For the accessories list, can it be any brand? The other day I got a Kenko UV SL-39 multi coated filter. Kenko is pretty much the standard here for camera filters and this one was only half the price of the Panasonic.

I plan to get a wide angle lens too but because of Patricia's feedback on the Panasonic one I'm now looking at other brands.

I must have missed out on Patricia's feedback on the wide lens because I went ahead and ordered it anyways. (yet to arrive).
just saw her review on another thread.

Patricia, any further experiences that you can share on the wide angle lens of pana - LW4307M ?

Also, yesterday I bought 3 pana tapes from walmart for $18.

The lens itself is fine. I really don't notice any vignetting. But it's a pain because of the lack of front threads. Can't get a hood on it, and everyone tells me I do need one. I've even contacted Lee in the UK to find out if they make anything that would work (we are talking some pretty expensive stuff here); they say they may be working on a new design. Maybe by the time it comes out, I'll have the money to pay for it!

A shop in Taipei, have it since 08,08,2003(GS100K Silver)

Aylwin Cal, Yes Kenko is a good brand.
 

Owner, Date of purchase, Source
Marius Burz ===17th July 2003 ===Price Japan
Samuel Raj ====26th July 2003 ===Price Japan
Shawn Thomas == 29th July 2003== Price Japan
Patricia Kim
Eng Yew Lee
Michael Struthers
Bogdan Vaglarov ==1st Aug 2003==Camera no Kitamura,Japan==130000 Yen
Nicco Bhabu ==22nd July 2003==Price Japan
Wei Jen MD==6th Aug 2003== local friend in Japan==151720yen including VW-VBD7 to US
Lincoln Norris==9th Aug 2003==Akihabara(discount shop, japan)==117,800 +5% tax.
Steven Blye==6th Aug 2003==Price Japan(two black units)
DooKee Cho ==14th Aug 2003==Price Japan(Great Silver!)
Donald Craig Forbes ==18th Aug 2003==Price Japan(Black, with waist battery!!)
Aylwin Cal == 19th August 2003 == www.hat-in.com, Japan(Black unit)
Amit Sawarkar == 25th August 2003 == Price Japan(Great Silver!)



Accessories (new Column) -- Pls remind me to update, if i missed
Patricia Kim == LW4307(Wide Lens)
Wei Jen MD== VW-VBD7
Donald Craig Forbes == VW-VBD7
Amit Sawarkar == LF43W(UV filter), LW4307(Wide Lens)
Aylwin Cal == Kenko UV SL-39 multi coated filter

Kenko is a subsidiary company of HOYA, one of the finest glass makers in Japan.

If you want a front-threaded WA, get a Raynox instead (6600, 5000, 4500) or a Kenko (high grade type recommended).

Bought a Hakuba 0.6x wide angle conversion lens today for about 6000 yen. It's tiny, only 48mm wide at the front and 25mm long. It's also very light so I can just screw it on top of the filter.

It doesn't look very professional though, especially compared to the Kenko ones that I saw which were pretty big. So it might not provide the best quality. But they let me try it out at the store and at least it looked okay on the LCD screen. It seems to work okay even if I don't remove the cam's own lens hood. I'll test later though to see if it really does matter.

Here we go!
 

Owner, Date of purchase, Source
Marius Burz ===17th July 2003 ===Price Japan
Samuel Raj ====26th July 2003 ===Price Japan
Shawn Thomas == 29th July 2003== Price Japan
Patricia Kim
Eng Yew Lee
Michael Struthers
Bogdan Vaglarov ==1st Aug 2003==Camera no Kitamura,Japan==130000 Yen
Nicco Bhabu ==22nd July 2003==Price Japan
Wei Jen MD==6th Aug 2003== local friend in Japan==151720yen including VW-VBD7 to US
Lincoln Norris==9th Aug 2003==Akihabara(discount shop, japan)==117,800 +5% tax.
Steven Blye==6th Aug 2003==Price Japan(two black units)
DooKee Cho ==14th Aug 2003==Price Japan(Great Silver!)
Donald Craig Forbes ==18th Aug 2003==Price Japan(Black, with waist battery!!)
Aylwin Cal == 19th August 2003 == www.hat-in.com, Japan(Black unit)
Amit Sawarkar == 25th August 2003 == Price Japan(Great Silver!)



Accessories (new Column) -- Pls remind me to update, if i missed
Patricia Kim == LW4307(Wide Lens)
Wei Jen MD== VW-VBD7
Donald Craig Forbes == VW-VBD7
Amit Sawarkar == LF43W(UV filter), LW4307(Wide Lens)
Aylwin Cal == Kenko UV SL-39 multi coated filter,Hakuba 0.6x wide angle conversion lens (48mm wide at front and 25 mm long)

Re: Here we go!
 

