From: swk@tylos.East.Sun.COM (Steve Klosterman - Sun BOS Hardware)
Newsgroups: rec.video
Subject: TR200 - initial review
Date: 16 Nov 1992 16:13:06 GMT
Organization: Sun Microsystems Inc. - BDC
Reply-To: swk@east.sun.com (Steve Klosterman - Sun BOS Hardware)
NNTP-Posting-Host: tylos.east.sun.com

This weekend, my wife and I purchased a Sony TR200 handycam.  This is our 
first camcorder, although we've used older VHS machines before.  We compared 
the TR81, TR101 and TR200 using the 81 as our model to beat.  I have some 
questions at the end that I'd like more experienced owners to comment on!

We paid $1199, locally.  No mail order place expects to have them. (for 
comparison, the local TR81 price was $999, approx $100 more than mail order). 
The TR200 has all of the features of the TR81 except superimposing a single
image onto the video.  

It uses a new battery technology, lithium ion, 1/2 the size of normal 
batteries and immune from the 'memory' capacity problem.  With battery, 
it weighs under 2 lbs and is 25% smaller than the TR81.  Max battery capacity 
is 1 hour.  It's smaller than our 35mm camara and very easy to just 'take
with you'.

It's rated at 3 lux, vs 2 lux for the TR81.  I haven't done
a spec comparison, but the same 410,000 pixel, resolution.  Slightly 
different lens.  I believe it uses the 1/3" CCD instead of the 1/2" (TR81).

It has a extremely fast zoom and a new focusing mechanism which is *very* 
fast.  Going from a macro-focus of my ring finger (1/2") to a wide angle
scene 300' away, it refocused in less than 1/2 a second.  The TR81 took
over 2 seconds with a lot more hunting.

The docking station is very clever and convenient.  You connect to your 
audio/video system with no cables needing to be plugged into the camara...it
just slides into a guide on top of the box.

So, how do we like it?  OK, not blown away.

My previous, infrequent experience is with a 6 year old VHS unit.  I was 
expecting Hi8 to be "breath-taking", AFM sound to be "stunning", colors and 
quality to be substantially better than my older tapes.  Hooking it up to my 
Sony XBR television and stereo, our initial tapes were disappointing.  

1. Under low-light conditions (indoors), the picture is very grainy.  Perhaps
	I'm expecting too much from Hi8?  I tend to believe that the difference
	in lux ratings is marketing hype.  There was a noticable 'reddish'
	tint to indoor shots.

2. In very quiet settings, the microphones pick up the sound of the tape
	drive motor.  This verges on 'driving me up the wall'.  Do all of
	the handycams suffer from this, though?  The sound, overall, seems
	to be pretty good.  Since I plan to use this to videotape concerts,
	though, this is a major drawback.

3. the new focusing (very fast) mechanism works great, but appears to
	hunt a lot more than I'd expect, drifting slightly in and out
	of focus as my subject moves around a room (just noticable).  
	Perhaps the slower focusing on older camaras do the same thing 
	but damp the visual annoyance instead of fast, severe swings.

Do *all* of the small camaras exhibit similar symptoms to these?  

I'm going to live with this camara for a week, decide what I can live with
and what really bugs me.  My tendency would be to move up to the TR101 rather
than down unless the TR81 genuinely solves the annoying things.  

Steve K