Can you safely own
a camcorder without looking like a big nerd? Arm yourself
with the newest in hand-helds: digital mini camcorders. Digital
definition means a much crisper picture than the clunky recorders
of yesterday. They boast large color displays, which show
exactly what you're shooting, and built-in speakers. Some
are even small enough to sit stealthily concealed in your
hands-- thereby avoiding the scorn of others.
JVC GRDVF21
$749 at Video Only, 1860 N Hayden
Island Drive, 283-3400; Camera World, Circuit City, various
locations
The beauty of digital minis is their function as portable
theaters. On-board side screens and speakers offer all sorts
of usage possibilities. Let's say you invested some of your
college loan money in a camcorder. Let's say it was this
JVC model. Now let's say you have to sit through a very
important lecture, but you're battling ADD and a nasty hangover.
Sure you could tape the lecture, but a quick reality check
reveals you would never hook the camcorder up to your television
to watch the thing. But with these babies, you don't have
to! Simply replay the lecture on the camcorder's 2.5-inch
video screen anywhere. Vive la technologie!
SHARP VLSD2OU
$759-$799 at Camera World, The Good
Guys, various locations
Not wanting to be outdone by JVC's shrewdly named GRDVF21,
the Sharp marketing department found an equally flashy name
in the VLSD2OU. Sharp's line of digital camcorders offers
the best video screens for instant or replay viewing. Other
LCD screens are difficult to view in direct sunlight, but
the Sharp screens are glare-proof; this model has a three-inch.
Without the LCD screen, this camcorder would look like a
regular 35mm camera; rejoice, closeted camcorder guys. One
could hold it up during the entire boat ride of "It's a
Small World," as if waiting for the perfect picture, and
no one would be the wiser.
SONY DCRTRU510
$1,089-$1,299 at Camera World,
The Good Guys
If you've put up a good fight to keep up with the Joneses,
buying every new technological advance as it comes off the
assembly line, we can assume a few things about you. First,
you knew the world was going terribly wrong when superior
Beta tapes were vanquished by VHS. Second, your bank account
and spirit are growing more and more weary as modern technology
continues to dangle new and improved toys in front of your
glazed eyes. Third, you own more 8mm video tapes than you
can shake an LP at. Thankfully, Sony is there to soothe
your buyer's remorse. This model, slightly larger than the
rest of the digital pack, is the only one with a built-in
slot for regular video and ancient 8mm tapes. Simply
feed aging tapes into the machine, insert a blank digital
tape and let your jaw slacken as the Sony digitally remasters
your 1985 prom keepsake. Just like Gone With the Wind.
CANON ELURA
$1,449-$1,599 at Fry's Electronics, 29400 SW Town
Center Loop West, Wilsonville, 570-6000; Camera World, The
Good Guys
The Elura gets style points not only for being a sleek,
almost palm-size beauty, but also for having a model name
that doesn't read like a license plate. This camcorder comes
loaded with a 2.5-inch LCD display and some cool effects
that will light up any screen. This camera and the Sony
DCRTRV900 can also digitize old video and 8mm movies, but
instead of a built-in device, they use an audio-video input
to hook up the new camcorder with the old clunker. Color
tweaking, screen swipes (stylized fade-ins and -outs) and
an auto timer separate the Elura from the rest. That means
you can be just like that chick in The Blair Witch Project
and tape yourself having deep, noble thoughts--and then
install eerie transitions from scene to alarming scene.
SONY DCRTRV900
$2,299-$2,399 at Camera World,
Video Only
I used to be insanely envious of my boss' husband, Sam.
Sam was a free-lance video photographer based in Salt Lake
City. My jealousy sprang from the fact that Sam had the
best seats at every sporting event imaginable. When the
Utah Jazz went up against the Chicago Bulls for the NBA
title, Sam was there. When Dennis Rodman dove into a cadre
of cameramen, Sam was there. This wasn't the only bruise
Sam suffered from his work. He complained of severe neck
and back pain from the weight of his heavy camera. Thanks
to Sony, the massage bills are down. Sony's new digital
camera uses three different computer chips to deliver a
professional, Betacam-quality picture--unequaled resolution
in a package that's smaller than most traditional camcorders.
Don, a helpful salesperson at Video Only, says that many
local news crews are switching to this model.
- - - - - - - - - - - -
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Willamette Week | originally
published January 26,
2000
|
