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The continuing improvements in affordable digital acquisition, as seen in one particular new camera.
ne of the benefits of being associated with a magazine is the occasional opportunity to test out new equipment. In our case we recently had the chance to use Sony's new DSR500WS DVCAM camcorder. Our video-production work ordinarily includes documenting a huge range of activities at the Polytechnic University, in Brooklyn NY. This work includes everything from experiments in science and engineering research labs to the student life on our campuses. Such production presents us with a variety of unusual circumstances that requires flexible video-acquisition technology and techniques.
We came away with an immensely favorable impression of the DSR-500WS' capabilities, its handling, its ergonomics, and the great-looking pictures it produces. In the Polytechnic University's Microparticle Photophysics Lab, for example, the camera's HISAT configuration settings provided us with wonderfully saturated colors from the ruby and green laser-light bouncing off the laboratory apparatus. At the college's Farmingdale NY campus, meanwhile, our outdoor shots-despite overcast weather-were incredibly crisp and bright. Then in the library the DSR-50OWS produced noiseless low-light shots and provided us with the ability to easily adjust the camera to shoot computer screens with virtually no flicker. And when shooting in a semi-darkened room for overhead projector presentations the camera rendered remarkable color and sharpness with zero gain.
The DSR-500WS is the latest in a progression of digital cameras from Sony and a direct descendant of their DSR-300. We appreciated the small refinements and improvements the camera includes, such as the fan in the battery charger, the soft pad that conforms to your shoulder, the removable cover over the operation panel, and the clever placement of the shoulder strap for holding the camera under the arm. The most outstanding new feature of this one-piece camcorder, however, is that its aspect ratio is switchable from 16:9 to 4:3. This camera defaults to 16:9. In fact, in order to switch to the normal video aspect ratio of 4:3, you need to turn the camera off, then on again while holding down the rotating MENU button near the ON/OFF switch to bring up the advanced settings menu, and then go down to the ninth menu in order to do it. The aspect ratio change...