Specs, please. I can't wait.

[Frank Granovski]

Frank, they have already set a firm date for the release

A Canadian release date? :-))

Pana-Canada: We have not yet finalized our plans on whether or not we will be bringing in the GS400 into Canada. This decision should be made within the next few months.

Oops. :-))

I don't think Pana Down-Under has set a date either.

My only question is whether this cam will be capable of shooting fine deep shadows and dork blacks in 0 LUX. :-))

[Greg Boston]

The 953 didn't hit shelves here in the US until June of last year. We may have to wait a couple months then for the GS-400.

Waiting to see...

[Frank Granovski]

The PV-DV953 came out 1 year after it came out in Japan and a wee stripped down. :-))

[George Beck]

GS400 is in the product catalog in EU, and it sets Jul4 as a release date. I've heard the same thing for US (and US dealers give Jul4 as release date), and if it comes out there it must be available in Jap too.
Pana-Canada is anyone's guess. It looked like they had no idea that cam exists... =/
does anyone know if Pana had similar world-wide release?
was the dvx100 world-wide release?

it would be strange if thats the first one =)
it may be just a policy shift of PAna, or this cam is ... "something" :)

[Frank Granovski]

July 4th? It must be an American model. :-))

Pana-Canada is anyone's guess. It looked like they had no idea that cam exists.

I hear ya. Pana Canada is just a small branch office of Pana USA. Same goes with JVC.

[Tavis Shaver]

I hear ya. Pana Canada is just a small branch office of Pana USA. Same goes with JVC.

That's okay tho since us Canadians can only use gas powered, thermally shielded cams anyways and i'm pretty sure that makes up a very very small percentage of the cams that Panasonic sells.

[Frank Granovski]

I think that Sonys outsell Panas in Vancouver. Sharp and Samsung cams are rarely carried.

I wonder why July 4th? That's kind of late into the shooting weather season. Stupid, I think.

[Allan Rejoso]

June/July is good time to release top-class consumer cams in Japan. Bonus season for regular employees and summer break for students.

When is the NAB by the way?

Don't you find it intriguing that Pany US is not releasing any info on the GS400 unlike their European counterparts?

As for Pany Japan, well let's see what happens in May or June 2004 but that 58mm filter thread is not realistic IMO.

[Allan Rejoso]

No mention of low-dispersion glass similar to that of GS100 and DVC30?

[Frank Granovski]

Don't you find it intriguing that Pany US is not releasing any info on the GS400 unlike their European counterparts?

I have a feeling that they're not going to bring it in for fear it will hurt their DVC30 sales. Or, they're busy stripping it down for the USA Market, and that takes a bit of time. :-))

"Low-dispersion glass?" You mean a low-grade Leica lens?

[Allan Rejoso]

"Low-dispersion glass?" You mean a low-grade Leica lens? -->>>

It's supposed to be a higher grade Leica lens compared to the one they used for the MX5K/953 (that reduces chromatic aberration to 1/3 that of "normal" lens). Pany is so proud of it that they added a row on the comparison table contained in the catalogue to emphasize that only the GS100 has it :-)).

The DVC30 is said to have the same grade of lens but that cam is handled by Pany systems div. (pro line), not by consumer marketing.

[Frank Granovski]

What about the MX300/0's Leica glass? Pana wrote that it's quality is pro-grade, capable of over 1500 lines. Did they lie? :-))

[Allan Rejoso]

<<<-- Originally posted by Frank Granovski : What about the MX300/0's Leica glass? Pana wrote that it's quality is pro-grade, capable of over 1500 lines. Did they lie? :-)) -->>>

I haven't read anything about the type of glass used on MX3000/300 but I don't think Pany lied about it being pro-grade. The 3000 is afterall, a $2000+ cam when it first came out (and most of a cam's cost comes from the lens).

Perhaps the MX5K needed all the improvements, having only 1/6" CCD and diminutive lens, so Pany came out with the Low-Dispersion lens (still tiny though) combined with the Crystal Engine.

BTW, the GS200 does not have low-dispersion lens.

So if the GS400 can better the GS100 and can maintain the price of the GS100, it's gonna be one hell of a nice cam.

I would have been more pleased if the GS400 followed the similar cool contour of the GS100, with a better body finish at the back of the LCD panel :-))

[Frank Granovski]

Look here:

Pana MX300 Product Info

Leica's Image-Rendering Ability---Leica Dicomar The leadership of Leica in optical technology and know-how that brings the world so many outstanding lenses and cameras is now adapted to the MX300 Digital Video Camera with the especially designed Leica Dicomar lens. It provides superb horizontal resolution equivalent to 1,530 lines of a broadcast camera.

How's that for "run-on."

So if the GS400 can better the GS100 and can maintain the price of the GS100, it's gonna be one hell of a nice cam.

I'm waiting. :-))

I would have been more pleased if the GS400 followed the similar cool contour of the GS100, with a better body finish at the back of the LCD panel

Me too. Otherwise I'm moving to Japan. :-))

When is NAB? I don't know. They have a website I think. Maybe it's www.nab.org?

[Don Leung]

I think NAB Las Vegas starts Saturday April 17 (conferences begin tomorrow!) until Thursday April 22 with product displays starting on Monday April 19 through April 22.

I'm waiting to see what new (and affordable) gets released.

www.nabshow.com

www.nab.org