hi,

finally i've located several source for buying the pi. however, they are all very pricey. therefore i'd like to do alittle bit research more. and here are some question i come up, hope people here at dvi can help me thru this quest =):

1. the pi has 360k effective pixels compares with the newer optura 10/20 , which has 690k effective pixels. does these numbers represent a better image quality??

2. since the pi is a discontinued product, does canon still provide repair or parts replacement services??? (i'm not talking about warrenty here)

3. the filter diameter is 30.5mm the orginal step up is 30.5 to 46. will the other 30.5mm lens converter or step up ring fits? such as the wd28 for the new ZRs.?

4. for those who have used pi, how does it compare with canon's newer models, such as elura 50 and etc.

ps. chris, i am wondering if you got my mail about my alternative email accounts? i know this must be troublesome, your attention is greatly appreciated. =) (re: Jon at cals camera info)

thanks to ya'll for reading this thread
i am looking forward to complete this quest
charlie wu

Charlie

1. Pixel count does not ultimately determine image quality.

2. Canon USA repairs and services products for at least seven years past the date of discontinuance.

3. All of the Canon 30.5mm accessory filters and lens adapters (such as those listed for the current ZR series) will work with the Pi.

4. The Pi is better than the current ZR and Elura series camcorders and is better in some respects over the Optura 20 but worse in others.

I've been juggling mail between my laptop and my home system but have replied to your email a few moments ago -- hope this helps,

thanks a bunch, chris.

btw, when you said that pi is better in some area than the 20s which aspect are you talking about? and what are the areas that's worsen than the 20s?

how is the low lite performance for pi??

ps.i did recieve the mail and wrote to jon already. hope to hear from him soon

Optura Pi is better than Optura 20:

smaller, mostly metal body, true progressive scan, LANC jack for remote lens control from tripod handle, primary (RGB) color filter, optical image stabilization, add-on lens adapters & filters are less expensive

Optura 20 is better than Optura Pi:

larger lens with longer zoom, manual focus ring, 1.3 megapixel stills, mix-to-tape function from memory card, better in low light, faster tape transport, next-generation DIGIC image processor

Hope this helps,

this really helps
thanks

If you can't find an Optura PI, but happen to bump into an Optura 100MC, consider this one as well. It's a beauty of a cam---no pro-scan, though.

thanks frank. i'll keep that in mind. i really compared pi with alot of cameras. i found myself stuck in all the options i have. at the end, i don't know if i just want to buy the pi for the sake of it..

oh well...
we'll see