<<<-- Originally posted by Samuel Raj : Owner, Date of purchase, Source
Marius Burz ===17th July 2003 ===Price Japan
Samuel Raj ====26th July 2003 ===Price Japan
Shawn Thomas == 29th July 2003== Price Japan
Patricia Kim
Eng Yew Lee
Michael Struthers
Bogdan Vaglarov ==1st Aug 2003==Camera no Kitamura,Japan==130000 Yen
Nicco Bhabu ==22nd July 2003==Price Japan
Wei Jen MD==6th Aug 2003== local friend in Japan==151720yen including VW-VBD7 to US
Lincoln Norris==9th Aug 2003==Akihabara(discount shop, japan)==117,800 +5% tax.
Steven Blye==6th Aug 2003==Price Japan(two black units)
DooKee Cho ==14th Aug 2003==Price Japan(Great Silver!)
Donald Craig Forbes ==18th Aug 2003==Price Japan(Black, with waist battery!!)
Aylwin Cal == 19th August 2003 == www.hat-in.com, Japan(Black unit)
Amit Sawarkar == 25th August 2003 == Price Japan(Great Silver!)



Accessories (new Column) -- Pls remind me to update, if i missed
Patricia Kim == LW4307(Wide Lens)
Wei Jen MD== VW-VBD7
Donald Craig Forbes == VW-VBD7
Amit Sawarkar == LF43W(UV filter), LW4307(Wide Lens)
Aylwin Cal == Kenko UV SL-39 multi coated filter,Hakuba 0.6x wide angle conversion lens (48mm wide at front and 25 mm long) -->>>

New Owner
 

Just took delivery of GS100K-k(blk)==$1,190
Pana Zoom Mike==$166
Waist Batterey==$156
Rain Cover==$66

All from Price Japan...very smooth transaction...only took 3-4 days.
Now I have to figure out how to work all the options

Peter Warren

Peter, please let us know about the mike when you are ready - in a separate thread, perhaps? I think the built-in mike is surprisingly good, but would like to know more about the add-in you've just purchased. Congratulations, and hope you will love the camcorder as much as I do.

<<<-- Originally posted by Patricia Kim : Peter, please let us know about the mike when you are ready - in a separate thread, perhaps? I think the built-in mike is surprisingly good, but would like to know more about the add-in you've just purchased. Congratulations, and hope you will love the camcorder as much as I do. -->>>

Thanks Patricia...I am charging the batts as I write and am trying to work thru the first layers of the Japanese menus. I will make some trials with the mike after a few days. I had an EZ30u/DJ100, a precursor to this cam. I bought the pana mike that was designed for that cam(it required a special connection, not the hotshoe setup as on the GS100) and it performed admirably...I recently shot some video at a music camp and was very, very impressed with the sound quality...

Peter

Congrats Peter Warren
 

Hi Friends, I would like to add the Cassette tape brand name AND SD CARD brand(other than the pana 16 mb) also, so that If our guys get dropouts or the quality is not good, We can know each other. Any suggestions always welcome

Please help me update every one's mini dv tape brand.


Owner, Date of purchase, Source,(Price-optional), Cassette tape, SD card

Marius Burz ===17th July 2003 ===Price Japan
Samuel Raj ====26th July 2003 ===Price Japan == TDK (DVM60ME),Panasonic 256mb
Shawn Thomas == 29th July 2003== Price Japan
Patricia Kim
Eng Yew Lee
Michael Struthers
Bogdan Vaglarov ==1st Aug 2003==Camera no Kitamura,Japan==130000 Yen
Nicco Bhabu ==22nd July 2003==Price Japan
Wei Jen MD==6th Aug 2003== local friend in Japan==151720yen including VW-VBD7 to US
Lincoln Norris==9th Aug 2003==Akihabara(discount shop, japan)==117,800 +5% tax.
Steven Blye==6th Aug 2003==Price Japan(two black units)
DooKee Cho ==14th Aug 2003==Price Japan(Great Silver!)
Donald Craig Forbes ==18th Aug 2003==Price Japan(Black, with waist battery!!)
Aylwin Cal == 19th August 2003 == www.hat-in.com, Japan(Black unit)
Amit Sawarkar == 25th August 2003 == Price Japan(Great Silver!)US$1208
Peter Warren == 2nd September 2003 == Price Japan(Black) US$1190


Accessories (new Column) -- Pls remind me to update, if i missed
Patricia Kim == LW4307(Wide Lens)
Wei Jen MD== VW-VBD7
Donald Craig Forbes == VW-VBD7
Amit Sawarkar == LF43W(UV filter), LW4307(Wide Lens)
Aylwin Cal == Kenko UV SL-39 multi coated filter,Hakuba 0.6x wide angle conversion lens (48mm wide at front and 25 mm long)
Peter Warren == Pana Zoom Mike $166, Waist Batterey $156, Rain Cover $66

How do you get service?
 

Hi, I wonder how people plan to get their GS100K serviced if the need arises? Certainly sending it back to Japan will not be realistic? Camcorder is probably one of the few electronics worth paying extended warranties for due to its moving parts. (My old Vistura is in the shop right now for the 3rd time since I bought it). This is the main concern that's kept me from getting one so far.

Thanks in advance!

Hi Nick,
Probably you might post as a new topic/thread, so that it gets best attention!(lets keep this thread just to update new owners and accessories :-)

I guess the GS100 is the best for the bucks, so many people buy directly from Japan, including me!
In case any problem we have to bear the shipping cost(around 60 to 80$) they repair and send it back to us, if its with in the warranty period. Its that simple.

99%, It wont give any problems(OR we hope it wont)

hope this helps