REVIEW
HEAD
SPOT THE DIFFERENCE
INTRO
Blaupunkt, ('blue-spot') are better known in the UK for their classy
in-car entertainment systems, but that may all be about to change with their
newly-expanded range of camcorders, TVs and VCRs. This month we highlight the
SCR-750, a machine with a rather unusual history
COPY
We first met this machine over a year ago, during a visit from a team of
experts from Panasonic's camcorder factory in Japan. Towards the end of the
meeting the T1, as it was then known,
was shown to us, and our opinions sought . All this was on the understanding
that it was an early pre-production sample, and we couldn't write about it as
it was by no means certain that a European version would be developed.
We were only mildly enthusiastic and in the end Panasonic decided not to
launch it in the UK; a PAL version was eventually put into production and it
has been sold in Germany, where it is called the S78. That would have been the
end of the story but for another German company, Blaupunkt, who are in the
process of raising their profile over here, where they're mainly known for
their excellent in-car entertainment systems. In amongst their quite impressive
range of TVs, VCRs and camcorders we spotted the SCR-750, clearly a T1/S78
clone, it seemed like a good opportunity to see if our initial opinions and
Panasonic's final decision were justified.
First the basics. The 750 is a sub-compact Super VHS-C machine with
stereo hi-fi sound, 8x optical zoom, digital effects, including 2x zoom, image
stabiliser, digital mix, snap-shot and still facilities. It has a 2/3-inch LCD
colour viewfinder, integral lens cover and an NP-style battery which fits
inside the machine, rather than on the side or back. A year ago the flat,
vertical layout was quite innovative, though since then we've had the Hitachi
M37 and a number of Canon machines, designed along more or less the same lines.
By comparison with these the 750 looks a little bulky.
Some of our misgivings centred on the LCD colour viewfinder, time has not
softened our opinion and we still feel they're an unnecessary and expensive
frippery. However, in this case our concerns are tempered by the knowledge that
the viewfinder is an integral design element, and it would be difficult, if not
impossible to incorporate a monochrome viewfinder without drastically changing
the shape. That doesn't alter the fact that an LCD screen makes manual focusing
difficult, and even though this machine has a manual white balance control, you
cannot rely on the LCD screen to make an accurate colour assessment.
Manually focusing the 750's inner-focus lens is made even harder by the
two-button servo control, it is our least favourite method; it can be vague,
and there is a tendency to overshoot. We might as well get the other gumbles
out of the way: the wrist strap folds flat on the side of the machine, it looks
very neat, but it has to be unclipped
every time it is used, which is a chore, if you're in a hurry to catch a shot.
The stop/start button is in a slightly awkward position , and the
still-recording button is too close to the zoom rocker for comfort. The
integral battery pack arrangement means that in order to use a larger-capacity
battery the cover has to be left off, increasing the chances that it will be
lost. Lastly, there's no window on the tape compartment, so you can't tell if
there's a tape in the machine, without switching it on, or pressing the eject
button.
Fortunately there's enough good things to say about the 750 to redress
the balance. The most frequently used controls are all accessible, but the tape
transport buttons are kept out of the way, behind a sliding hatch on the cover
of the tape compartment. The built-in lens cover is a good idea, and the 750
uses a re-chargeable lithium battery to
power the clock, it doesn't need
replacing. Best of all it has an RMC edit socket, it's the later type, called
the 'new edit terminal' with 11-pins, but it is fully compatible with the more
familiar 5-pin connectors, used on all of Panasonic's controllers (and
Blaupunkt clones), plus an increasing number of accessory market controllers.
The extra pins carry video and audio signals, in addition to the control data,
so in theory the camcorder can be connected to the controller by just one
cable, in practice it hasn't happened yet, though Panasonic assure us that
products using this connecting system are in the pipeline.
IN USE
It looks, feels and handles like a brick with a wrist-strap, and it's
distinctly nose-heavy. The surprise is that it is not at all uncomfortable to
hold, though it is quite heavy and it can become a little tiresome after a
while. Some of the controls could have been better thought our, in particular
the awkward switching system for the digital effects; the main auto/manual
switch is disastrously close to the microphone, it definitely shouldn't be used when the machine is recording.
