I'm buying my first cam soon, after several weeks of research and reading the tips on this board. Thanks to all the posts for educating and enlightening me.

I've homed in on GS100K of pany, but am put off by the 'Japanese Only' menus. I know some great guys here have made available the translated cheat sheets.
I'm looking for assistance from anyone who understands the technical electronics/ software stuff inside the cam who can provide us and advise us on how to perhaps replace a ROM/ EPROM chip inside the camera (that can be programmed and loaded with the English Menus).

Maybe this can benefit a whole lot of us.

I'm not sure this is possible. Hopefully no one will attempt to use babblefish attempting this. :)

I did a fair bit of fiddling around with electronics & chips in my school days, but that was more than a decade ago. Its an idea worth exploring though.
We need to seek the help of a good programmer who'd like to take up the challenge. My guess someone who understands hexadecimal code or a suitable compiler, or something at the inner system level.

What we need to figure out is:
1. Are the entire functional programs of the cam on a single ROM chip. (ROM is different from the microprocessor that does the grunt work). maybe today's technology has both integrated into one chip.

If yes, we need to isolate the code thats responsible for the language, and replace it with the code that does the english language displays. This code can even be borrowed from the 953 because I guess its ony the language thats different (the menu structure and commands being the same between the two).

If no, then it may be easier to simply replace the gs100 ROM with a 953 spare.

Hey Amit, sounds correct, hacking the EPROM, but at risk of frying your expensive toy.
There are rumoers there will be US and European versions of GS100K in about a half years or probably slightly more, so then the English menu will be available and as my quite educated in video cams fried said (and I tend to believe him) it will not be a whole issue to reprogram the EPROM at official panasonic facility.

However there might be a trap hidden here:
usually outside-Japan models are feature-stippped down to certain degree - wich means the native english menus may not contain all the features of your Japanese GS100K or even worse be totally different.

Alex

Hi Alex,

yeah. Maybe we need a friend at a pana facility. But I guess there are many many clever people out there who can do the job as well. Obviously, we must try to 'de-risk' frying the cam.

In fact, this can become a good business opportunity - to offer translation services that can be 'plugged in' to customize your cam.
Anyways, I couldnt wait for half a year, and thats why I opted to manage with the cheat sheet instead. Sooner or later someone is bound to do it.

thoughts/ suggestions are welcome.
-Amit

Sounds fair.
As a hardware engineer working in digital video semiconductor industry (main processors for digital still cameras and systems) I know there must be a provision for future firmware upgrades, fixes. I guess there might be a dedicated plug somewhere inside the camera aimed to burn new firmware, but we would need to undesratdn how to down load the firmware safely and then to decode it (locating the menue coding sections and hacking the content). Then will need to figure a burning procedure.
best would be getting hooked with some "spy" from Panasonic service facility for MX500/953 schematic ...

I doubt it would be feasable though...

Alex

about this 'upgrade provisioning' - I guess thats how they upgraded from MX5000 to gs100k - from what I understand (I may be wrong), the cam is the same, and its only some 'pixel interpolation' software or something like that thats been added to the cam to enhance its low light capability. Everything else is the same I guess?

So basically, there's enough space in there to load some more softwares. At a concept level, this leads me to another idea that instead of replacing anthing, its likely that we can just load/ burn the new code in, and set 'language' the pointer to read from there, instead of the old code.

cheers,
-Amit

ps: keep the ideas flowing. maybe some good guy at pana labs will see this and help us out.

Pany improved the lens to low-dispersion type.

The engine is improved (and proven to work..IMO). Could be the same physical chip and circuitry. but I don't think it was simply a firmware upgrade.


"I doubt it would be feasible though..."

Halleluiah brother

I dont think GS100, not only firm ware upgrade!

To name a few...

bigger mx5000 size to smaller cute size

Better NEW OIS, that means OPTICS replacement

Crystal Engine Software

New LEICA DICOMAR lens

Better OPTICS overall

better write speed to card.

hot shoe

better 16:9, wide and procinema, that means more pixels than mx5000.

Over all design...


IMOHHHHHHH, NOT THE JUST FIRMWARE UPGRADE!!!
GIVE SOME RESPECT TO PANA...

If you guys want an English version of the GS100, all you'd have to do is wait, and wait, to see if Pana USA will bring it into the USA - June/July of 2004. But whatever you do, don't hold your breath. It's bad for your health. Besides, I don't want to have to shoot another funeral. :)

Do not forget thet once it will hit US market - forget about some neat features and qualities. Will be stripped down model comparative to original GS100K.

