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Panasonic PV-GS500 4MP 3CCD MiniDV Camcorder with 12x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom | 
| Brand: Panasonic
Category: Photography
List Price: $999.99
Buy Used: $594.00
as of 7/29/2010 14:11 PDT details
You Save: $405.99 (41%)
Seller: Ondrej Charlie
Rating:  48 reviews
Sales Rank: 2017
Media: Electronics
Autographed: No
Memorabilia: No
Batteries Included: No
Optical Zoom: 12
Digital Zoom: 58
Display Size: 2.7
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.3
Dimensions (in): 0.1 x 0.1 x 0.1
MPN: PVGS500
Model: PVGS500
UPC: 037988980185
EAN: 0037988980185
ASIN: B000DZFUIO
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Features:
| • | Features professional-quality 3CCD imaging system | | • | 2.7-inch wide LCD display | | • | 4.0-megapixel still image capture | | • | 12x optical Leica lens with 700x digital zoom brings you close to the action | | • | Records to miniDV or directly to PC through DV (FireWire) or high-speed USB 2.0 interfaces |
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| Editorial Reviews:
Product Description
The Panasonic PV-GS500 3CCD Digital Palmcorder MultiCam Camcorder with 4.0 MP Still Picture Recording offers superior images and features. This small digital camcorder uses the same type of 3CCD imaging system used in professional broadcast equipment, giving you 540 lines of breathtaking resolution in a more affordable package. The 4.0-megapixel still image recording lets you record vivid, true-to-life pictures with remarkable colors. And featuring a 12x optical Leica lens with 700x digital zoom, the PV-GS500 helps you capture every detail. Record to a miniDV tape or directly to a PC through DV (FireWire) or high-speed USB 2.0 interfaces, for high quality full-motion video transfer. The color viewfinder and 2.7-inch LCD display make it easy to preview photos, and feature navigation is a breeze with the easy, one-finger joystick control.
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| Customer Reviews:
Showing reviews 1-5 of 48
 Are you kidding me?!! May 14, 2006
case (Texas)
337 out of 343 found this review helpful
I don't normally write online reviews, but when I saw the 2.5 average rating for the GS500, I felt compelled. First, let me qualify myself. I am a techno geek. I love electronics, and whenever I'm about to spend more than a couple hundred dollars for something, I THOROUGHLY research it. I have been doing video editing for several years, and I have produced several wedding videos. I'm not an expert, but I do know quite a bit about the topic of video cameras. Oh, and by the way, I can also very critical of products.
Secondly, let me state that, aside from the Panasonic GS400, the GS500 is by far the best camcorder you can purchase unless you plan to spend over two grand. It has great color reproduction and AMAZING low light performance. Sure, compared to the GS400, it has less functionality, but I don't think the average user is going to miss it. And, given its price is several hundred dollars cheaper than the GS400, I can almost assure you the average user will bid good riddance to the missing functionality.
So, why so many negative reviews on this camcorder? Usually, when a product that is head-and-shoulders above the competition gets negative reviews, it is because the reviewer either works for the competition or they are ignorant of the facts.
Reading the reviews on the gs500, it is my belief that ignorance was the culprit in these cases. First, to the "kid" that had a problem with his four year old video camera -- we don't care. This board isn't for questions, it is for getting opinions and ratings on products of interest. And regarding products of interest, people on this particular board are interested in the gs500, not the nv gs5. Additionally, I have not had a single problem with the blue screen you describe, nor have I read about anyone else having this problem on either the gs500 or the well-established gs400. So, I'll chalk this up to an isolated issue.
To the fellow who thinks the gs500 is too heavy, it is 3 pounds. Your gs200 was only 1 pound. So, yes, the gs500 is substantially heavier than your previous camcorder. However, it wouldn't have taken much research to realize this.
Folks, the gs500 is not a crappy, little, fit in the palm of your hand, spy camcorder. It is a high quality camcorder with 3 large CCDs offering exceptional video reproduction. If quality video is what you're looking for, then you've found your camcorder. If you want something you can carry around in your shirt pocket -- keep looking.
And, by the way, I have no affiliation with Panasonic.
Mac User - Great camera! Great Quality! May 24, 2006
C. Carr (Columbus, Ohio)
71 out of 72 found this review helpful
One of my greatest pet peeves about system compatibility claims don't list what the cameras DO work with. This camcorder works great with iChat on Mac OS Tiger using the DV link. USB connection links directly to iPhoto. DV link also goes directly to iMovie's Firewire import, where you control the camera through iMovie.
I am loving this camera. The quality is excellent. The color shifts? Yes if you have it on auto temperature adjust, if you have multiple light sources, pick your temperature manually. I keep on having comments on how professional the quality looks, this is starting to tick me off as I want them to be telling me how cute my 3 week old son is... but with that aside, I admit the quality is nothing less than spectacular.
Big & Heavy? Yes, it is bigger and heavier than some I have tried, but I really prefer to have a little weight. The balance this one has seems great, very comfortable to shoot with. Besides, I just haven't seen anything smaller with anything near the quality.
