A little more information found at http://www.atlantic2u.com/store/prod...idCategory=271

# Available July 2004
# 4.0 Megapixel Still Images
# 12x Optical Zoom
# Leica Dicomar Lens
# Mega Optical image Stabilizer
# 3.5" LCD Monitor
# Simultaneous motion Video & Picture Recording
# SD Memory Card
# Webcam Function
# Multi Manual Ring
# USB Interface (USB 2.0 compatible)
# DV/ Analogue In- and Output
# Manual Functions

Model number is NV-GS400B (B=Black?). The picture matches the above pictures.

What is MULTI manual ring ?

Maybe the multi-ring acts as a zoom ring also. Sounds cool, also sounds pretty close to the gs100. I wonder if it has the pro-cine mode?

Oh? So there might be a black version?

I'm waiting for the beef, in way of specs, like CCD specs, widescreen, and what's missing. :-))

Based on the full picture, physically it looks like a combination of the GS100 and the 953/MX5K body.

Correct me if I am wrong but looking from a similar angle, it seems to have a bigger glass diameter than that of GS100 and 953. If that were true, perhaps this one has a bigger and denser CCD.

That's optimistic speculation indeed. Perhaps it shares the DVC30's CCDs? If that were true, however, there goes the widescreen. :-))

Well, if this cam is supposed to have 4.0 MP (interpolated) still resolution, I don't think it will have the same CCD as the DVC30.

The more I look at it, the more it looks like the 953 physically . The ugly body joint at the top is back (Pany took it away from the GS100)

It's not ugly! Beauty is the eye of Pana! Oops, I mean, in the eye of the beholder. :-))

The joint itself is not supposed to be ugly. Problem is, there were so many MX5k where that particular part (which happens to be readily visible to the eye) was not properly aligned. Pany Japan said that those misalignments were within (their) tolerance (of course that was what they would say). So I countered by saying that they should have a look at the nearly zero tolerance body mould of Sonys and Canons. Thus when I first saw the GS100, the first thing I checked were the body joints and I truly liked the way its body was designed.

Anyway, it's a trivial matter.

Chuckmeister has it on his site as the PAL version of the Black Mamba. There's a small, not too clear (at least on my computer) picture with some additional info about pro-cinema mode, etc.

Yeah I just found the PAL MX700 "White Lightning" link. The picture is poor on my PC too.

It seems to be an upgraded GS100 but why haven't we heard anything about a Japanese model?

MX700 / White lightning? Groan.

I wonder if the GS400 will have that cristal engine thing.

With the 2nd pic I posted, is that the built-in mic on top? It looks flush with the top of the cam.

Looks like you might be right. Look at the first pic again, and it looks like that's it at the top left hand corner of the image.

http://www.crossrhoads.shorturl.com/Images/mic.jpg

Thanks for highlighting and posting that. Strange, huh? With my MX300, the mic is more or less placed in the same spot but it's raised quite a bit---and I thought that was a bit strange compared with my DVL's 2 built-in mics placed in the front---pointing, like the lens. I wonder if this may be a design flaw or perhaps some new mic technolgy. Naaa!

its kinda ugly! It looks like a JVC. But yes beauty is in the eye of the beholder, :/