Made in Japan; sold in Japan

Frank Granovski · April 22nd, 2004, 10:53 PM

Tommy got his from Price Japan, because Allan was in Mexico at the time Tommy wanted to order one. A few other members also bought from Price Japan while other bought through Allan or the Chuckmeister's source.

My 2 cents: yes, I think the GS100 is the ultimate hand-held in a small footprint.

The price? Around $1400 US which includes insured shipping. Some got it cheaper before the US Dollar went down against the Japanese Yen.

John Haskins · April 23rd, 2004, 10:54 AM

What is his contact info, anyone? Thank you. --John

Paul Jason · April 23rd, 2004, 11:22 AM

You can reach Allan here.

rejoso@jcom.home.ne.jp

John Haskins · April 23rd, 2004, 11:43 AM

THanks, Paul.
-John

Frank Granovski · April 23rd, 2004, 03:34 PM

Allan's contact e-mail is in the locked top thread of this forum.

John Haskins · April 26th, 2004, 01:04 PM

so apparently there will be a replacement to the Black Mamba MX7000 - at least it is a rumor.

And I still havent heard back from Allan - anyone know if he is indisposed?

Does Allan know anything of the GS100 replacement?
Thanks,
John

Frank Granovski · April 26th, 2004, 04:19 PM

So far the only new cam announced by Pana is the NV-GS400/PV-GS400.

Allan Rejoso · April 26th, 2004, 06:57 PM

Hi John,

All the hot rumors about the GS400 are in this mesage board so just stayed tuned. In Japan, there is no info yet about the replacement to the GS100, but it can be easily inferred that a new one should be coming out in July. It's an Olympics year afterall. The replacement could be this GS400 or it could be a different one especially designed to suit the taste of the Jap market.

Sorry I havent answered your mail because I cant find the black mamba, but I remember the member Aaron Kwinter is trying to sell his.

Very few brand new units of the silver GS100 are still available but their prices (in Yen) have gone back to Aug 2003 levels (JPY118,000 - 126,000 plus 5% tax). For your info, prices of the black mamba went down to as low as 100,000 at the end of Feb 2004. Note that the value of Yen against the US$ has gone up from around 115 (in summer last year) to around 108 these days.

So if you really want the black mamba, your best bet would be those members who may want to sell theirs for any reason. If they got their cam from me, PJ or the Chuckmeister, you are guaranteed they got their cams brand new less than a year ago. There is a huge second hand electronics shop in Tokyo but I haven't seen a used black mamba for sale, perhaps because that cam is one hell of a good buy (for those who own it). BTW, I have a black mamba too (actually the very last unit I grabbed in Feb) and I'm not selling it :-)). Anybody interested to get my Optura100 with DM-50??? Unfortunately, it's the Jap version (PV130).

John Haskins · April 26th, 2004, 07:37 PM

Hi, Allan. No problem. Thanks for the reply.
I dont have to have a Black Mamba - i was curious about it, but if we are on the heels of a new model that might be better - i may wait.

I dont know yet. Is Panasonic going to go HDV in 2004, early '05?

If there were no GS100 - what is the next best thing in the price range of the GS100 or lower ---- looking for clean color, etc.

Thanks. I will let you know what's up. I'll keep an eye out for the latest on what is next.

'Preciate it, Allan and all,
JOHN haskins

Frank Granovski · April 26th, 2004, 07:50 PM

If you're serious, Allan can still get you a silver GS100.

Allan Rejoso · April 26th, 2004, 08:09 PM

<<<-- Originally posted by John Haskins :

I dont have to have a Black Mamba - i was curious about it, but if we are on the heels of a new model that might be better - i may wait.

Yes, you'd better wait for this GS400 or the upcoming Opturas.

I dont know yet. Is Panasonic going to go HDV in 2004, early '05?

HDV is the only way to go, but it will probably take YEARS before a $1K HDV cam would be made available. In the meantime, enjoy shooting in DV format.

If there were no GS100 - what is the next best thing in the price range of the GS100 or lower ---- looking for clean color, etc.

Every cam make has its strong points and weak point so in the end, it's mostly a matter of preferences. But if you can afford to spend for top-class consumer cams and willing to do so, then IMO you might as well stick to that class. This is just a personal thing but I like the Canon Opturas too (there is something about the Canon look that I really like - and I have one). Also, I feel the Sony PC300 video looked great (despite my bias against Sony's color saturation) and I find its new touch-screen menu to be cool. One more thing, good quality widescreen has become important to me since last year (and on that aspect my black mamba blows my Optura100 away), although there are some issues when it comes to sharing video with friends and relatives who own 4:3 TVs.

