I wanted a 3 CCD camera that was small enough to haul around without any issues, with auto features and yet with manual features that allowed me my own personal adjustments for specific scenarios or customized shots. I also wanted firewire connectivity. The GS500 seemed to fit the bill. While there are lots of comparisons to the GS400 as the superior camcorder, for a lot less money you still get the heart and soul of the camera which is:
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br /its 3 1/4.7 inch CCDs, Leica Dicomar lens and real widescreen format which produces shockingly professional video (and very decent stills) that approaches the low end of real professional camcorders (that is in video quality, not features) costing around $500 to $800 more. My hat is off to Panasonic for its entire family of very affordable 3 CCD camcorders.
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br /There are a couple of things I don't like. #1: It doesn't have a headphone jack. It has audio options that approach way more expensive camcorders so the lack of a headphone jack is a puzzle. However, it is PROBABLY possible to juryrig your own headphones (I've yet to cut and splice stuff to try this) or if Panasonic is smart, they'll come out with some related headphone peripheral. It is sorely needed.
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br /#2: A lot of the things (manual features) the GS400 did in hardware the GS500 has in software through its menus. While these features retain their quality, surfing through menus is sort of a pain and takes away from the spontaneity of having some of those features at your fingertips.
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br /Those are my only two complaints about what is a top notch camcorder that approaches professional quality. It also comes with a remote control (about 16 feet and 15 degrees on your vertical and horizontal planes) that allow you remote access to practically all of the camcorder features, and again the advanced audio features making the lack of a headphone jack puzzling.

This is a great camcorder for the price. If you are looking at the Panasonic PV-GS line of camcorders?
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br /This is how they should be Rated:
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br /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.
br /2. PV-GS500 - BUY IT!!!
br /3. PV-GS250
br /4. PV-GS300 - If money is a problem: Buy this one!
br /5. PV-GS150
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br /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 !
br /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.
br /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!!!

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.
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br /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.
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br /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.
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br /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.

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.
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br /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.
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br /I am very happy with this camera and I am ready to gear it up with other accessories.
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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.
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br /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.
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br /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.
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br /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.
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br /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.
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br /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.
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br /And, by the way, I have no affiliation with Panasonic.

Bought this model for several reasons:
br /1. Already own a lower end Panasonic camcorder that has been reliable over the years, and wanted to upgrade to a better model.
br /2. 3CCD sensor
br /3. Excellent low light performance from reviews
br /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
br /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.
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br /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.
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br /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.
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br /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.

I have no complaints about this camera. Very happy with my purchase. It does the job and captures great video. And I have had no problem transferring video via Firwire running OS X on my MacBook using Apple's Final Cut Express HD software.

I will have to say this model was well thought out in design and quality. There are probably better camcorders if you have the $$$$ to spend. I have had at least 5 or 6 camcorders with VHS,VHS-C,Hi8,and this is my second Mini-DV. This model is the best picture and the easiest to operate of all the ones I have had.
br / I have two wide screen TV's and the pictures are really better than I expected. One screen is 50" and one 30" and the pictures are of very high quality. If you are in the market for a simple to operate Digital camcorder this one is definally one you should look at.
br / Most of the reviews have already given you the spec's and what it has and doesn't have. After reading all the reviews I could find for three days I decided to go with the model PV-GS500.
br / One of the reviews said the PV-GS500 was heavy. This model is one of the lightess I have ever had. If it is to heavy to carry,he had better go to a Gym and work out,my grandmother could carry it with ease.

Just to clarify a few other differences between the GS500 and GS300 besides those mentioned in the review below. The GS500 does indeed offer an additional MP for still shots (4.0 MP) and a 12X zoom, but that's not all...
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br /It also has a bigger and longer lens, with 1/4.7" CCD (1070K x 3 pixels) sensors instead of the 1/6" CCD (800K x 3 pixels) on the GS300. The filter diameter is 43mm instead of 37mm. The GS500 has an aperture range of from F1.6 to F16 as opposed to the GS300's F1.8 to F16. This all may not make a huge difference, but the optics are technically a bit better on the GS500, and the low light ability is rated as more sensitive too -- minimum 5 lux vs. 12 lux on the GS300. The GS500 also offers a manual focus ring on the lens (the GS300 has "manual," but it is operated through the LCD menu/joystick), and an actual hot (as opposed to cold on the GS300) shoe for mounted accessories such as lights or microphones. The GS500 has the ProCinema shooting mode, designed to give the widescreen footage "film" appearance. The GS300 doesn't. The GS500 does not have the automatic lens cap of the GS300 -- a toss up in that the auto is a bit more convenient, but more noisey. The GS500 also has a real door for the memory card instead of a rubber cover over the port on the GS300. And Panasonic lists the weights as GS500 3.17 lbs vs. 2.98 on the GS300 -- hardly a big difference. Finally, there is also the "freestyle" remote in addition to the regular remote with the GS500 -- this is a plug in remote that is useful when the camera is on a tripod, and doesn't come with the GS300.
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br /Of course both models are no longer available from retailers, but these days the price difference on used models is more like $250-300, so consider that as well... Despite all I've said, I ended up getting the GS300 myself.
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br /Unfortunately, Panasonic's 3CCD DV camcorders have been in decline since the GS400/250, and currently there is no successor to the GS500 and only the GS320 currently left in the Panasonic 3CCD/mini DV category. The GS320 loses a few key features of the GS300 (like an external mic in), and doesn't touch the GS500. Perhaps Panasonic will get a clue and introduce a good HD mini DV camera one day...

