of Adobe Premiere, Ulead MediaStudio, Strata VideoShop or any other standard nonlinear editing software. The resolution of these digital video files, unfortunately, is not the greatest; ranging from 200x117 to 288x216 pixels, they leave something to be desired for serious video editors who plan to output their productions to videotape. To save space on the CD, the standard video files have also been compressed using the Cinepak codec - another factor which you might well expect to degrade the image quality considerably. When used at a standard video resolution, however (640x480, for example), they survive re-sizing and placement within video clips quite well. Most are short enough and lacking enough in subtle color variation to pass for realistic explosions without any major apparent artifacts in the image. When keying these explosions into our digital productions, we found it necessary to use dark background footage, because all were shot with black backgrounds.
Targa sequences are, as described above, designed primarily for use with higher-end video capture cards and the editing systems that support them. The Targa files offer the best resolution of the formats offered (720x540), but unless you have the right kind of hardware and/or software, you won't be able to make use of them as moving video images. (Note: for those video or film professionals who want the ultimate in quality, the Targa sequences are available from the manufacturer at full 2048x1536 resolution. They aren't cheap, though; at $4.50 per frame, a typical 100-frame sequence runs $450, plus file handling and materials charges.) Similar to the standard video files mentioned above, the Targa sequences also necessitated the use of dark background footage when using these explosions in composited scenes.
Finally, the matte sequences were created using the Ultimatte® process, which completely separates the explosion from the background. With these sequences of JPEG-compressed images, it's possible to create a very clean composite, even with brightly lit background footage.

Flame On!
Though all of the explosions provided in Pyromania! Pro are of very high quality, the product is not without a few minor glitches. Probably the worst of these is most prevalent among Adobe Premiere users: the tendency for the nonlinear editing software to automatically re-size every clip to a 4:3 aspect ratio, thus causing pixellation to occur as the program re-shapes the pixels. Another minor annoyance: some of the explosions have walls and floors clearly visible in the flaring light of the flames, making it necessary to either remove these unwanted details from the sequence (a rather time-consuming process) or simply live with them.
By and large, however, the explosions and other various flame-related effects contained on Pyromania! Pro's two CDs are an excellent way to spice up a video production. Try using them in title sequences, as transitions, or in a good old-fashioned shoot-em-up chase scene, if you so desire; they're easy to use, relatively inexpensive and loads of fun.

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Tech Specs
Panasonic PV-D607 VHS-C Camcorder

Format
VHS-C

Lens
20:1 optical zoom, 200:1 digital zoom, 4mm-80mm focal length, single-speed power zoom, f/1.6, inner focus, wide macro, 58mm filter diameter

Image sensor
¼-inch CCD, 270,000 pixels

Viewfinder
0.5 inch color LCD

Focus
Auto, inner manual

Maximum shutter speed
1/10000

Exposure
Auto

White balance
Auto

Digital effects
None

Audio
Mono VHS linear

Inputs
External microphone

Outputs
Composite video and mono audio (via ¼-inch proprietary jack)

Edit interface
Panasonic 5-pin

Other features
Built-in auto light, flying erase head, built-in lens cover, electronic image stabilization, fade, character generator, backlight compensation, index search, digital still image acquisition, PC serial link, motion sensor operation

Dimensions
4.25 (width) by 4.6 (height) by 6.7 (depth) inches

Weight (sans tape and battery)
2.5 pounds

Video Performance (approx.)


Horizontal resolution (camera)
270 lines

Horizontal resolution (playback)
230 lines

Performance Times


Pause to Record
0.5 seconds

Power-up to Record
3 seconds

Fast-forward/Rewind (30 min. tape)
4 minutes

Strengths
--Digital still image capture
--Panasonic 5-pin edit jack

Weaknesses
--Relatively high price
--Poor audio quality

Summary
One of the best VHS-C camcorders we've ever tested

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Tech Specs
Sony CCD-TRV52 8mm Camcorder

Format
8mm

Lens
15:1 optical zoom, 30:1 digital zoom, 4.1mm-61.5mm focal length, multi-speed power zoom, f/1.4, inner focus, 37mm filter diameter

Image sensor
¼-inch CCD (470,000 pixels)

Viewfinder
0.5-inch black-and-white CRT; 3.5-inch LCD monitor

Focus
Auto, inner manual

Maximum shutter speed
1/4000th of a second

Exposure
Auto, Program AE (Sports, High-speed Shutter, Twilight)

White balance
Auto

Digital effects
5 (Mosaic, Solarize, Black and White, Sepia, Negative Art)

Audio
AFM stereo

Inputs
Microphone

Outputs
Composite video, stereo audio, headphones

Edit interface
Control-L (LANC)

Other features
16:9 recording, 5-second recording, electronic image stabilization, titler, Laser Link IR playback (with optional accessory), end search, edit search

Dimensions
4.6 (width) by 4.4 (height) by 8.2 (depth) inches

Weight (sans tape and battery)
2.1 pounds

Video Performance (approx.)


Horizontal resolution (camera)
270 lines

Horizontal resolution (playback)
220 lines

Performance Times


Pause to Record
.5 seconds

Power-up to Record
2.5 seconds

Fast-forward/Rewind (30 min. tape)
1 minute 20 seconds

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Tech Specs
Samsung SCL91 8mm Camcorder

Format
8mm

Lens
16:1 optical zoom, 32:1 digital zoom, 3.9mm-62.4mm focal length, single-speed power zoom, f/1.4, inner focus, wide macro, 46mm filter diameter

Image sensor
¼-inch CCD (270,000 pixels)

Viewfinder
0.5-inch LCD; 3-inch LCD monitor

Focus
Auto, inner manual

Maximum shutter speed
1/4000th of a second

Exposure
Auto, Program AE (Sports, Portrait, Spotlight, Sand and Snow)

White balance
Auto

Digital effects
5 (Mosaic, Art, Black and White, Sepia, Negative)

Audio
AFM stereo

Inputs
Microphone

Outputs
Composite video, stereo audio, headphones

Edit interface
None

Other features

Dimensions
4.5 (width) by 4.25 (height) by 9 (length) inches

Weight (sans tape and battery)
2.5 pounds

Video Performance (approx.)

Horizontal resolution (camera)
260 lines

Horizontal resolution (playback)
210 lines

Performance Times


Pause to Record
1 second

Power-up to Record
4 seconds

Fast-forward/Rewind (30 min. tape)
2 minutes

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Tech Specs
Impulse, Inc. Organica 3D Modeling Software

Platform
PC

Minimum System Requirements

Operating system
Windows 95 or NT

Motherboard
486 or better

Memory
16MB or more

Strengths
--Easy to use
--Inexpensive
--Easy export to high-powered 3D rendering software

Weaknesses
--No high-quality rendering utility included

Summary
A great way for 3D beginners to easily create natural-looking 3D models

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Tech Specs
VCE Pyromania! Pro

Platform
PC or Macintosh

Minimum System Requirements
Any computer that's capable of working with Video for Windows (.avi) or Quicktime (.mov) files

Recommended System
For maximum resolution, a Targa-compatible video capture card is recommended

Effects
Mushroom explosions, zero-g explosions, sparks, rolling fires, firetrails, fireballs, dynamite fuse, laser hits, fire banners, spark showers, exploding car, explosion wipe, match light

Strengths
--Easy to use
--Ready-made, safe fire effects
--Manual includes tips for compositing

Weaknesses
--Video for Windows and Quicktime files have relatively low resolution
--Walls and floor of studio visible in some explosions

Summary
Great for action sequences, titles, transitions, etc. where flames are required

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