Come on, Get Crackin!
 

The new Pana cams are out now in the USA. This includes the PV-DV953 and it's lil sister, the GS70. Get out there and look these babies over. Touch them, turn the knobs and dials---shoot some footage, see if you can play back the footage on a TV---shoot some footage in the 16:9 mode, and hook it up on a HD ready TV to play back the footage. Come on, get crackin'!

Who has it in stock?

Onecall for one, also videodirect. You mean that most places in the US don't as of yet? Maybe I "jumped the gun."

I went to the Pana USA site, and there was no mention of the 16:9 mode---found on the MX5000 and MX500.

They state they have 'cinema' mode. Isn't that progressive 16x9?

Also, CDW is selling them for just over 1200 US, but their web site says they are back ordered.

I want to see some low light shots, perferably bar scene lighting. I am very curious if this camera can be used to film live bands.

I think you're right. I forgot about that, regarding cinema' mode. I get confused with the this mode on my MX300 because on that cam, there's also a 16:9 mode.

I don't think the PV-DV953 would be good for low light bar shots. But then I haven't seen nor tried a PV-DV953.

I'll talk about the PAL model MX500 instead of the NA NTSC DV953.

If there are spot lights on the band, then it is ok. You may need to use manual exposure to capture the correct lighting. If you are talking about ambient light in a bar, I'll say, NO. I have tested the MX350, MX8 and the MX500 side-by-side, subjectively by my own eyes. The MX8 is best in low lights, then the MX350 (which is the long format of the vertical MX300). The MX500 is lousy in low lights. Grainy and dull colours.

When I look at shooting data, the MX500 is always 1 F-stop lower than the MX8/300/350, and also when gain is used, +3 more than the MX8/300/350. The MX8 doesn't have colours as nice, but while the MX8 can 'see' in very low lights, the MX300/350 would have already gone 'blind'. And the MX500 is worse than the MX300/350.

I write so much about this to reinforce the fact that, while the MX500 is a very affordable and good cam, it does suffers quite badly in low lights.

The NTSC model, should be about the same optics as the PAL model, and the performance should be about the same.