Oh, I think they're going to release something this summer. The question is will it be crippled or not.

BTW, the DV953, GS400 and DVC30 have the same filter thread size - 43mm. So, lenses and filters can be shared.

Panasonic has a new ad page up (http://ad.impress.co.jp/tie-up/panasonic-dvc0406/index.htm) with two links (red dots on the right under the first picture on the page) - one to the original Panasonic page cited here earlier and the other to what is supposed to be a review on June 28 of the cam. Just FYI.

If this cam comes to North America, will there be any Canadian dealers ?

There should be, but very few Canadian dealers carried the PV-DV953 (MX5). In Vancouver, I was only aware of 1 dealer stocking/selling this cam. Another place would only get one in if the customer made a special order. Another thing, the PV-DV953 sold for about $1000 Canadian more than what it was selling for in the USA, like at B&H. If the GS400 will follow a similar path here in Canada, you will see Canadians once again getting their's from places like B&H. Furthermore, the USA will most likely have these silver GS400s before us.

If the PV version does come stripped, you might as well get Allan to get you a Japanese version, and use the GS PAL manual as a guide.

When buying a cam such as this from say B&H across the border, what is the deal with warranty and such ? Will they honor warranties in Canada or does it have to go back to B&H ? How do these companies in the US treat say a international customer ?

The gs400 is listed (no photo, and with a note that full specs were not available at time of printing) in B&H's Summer 2004 catalog. It's not on their web site yet. You can always ask before purchase about how the warranty would work for your particular situation - just don't ask one of the sleazy dealers, as you won't be able to count on the veracity of any assurances they might give you.

"The gs400 is listed (no photo, and with a note that full specs were not available at time of printing) in B&H's Summer 2004 catalog. It's not on their web site yet. You can always ask before purchase about how the warranty would work for your particular situation - just don't ask one of the sleazy dealers, as you won't be able to count on the veracity of any assurances they might give you."

Best news all day!

Thanks,
Michael

Unlike Canon, you will most likely have to send it to the US for warranty work. However, You can always e-mail Panasonic Canada and askl them. Some Panasonics do come with an international warranty, though. If you do buy from the US, all you pay is shipping, GST and PST. A brokerage fee only comes into the picture when you use the lowest level of shipping....what is the deal with warranty and such?

Panasonic has the GS400 up on the US website for $1499.95. Panasonic Store (http://shop.panasonic.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/vModelList?categoryId=16979&catalogId=11002&storeId=11351&langId=-1). However, some of the specs are incorrect.

Wonder if Pana Japan realizes how lame Pana US? I think I even remember someone wanting to get a petition going to try to get Matsushita to upgrade the Pana US web site. Anyway, now Pana US is where the Pana Euro sites were several months ago. That's progress!

Yes, Pat. Seems like Pana US is exhibiting the same pattern as what some of the Panny Euro sites' did when they made public conflicting specs before the actual official specs were released.

Does this mean another long, protracted round of speculation and guesswork about the GS400 NTSC specs? At least we won't have to wait too long (hopefully) as the "release" date is just a few weeks away. whew!!! :)

what is the release date?

Panasonic Japan is releasing a new teleconverter lens for 43mm threads. I can't tell the difference from the picture and the magnification is still 1.4X. It's 2,000 Yen more expensive than the previous model :-(( Model no. is VW-LT4314N-K

I was wondering if that was going to happen. What would be the reasons? The enhanced zoom and different ccd size? Maybe better coating to deal with the light/smear issue? Any guesses?

Maybe it has front filter threads? :-))

Ha! Not that I'm discounting it entirely - but the one for the gs100, while unthreaded, has a protruding edge that serves as a hood, which is a concession of sorts, I guess.

Well, there may be trouble in fantasy land. The review of the gs400 which was scheduled originally for 6/28 and then moved to 7/5 is now overdue. (By my world clock, it's 7/6 now in Japan.) It's my understanding that the Japanese are notoriously "jikandori" (on time), so... Could it be those ccds?

You mean the ad-impress report? It's out but as expected, the contents are the usual good stuffs and praises, most of them already explained in Pany's website, with some sample frames and stills. Don't expect any beef from ad-impress (that phrase should speak for itself :-)). It is a tie-up.

A few interesting comparisons were made with the GS100. There's one for HQ widescreen mode, 1.04x vertical magnification is reported to be gone for the GS400.

Who's the reviewer? I couldn't figure out from last year if it was anyone of any note in Japan.

Writer is Nobuyoshi Kodera. He has a long career as technical director and editor for TV programs, commercial and promotional video.

I think there is always an accompanying (promotional) write-up from Impress Corporation for every major cam release. So if you want to know more of the beef, better wait for actual user's reactions or more objective reviewers.

BTW, GS100's advantages over the GS400 (there are ne?)

