Sony's camcorder with a built-in projector

[tom hardwick]

Have a look at the new Sony camcorder with amazing built-in projector. The guy claims a 60'' screen is possible, but the sound must be from that tiny in-built camcorder speaker. Ug.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h2lK03w9vKA

Sony's full colour ad in the Sunday supplement also shows 'dad' hand-holding the camcorder as it projects a monumental picture for his happy, smiling family. Takes me back to the days when a projectionist friend of mine used to hand hold the Eumig so that it could be turned sideways to correct for his Super-8 scenes shot in portrait mode. I kid you not.

tom.

[Roy1]

Most holiday snapshooters ( like those in the days of film) hand hold their camcorders with a resultant irratating jerky images, now they are going to show those same images using a hand held projector. I can imagine the results,but the viewers will no doubt acclaim the results to be " awesome". No doubt the Sony latest will make a killing. I seem to remember in the distant past that there was a 9.5 mm film camera which also doubled as a projector.

[Dave Watterson]

Midas was the 9.5mm camera/projector - I have one in the attic. The film came in a "charger" which was two spools side by side in a case with a loop of film emerging between light-trap slots. Snap the charger into the camera, open up and slip the loop round the film path, then shoot. On projection it used what was essentially the bulb from a bicycle lamp so a picture 18 inches across was about the usable limit. What with the 9.5mm system of notched titles which meant you need only use a frame or two for a title rather than waste feet of film (the notched but stayed in the projector gate until the projectionists clicked a lever) - it was way ahead of its time in terms of user convenience.

As for the hand-held issue ... camcorders have got ever-better compensation systems in them to help steady the picture taken ... I wonder if this will have a similar system in operation to steady-up the projection!

Dave

[Chrisbitz]

I'm surprised at everyone's negativity. To me, this is a pretty innovative feature, not seen before, and I'm already prepared for it not to be as good at projecting as a dedicated projector and a Dolby Surround sound amplifier.

However, in a dark room, left on a coffee table, and a couple of inexpensive computer speakers plugged in, is going to be a fantastic feature for many circumstances where perfection is not possible.

At the price of £575 or whatever it is, it seems fairly reasonable for a slightly above low-end camcorder... I don't think that's any reason to knock it really?