CHAPTER FOUR ....LENSES

The zoom lens on the camcorder you have bought, or are thinking of buying is a miracle of computer designed optics.

To be able to change the focal length over a wide range while maintaining focus and aperture setting for all colors is not easy to do. To make it light weight and inexpensive increases the challenge.

To keep this lens in the best possible condition, it is wise to develop a few good habits.

Keep the lens cap on when it is not actually in use. This keeps peanut butter off the front element, and avoids bright lights from getting through to burn an image into the chip or tube in the camera.

When the camcorder is being moved or handled the focus ring should be set full in, (infinity) and the zoom lever should be either full wide angle or full telephoto, never in between. The reason for this is that there is a lightweight cam, probably of plastic,(what isn't?) that moves the zoom elements, and any jar or rough handling can put a small nick in this cam which will always result in a slight hesitation in the zoom as it passes this point.

If you are considering buying a used unit, delicately move the zoom lever by hand, in and out, and if you feel any resistance at any mid point, decline the deal with thanks.

Another test for a lens is to set the camera on a tripod, aim it at a full sheet of newspaper taped to a wall. The print should be in focus from the center out to each corner, and the lens should stay in focus when zoomed in and out. It would be best to feed the output of the camcorder into a good TV set or monitor for this test, rather than relying on what you see in the viewfinder.