You can also have a look at top class models of previous years (the Pany 953, the 852, JVC's 3000/4000/5000 and of course Optura100 are good cams too) and they should be a lot cheaper now.

Good luck!

Frank Granovski · April 26th, 2004, 08:33 PM

Re: "JVC's 3000/4000/5000"

Missed one: 3000/3500/4000/5000.

John Haskins · April 26th, 2004, 09:17 PM

Thanks, Allan and Frank.

I want a 3 chip for sure - going to do some serious keying and I need the best color separation i can get.

i know DV isnt the best for keying, but there are workarounds, enhancements, etc.

So in the 3 chip realm, i still like the GS100 for now.

Optura is still a 1 chip, right?

Thanks,
John

Allan Rejoso · April 26th, 2004, 09:30 PM

The 2 contending design (marketing) concepts right now:

3 small CCDS and small optics, against, 1 big multi-MP CCD and huge lens with RGB filter.

Which is more important to you, sharpness or color richness and accuracy?

Yow Cheong Hoe · April 26th, 2004, 09:49 PM

I'll go for bight and bright lens, optical stabiliser and true resolution (540 lines). The sensor should be sensitive to 1 lux illumination, and the colour should be accurate (not rich, just rich enough). As a matter of fact, the camera that I like is available in the market, but paying US$10,000 for a camera is not possible for a structural engineer in Signapore.

April 23rd, 2004, 10:54 AM	#32
John Haskins Regular Crew Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Byron Center, MI Posts: 29	Allan Rejoso What is his contact info, anyone? Thank you. --John

April 26th, 2004, 01:04 PM	#36
John Haskins Regular Crew Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Byron Center, MI Posts: 29	mx8000 & Allan Rejoso so apparently there will be a replacement to the Black Mamba MX7000 - at least it is a rumor. And I still havent heard back from Allan - anyone know if he is indisposed? Does Allan know anything of the GS100 replacement? Thanks, John

April 26th, 2004, 07:37 PM	#39
John Haskins Regular Crew Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Byron Center, MI Posts: 29	Allan, Mx8000 etc Hi, Allan. No problem. Thanks for the reply. I dont have to have a Black Mamba - i was curious about it, but if we are on the heels of a new model that might be better - i may wait. I dont know yet. Is Panasonic going to go HDV in 2004, early '05? If there were no GS100 - what is the next best thing in the price range of the GS100 or lower ---- looking for clean color, etc. Thanks. I will let you know what's up. I'll keep an eye out for the latest on what is next. 'Preciate it, Allan and all, JOHN haskins

April 26th, 2004, 08:09 PM	#41
Allan Rejoso Major Player Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Tokyo, Japan Posts: 569	Re: Allan, Mx8000 etc <<<-- Originally posted by John Haskins : I dont have to have a Black Mamba - i was curious about it, but if we are on the heels of a new model that might be better - i may wait. Yes, you'd better wait for this GS400 or the upcoming Opturas. I dont know yet. Is Panasonic going to go HDV in 2004, early '05? HDV is the only way to go, but it will probably take YEARS before a $1K HDV cam would be made available. In the meantime, enjoy shooting in DV format. If there were no GS100 - what is the next best thing in the price range of the GS100 or lower ---- looking for clean color, etc. Every cam make has its strong points and weak point so in the end, it's mostly a matter of preferences. But if you can afford to spend for top-class consumer cams and willing to do so, then IMO you might as well stick to that class. This is just a personal thing but I like the Canon Opturas too (there is something about the Canon look that I really like - and I have one). Also, I feel the Sony PC300 video looked great (despite my bias against Sony's color saturation) and I find its new touch-screen menu to be cool. One more thing, good quality widescreen has become important to me since last year (and on that aspect my black mamba blows my Optura100 away), although there are some issues when it comes to sharing video with friends and relatives who own 4:3 TVs. You can also have a look at top class models of previous years (the Pany 953, the 852, JVC's 3000/4000/5000 and of course Optura100 are good cams too) and they should be a lot cheaper now. Good luck!

