Great Camcorder for the Money!

I looked at a number of camcorders but decided the 105 was one of the best for my uses. I am a picky consumer, but not a prosumer. I want clarity, good indoor pictures, ease of use, small size, and good editing possibilities.

I considered 3 CCD camcorders because of the accuracy of color and reduced color noise. The Panasonic 953 produces a high quality still (for a camcorder) and the Canon Gl2 produces beautiful pictures. I did not look at the equivalent Sony. In the past, I have purchased the most expensive electronics I could and now my VHS and 8 mm's sit on a shelf and their longevity did not warrant the price for my uses. I want my scenery and family shots to look good, but they do not have to be broadcast quality.

I considered Sony's Micro's but the size did not warrant the narrow video view, though I think they have potential. I liked the small size--great for sneak shots and small pockets.

I looked at cameras in the $500-$1000 range as appropriate to my needs. I found the Canon and Sonys to be best.

I looked at the Canon ZR series and loved the zoom, options, and outdoor pictures, but the indoor pictures were annoyingly grainy. Too grainy for my tastes since I do a lot of indoor shots.

The Sony TRV 22 and 33 were my next considerations. The 33 (like the 105) captures double the video pixels than the 22, but the 22 has 5 lux (as compared with the 7 lux of the 33 and 105) so the indoor shots are better. The difference in pixels in daytime did not seem significant really. So much goes into resolution: focal lens, noise, pixels, size and number of CCD's, lines of resolution, etc. Unless you want to do the mathematics, Kell factor and all, it will be hard to determine which is better for you without actually trying the cameras. Do not just go by specs. If you look at specs, do not just settle for the one with the ads, go to the detailed specs in products and services for a better accounting.

Still picture capability is about the same in all the cameras, except the 105 has a flash, which helps a bit. That is not the strong point of these camcorders. I have a good digital still and it is not a problem to bring both. I prefer to wait until I can buy an HD camcorder with 6 megapixel stills before I start spending thousands.

Sony has a new model coming out in October, the DCR-PC 330, which has a larger CCD with 3.3 megapixel stills. Since it is using one lens for stills and video, it is hard to say if the stills will be as good as on a digital still camera. It still will have 7 lux, unfortunately. It will cost about $1700, but will come down in price. It will be a matchbox and a little bigger than the 105.

I love the matchbox style. The buttons and controls on the LCD work very well for me. I hardly have to think when shooting and can easily go between editing features without annoying people. The LCD and viewfinder are clear. It has enough editing features for me since I prefer to edit on the computer not as I am filming. The clarity is great for a camera in this price range. Colors are pretty accurate and indoor quality has some color noise, but not bad. I love it and highly recommend it.

Sony trades in on it's name at times, but it makes a great product. If you want help, you best learn how to use the on-line person, however, and if you find the person does not have the proper knowledge, ask for a supervisor. It works better than calls.

Clarity and size put this camera at the top of the list for this price range.