Gear

by Jim Martin
February 1999

Sony Hi8 Performer

One of the latest from Sony's Handycam Vision series of camcorders is the CCD-TRV95, a full-featured model with a flip-out four-inch LCD swivel monitor, infoLITHIUM battery system, NightShot infrared shooting, LaserLink wireless connection and a built-in time base corrector. Sony's new Hi8 camcorder includes an 18:1 optical zoom and a 72:1 digital zoom as well as manual focusing. Sony says the CCD-TRV95's digital noise reduction reduces color noise by up to 20 percent for crisp picture quality.

(800) 222-7669.

Suggested retail price: $1,299

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Palm Power

Panasonic has released the latest addition to its Palmcorder line, the PV-DV910 Mini DV camcorder. The new Palmcorder is capable of recording video with more than 400 lines of resolution and includes Panasonic's PhotoShot digital still camera feature. The camcorder features many digital effects including, audio/video fade, negative, strobe and trail (which adds a trail behind moving objects). Thanks to its PCM audio, users can choose between two-channel 16-bit audio and two sets of 12-bit stereo. (800) 211-7262

Suggested retail price: $1,399

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Quality Distribution

A video distribution amplifier is a necessity when copying multiple tapes from a single master or building a small home studio. Montrose Inc. has a new professional quality distribution amp aimed at studio use--the DV-V-145. The manufacturer says a recently developed video integrated circuit with just one active element gives highly consistent performance at a low unit cost. The DV-V-145 includes four 75-ohm BNC outputs with an input loop-through for a fifth output.

(310) 822-8491

Suggested retail price: $140

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Stock Footage on CD-ROM

Calling its latest music collection "Art in Motion," TVFX has released six new royalty-free CD-ROMs of D-1 quality, stock footage elements for desktop editors and designers. TVFX is pitching the clips as appropriate for use in advertising, news, corporate, Web or broadcast productions. They are all shot on 35mm motion picture film and include the titles Liquid FX, Paint FX and Rush Hour. (888) 909-8839

Suggested retail price: $250 each or a three-bundle set for $675

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Low-cost Hash

Animation Master 98 Version 6.1.98 will allow anyone to tell his or her own story through computer animation, says software maker Hash Inc. Hash said it is marketing Animation Master as an entry-level priced program for creating 3D-object and character animations. Animation Master includes features such as reusable animation libraries, gestures, motion capture, depth of field, sparks, fur, light gel, fog gel and sound synching.

(360) 750-0042

Suggested retail price: $199

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One Smart Belt

Cool-Lux has a new power supply, the L-10 Smart Power Battery Belt, which features a 1.2 amp charger with a 3.5-foot heavy-duty power cord. According to Cool-Lux, the battery belt uses volt-balanced cells and has no memory. The belt, available with a 4-pin XLR or a cigarette-style plug, is made of high-density foam covered with Dernier Cordura¨. The cells are spaced to allow the user to shoot from a seated position.

(805) 482-4820

Suggested retail price: $100

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Action Cam

Catering to videographers who are also sports enthusiasts, Custom Video Cameras has released the SportCam, a small color camera the manufacturer says can be worn on the head or body. Using a 1/3-inch color CCD, the camera includes auto iris and white balance and is powered by two AA-size batteries. For recording, the camera has a six-foot video cable with an RCA connector to send the video to a portable deck or camcorder.

(406) 387-5732

Suggested retail price: $659

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In The Bag

To help you protect and transport your camcorder and accessories, Case Logic announces three new camcorder bags. The cases are made with multi-layered fabric and have large accessory pockets and interior compartments. The CBV-15, CBV-20 and CBV-25 all have a bottom panel to protect against moisture and each bag features thick padding for protection. The two larger bags feature zippered end pockets and grip handles.

(800) 447-4848

Suggested retail prices: $30 (CBV-15), $35 (CBV-20) and $40 (CBV-25)

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Dual CyberCams

JVC has released two new low-cost Mini DV camcorders, the GR-DVA1 and the GR-DVF10 (pictured). According to JVC, both camcorders feature a 460,000 pixel CCD, 16:1 optical zoom, 160:1 digital zoom, picture stabilizer, built-in video light, five special effects and nine scene transitions. The GR-DVA1 has a high-resolution color viewfinder, while the GR-DVF10 includes the viewfinder and a 2.5-inch color LCD viewscreen. (800) 252-5722

Suggested retail prices: $1100 (GR-DVA1) and $1200 (GR-DVF10)

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Laying Tracks

Although videographers have been using PVC plumbing pipe as straight dolly tracks for years, making curves has always been a problem. As a solution to that problem Long Valley Equipment has introduced 1.5-inch, schedule 40 ABS curved tracks that mate with the same sized PVC or ABS plumbing pipe. Each section comes with expanding connectors called Track Locks that join the pipes together from the inside, assuring a smooth ride for the dolly. (908) 876-1022

Suggested retail price: $75 per section.

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