Hitachi–and other camcorder manufacturers who make all-automatic models–should consider adding a simple manual focus system on all of their cameras it’s an essential feature that would be well worth an extra $50 to the beginning videographer.Įven so, Hitachi’s VM-2900A is an excellent value, one that beginners will appreciate for its wide range of features and capabilities. Still, there’s no substitute for control. The VM-2900A’s system does perform well enough, however, with quick response times and little tendency to hunt for focus. With no way to control the focus, beginning videographers will have to content themselves with whatever the autofocus system gives them. One serious flaw, however, mars this otherwise decent product: lack of manual-focus control. Resolution will suffer most when richly saturated colors or poorly lit scenes are the subject matter, so a little bit of planning for lighting, backgrounds and clothing color will go a long way toward producing decent-looking shots with this or any other inexpensive camcorder.
The word on the VM-2900A is that the quality of the recordings is not bad–certainly not great, but not bad. While many beginners are happy enough at first just to have a camcorder, they often end up with disappointment at the low quality of the recorded footage they get when they pop the finished tape into the VCR. For the amount of features it carries, it’s truly a wonder that you can buy this camcorder for under $500 in a discount consumer electronics warehouse.Īlas, there’s a second price that one must consider when making a low-budget camcorder purchase: the price in quality. The most amazing thing about the VM-2900A is its price. This means even more built-in flexibility for the beginner who’s not afraid to try a little two-finger crash editing, using the home VCR as a player and perhaps even inserting a little music or narration (with a simple audio mixer and microphone). With the VM-2900A’s flying erase head and audio/video dub capability, it’s possible to use the unit as an effective record deck for simple edits. A handy carrying strap also sits on top of the VM-2900A, making it easy to tote around while on vacation. VCR transport controls (which do double duty as the unit’s built-in titler) line the top of the camcorder, as do the Date/Time Stamp, Display and Counter Reset buttons. Of these, the Auto Light and Fader controls are probably the most useful to beginners first learning the art of videography, because they provide an easy way to enhance the quality of videos without purchasing any extra hardware. A typical record button/zoom rocker combination rests under the fingers of the right hand the left side holds controls for the Auto Light, Fader, 100:1 Digital Zoom and 1.5X Instant Zoom features. This gives videographers a way to check color problems–such as tricky white-balance situations and over-saturated hues–right in the viewfinder, without an external monitor.Ĭontrols on the camcorder body are minimal. One of the first things a beginning videographer will see when he or she looks into the VM-2900A’s eyepiece is a feature that only appeared on expensive camcorders a couple of years ago: a color viewfinder. It isn’t the most impressive camcorder on the shelves, to be sure, but it does offer one of the best feature-to-price ratios in any format. Hitachi’s VM-2900A is a full-size VHS camcorder that fits squarely into the latter category, offering a very inexpensive and easy way for the beginner to start making video. While much of the media attention has focused on high-end prosumer models in the Hi8, S-VHS and DV formats, it’s never been cheaper to buy a low-end 8mm, VHS or VHS-C model. The most recent growth in the consumer camcorder industry has come from opposite ends of the market.
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