The search has ended for my first DV camcorder....and it MAY NOT be a SONY! (1 Viewer)

[Ronald Epstein]

Guys,

Take a look at this:

http://www.jandr.com/JRProductPage.p...uct_Id=3693305

The Panasonic PV-GS70 is a 3CCD camcorder which
means it has the ability to take far sharper video
than any other camcorder in this price range.

In fact, from what I can tell, most 3CCD camcorders
sell well above $300.

J&R is having a CUSTOMER APPRECIATION sale. I
received a special flyer advertising this camcorder
for $799. I am certain if you call them and
mention the flyer you will get it at that price.

I have searched around the net for reviews on
this camcorder and found some here:

http://www.pcphotoreview.com/Digital...8_3100crx.aspx

One guy is complaining about the 15 Lux rating.
If this camcorder truly has a Lux rating of 15,
then that could be a problem. Most camcorders
I have owned have been rated at 1 Lux.

Thus far, this Panasonic is leading the pack in
choice of purchase, but I still wonder how it
compares to the higher priced Sony TRV70. I
*think* the Sony TRV70 has a higher megapixel
count on still pictures -- but I'd rather have
the 3CCD improvement that the Panasonic offers.

If anyone is reasearching these models and has
their own thoughts, I'd love to hear them.

 

[Earl Simpson]

http://www.pricegrabber.com/search_g...3191e9dd9ff18c

Just to muddy the H2O?????????
$900 range for a 3X .25 is not bad.

OK! I am getting conflicting info on This model???!!!!!!
3 or one ccd???

 

[Ronald Epstein]

Earl,

That's a sweeeeet lookin' camcorder but
something tells me, at that price, something
on the line of quality has to be missing.

The camera LOOKS like something you would get
in the $2K range. I have this eerie feeling
that it probably doesn't even rank up with
the quality of DV camcorders at half that price.

 

[Ronald Epstein]

Well, guys, I think I found THE ONE.

http://www.panasonic.com/consumer_el...12&cont_id=430

The Panasonic PV-GS70 looks to be THE BABY!

Though I hate to send you somewhere else, I
think its worth reading these reviews:

http://www.camcorderinfo.com/board/r...10&i=590&t=590

http://www.camcorderinfo.com/board/r...10&i=585&t=585

On the plus side, this is a 3CCD camcorder at
a price of $800. Normally, you can't touch a
3CCD for under $1400 (more or less). The initial
reviews on this camcorder are quite good.

The downside is that it rates as a 12 LUX camera
which means that it shouldn't do too well in low
lite situations. However, one of the above reviews
suggests that it does.

I may be buying it within the next few days.

If you are going to talk me out of it -- do it now.

 

[Frank_M]

Ron -

You and I seem to be on similar paths here. I had finally said "Ok, its the PV-DV953".... but a) it's darn hard to find, and b) then I noticed the PVGS70.

I'm going to be looking around for more info too... but I like the idea of saving a LOT of money from one to the other, so long as we still get enough camera.

I can then spend money on the extra batteries, etc.

So I'll post any other I find here too. I'd love a side by side comparison of features, if anyone has that.

 

[Chris Clarno]

See my reply to another post,

Click Here


Regards,
Chris Clarno

 

[Earl Simpson]

http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/...297215-6299649


I don't know when this will be available in the states, but it is a good compromise between a small DV and a pro cam.

same as=
http://www.epinions.com/Sony_DCR_TRV...splay_~reviews

same as=????? But smaller ccds

http://www.epinions.com/pr-Panasonic...splay_~reviews

 

[Frank_M]

Ron - Straight from Panasonic's site, here are the differences:

953 - 800 K per CCD / GS70 - 460 K per CCD
953 - 3.0 meg stills / GS70 - 1.2 meg stills
953 - Tele-Jump Zoom. Not available on GS70
953 - 3.5" screen / GS70 - 2.5" screen
953 - OPTICAL image stabilization / GS70 - ELECTRONIC I.S.
953 - 16 MB card included / GS70 - 8 MB card included
953 - Automatic pop up flash / GS70 Flash is NOT auto pop up

And a few things that the GS70 has that the 953 doesn't:
LCD Light panel and Rapid fire stills

So for me... I could care less about the stills, the flash and the size of the included card.

I do like the bigger screen, but that is not a deciding factor.

What it comes down to is that the 953 has nearly double the resolution per CCD, and optical image stabilization.

I know they have a different build to them... but since I haven't seen either in person, it's hard to judge.

This is going to be one tough decision, I think... based on the fact that the GS70 is $300 - $400 cheaper and appears to actually be available... while the 953 is clearly the superior camera in terms of all-important picture quality.

Hope that helps you... because all it's done is further confuse me.

 

[Ronald Epstein]

Frank,

Thank you so much for the information.

Based on what I have read here and on other
forums, I am just going to WAIT on a DV camcorder.

Never have I had such a difficult time buying
a single product.

I don't want anything cheap. My needs fall into
a very risky category -- the grey area between
cheap and expensive. I should be looking at
camcorders in the $1,500 range but instead I am
struggling over cameras in the $800-$1,000 range
that are poor man versions of the more expensive
counterparts.