So, I think even though having enough patience waiting about half year or more (life is short, isn't it ?), no chance you would be getting exactly the same GS100K but in English.

Alex

There's always a PAL version that comes out sooner than a possible US release. However, to make the most of this, you'll have to move to PALsville. ;)

Frank, I live in PALsville. (I'm in Israel) :-)
But then again, even Paan's PAL models are often somewhat limited comparative to heir original Japanese siblings, though to somewhat lesser extent then these intended for US market.
Lets do not forget that PAl models are considerably more expensive then NTSC that also counts.
To face it, right now would I figure new MX350 (PAL) for competitive price to GS100K I would choose the MX350. Recently figured one new available in one of big Moscow-based shops, but still too expensive for me (1600 US$).
(BTW, you may be suprised as I was once figuring the pricing for PAL video equipment to be much more reasonable in Moscow then anywhere in Europe, also PAL models available in Moscow (official imprort) are more feature-rich then these improtde to lareg part of Western Europe (suc as many of Panasonic and other brand models improted to France and also perhaps UK have blocked DV in, while teh same models intended for Russian market do not have such restrictions).

Alex

Thanks Alex for that info---I didn't know that. My wife just had some friends visiting from Israel. I took plenty of good pics of them and their 4 children. One of their young girls, 12 years of age, kept making crazy faces for her poses. The parents where actually wanting to buy a PAL cam here in Vancouver, but the cams were still a bit too pricey for their liking. (They live in Jerusalem---moved to Israel from Iran.)

From Iran ? Well, your wife likes eastern appeal :-)
Yuo know, Israel is quite a ressemblence to US in terms of people population - most of them are old or new immigrants (just like US).

I figured the best place to purchase PAL cam (including pro models) is Moscow. Best prices and several quite reputable shops (available online, but selling by mail within their country only, though deal with personal delivery options from another contries).


Alex

I should add that there is a dealer here who sells PAL JVCs, Sonys and Panasonics. One Store is in Vancouver, the other in Richmond. The Panasonics are best because they come with a 1-year international warranty. They are all 1 CCD cams, though the dealer can get 3 chip cams in on special orders. The funny thing about these PAL cams, is they sell much cheaper than the NTSC versions. :)

PS: yes, all in English, thank you. :)

My wife is from Iran, with family still there plus scattered around the globe: Canada, USA, Australia, Israel, Sweden and Turkey. :(

Wow, great ! Any chance you're visiting our humble place ? :-) Would be my pleasure to offer you a guesture. :-)

About PAl cams selling in Canada. Aren't you joking ? PAL is selling cheaper then NTSC ?? I'm in shock ! Can yuo figure there MX350 ?
BTW, you may want to warn yuor freinds/relatives from Israel willing to bring cam over from abroad (even PAL): international warranty itself doesn't mean a lot here (just like in many other countries) even though being called "International". First of all, there is no major Panasonic facility here in Israel (unlike Sony or Canon - most popular brands among people here), and besides, the barnd importer usually decides on its own whether to honor or not international warranty (and usually they decline - you can do nothing about it).
Even these having major roots here (again Canon, Sony, Minolta and some others) in most cases will decline and refuse to service the goods under international warranty if purchased abroad (though in some cases it is possible - as with Minolta).

Alex

Minolta is a good company. They even bring in Cokin filters in the USA and Canada.

Yes, the PAL cams are cheaper here because they are a specialty item intended mainly to be purchased as gifts abroad---hence, they're not a big seller.

Funny you happened to mention the MX350. The local dealer actually brought one in for a customer quite some time back, and I got a chance to have a look at it. But, alas, he can't get the MX350 any more. Plus that order was a one time thing. He tried to get the MX300 in, a few years back, but they were next to impossible to get. He's just stocking the mid to high end 1 chippers---with the odd special order for a 3-chip. The Sony 3-chip cams are easier to come by. I think he imports them from Hong Kong, not sure, though.

By the way, I sent you a pic.

Visit? Me. One day, but not now.

OK, any day. :-)
Yeah, I recieved the picture - very nice, already replied you.

Do you think there might be chances to figure MX8 at this dealer ?

