REVIEW
HEAD
SPOT THE DIFFERENCE
INTRO
We've become used to a fairly regular turnover of new camcorder designs
from Sony, so we were a little surprised to see their latest Hi8 palmcorder,
the TR707 which reminds us of another machine....
COPY
If you've just experienced a strong feeling of déjà-vu it could be that the
Sony CCD-TR707 pictured here looks uncannily like the TR705, which we reviewed
this time last year. Not only does the 707 look like the 705 the technical
specification is identical, so too are the performance figures, and the price;
so are there any differences? We've managed to spot four. The first is a minor
modification to the inside of the eyepiece, the second is a slight change in
colour, from coal black to dark anthracite, number three concerns a few alterations
in the instruction book, and the fourth is the model number...
Sony say the change of model number is to give it a facelift for 1993,
work that one out for yourselves... You are forgiven for asking yourselves why
we're telling you all this? The simple answer is that 705/707, call it what you
will, is still a fine machine. Our initial review last year was a fairly
cursory affair and since Sony have decided to keep this model running for another year we thought it only
fair to keep you up to date, and introduce it to the many new readers who have
joined us in the last twelve months.
In order of importance the 707's most significant features are its Hi8
recording system, stereo soundtrack and manual exposure options, everything else is familiar territory to
anyone who has ever used a TR camcorder, indeed, there are aspects of the 707
that hark back to the daddy of all palmcorders, the TR55, including the quaint
tape loading mechanism which can only be accessed by lifting up a flap on the
top panel.
The controls are confined to two main sites, the tape transport keys are
all on the top panel, and the camera buttons and switches on the left side of
the machine; manual overrides for exposure, focus, white balance and shutter
speed are all tucked away under a sliding hatch, which doubles as an auto lock,
so when the cover is closed all the
camera systems are set to automatic. The 707 has an inner-focus lens; it was
one of the first Sony machines to use the preferred ring-type servo control,
mounted on the outside of the lens barrel; since then they've slipped back into
old habits and some recent machines use thumbwheels or buttons for manual focusing,
so that's another point in the 707's favour, proving the point that new isn't
necessarily better.
Manual exposure is controlled by a thumbwheel, but unlike most other
manual exposure systems, which are sometimes little more than fancy backlight
or front-light controls, this one goes from a closed iris, through 18 steps,
(each 1/3 f-stop) though to 6-stepped increases in gain (3dB steps). This can
be used in conjunction with the electronic shutter, giving the user an enormous
amount of control over the camera, to deal with a variety of situations, both
creatively, or as a counter measure, including adjusting the depth of field, or
shooting in low-light conditions.
IN USE
Sony virtually invented the palmcorder and their unrivalled experience is
plain to see (and feel). The 707 is a snug fit in the palm of the hand, with
all of the controls neatly and logically placed for maximum ease of use. The
only exceptions are the record search buttons, which are the opposite way round
to the picture search keys, and the manual focus ring, which has to be used
with care; it is at the front of the
lens barrel and at least a third of its circumference is shrouded by the machine's
casing, this all means that it's very easy for a finger or thumb to stray into
shot when it is being used.
Some of the minor controls are small and quite fiddly, though as they're
rarely, if ever, needed whilst shooting it's not a major problem. Various other
features may take some getting used to: the world clock is a bit of a gimmick,
and the title superimposer can be quite fiddly, but they're not compulsory... One
feature on the 707, that should be compulsory on all other machines, is the Control
L or LANC socket, which is used to connect this machine to an edit controller.
PERFORMANCE
In a repeat performance of last year's tests the 707 managed to resolve
around 380-lines, that's a little below the oft-quoted 400-line benchmark for
high-band camcorders but the 707 makes up for this with below average amounts
of colour noise, resulting in a sharp, clean-looking picture. We're always on
the alert for colour bleeding with Sony machines, we're pleased to say the colours on our 707 were all in their
right places. In the pasty Sony AF systems have tended to be motionally
challenged, that is, sluggish and indecisive, but the 707 has quite a
respectable turn of speed and doesn't get overly distracted by objects or
people straying into the picture.
The 707's stereo sound system is crisp and responsive, though there's a
slight tendency to 'choppiness' when there's a high level of background noise.
The stereo soundstage is necessarily quite narrow from the single-point stereo
mike, though it's better than a lot of stereo machines we've tried recently. In
any case it's a simple enough matter to plug in an external mike.
VERDICT
The 707 has a true dual personality. Discerning newcomers, looking for a high-performance
machine they can grow with will feel immediately at their ease with this
machine. Equally, the manual exposure controls will appeal to those who want or
need to make their own creative decisions. Changing the model number hasn't
turned the 705 into a new machine, in any case this model has the strength and standing
to carry on for another year without this kind of very superficial revamp, it's
not as if Sony are short of interesting new products... We liked the 705 in
1992 and we like it just as much in 1993, though Sony would be well advised to
come up with something new for next year!
SPECIFICATIONS
Make/model Sony
TR-707
Recording format Hi
8/8mm
Guide price
£1000
OPTICS
Lens
f1.6, 7.8-62.4mm
Zoom 8x variable speed
Filter diameter 37mm
Pick-up device
0.5in CCD
Min. illum. (lux) 2
VIDEO DECK
Tape speed (mm/sec) 20.051 (SP), 10.026(LP)
Max. rec. time
120mins (LP mode)
Remote control
full-function IR, Control L
(LANC)
Main facilities
auto/manual focus, auto/manual exposure, auto/manual white balance,
fader, time/date/world-time recording,
insert edit, title superimposer, high-speed shutter (6-speed up to
1/1000th sec), record review, wind noise filter
VIEWFINDER
Viewfinder
0.6in monochrome
Viewfinder info.
deck mode and status, low battery, tape count, shutter speed, fader,
focus mode, tape end, time/date, title, zoom, head clog, dew
AUDIO
System
FM stereo hi-fi
Microphone
single-point stereo electret
GENERAL
Sockets
composite video and stereo audio out (phono) S-Video out (mini DIN),
ext. mic, remote control, headphones (minijack)
Size (mm)
109 x 105 x 178
Weight
1.02 kg (inc. tape and battery)
STANDARD ACCESSORIES
Batteries, (nicad and lithium), straps, AC charger/power supply, AV lead
and adaptor, remote control, RF unit
PERFORMANCE
Resolution 380-lines
(S-Video), 240-lines (composite)
Colour fidelity good
Picture stability good
Colour bleed negligible
White balance good
Exposure very good
Autofocus good
Audio performance very good
Insert edit manual
inserts clean
Playback thru adaptor N/A
VC RATINGS
Value for money 8
Ease of use 9
Performance 9
Features 7
---end---
(c) R Maybury 1993 0106
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