I can't make a decision and for me, that's a bad
thing as I can usually research something and
easily come up with an answer.

I am going to wait for more 3 CCD cameras to come
down in price. With the introduction of the
Panasonic GS70, it looks like this is the wave of
the future. It's just that I hear the GS70, while
a 3CCD camera, is not nearly as high on resolution
as its more expensive Panasonic 953.

Of course, I'll be watching prices over the next
few months.

 

[Frank_M]

I think, for me, Ron ... that I'll most likely be going with the 953... if I can find it.

I'm the same way. I normally can pretty quickly arrive upon what I want. And in this case, I know that there will be other cameras that are less expensive than the 953... maybe in a year or so, but I'm not sure they'll be better.

So I'd rather spend an extra $200-$300 now.. and get use out of it, than wait. It's almost the same argument I made each time I upgrade my computer. You have to jump in at some point, you know?

The only thing that would/will change my mind is reading more positive first person reviews of the PVGS70... and getting to see it myself.

Good luck

 

[Doug Schiller]

I'm also in a market for a new Camcorder.
I've learned so much from this thread.

It looks like the 953 for me. If I could get it around $1K, I would jump on it.
Right now, most places that have it close to that are out of stock.

Doug

 

[Ronald Epstein]

Frank and Doug,

Read this thread. It may be what you have
been looking for....

http://www.camcorderinfo.com/bbs/sho...9&goto=newpost

I dunno. Tempting to buy that GS70, but maybe
the 953 model will drop below $1k by year's end.
THAT looks like the camcorder to strive for.

 

[Frank_M]

Ron -

I got to see both the GS70 and the 953 in action today... and despite the price difference, I feel that we're going to go with the 953.

Of course... the issue now is that NO ONE has the darn thing, while the GS70 goes for as little as $799 online.

The only place I've seen the 953 is at Circuit City (boo!) for $1499... which is simply too much.

If anyone can help in this regard, I'd appreciate it.

 

[Earl Simpson]

http://www.digitaletailer.com/shop/S...er&STK=PV-GS70

The 70 is dropping in price and will surely start a 3 ccd price war.
I would wait for a 1/4 " or 1/3" 3 ccd system. Even a 1/5" would probably be ok.
1/6" is a little small for low light conditions.
And if it can't record a perfect color video indoors in a well lighted room, then what's the point???????????
Most of us will use this indoors to record our special moments in time.

 

[Frank_M]

I just (finally) tracked down a 953 and placed my order! Should be here by early next week.

I can't wait!

 

[Ronald Epstein]

Frank,

Congrats! That is the camera I want, but I'll
wait till it drops below $1,000.

Where did you buy it? What price was it at?

Of course, a full review of the camcorder would
be appreciated once you obtain it.

 

[Frank_M]

Ron -

I had J&R price match for me at a bit over $1200 (I forget the figure) but they, like everyone else, said they hoped to have it "soon".

I then found it at panwebi.com (soho electronics in NY). Their price was $1299, but they wouldn't sell the camera alone, but you had to pony up for the full extras package (total was $1599). But that package still didn't even have a firewire card/cable which I need, and had only a 2 hour extra battery.

So I basically swapped in and out with the salesperson, who was reasonable.

So for $1499 (the price you'd buy just the camera for at circuit city), I got:

The "elusive" PV-DV953
a 4-hour extra battery
Firewire card, cable and software
A three pack of lens (including UV)
A tripod
A 3-pack of tapes
A 128 MB SD card

I think $200 extra for that stuff is pretty good, actually, as I'll need all that stuff. The only thing I'll need is a bag.. as the bag they included in the package looked cheap, and I'd rather pick out my own.

If you want to see their basic package, you can go search for the camera on e-bay and look in "completed items". They don't have it currently on their website since I got the last camera.

I just got shipping confirmation a few minutes ago, and it says it is due here on July 7. So after I get it, I'll be sure to post an intial review here, and then maybe something more in depth when we get back from Disney World.

F.

 

[Doug Schiller]

I finally ordered the Panny DV953.
I've been checking Pricegrabbers since the start of this thread and finally found a reputable place that had it at a decent price.

I paid $1157 shipped from Vanns.com.

A tad more than I wanted to spend but much less than everyone else.

Doug

 

[Ronald Epstein]

Doug,

Look forward to reading your review on
this as it stands the frontrunner in my
next camcorder purchase.

Congrats on the purchase!

 

[kevitra]

Ron,

A few months ago I was looking because my wife was pregnant. I was originally thinking about spending around $1000, but I quickly became frustrated finding a quality unit (seems common... )

I end up with the Sony TRV-22 for $550. After much reading I decided to go with a lower priced but decent unit. I have sample videos on my website. They are referenced at camcorderinfo in quite a few threads and have sold more than a few TRV22s (wish I got a cut ).

I figure in 3-4 more years when 3 CCD HD systems are solid I will upgrade then.

We have been very happy with the TRV22. I am not a Sony lover by any means, but this product works well.

Good luck!