New Pana NV-GS1000K

[Tony Leung]

Thanks all information about GS1000K. I hope that once the DV hit the market for one or two months, more sample video and photos can be released to compare it with other popular DV from Sony, JVC and Canon.

[Tommy Haupfear]

With a good chance that we won't see the GS100K for a while (if at all) and I can still get top dollar for the in-demand DV953 I don't see why not.

Of course I'd be back to Japanese menus again but the widescreen mode and increased low-light performance definitely has me intrigued.

I wonder what the price of the limited edition black one is?

[Frank Granovski]

Yes, I wonder if Panasonic will once again skip North America with this model, but if it does come, it probably won't come 'til late (very late) spring of 2004. And then they'll most likely only trickle in, as with the PV-DV953.

[Patricia Kim]

I'm a total neophyte who just bought the nv-gs100k from http://www.pricejapan.com after lurking for about a week in this and a few other fora. Ordered Monday afternoon; the camera arrived Wednesday afternoon. It cost $1275, including shipping via DHL to Hawaii (arrived via LA, according to DHL tracking). I am still working on figuring out controls, etc., using the 953 manual as a cheat sheet, although this will only work up to a point. Sorry I am too ignorant to be able to answer any questions about performance of the unit compared to standards many of you have mentioned. I decided on this model after learning that the camera I thought most likely to suit me (dc352) had been discontinued but is nonetheless still priced in the $1300 range in the States when available. Further research (consisting of forum lurking and many visits to the Panasonic Japan web site) made me decide that for the money, I might as well go with the 100k and do it now - precisely because of the stocking issue and the fact that I don't want to wait till 2004 to see if it arrives. The only two performance related comments I can make so far: it seems to me to do well in low light (my definition thereof: a room at midnight illuminated by a floor lamp and a room in the morning with only sunlight coming through sliding glass doors with drawn curtains - nope, can't answer questions about flare, graininess, etc., just don't know enough), which is important to me since I plan to use it for filming family gatherings; there is a definite motor whine when recording and playing back. Don't have any idea how this would affect replaying on one's tv, for instance. Also no clue as to how well this will work with my Mac.

The main reason I registered for this board is to be able to thank all of you, especially those based in Japan, for your posts. The discussion helped me make a decision which I suspect I will generally be happy with. I've learned from past experience to buy the item which is really beyond my level and try to grow into it; ends up being cheaper in the end than discarding units in between because they've been "outgrown" or don't do the one thing that really matters to me.

P.S. Anyone considering ordering from pricejapan should read through all sections of the web site. There are disclaimers and and information about how warranty problems are handled (can end up costing quite a bit if there is a problem with the unit). It is very straightforward and business-like; no weasling around.

P.P.S. My unit arrived in a box marked nv-gs100k, but the unit itself is marked nv-gs100. Possibly the "k" is an indicator of the kind of package involved rather than an indicator of any level of features. Guess only time will tell.

[Frank Granovski]

Welcome Patricia Kim! You are probably the first GS100 owner in the USA---well, Charles Littman claims he got one a couple of weeks ago.

[Vladimir Koifman]

<<<-- Originally posted by Patricia Kim :
....
P.P.S. My unit arrived in a box marked nv-gs100k, but the unit itself is marked nv-gs100. Possibly the "k" is an indicator of the kind of package involved rather than an indicator of any level of features. Guess only time will tell. -->>>

My guess is that "K" stands for blacK body, like in CMYK. GS100 comes in silver or black color and yours is probably black.

[Tommy Haupfear]

I'd definitely like clarification on the body color as I've had enough silver cams.

Whats the word on the shoe? Is it warm or cold to the touch?

The GS100K in black

http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2002-...V-GS100K-K.jpg

The funky LCD Light

http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2002-...0kLCDLight.jpg

[Frank Granovski]

Yeah, I also prefer black, unless it's gold plated. :)

Correct me if I'm wrong, but with the first pic, the GS100's lens looks wider than the one on the PV-DV953/MX5. Allan?