I have been using this camcorder since October 2006 and have no complaints. I replaced my aging PV-DC352, which I loved until it stopped reading SD Cards. I had done much research on camcorders and had pretty much decided on the PV-GS500 but was waiting for the price to drop and/or see what the latest and greatest was going to be. I bought my first camcorder (SHARP VHS) in 1986. When I saw the majority of the new upper-end camcorders were abandoning tape as the recording media and I found the PV-GS500 at an extraordinary price, my mind was made up. Get it while the getting was good.
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br /I love to take videos more than stills, but stills are also very important and I don't want to lug two cameras around Disneyland. My previous PV-DC352 took beautiful 1.5 MP stills using an SD Card. The downside was you had to switch from video to still to capture at this quality and then back to video to continue taping. You could take a still while video taping but the taping would pause after taking the still and the still would have to be retrieved from the tape later using the camera in order to print it, and the quality was only 640 x 480. It worked but was cumbersome. The PV-GS500 takes care of this just fine. To take a still in photo mode you still have to switch to photo mode, which gives you a nice pseudo 4 MP image (it is not a true 4 MP, it is interpolated) recorded on the SD Card. However, if you want to take a still while video taping you just press the PhotoShot button and you will get a more than acceptable 1+ MP still recorded on the SD Card. The videotaping is not affected at all. This is great when you are taping your child's school band concert and would like some stills as well, without missing any of the performance.
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br /The camera itself is very easy to use. The joystick menu is great as well as the auto sleep mode when you close the LCD or viewfinder. To be honest there is so much I like about this camcorder I could go on forever. Admittedly, it is a little heavy and you should carry several back-up batteries if you are away from your charger for very long. I have purchased a led video light for very low light situations but have rarely used it; the MagicPix mode is usually enough in a pinch.
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br /Because of the price, complexity and the last of its kind, I did purchase a 3-year service contract through Panasonic. It may be money wasted in the end but if the camcorder needs service, the plan provides a loaner while it is in for service and even includes regular maintenance if I care to send it in.
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The Panasonic PV-GS500 was discontinued in late 2006 in anticipation of Panasonic's new 2007 models which will be available in the Spring.
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br / The PV-GS500 is compact, delivers stunning video in moderate lighting and above, has a lot of features that will appeal to the aspiring pro-sumer videographer. It lacks an audio output jack, which many will fault it for. It does have a separate microphone jack. The menu is driven by a toggle and is easy to use.
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br / It is reall aimed at the casual videographer who wants superb quality in a compact, uncomplicated package and it delivers precisely that.
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br / Low-light performance is poor, but there is an accessory shoe, so you can mount an auxillary light. I would suggest getting an accessory bracket that provides two or three accessory shoes so you can use both a shotgun microphone and an auxillary light for weddings, parties and other group events.
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br / Battery life is about what you would expect, so carrying one or two spare batteries is recommended.
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br / All in all, a very nice 3CCD camcorder for the advanced amateur or just someone who wants superb image quality in an easy-to-use package.
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br /Jerry

I researched and debated over which camaera to buy or if I should just wait for the next generation of cameras. I have opted to wait previously, but with a 12 month old on the verge of walking, I really wanted a video camera. Digital still just doesn't capture all of those special moments (like the first time she discovered that our pets are lick monsters).
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br /I have to say, after 6 MONTHS of using this camera, I am extremely happy. My only complaint is the lack of an external microphone. I solved that by purchasing an external mic which is attached to the top of the camera (I recommend getting one that has a light which indicates when the batteries are low and when the mic is in the 'On' position). I have even taught my 60 year old mother who claimed she couldn't use a video camera, how to use this simple camera.
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br /I have seen a lot of home video from other cameras of friends and relatives. There is no comparison. Even HD doesn't beat the price and the awkward data transfer (not to mention that limited HD space). Since this camera uses a cassette, I can video as much as two batteries worth of time (and charge one battary in the car while the other is in use). And I don't have to worry about whether or not I have enough storage for any more video. It's worth the money. And best of all, I know I'll have this camera for several years until the price, technology and ease of use of the other manufacters catches up!

If high-quality video is your primary need, this is a great camera. The 3 CCDs make for beautiful color and a crystal clear picture. It's not as small or as light as some of the less expensive cameras: if a small/light camera to take to the amusement park of the kids is your priority, maybe this isn't the best choice. If a great picture is what you want, it is. My only complaint is that it doesn't have a headphone jack.