1. MPEG4 recording to card. Personally, I haven't actually used the MPEG4 mode of the black mamba but I don't see any reason why such feature has to be removed.
2. 540 lines resolution under OIS compared to 510 for the GS400. Hmmmm.

Relevant?

I simply cannot understand why LANC is not available in Pany's flagship models. I personally would prefer that over many of the features of this cam.

>>>1.04x vertical magnification is reported to be gone for the GS400.<<<

Huh? Why?

Because gone is the vertical resolution loss (digital zoom) that MX5K and GS100 exhibited under widescreen mode :-)

If you remember, the GS100 is claimed to have something like 28% higher resolution than MX5K under widescreen mode because the initial area captured is wider and the final digital zoom to achieve 480x720 is less (at 1.04x)?

I have used mpeg4 on the gs100, and the only reason I wouldn't dig my heels in and rebel that it's gone is that I'm a Mac user and Pana was using Windoze mpeg4, totally uneditable on a Mac. Otherwise, the quality was, in my view, excellent, especially as the sound quality available from the gs100k was preserved. (Yes, you've all heard about my mpeg4 WMV files which I refuse to dump even though I am helpless to edit them.)

LANC I don't pretend to understand, but it seems that the tripod Pana tries to sell with the cam has something resembling this, or no? So maybe they're just trying to sell the more expensive item? (I have actually been thinking of getting one of those tripods.) Of course, since they don't sell major accessories in the US, once again, lame.

So the does the news about lesser resolution and change in vertical magnification mean there really were problems with those new chips and the lens? (I remember Frank saying at some point that's what had been intimated to him.) I'm still suspicious about vertical smear given Tommy's experience with those chips in the PDX10.

I mean the GS400 has higher resolution widescreen mode compared to GS100 :-)

Okay, now that sounds good. Means Tommy has more incentive to buy one - and let the rest of us know how the water feels! (I think I'm waiting for next year's model, though. It's bound to come with that long-desired coffee cup holder.)

I'm sure Tommy will be the first to get one, and the first to let everyone know what the cam is all about. However, I'm sure Pana isn't going to shoot their foot in the Japanese market. (That's why Tommy's going with the black one.)

Patricia, if you attach that shoe adapter thingy, it can be easily modified to hold a coffee cup :-))

Out of the topic, has anyone seen that Sony HC1000 in person? That cam is SMALLER than I imagined. Rumor has it that it is not selling as well as expected, hence prices in Japanese discount stores have dropped to as low as JPY114,000. It's not even 1-month old.

That Sony is not out yet in these parts. From the pics, it's an ugly fat thing. It looks like NASA's space shuttle, except that it doesn't fly. Gone is the PDX10's decent viewfinder, by the way. Hey! Allan! What's going on over there in Japan? Has Saki sales increased lately?

You can see the NV-GS400K [black Professional ;-) style] at
http://www.pricejapan.com/PriceJapan_com.htm

Allan, the problem with the shoe adapter thingy is that you have to take it off in order to access the tape compartment. Not good. I would probably spill coffee in the compartment.

The photo of the HC1000 on the camcorderinfor site shows it in what looks like black. Are all the models black? Any feedback on the features other than size and professional color? (Maybe it's too small to be a "professional" size and it's black, so the ladies won't buy it as a purse cam?)

<<<-- Originally posted by Allan Rejoso :
Out of the topic, has anyone seen that Sony HC1000 in person? That cam is SMALLER than I imagined. Rumor has it that it is not selling as well as expected, hence prices in Japanese discount stores have dropped to as low as JPY114,000. It's not even 1-month old. -->>>

Are there any RELIABLE tests comparing the HC1000 to a GS100 or better camera?


Carlos

The HC1000 is available only in black Pat. Feature wise, it is as full featured as the 950 except for the lack of Bluetooth, network functions and holographic AF, having smaller and less resolution VF and LCD, and using Carl Zeiss T* lens. Lens ratings are exactly the same between the 1000 and the 950 although physical size may be different.

Please note that on paper, the HC1000 is an improvement over the 950 in terms of min lux requirements (11 against 15). In the US lux scale, that would probably translate to 5 lux against 7 :-)).

Similar to the 950, the 1000 is kinda front heavy, but not as bad due to its smaller size and lighter weight, not to mention that wonderful rotating grip. Personally, I feel most comfortable when the grip is rotated the full 90 degrees placing your thumb (for pressing the record button) on the top and your pointing fingers (for manipulating the zoom lever) at the front. Also, the HC1000 has a completely flushed battery compartment. The back side is actually the batt compartment cover. So I imagine, the cam's balance would improve further once a battery is inserted (I played with one powered through an adapter). That said, battery may be an issue becaues there is only 1 type of battery that can be used with this cam.

I admit my bias against the Sony color saturation but that's totally subjective of course. On the other hand, I truly like Sony's touch screen menu and that is again very subjective. Widescreen mode should be as good as the GS400 and displays "properly" (widescreen letterboxed) even on the LCD.