In spite of the controls the digital effects work well, and the mixer
makes a very welcome change from a boring old fader (it has that as well). The
image stabiliser is quite effective, though like the electronic zoom there is a
noticeable reduction in picture quality but it is far less dramatic, thanks to
the higher quality S-VHS recording system.
PERFORMANCE
The on-screen results were pretty much as expected with horizontal
resolution between 380 and 400 lines, that places it firmly in the middle rank
of high-band palmcorders, though the absence of colour spillage and very low
noise levels gives it a small but very worthwhile advantage over most similarly
specified machines. The lack of any serious exposure controls is perhaps its
biggest drawback, and it really does need some form of backlight control, at
the very least. The 750's auto systems are adequate for most everyday
situations but there are times when they just cannot cope; the current trend
towards programmed auto exposure systems -- and Panasonic are one of the
leading exponents -- suggests that this design is nearing its sell-by date.
We thought the top-mounted microphone was going to give us trouble, in the
end it wasn't a half as bad as we had expected, with more than adequate frontal
sensitivity. However, like most machines with single-point stereo mikes it
produces a very shallow stereo effect. It would be hardly worth the effort but
for the fact that the hi-fi recording system has a very generous bandwidth, and
the 750 has a socket for an external microphone.
VERDICT
A year on and we haven't changed our position significantly over the
T1/750. It's dull but worthy, like the sober-suited businessmen Panasonic hoped
would buy it, to put into their briefcases. It's not a bad machine by any means
but measured against other high-band palmcorders in the same price bracket --
including the Panasonic S7, Hitachi H37 and Canon UC30 -- it lacks excitement,
zip and pizzazz. Above all camcorders should be fun to use but there's nothing
about this one that makes you want to pick it up and make video movies; it
looks and feels like an expensive executive gadget, it could just as easily be
a personal organiser, or a dictating machine. We're pleased Blaupunkt have
decided to bring the 750 into the UK -- we're all for choice -- but with the
benefit of 20:20 hindsight we think Panasonic were probably right not to
bother.
SPECIFICATIONS
Make/model
BLAUPUNKT SCR-750S
Recording format S-VHS-C
Guide price
£1,000
OPTICS
Lens
f1.4, 6-48mm
Zoom
8x optical, 16x electronic
Filter diameter 43mm
Pick-up device 0.3in
CCD (420k pixels)
Min. illum. (lux) 3,
(1 lux, gain up mode)
VIDEO DECK
Tape speed (mm/sec) 23.39(SP), 11.70(LP)
Max. rec. time
90mins (LP mode)
Remote control
RMC/5-pin edit control
socket
Main facilities
auto/manual focus, auto exposure, auto/manual white balance, fader, time/date recording, high-speed shutter (7-speeds up to 1/4000th
sec), record review, digital image stabiliser, digital still, strobe and mix,
gain up, 'snapshot' recording, built-in lens cover
VIEWFINDER
Viewfinder
0.6in colour LCD
Viewfinder info.
deck mode and status, low battery, tape count, shutter speed, fader,
focus mode, tape end, time/date, dew, head clog
AUDIO
System
FM stereo hi-fi
Microphone
single-point stereo
GENERAL
Sockets
S-Video out (mini DIN), video and stereo audio out (phono), external mic (minijack)
Size (mm)
Weight
1.1 kg (inc. tape and battery)
STANDARD ACCESSORIES
Batteries, (nicad and alkaline), straps, AC charger/power supply, AV lead
and adaptor, cassette adaptor,
PERFORMANCE
Resolution
>380-lines (S-Video), 340 lines composite
Colour fidelity good
Picture stability good
Colour bleed none
White balance good
Exposure
average
Autofocus
good
Audio performance good
Insert edit
N/A (manual inserts clean)
Playback thru adaptor good
VC RATINGS
Value for money 8
Ease of use 8
Performance 8
Features 8
---end---
(c) R Maybury 1993 2806
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