Getting a Grip on Camcorders
Thousands of families received new camcorders over the holidays. Some bought thevery best, including:
The JVC GR-S707U, a VHS-C camcorder, compact and filled with high-end featuresincluding hi-fi audio recording and playback (weighs 5.2 pounds with battery,just less than $2,500).
Sony’s CCD-V101 8mm camcorder, one of the smallest camcorders on the marketwith one of the most advanced optical systems (27 shutter speeds) and stereosound (weighs 2.1 pounds with battery, about $1,800).
Panasonic’s PV-S540 Super-VHS model weighs a little less than 6 pounds, butoffers one of the best images camcorders can produce.
Others bought cheaper models, many opting for the smallest and most compactunits. The weights of camcorders range from 1.8 pounds (the Yashica KX-70 8mm)to 15.4 pounds (Sony’s EDC-55 ED Beta).
Buying the lightest camcorder sounds like a good idea. Those small camcorders,less than 3 pounds, mean less wear and tear on Mom and Dad as they scramble onthe floor trying to capture Junior for posterity. The heavier, more substantialand bulky camcorders are more difficult to handle.
But you pay a price when you see those small, easy-to-hold camcorders. Theyproduce the shakiest pictures around. One reason for this is that you can’t geta firm grip on a unit that fits into the palm of your hand. Larger camcordersoffer a more sturdy surface from which to aim and shoot. Unless you use a tripod(something few amateurs ever use), the end result is video that jumps around thescreen even when Junior is simply crawling on the floor or sitting on Mom’slap.
There is nothing worse than watching video moving around so violently that evenveteran roller-coaster riders feel a bit queasy after watching a few minutes ofyour videocassette.
If you bought a light camcorder, don’t despair. A man named Garrett Brown hadthe same problem with his first camcorder and decided to do something about it.Professional camera people use something called a Steadicam to eliminatehand-held jitter from their products. So Brown came up with a similar solutionto eliminate the jitter from his home videos.
The rest is Steadicam Jr. It sells for less than $600 and it’s made for compactcamcorders of 3.5 pounds or less. It’s a nifty unit that doesn’t add much weightto the gear as it turns your jumping videos into smooth, gliding cameramovements.
You simply mount your camcorder on a platform that is balanced withcounterweights. A small LCD monitor lets you follow the action (it’s a loteasier to see the action on the monitor than in your viewfinder).
Balancing the system takes a bit of practice, but once it’s familiar to you theresults are more than worth the effort.
Laser video disc prices
Judging by the mail, thousands of families also bought laser disc players thatnot only play audio discs (CDs) but also video discs. Everyone seems to have thesame question: Why is there such a range in disc prices from place to place? The answer is: It depends on the company, the distributor and the time andquality involved in the individual production. Most movies are available onextended-play laser video discs (designated CLV). They usually cost between$29.95 and $49.95. MGM/UA lists many of its titles for $24.95 (letter-boxededitions are usually $10 more).
Special laser video discs produceddby Criterion in the CAV (regular play) mode,containing supplementary materials and offering pristine prints often in theiroriginal wide-screen format, can run as much as $124.95.
The price for quality comes high. You can get an extended-play video disc of”Some Like It Hot” from MGM for $39.95. The letter-boxed deluxe edition withsupplementary material from Criterion looks vastly superior, especially on abig-screen TV, but it lists for $124.95. The same thing is true for AlfredHitchcock’s “North by Northwest.” The MGM version list for $39.95. The Criterionedition costs $124.95.
One particularly annoying trend is the practice of some companies hiking theprice of a disc just because it is letter-boxed. CBS-Fox is doing that more andmore, charging $69.98 for its “Oklahoma!” letter-boxed version (as opposed to$44.98 for an edition that isn’t letter-boxed). The same is true for “SouthPacific.” A letter-boxed “There’s No Business Like Show Business” costs $59.98.The earlier video editions of “Alien” and “Aliens” cost $34.98 and $44.98,respectively. CBS-Fox repackaged them in the letter-boxed format, addedsupplementary material and raised the price to $100. MGM/UA, on the other hand,only charges $39.95 for its special letter-boxed sets, including some of thegreatest musicals ever produced for film (such as “The Band Wagon”).
Some companies, however, are bringing down their prices. Warner is offeringtop-line laser video discs at $24.95. Paramount is offering the first two”Godfather” movies at $45 per set.
Laser disc-producing companies are finding out that people who own laser videodisc machines and want a certain title will pay almost anything for that title.If you’re a James Bond fan, nothing but the letter-boxed “You Only Live Twice”($34.95) will do.
What these companies haven’t discovered yet is that once those desired titlesare bought, the laser video disc owner is just as particular about price asanyone else. If the movie isn’t a particular favorite, there’s still anold-fashioned option: the cheaper videotape edition.
It may not look good, but if you only want to see it once, the video rentalstore is still the best buy in town.
