Posted by PTravel on 04/21/06 16:46

"RS" <mail@mail.com> wrote in message news:4448e2da_3@newspeer2.tds.net...
> Bible John wrote:
>> --
>> 1 Pet 3:15-But sanctify the Lord God[a] in your hearts, and always be
>> ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope
>> that is in you, with meekness and fear
>> CERM-Church Education Resource Ministries
>> Founder and director
>> http://johnw.freeshell.org/bible
>> "Richard Crowley" <richard.7.crowley@intel.com> wrote in message
>> news:e28pcm$2jc$1@news01.intel.com...
>>
>>>"Bible John" wrote ...
>>>
>>>>Just watched the same wedding that I recorded with my JVC SXM250U analog
>>>>camcorer, with a friends Sony Mini DV camera on a DVD that she burned
>>>>for us. Boy what a difference!
>>>
>>>I recall that some of us predicted that the average DV camera
>>>would outperform nearly any analog consumer camcorder (and
>>>many analog industrial/professional cameras, also)
>>>
>>>
>>>>Its not that I cannot live with a analog camcorder (especially with my
>>>>budget), the mini DV ones are much nicer! I saw a JVC analog camcorder
>>>>like my own selling for $150 at Circuit City the other day, and the
>>>>cheapest Mini DV camcorder was selling for $300. It lacked a light,
>>>>because it had nighvision. I do not know anything about this and if it
>>>>has any advantages over a camcorder light.
>>>
>>>Lighting is one of the most significant differences between quality/
>>>commercial video and "home movies". OTOH, your typical
>>>consumer *on*camera* light is hardly more than a novelty and
>>>rarely makes any significant improvement that I have ever seen.
>>>This is mostly because 1) they are not very bright and 2) they
>>>are a very small point source. The on camera lights used by
>>>professionals are rarely smaller than 6-8" diagonal measurement
>>>(round and/or rectangle). [I am refering to feature production,
>>>not "film at 11" local news.]
>>
>>
>>
>> Is the night vision found on many mini DV cameras better for shooting in
>> night than the light on many of the analog cameras?
>
> No. It will give you a little greenish circle where you can see in the
> dark. Kinda like those night goggle. Range will be just a few feet.

There are ways to increase the range using accessory lights but, as you
note, it's not the same thing as a camera that has good low-light
sensitivity.

The problem with the current crop of consumer miniDV machines, particularly
at the low-end, is that they are designed to be small and cheap, but also
support "hi-res" still imaging. This means that the sensors are small and
cheap, but very dense. The combination is deadly for low-light performance.

I have an old TR600 Hi8 machine that can do far better in low-light than
most consumer miniDV cameras. However, I also have a VX2000 prosumer miniDV
camera that has phenomenal low-light performance that equals pro gear. The
trend seems to be for larger (or, at least, reasonable) sized sensors in the
prosumer gear, but tiny, blind-in-low-light sensors for the consumer stuff.

>
> Untill you get up to the Prosumer camera range, your going to find that
> low light response is not great. What happens is that the auto gain
> adustments will start to really increase the grain in the video.

Ah, I see you're way ahead of me. Exactly right.

>

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