OT: Anyone using Panasonic PV-GS70

Jsnkc wrote on 1/23/2004, 12:12 PM
Just saw this camera, looks good on the outside, a 3CCD camera I've seen it for around $700. Just wondering if anyone has or has used one of these and can tell me if they are any good or not. I currently have a GL2 and am looking to get a second camera, but I can't afford a second GL2, but I'd like something sub-$1000 with similar picture quality to the GL2.

Comments

belsokar wrote on 1/23/2004, 2:45 PM
I just bought one a month ago...I can't really comment yet on the quality however, I love the size though, and supposedly in good light the 3ccd's kick ass compared to the 1/4" single ccd's...the low light is supposedly really bad though...sorry I couldn't be as helpful
Guy Bruner wrote on 1/23/2004, 4:35 PM
Get the PV-DV953. It is 3CCD but has manual modes including sharpness, color, gain, shutter. It records in frame mode (30P and better than the GL2), 16:9 with no resolution loss; macro focus (.8 inch). Low light sensitivity is 15 Lux so the GL2 is much better there. You can pick it up for ~$900. If you wanna see some video, frame grabs, and pix. Go here.
JL wrote on 1/23/2004, 9:16 PM
I’ve had a GS70D for about 6 months. I needed a small lightweight cam for mounting on a hang glider and decided to go with the GS70 rather than a lipstick cam setup. I made a custom mount for my GL2 but because of its size and weight the GL2 is very limited as to where on the glider it can be positioned; hence the GS70.

GS70 pros:

Small and light, not much bigger than the Sony verticals but seems to fit my hand much better and is easier to control than the Sony (verticals).
It is capable of capturing nice looking images under ideal lighting, provided you do not have high contrast scenes.
Manual white balance, focus, shutter and iris
Top loading
S-video jack
Pass through


GS70 cons:

Small and light (handheld shots are hard to stabilize compared to shooting with the GL2 for which if I’m not using a tripod, I use a homemade counter-weighted shoulder brace).
Electronic stabilization
No zebra pattern
No ND
Hard to add a piece of foam wind screen over the mic (GL2 is a piece of cake to screen).

If you compare the image quality to the GL2 you will be disappointed, but like I said earlier, it can do a surprising job under good lighting.

I’ve been using the GS70 to drive an external monitor and also as a deck to save wear and tear on the GL2. Also, I can toss the GS70 in the gear bag as a backup and hardly notice the extra weight or bulk.

JL
Jsnkc wrote on 1/24/2004, 3:15 PM
"If you compare the image quality to the GL2 you will be disappointed"

Thanks, that is exactly what I wanted to know. I know another guy who has a GL1 and when I do a shoot sometimes he comes along and the images from the GL1 and GL2 match pretty well. But when I am just shooting on my own I wanted a second camera that had a similar image quality to the GL2 I could set up as a still camera. I guess this one won't work out for me then.