Alex

No. He can only get the latest cams. The MX8 hasn't been made for about a year or so. Okay, I'm off to sleep. It's going on 4:00 am here. Company in the morning.

Also, if you mentioend Sony, do you nappen to know the price (at least approx) he would want for TRV 950E/940E ?

Alex

Alex, I'll find out for you. But special orders usually cost more. I'll call him Monday and post the info here if it's positive.

Thanks a lot.

Alex

u guys hijacked this thread... :)

we'll wait for the english version I guess, and then attempt an upgrade if possible..

till then we'll wait for any ideas.

cheers,
Amit

"till then we'll wait for any ideas."

The best one is to learn the controls from the translated sheets, or alternatively - learn japanese... :-)

Alex

yeah.
Now that I am actually able to play with the cam, its no big deal.

the translations are very very helpful. I guess I was apprehensive about it before I got the cam.

cheers,
Amit

Yeah Amit, I'm close to the purchase of this cam from Alan (hopefully next week), and was also concerning abot this issue, but then realised that there is quite large community helping out each other, besides of translations available.
Besides of all that, the host of controsl and features isn't unlimited and I guess once commencing teh usage it will not be the reall issue.

(bearign in mind I was able to memorize all over 200 buttons and switches in fighting aircraft cockpit once servicing the fighters on the ground).

Alex

wow, U seem to have a quite eventful career, from fighter plane cockpits, to engineering in digital video semiconductor industry.

so what DSP chips did you work with?

Well, the planes were during my army service.

We actually design and market our own digital still camera processors that include DSP on-silicon among other functional units that required to drive digital still camera.

I'm actually in system hardware application and customer support (camera system design issues)

visit: http://www.zoran.com

Alex

Is that the same Zoran Industries as featured in that old James Bond movie? (with Roger Moore)

Don't know about movies (most likely not :-)).
just check teh site: www.zoran.com to get the idea.

Alex

<<<-- Originally posted by Alex Zabrovsky : Yeah Amit, I'm close to the purchase of this cam from Alan (hopefully next week), and was also concerning abot this issue, but then realised that there is quite large community helping out each other, besides of translations available.
Besides of all that, the host of controsl and features isn't unlimited and I guess once commencing teh usage it will not be the reall issue.

(bearign in mind I was able to memorize all over 200 buttons and switches in fighting aircraft cockpit once servicing the fighters on the ground).

Alex -->>>

Hi folks,

I'm new to the forum and have been following the GS100/MX7000 threads and enjoying dvi community for a month or so, now from here, in Jerusalem -- though this is the first time I've joined in. I arrived here from a mention of the 'MX7000 and supervideo.com' in a dpreview.com forum.

Anyway, I've been looking for a more affordable 3CCD than the Canon or Sony prosumers (a hundred years ago I used to work in film) and have been learning the digital medium and NLE) so was extremely interested in this great sounding piece of technology at an affordable price. I wrote Chuck at supervideo, and not only started an interesting correspondence with him, but discovered that he's very familiar with and also has a really interesting connection to Israel!

Chuck wrote me that a PAL version of the GS100 (his MX7000) should be out at the end of the year (maybe those are the Russian mkt. models with alternate Eng. menus you were referring to, Alex?) Practically speaking, I could wait till then, no big deal, but I'm curious. What is the source "Alan" that you mention? Is he in BC? I plan to be in the States in November and could plan to get a PAL version while there. As you pointed out, the forum support community is genuinely helpful, friendly and informed and while I can't claim to memorize and feel at home in a jet cockpit ;-) it's not an insurmountable problem, and the step into the abyss it could be. I'd still prefer stock eng. menus. So, what are the options for us PALs?

Regarding Int'l. warranties and so on, FWIW, I've been a Mac user (in Israel) since '84 and until now when Mac went PCI and USB, for years was purchasing peripherals in the States. I don't know about camera tech but have been accustomed to purchasing service contracts for equipment from a very reliable company in Jerusalem, and more often than not, the relative costs have not been prohibitive -- that is, still under Israel prices + VAT! So, I imagine, if one is willing to pay what usually amounts to an extra 10% of the device cost for a service contract, it still may be a good deal.

Uh oh, I've rambled. 'Scuse me, please. So, if you can help me with the alternatives towards getting this camcorder, I'll really appreciate it. In any case, It's wonderful to know some of this great community is also planted in Israel. I'd love to hear from you.

Best regards,

David

Hey David, check your email.

Alex