I want answers, and I want them now!!!
 

I want to know things. Lots of things, like:

How much better is the GS100 in "low light?" (When compared with the MX5/953)
Will Pana USA bring in this baby to the USA/Canada?
When?
Will it be stripped down?
Will the GS100 be the consumer version and the mamba the EZ pro version?

And:

When will Pana and others come with a standard 5-year warranty to booster consumer trust?
When will consumer cams get those bigger CCDs and bigger lenses again?
When are miniDV tape brands going to become standardized (so when you mix em, they won't destroy your heads)?
Why aren't consumer cams built more like SLR cameras: solid, reliable and have the ability to inter-change lenses?
When are all consumer cams going to have great 16:9 and progressive scan?

I want to know these things too:

Where's the slow motion feature?
Stop action?
When are consumer cams going to get pro audio?
More LUX, please! And then some.
When are Pana adaptors going to come with filter threads up front, huh?
Why don't cams have a cartoon mode???
Why can't I grow younger instead of older?
Anything else?

* Disclaimer: not intended for the ironically challenged

bleah... go get a time machine, you'll get all your questions answered this way...

I think we should start a consulting business that will advise Pana ( and others) on how to better do its products & marketing.

As independent consultants, we can be on a monthly retainer to do this.

I'd love to make this pitch to them. They're doing a great job, but it can certainly be better.

BTW, are there outfits that do this kinda thing?

Some answers
 

<<How much better is the GS100 in "low light?" (When compared with the MX5/953)>>
Well, I haven’t had the chance to compare them straight but have seen a lot of sample of MX5000 online and even real video (provided on CD – professional video camera test). I can state that GS100 is very good – gone is the noise bugging so many owners of PV953. There is still some noise depending on the scene but the sharpness and color saturation are outstanding.

<<When will consumer cams get those bigger CCDs and bigger lenses again?>>
Never!!! ‘Consumers’ are not the people in this forums but the millions of innocent average mainstream. They want small. They want 2 in 1. They want Mega Pixel still camera and video in tiny body. This year Sony released first 3 MP, next year we’ll have 4 MP with even worse low light video. Blah…

<<Why aren't consumer cams built more like SLR cameras: solid, reliable and have the ability to inter-change lenses?>> Cause they would cost like SLRs. The first ever camcorder I’ve touched was early model ITT VHS-C my father bought back in 86 from Germany. It was electrode tube (not CCD) - pro measured the output bandwidth and was stunt from the quality. It cost 3600 DM without the accessories. Always the first ever consumer products have been closer to the Pro but so is the price.

<<When are consumer cams going to get pro audio?>> When they become much bulkier and ending up being not consumer any more cause ‘consumers’ (see above) wouldn’t want to buy them.

<<Why don't cams have a cartoon mode???>> JVC cams have animation mode if that’s what you mean. Heard it’s cool for doing animation movies.

Thanks for the questions Frank - made us all think about it!

Great answers, Bogdan! "Anything else" you want to share? Personally, I also want to see better viewfinders, bigger, higher resolution.

Wish for GS100 Second Edition
 

Frank, I really liked your input so here is a bit more from me.

Yes for sure we need bigger and better, high resolution viewfinder.
I would prefer 3 inch higher resolution LCD with larger viewing angles.
Also better connectivity than that on GS100 - separate earphones, AV in/out, mic in and for god sake give us LANC connector Panasonic!

Zooming with the supplied 'Magic wire' RC is a pain as it is with the wireless remote controller. As I've mentioned before this is highest class consumer (even Pro-sumer) camcorder and one might want to buy Vari Zoom or other good controller for use while on tripod, etc.

Also I think that Pana really made this lens/CCD combination for economic reasons. I guess larger and better lens from Leica would lead to larger CCDs – all good things but not for the current price. The lens size is really funny to me and I’m surprised that this cam delivers that quality. We can see how far the electronics wizardry have gone (crystal engine and so on).

To sum up the perfect cam for me would be hybrid between GS100, Sony TRVs and may be GL2:
Optical Zoom 20x like Canon or 12x like TRV950;
Active prism optical image stabilization (better than the shift lens linear);
Connectivity like all Sonys have;
Size, sharpness and resolution + frame mode and cinema mode like GS100;
The new 16:9 mode of the new Canon Xi;
Even better low light capability than GS100 – that will lead to larger CCDs and larger lens hopefully not enlarging the overall size.

But may be in few years we will be all going to similar priced but true HD mini monsters. Dreams...

That's exactly what I want!

buy a dvx100 pal, put an anamorphic adapter on it, and quit whining.

Hehe. Okay. But that's a pro cam. We want all this on a consumer cam. :)


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I can tell with my face, that my wife uses my razor. And blades aren't cheap! Ouch!

In the 1300-1400 USD range!!!

lol okay you guys are demanding!

How much better is the GS100 in "low light?" (When compared with the MX5/953)

How do you quantify noise?..same as happiness (LOL)?


When will Pana and others come with a standard 5-year warranty to booster consumer trust?

They don't need to especially in Japan. If you want extended warranty, stores can provide that at a very reasonable cost.


When will consumer cams get those bigger CCDs and bigger lenses again?

The Optura Xi has a HUGE lens. PC300's lens is not small either..both have big CCDs as well. but of course, everybody is aware the return to bigger lens and CCDs on this 2 models is due in great part to the need to improve still capability, which the mainstream (Jap) market seem to value more than, say low-light performance for instance. The bright side to having higher resolution CCD seem to be the improvement in 16:9 quality.


When are miniDV tape brands going to become standardized (so when you mix em, they won't destroy your heads)?

Frank, I still have no problem mixing standard type Sony, Pany and Fuji with my Optura100...still lucky I guess..


Why aren't consumer cams built more like SLR cameras: solid, reliable and have the ability to inter-change lenses?

Give a new consumer cam model the SLR look and weight and it probably won't sell, especially in Japan. Small/compact, lightweight, super Megapixel are obviously, the key to good sales. Too bad for us ne?


When are all consumer cams going to have great 16:9 and progressive scan?

Better 16:9 is definitely a big trend and finally convinced the wife to get a nice 16:9 TV. Progressive scan, I don't know, the Jap mainstream market don't know either and don't seem to care at all.


Where's the slow motion feature?

You can do this with the Optura200 right?


When are Pana adaptors going to come with filter threads up front, huh?

When Canon and most other camcorder makers start providing one perhaps.


Why don't cams have a cartoon mode???

Yeah, I've read about the ANIME feature of the JVC.


Why can't I grow younger instead of older?

I want to know as well.


Frank, let's face it, the mainstream market, including me, rarely uses the viewfinder. Pany GS100 provides the BEST looking 3.5" LCD in the market right now (that's according to my eyes). I wouldn't trade that for a bigger and clearer VF.

Yeah, where's the LANC connector?


What I don't need?

A special pin connector for AV that Sony provides in their new cams (PC300 for instance). Very inconvenient when you want to compare cams or watch video in different houses as you'd have to carry the special AV cable with you all the time. I'm fine with standard S-Video and composite video. If they want to improve, then component video or D-connector is great, but not anything proprietary please. Sorry off topic.

Isn't it too bad that these kind of poker tele's aren't available for MX/GS cams?

http://www.8palm.com/nf2060a.jpg

Research, research, research get the picture!