[Patricia Kim]

Sorry, it's silver, although the grip on the right side of the camera is dark charcoal. According to the Japanese manual, the hot shoe is exactly that, and Panasonic sells (separately, of course) a stereo zoom mike and a video flash that supposedly work off the shoe. (Yes, I can painfully slog my way through some Japanese, but not enough to figure out jargon and specialty terms.) There is also a waist pack battery, which I just ordered (wish I had thought of it sooner). Price of the gs100k dropped about $30 today on pricejapan (had to go back to them on the battery and noticed today's price on the 100k as well). Don't know if that's a function of yen fluctuations or of the "street" taking over.

[Allan Rejoso]

Looking at the brochure, the ending letter K is supposed to stand for black, S for Silver. However, both bodies are marked with GS100 only.

Price are exactly the same (I guess). The black one won't be availalable until the 10th of July.

Frank, the lens glass diameter of the GS100 and 5000 appeared the same to me.

Yes, the shoe is hot and Pany have released a new silver colored mic (VW-VMH3 - same grade as the VMS1) that is hot shoe compatible.

Patricia, it's a function of both foreign exchange rate and street price. (most stores listed in kakaku update everyday). Happy shooting to you.

[Patricia Kim]

Oops. Should have said the box says NV-GS100K-S. A closer look shows the Japanese word for silver in a little oval right after the "S". So maybe the K-S is meant to convey that it comes in black (kuroi in Japanese, I think) and silver versions. Anyway, it ain't the outside, but what it produces that counts, and I have to say that so far, in purely auto mode (which in my case is far better than trying to fool around with manual), it's doing a fine job by know-nothing standards. Hope some of you who know much more about digicams and shooting video than I do get this model soon so I can check out your evaluations. Cheers.

[Frank Granovski]

Allan, you hinted that the GS100 body isn't as solid as the MX5/PV-DV953. Does its body seem more like the MX3000 or GS70? How are the dials and buttons: solid, or more like the ones found on the MX3000?

[Allan Rejoso]

My initial impression was that the GS100 body seem similar to that of GS70, but it kinda reminded me of the smooth finish of the 3000 as well. However, the back side of the LCD panel (the surface where pany label is attached) of the 70 is undoubtedly cheapo while that of 100 appears to be of thin metal plate (Patricia what do you think?).

Buttons (except 2) hidden by the LCD panel are covered with a layer of (plastic) film similar to Sony design, unlike the more solid ones of 5000... Stylish looks but will probably not please the pros who prefer sturdy buttons and knobs. They are easier to see and use though because of the bigger markings and effective button area. Perhaps makers want us to use the remote control more.

The jogwheel and menu button quality and placement are exactly the same as that of 5000. If you're gripping the camera, it can be difficult to do menu operations using the right hand forefinger and thumb. Thus, I normally use my left hand for that.

[Patricia Kim]

This camera would definitely be better in black, especially for heavy users. Fingersprints show already on the outside of the LCD panel, and I suspect if I had residue of any kind (say from sunscreen) on my hands, it might eventually change the quality of the finish itself. I have fairly small fingers, so the touch panel under the LCD is okay, but even I found myself thinking someone with larger fingers might find them frustrating to hit exactly right. The 100K is being marketed by Panasonic for people like me, I think (well, okay, maybe more adept than me, but that's not hard), who want something that can do the basics well and promises to be able to do more if you can ever get past the basics. I didn't really see anything pushing this for pro use, though. Probably, since JVC just announced a HD capable model for the US, folks will want to weigh that. I've seen the Japanese model on the web site, and it certainly looks like it's designed more for pros - or maybe to bridge the transition between highly skilled amateurs and pros (also, JVC's web site is a lot slicker than Panasonic's, so maybe that's a factor). Someone at camcorderinfo.com rightly pointed out that for most people, buying a Japan model can involve more risks than it's worth. I have just been lucky up to now (knock on wood) with most Japanese made products - except a Sony Vaio laptop, and I won't go there again.

[Yow Cheong Hoe]

Yes, one of my continual ranting about Panasonic's new buttons layout is the moving of the jog and menu button from the left to the right, AND at the top of the cam. I was playing with a GS70 last night in a local shop here in Singapore. Just "can't get a good grip" (pardon the pun) of the buttons while shooting. Here's where the MX8/300/350 really wins.

To change exposure during a shoot, you'll have to either twist your fore-finger real bad, or to wrap your left hand over the top of the cam to reach the jog. Terrible!