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You are here: MacNN Forums > Our Archives > General Archives > Digital Video & Audio Archives > Has anyone here tried the Panasonic PV-GS70?

 
Has anyone here tried the Panasonic PV-GS70?
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Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Behind the dryer, looking for a matching sock
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Jun 30, 2003, 11:24 PM
 
I'm considering the PV-GS70 as my next camcorder purchase, as I'm in the market for one in this price range, and the reviews I've read on it have all been quite positive. The GS70 features that have me excited are a) the Leica Dicomar Lens, and b) the fact that it is built with 3ccd optics (given its price range). Apparently the picture these features provide beat out the competing camcorders in the same price range. Right now it can be bought for around $760 at a number of places online. Before clicking on the little "BUY" .gif image on some website, I wanted to check if anyone here has had experience with this camcorder, and if so, good or bad. OR, if someone has run across a review of the little beast that isn't a positive one (if one exists, I haven't found it). Feedback anyone?
     
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Join Date: Jan 2003
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Aug 19, 2003, 12:19 AM
 
I got one about 2 months ago. Yes, the reviews online were good, which is why I purchased it. I find that in well lit situations, especially outdoors, this camera has excellent color and great pictures compared to two other cameras I use - a Canon ZR20 (miniDV) and a Sony TRV350 (Digital8), both one chip digital cameras. My concerns are one major, and a few minor. The major one is low light performance. While it was better than the ZR20, it was far inferior to the Sony Digital8. I am actually planning on selling my GS70 to purchase a Sony VX2000 because I've decided the low light issue is big for me. Anyway, the little concerns are that you cannot hook up the supplied wired remote and an external mic because they use the same jack. Also, you can't record from another camcorder (something I do a lot of) without having the wireless remote controller. Finally, I don't like that you have to flip out the screen to work the tape transports. Other than that, there's a lot to like about this. It is amazing to have such a tiny camera have 3 CCDs and take outstanding pictures (other than low light). That lens must be special because although the resolution is not better than one chip camera, it does appear sharper and clearer (i.e., not just the color advantage from having 3CCDs). If this camera had the low light performance of my Digital8, I'd say this was hands down the best camera on the market. Incidentally, you can manually boost the iris, which helps in low light, but this still resulted in a poorer low light picture than the Sony (both the Sony and GS70 show video noise in these situations, but the Sony maintained better coloration). I've done about five hours of shooting with multiple cameras, editing these camera angles together in Final Cut Pro. Outdoors, the GS70 wins by a mile. In poor lighting, the Sony is better. Others may not agree, but that is my experience. I wish someone could compare it to the VX2000 or the GL2 for me.
     
 
   
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