Side note: I almost purchased the Sony HD video camera. Yes my 800 mhz Mac laptop would edit the HD video via the specifications, but when you dig deep you will find that the import is at half of live speed, the disk space requirement is enormous and processing effects and final video would be absolutely painful. GIve it a few years and the blueray DVD drives will be common, the processors and drives will be large enough to handle the load. Right now, I believe I made the best choice for the price range.
Great camera indeed May 24, 2006
F. Yu (Lincoln, NE)
49 out of 50 found this review helpful
I have owned the PV-GS500 for 2 weeks now and I shoot some footage, e.g. my daughter's school concert in the evening. You can imagin that the light is by no means bright at all. The camera worked perfect. The picture quality is superbly crisp and the color is really real, vivid.
Last Dec. I bought a PV-GS300 (3.1MP) from Bestbuy and I shoot about 30 min footage with it under much brighter light than the concert I mentioned above and I got chance to compare it to GS500 since I am using the same tape left over from last shooting with GS300. I am happy I returned the GS300 one since the picture quality from that camera is not in the same level as GS500. Bestbuy charged me around $150 for repackaging when I made the return, in retrospect, still I am sure I have made the right decision. GS300 is always adjusting its focus, out of and in focus, on and off kind, especially when zooming and you are shooting under indoor condition, not necessarily in dim light (outdoor shooting has no problem on this focusing issue, I must say. But the picture quality is inferior in terms of sharpness, i.e. resolution). GS500 is much more sensitive to dim light and the image is stable, no focuing problem at all even in dim light condition and much sharper although the GS300 is also claiming the same image resolution. The zoom in GS500 is smoother too and it seems to me that the digital stablizer is really working in this new version. Besides, the magicCable thing is really neat, making you zoom smoothly like pros.
I am very happy with this camera and I am ready to gear it up with other accessories.
Fantastic Camcorder- Great Value October 19, 2006
nemofunhouse (Texas)
77 out of 83 found this review helpful
This is a great camcorder for the price. If you are looking at the Panasonic PV-GS line of camcorders?
This is how they should be Rated:
1. PV-GS400 - BUY THE: Sony Handycam® HDR-HC3 HDV Digital Camcorder, its a better choice, for the money. Fantastic video quility! Downside: Less Manual Controls. Sony requires you to buy, only their Accessories.
2. PV-GS500 - BUY IT!!!
3. PV-GS250
4. PV-GS300 - If money is a problem: Buy this one!
5. PV-GS150
I dont care what the reviews say ! The 500 should not be compared to the 400! Becuase the 400 is way out of the 500's price range.The 400 is to hard to find , and at the 400's price, you might as well go High-Definition !
If you read the Pro reveiws for the 250 , it got exellent reviews. the 500 , just gets average reviews. This makes no since to me!! If you do a comparison of the two camcorders side by side, The 500 is clearly a better camcorder! But these are the two camcorders that should be compared to each other. I dont care if the 500 is replacing the 400.
Pro's like to compare the 300 to the 250! But it should be compared to the 150. I dont care if the 300 is replacing the 250.These camcorders should be graded on their merits, not by what they are replacing! And thats how I graded them, ON THEIR MARITS!! If you want a great camcorder, at a great price, then buy the 500. I did!! I recieved mine on Oct 13, 2006 . Its a fantastic camcorder!! If you do side by side comparisons of all these camcorders , and forget what the pro reviewers say, and just judge them on the facts. Then I think, you will come up with the same rating, as I did!! I did not give you, great detail, in this reveiw. I will leave that, to the pro reveiwers. But forget the Pro reveiwers opinions, and stick to the facts! And you will find that the 500 wins!! Hands down!! GO BUY THE PV-GS500 NOW!!!
Excellent video and low light performance November 10, 2006
J. W. (Chandler, AZ United States)
33 out of 33 found this review helpful
Bought this model for several reasons:
1. Already own a lower end Panasonic camcorder that has been reliable over the years, and wanted to upgrade to a better model.
2. 3CCD sensor
3. Excellent low light performance from reviews
4. Optical image stabilization vs electronic - considered buying the Sony SR100 because of HDD & MPEG2 convenience, but finally decided to put my trust in optical image stabilization
5. Mini-DV format - even though Sony has an excellent HDD camcorder (check out the SR100) that records in MPEG2, the mini-DV allows more flexibility in video editing without loss in video quality.
This camcorder has performed to my expectations. Low light performance (indoor, evening shooting) has been great. Optical image stabilization works great. We went to a park for a nighttime ballet performance, and I taped it hand holding the camcorder (no tripod) and zoomed out to 10-12X. Quality was excellent, very little jerky frames even though part of the taping was holding the camcorder one handed while trying to keep a 2-year old boy under control with the other hand.
Haven't tried to drain the battery to see if it performs to spec down to the last minute, but it does last close to the specs. Did buy an extended life battery that should give me 6+ hours.
Some reviewers complain about the weight. I actually prefer the weight because it does help me keep the camcorder steadier in my hand. Also, weight is unavoidable if you want to have good optical lens with good aperture so you can have good low light performance. I am deviating from the subject a bit to make this point, but I own both an SLR digital camera (big & heavy) and a point-n-shoot digital camera (small & light), and the difference in sensor size + lens size is very noticeable in low light. The same principle applies to video.
Showing reviews 1-5 of 48
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