There seems to be a new rumor that's just started regarding a USA model for the MX5000---the PV-DV953. Personally, I don't know if this new 953 will be the MX5000. If it is, well, that's good news. Let's just hope it's not going to be stripped down. Keep in mind that in PALsville, the MX300 was replaced with the MX350, and the MX500 is the replacement for the MX350---not the MX300. The source of the rumor is from Robin Liss of www.camcorderinfo.com---Let's hope she is right, this way we won't be left out here in North America, as we have been with both the MX300/0 and MX350/0.

I just got a response from Pana Pro USA regarding if the new PV-DV953 will be the MX5000. The answer was, "NO." However, this official response does not mean that the won't. 75% of the official responses I've recieved from Pana Pro USA over the years have been erroneous. And personally, I can't understand why Pana USA does this. So, we'll just have to wait and see if Robin's correct.

I went to camcorderinfo, and couldn't find this article anymore. Maybe it was yanked.

http://www.camcorderinfo.com/content/panasonic_pv_dv953_us_10_22_02.htm

Thanks, Plasma! I see it's still there. Now I just have wait and see if the cam materializes in the N.A. market. Might be a long wait. I'm still waiting for the N.A. model of the MX3000!

Looks like Pana USA lied to me, and so now I have to eat my words. I guess next time I'll have to listen to the great robin.

Frank, based on specs it certainly looks like the 953 is the NA version of the MX5000. it would be very nice if we got the same quality stuff they get in Japan. At that price I can get both an NTSC and order the PAL version from the UK and still spend only around 3K. veruh veruh kool.

I will need a PAL version. I've contacted some independent film makers in Wales and we are talking up a project.

Yeah, but WHEN?

When? You mean when is the PV-DV953 coming out? Probably in 3 to 4 months. But I haven't seen the specs yet. It might be stripped down version of the MX5000. That's what Pana USA usually does.

PS: hi, Allan!

Joe, if you need the PAL version go with Allan or Tim, or buy from Australia:

http://www.cameraaction.com.au

Camera Action is where I bought from. The Jap. PAL version might be cheaper though. Allan, is the Jap. PAL version in English? I think it should be, since the Pana PAL models here are---and they come with a 1 year international warranty.

<<<-- Originally posted by Frank Granovski : When? You mean when is the PV-DV953 coming out? Probably in 3 to 4 months. But I haven't seen the specs yet. It might be stripped down version of the MX5000. That's what Pana USA usually does.-->>>

You can strip down 1/6" CCD further? In my opinion, to bring the cost down the 500 is pretty badly striped down already. Maybe resolution can be down a little from PAL to NTSC, but what else to strip?

I sure hope you guys are N.A. can get what the rest of the world is getting (and that's not even good enough when it comes to the MX500).

Seems like more than a few others feel the same way about the 1/6" CCDs in the MX500(0). Chuckmeister posted letters from users saying that MX3000 looked better. Perhaps in some situations, the 1/4" CCDs with only 460K pixels on each, will out perform 1/6" CCDs with 800K each. The Sony VX2000 only has 380K per CCD, but they are 1/3" in size, and it still creates one of the best images among the mini-DV camcorders. I love my MX3000. It's not the sharpest image available on the market, but the color saturation is by FAR still the best of any camera I've owned. No matter how I adjusted the color correction & filters in the NLE software, when I burned the video to DVD, Canon & Sony footage appears "washed out", lacking color, sort of Gray-Green, but the footage from the little MX3000 holds the color. I can't explain it, but the DVDs just look more vibrant & vivid.

Check out the first letter under User Feedback:
http://www.supervideo.com/MXfeedback.htm

Oh..., that's you who wrote that letter. I actually went there 2 days ago and read it, and just re-read again now. Really? The MX3000 footage is better? (I'd better keep my MX300.)

Frank, the best price I found on the PAL version is from http://www.nomatica.com - little over 1600 US delivered. They are UK based. They beat every price I've found from the Aus dealers. Sorry. Shipping to England for service isn't much different than shipping to Illinois for US based Pana consumer cams. I would still order the additional batteries, and lenses from Allan.

Turns out the Welsh guys don't like my idea, so I may start working with an Irish outfit. I've never been to Ireland. From what I've seen on line, they have a vibrant independent movie community.

I read those letters too. The guy who complained the loudest wrote back and said it was operator error. And yes shrinking down to 1/6 is to be expected. they get more chips per wafer that way and save money. I think the 1/6 vs 1/4 thing might be overated except for the low light situation.

Still I'm beginning to have second thoughts about this pana. Too much controversy. Even at 1500 US, if the camera sucks, thats 1500 too much. I'll bet it will be at Brands Mart shortly after relaes. Maybe I can look at it then.

getting worried about this.

That JVC dy300 is looking better and better all the time.

Hey everyone, I'm trying to follow you around to the sites with the latest greatest information about the Panasonic MX500, MX5000, PV-DV953 camcorders. I'm trying to be one of the "group." Not that long ago the latest information and discussion was at www.dv.com forums. Now it seems you are getting the lastest information from Robin Liss of www.camcorderinfo.com but you are all coming to www.dvinfo.net for coffee and discussions. I started hanging out in the www.camcorderinfo.com discussion forum but no one is there. It's the same feeling I had in elementary school. Everyone seemed to know what was going on but me. Guess I was busy reading.

Hi Ben!

These days I only visit the forums here, the camera forum at http://www.dv.com and the http://www.nikonians.org forums for Nikons and other cameras. These 3 are great for me for posting and acquiring great information.

The reason why I don't pop into Robin's site/sites, is because the coding is no good. When you go there, the Java bloats you down, and you get blasted with all this pop-up garbage. I don't have the time to be slowed down with that.

I wonder how much money you can save by going from 1/3 or 1/4 to 1/6" CCD's? I think they could save a heck of a lot more by getting rid of USB, Bluetooth, MPEG4 mode, still picture capability (yeah, I know some people like it, but compared to a good 3-5 meg digital camera, the pictures are severely deficient. )

Quite a lot I guess. Notice that the bigger the CCD, the bigger the lens glass is. The lens happens to be the most expensive component of a videocam.

Regards

I guess I should have also said that how much could it cost to add a bigger lens :-). I'd be willing to pay 1 or 2 hundred extra if it made a noticeable difference in performance.

I don't believe that you need a bigger lens if you went from a 1/6 to a 1/4 or 1/3 CCDs. The footprint is just too small to make a difference (ie. compare the footprint of CCD's with a 35mm negative). I just ordered a Canon G3 digital camera that has a 1/1.8" CCD. It has one of the bigger size lenses for non-pro cameras. Canon also has a S45 model for several hundred dollars less that uses the same 1/1.8" CCD but a much smaller lens. Minimum F2.0 for the G3, F2.8 for the S45.

I think the lens size is primarily dependent on marketing and setting price points. You need a big lens on the more expensive cams to justify the price.