Lighting for a Mini-DV Camcorder

[David Thrasher]

I was wondering if anyone has ever tested Mini-DV Camcorders to see how many
discreet shades of gray they can record. I haven't had a chance yet to test
mine (a Canon Elura II MC) but I have noticed on a bright sunny day that the
sunny side of a building will go completely to white. I'm certain that if you
adjusted exposure to compensate that the dark areas of the scene would go
black. An idea I have is to use lights or reflectors for fill to even out the
lighting. Any thoughts or experiences on this matter?