I'm not a professional by any standard, but if I am to guess the possible cons this cam may have with the real pros, I'd say the size, the shape, the touchscreen, the small VF, the lack of square hood and that SPECIAL AV connector. Just imagine, you'd have to carry that proprietary Sony AV cable all the time just to be sure that you could watch your footage in your friends or relatives' house. Probably there is an adapter available but I'm not so sure about that. In any case, personally, I do like this cam. For around JPY113,000 and still getting cheaper, this is a Great buy IMO.

I've been trying to figure out how to describe it's body but I agree with Frank that it does look like a black space shuttle :-)). Initially, the body shape reminded me of the Canon and Olympus autofocus film cams in the early 90's.

Carlos, I am still waiting for the next issues of Japanese videocam mags which would most probably compare the HC1000 against the GS400. Reliable review? Well, I expect the publisher to be as neutral as they can be :-))

<<<-- Originally posted by Allan Rejoso :
I'm not a professional by any standard, but if I am to guess the possible cons this cam may have with the real pros, I'd say the size, the shape, the touchscreen, the small VF, the lack of square hood and that SPECIAL AV connector. Just imagine, you'd have to carry that proprietary Sony AV cable all the time just to be sure that you could watch your footage in your friends or relatives' house. Probably there is an adapter available but I'm not so sure about that. -->>>

Thanks, Alan. At least I am sure you will not miss important info on any of these cameras and let us know.

The professional question is really a very hard one to pinpoint, and in the past I had some misunderstandings on what is pro and what is not. It certainly is not the color of the camera or what the manufacturers mention as professional capabilities, which usually do not get there completely. They just use it as one more selling point, and a cheating one.

From the list you mention I would be worried with that special connector, which I don't know what it means. Interfacing with the outside world in a proper way is certainly a very important matter, and is the first item that separates pro from prosumer gear. The other things (size, shape, small screen, square hood) you learn to live with, as long as you can input/output data to/from camera as you need.

One thing that doesn't sound so good on the GS400, as it did on the GS100, is that audio/remote control combo. Why don't they leave audio alone!? Instead of using a multipin connector, locking type, as they should, they put more functions dependant on a very bad connector type as a 1/8" jack is. They do not even advise users to leave such connections always plugged in to avoid future problems that will surely happen!

The Sony camera having a Zeiss lens is far from being just one more thing: is quite likely the most important feature in the HC1000 if the lens is good, as it probably is.


Carlos

For those who want to know, the Japanese version of the GS400 does not have multi-lingual menu. :-(

For those who want to know, the Japanese version of the GS400 does not have multi-lingual menu.

At least this time we'll have a nice English manual from the N.A. and PAL GS400s.

:)

For Allan: re your earlier remark on the HC1000's price dropping - how about the gs400? I've been checking out the listed price at pricejapan over the past few weeks, and the price keeps going down. Even with consideration given to yen/dollar fluctuations, the trend line has been down per kakaku.com. Any thoughts on whether it's just the normal settling to street price, or something else going on? (Maybe those sites listing it for $1199 in the US know something, after all.)

<<<-- Originally posted by Patricia Kim : For Allan: re your earlier remark on the HC1000's price dropping - how about the gs400? I've been checking out the listed price at pricejapan over the past few weeks, and the price keeps going down. Even with consideration given to yen/dollar fluctuations, the trend line has been down per kakaku.com. Any thoughts on whether it's just the normal settling to street price, or something else going on? (Maybe those sites listing it for $1199 in the US know something, after all.) -->>>

Yes, it's just settling of prices (at a rather steep rate) in discount shops and small dealers (the ones listed in kakaku) whose business strategy is to get their stocks moving out as fast as possible at rock bottom prices (good for us consumers). So unless somebody is in an extremely urgent need of a cam for the summer events, this is definitely not the best period to be grabbing one. Unfortunately, that price drop trend does not apply to huge chain stores where most tourists in Japan visit.

The HC1000 has already broken the JPY105,000 level; that is less than US$1,000 for a richly-featured 3-CCD cam. It's almost unbelievable but it's actually happening. The GS400 could follow the same trend, depending on its performance in the market. Late 2004 should be a golden time to get any of these nice cams :-))

<<<-- Originally posted by Allan Rejoso : The HC1000 has already broken the JPY105,000 level; that is less than US$1,000 for a richly-featured 3-CCD cam. It's almost unbelievable but it's actually happening. The GS400 could follow the same trend, depending on its performance in the market. Late 2004 should be a golden time to get any of these nice cams :-)) -->>>

Hope that the price of GS400K will be dropped to 10000 yen level. In HK the price is around HK$11000 which is about 14000yen.

Allan, are your cheap Japanese discount shops reliable or do you have the same problem as we do in the US with our cheapest shops being scam artists?