April 26th, 2004, 09:17 PM	#43
John Haskins Regular Crew Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Byron Center, MI Posts: 29	Allan, Mx8000 etc Thanks, Allan and Frank. I want a 3 chip for sure - going to do some serious keying and I need the best color separation i can get. i know DV isnt the best for keying, but there are workarounds, enhancements, etc. So in the 3 chip realm, i still like the GS100 for now. Optura is still a 1 chip, right? Thanks, John

April 22nd, 2004, 10:53 PM	#31
Frank Granovski Outer Circle Join Date: May 2002 Location: Hope, BC Posts: 7,524	Tommy got his from Price Japan, because Allan was in Mexico at the time Tommy wanted to order one. A few other members also bought from Price Japan while other bought through Allan or the Chuckmeister's source. My 2 cents: yes, I think the GS100 is the ultimate hand-held in a small footprint. The price? Around $1400 US which includes insured shipping. Some got it cheaper before the US Dollar went down against the Japanese Yen.

April 23rd, 2004, 11:22 AM	#33
Paul Jason Regular Crew Join Date: Aug 2003 Posts: 163	You can reach Allan here. rejoso@jcom.home.ne.jp

April 23rd, 2004, 11:43 AM	#34
John Haskins Regular Crew Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Byron Center, MI Posts: 29	THanks, Paul. -John

April 23rd, 2004, 03:34 PM	#35
Frank Granovski Outer Circle Join Date: May 2002 Location: Hope, BC Posts: 7,524	Allan's contact e-mail is in the locked top thread of this forum.

April 26th, 2004, 04:19 PM	#37
Frank Granovski Outer Circle Join Date: May 2002 Location: Hope, BC Posts: 7,524	So far the only new cam announced by Pana is the NV-GS400/PV-GS400.

April 26th, 2004, 06:57 PM	#38
Allan Rejoso Major Player Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Tokyo, Japan Posts: 569	Hi John, All the hot rumors about the GS400 are in this mesage board so just stayed tuned. In Japan, there is no info yet about the replacement to the GS100, but it can be easily inferred that a new one should be coming out in July. It's an Olympics year afterall. The replacement could be this GS400 or it could be a different one especially designed to suit the taste of the Jap market. Sorry I havent answered your mail because I cant find the black mamba, but I remember the member Aaron Kwinter is trying to sell his. Very few brand new units of the silver GS100 are still available but their prices (in Yen) have gone back to Aug 2003 levels (JPY118,000 - 126,000 plus 5% tax). For your info, prices of the black mamba went down to as low as 100,000 at the end of Feb 2004. Note that the value of Yen against the US$ has gone up from around 115 (in summer last year) to around 108 these days. So if you really want the black mamba, your best bet would be those members who may want to sell theirs for any reason. If they got their cam from me, PJ or the Chuckmeister, you are guaranteed they got their cams brand new less than a year ago. There is a huge second hand electronics shop in Tokyo but I haven't seen a used black mamba for sale, perhaps because that cam is one hell of a good buy (for those who own it). BTW, I have a black mamba too (actually the very last unit I grabbed in Feb) and I'm not selling it :-)). Anybody interested to get my Optura100 with DM-50??? Unfortunately, it's the Jap version (PV130).

April 26th, 2004, 07:50 PM	#40
Frank Granovski Outer Circle Join Date: May 2002 Location: Hope, BC Posts: 7,524	If you're serious, Allan can still get you a silver GS100.

April 26th, 2004, 08:33 PM	#42
Frank Granovski Outer Circle Join Date: May 2002 Location: Hope, BC Posts: 7,524	Re: "JVC's 3000/4000/5000" Missed one: 3000/3500/4000/5000.

April 26th, 2004, 09:30 PM	#44
Allan Rejoso Major Player Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Tokyo, Japan Posts: 569	The 2 contending design (marketing) concepts right now: 3 small CCDS and small optics, against, 1 big multi-MP CCD and huge lens with RGB filter. Which is more important to you, sharpness or color richness and accuracy?

April 26th, 2004, 09:49 PM	#45
Yow Cheong Hoe Major Player Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Singapore, Passport: Malaysia Posts: 407	I'll go for bight and bright lens, optical stabiliser and true resolution (540 lines). The sensor should be sensitive to 1 lux illumination, and the colour should be accurate (not rich, just rich enough). As a matter of fact, the camera that I like is available in the market, but paying US$10,000 for a camera is not possible for a structural engineer in Signapore.