okies heres a strange one.. the GS has 1/4.7 CCD while the DVC has 1/4
they both have cineGamma.. to what extend on the GS i do not know however the DVC, seems to be idenitcal with the DVX.. when it comes to settings..

But CCD siza and low light.. well im tryin to figure which would be best for my needs.. i need a second cam for weddings and im using a DVX, and an MX now.. which is falling on its arse as trends down here change.. low light performance is non existant and i cant afford to lsoe business coz of the cam im using..
Its a good cam.. but ther eare some things it just cant do..

okies so im going the the gs400 manual..

now physically, i dont know if it shares the same batery as the DVC/DVX/MX.. but it would help if it did.. I liek the compactness and single hand control of teh GS, but the "pro" look of the DVC helps to hook those clients..

backlight.. well.. for weddings and live events.. this is important.. expecially when it comes to accurate skin tones.. so the reds of the MX have to go.. id love to see a picture of the backlight comp on... from both cams.. apparently the DVC has a similar iris set up to the dvx.. and the dvx has offered THE best backlight compensatin i have seen on any cam of its calibre...

Wid/pro features .. dont ned these.. i do it all in post and save resolution.. the wide angle aspect of the DVC 30 is much more appealing as is the longer zoom..
Frame... well theyre pretty much identical..

Skin Detail, dont need this.. all in post again..

Both have white and black balance adjustment settings, which is incredible for something like the GS.. i wouldnt expect that in all honesty...

Manual focus ring/zoom
i like the rocker.. although i have mastered the MX analogeous speed control.. its incredible once u learn to crawl or whip without havign to adjust anything (speed) in menu.. but i love the rocker of a pro cam... the rings are also far superior to the GS.. without a doubt..

Bass enhancement on a camera?? LOL i gues it IS a consumer cam.. but i cant find a DVC manual so i cant compare tech specs.

okies heres the difference according to spec..
The dvc allows for matrix and phase shifting so matchin this cam to a dvx theoreticaly shouldnt be too much of a hassle..
4 Scene Files + Detail, Chroma Level, Chroma Phase, Color Temp, Master Ped, AE Shift, Skin Tone Detail
The dvc also has 12 bit A/D converter and RGB gamma processor which DOES make a difference..

Lux rating is 4 for the dvc and thats at 18+db gain, while the GS has a rating of 2 using colour night shoot, which is about 8fps, depending on available light.. in comparison, the DVX has a lux of 3 @ 18db+.. now i dont use that.. i only go up to +12db.. on the mx, i dont go over 15, and it woudl most liekyl be the same for the DVC (15db gain up that is.. )

now im leanign towards a DVC.. and the price difference is VERY minimal here in Oz..

so whats the point here..

Which friggin cam do i buy?? LOL

by the way does anyone know wher i can find a dvc30 manual???

If the GS400 follows the cine-like gamma of the GS100 then it will be non-adjustable. GS400 low light? Well the cam isn't out yet but I would guess it would be similar to that of the Sony PDX10 which is not great. I used a VX2000 and PDX10 for a wedding last year and the PDX10 was worthless save for a few minutes of interviews with a high power on-camera light.

I really don't think the GS400 will be the cam for you, especially if you have no interest in high resolution 16:9.

Here is a difference between the GS100 and DVC30's movie modes (frame mode, widescreen, cine-like gamma). I'm sure (or at least I hope..) the results would be different in comparing their native 4:3 modes.

http://www.villagephotos.com/pubbrowse.asp?selected=901419

- original credit for these frames go to Kaku Ito hailing from Shibuya, Tokyo

by the way does anyone know wher i can find a dvc30 manual???

For whatever reason the Panasonic PROLINE site only has an online manual for the DVC200 and DVX100A but skimps on the DVC30 and DVC7.

http://catalog2.panasonic.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ModelList?storeId=11201&catalogId=13051&catGroupId=14571

<<<-- Originally posted by Peter Jefferson : by the way does anyone know wher i can find a dvc30 manual??? -->>>

I asked Panasonic about it (since if possible, I prefer reading the manuals to get an idea of how a camera works before buying), and this was their reply:

"Thank you for your inquiry. Since the instructions are not available to download, you may order them at the site or you may contact our National Parts Department by calling (800) 833-9626 between 9 A.M. and 7:30 P.M. Monday through Friday Eastern Standard Time. http://service.us.panasonic.com/operman/ Thank You, Panasonic Consumer Support"

I had just helped someone get the DV7 PAL version manual a couple of months ago. I believe he also got the service manual as a bonus. (Both in PDF.) So they're available. :-))

There should be a DVC30 manual somewhere. I would e-mail Pana pro USA. If they don't have one in PDF, ask them to scan you one; or perhaps even buy one from a dealer; or go to a dealer and photocopy one. :-))

thanks for the replies guys :)

ill see how i go !!