I have researched both the PV-GS500 and PV-GS300. They have the same exact picture quality. These are the best quality camcorders you can buy if you are an average consumer. If you are an amateur or aspiring filmmaker you need to go with higher end cameras. Not even Sony HD can touch the image and picture quality of these Panasonics because it is only 1CCD. 3CCD is what is in pro models and this gives you a color rich professional looking picture. Yes HD camcorders have more lines of resolution, but without the richness and color quality of 3CCD, the picture doesn't look as good. PV-GS500 or GS300 can't be beat by any other camcorder in it's price range. Another drawback to going with HD or a hard drive based camcorder is that you will be very limited when it comes to editing. Most editing software aren't even compatible with HD yet.
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br /Most importantly, if picture quality is most important to you, there is no reason to spend an extra $500 on the PV-GS500, just buy the GS300 since they are both 3CCD. Paying more only gets you 12x zoom instead of 10x, and 4.0 MP instead of 3.1 MP. For $500 I can live without the extra 2x zoom and 1 MP. I'm not buying a camcorder for taking still pictures anyway. Also the GS300 is only 2.7 lbs which is important for taking handheld shots. The GS500 is 4 lbs which is a drawback compared to the GS300. If your filmming your kids soccer game handheld for an hour that's a big difference! Bottomline, is Panasonic needs to come up with more important features to put into the GS500 to make it worth the extra $500. As is it just isn't!!!
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br /So that's why I give th GS500 only 4 stars, and the GS300 5 stars.

I won't comment on the camcorder itself. It is great, and it fulfills all the needs I had.
br /The only problem came when I upgraded my computer (I was forced to, not a voluntary move) to Vista.
br /Not a single item in the bundled software is compatible with Vista, starting with the USB driver. As of April 24th, Panasonic doesn't even provide an ETA on the delivery of upgraded drivers.
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br /Just remember it before you purchase it. For a piece of hardware over $1000, you expect full functionality in your environment.

It does everything I expected and more. Very happy with the Mac compatability and ease of use. Great camcorder, highly recommend it!

The star rating I assigned reflects that I have owned the GS 500 for a very short time, otherwise it would likely be higher. This is the second camcorder I have purchased in two years or less. It is a vast improvement over the competitors camcorder. Having used the unit several times I find it is very versatile. Much like a high quality automatic 35 mm camera, the SG500 can be very simple to operate; or it can be very sophisticated. Knowing the manual precisely is absolutely essential for excellent results in every situation as the proper settings for each use must be dialed in before one begins shooting. Once the settings are in it's a piece o' cake. Even with the automatic adjustments results can vary significantly as the lighting, or speed of the object, changes. With the correct settings the results are excellent. Getting the settings correct takes a fair amount of trial and error since the camera is quite reactive to changes in ambient lighting and background.
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br /The camcorder interacts well with a computer including the Panasonic programming included as well as all others I've tried. One oversight by Panasonic is that they did not ship a UBS cord with the unit which can be confusing. A typical UBS from any other computer add - on can be used readily although this is not explained and it is not apparent. Another observation is that I have had trouble down - loading tape using the UBS. The fire wire works excellently however.
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br /The camera aspect of the unit is excellent, but again, sensitive - as it should be. Getting the great results possible takes practice - luckily no film and processing is involved so the cost for this is virtually nothing. And it is lots of fun.
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br /This is a fine, sophisticated, camcorder but getting the most out of it requires a sophisticated, knowledgeable user. I expect to be experimenting and practicing a lot in the years to come.

So far I like everything about this camcorder. I have to admit, I haven't had alot of time to do any video editing on the computer. The still pics seem to look good and are easy to download to my existing Kodak Software. I have downloaded a couple of clips to my PC. The editing software that comes with the camcorder sucks though. The camera is light and compact. It is alot easier just carrying one camera to video and take pics. The price is high compared to one model below this one. I wish I knew how good the quality is on the other model, but I thought the the extra zoom and MP's on the digital would be worth the extra expense. Overall, I am satisfied.

I have this camera and have shot two down-and-dirty amateur documentaries with it. I have found the image to be excellent when compared to lesser "consumer" grade camcorders. My only real complaint with the camera is with the manual focus. It is extremely difficult to judge the manual focus using either the viewfinder or the viewing screen. While the auto-focus works very well, any shot that requires a custom close or far manual focus is VERY difficult to set up and requires an external monitor for complete confidence. For this reason, I still have to borrow a DVX100B when I do serious shoots.

We purchased this camcorder for our son because he enjoys movie making. This product offers an excellent picture quality. The video editing software that comes with the camcorder is easy to use. I would recommend this product.

I've had this camcorder since Nov. and have used it several times. I love exploring the features and playing around with its different uses. It takes excellent video with excellent color and sound. I've also successfully transferred video to my computer which is easy. I love this camcorder and the clear video it makes of my family!

Great camcorder, excellent lens, image stability and functions... all the package is very functional and ergonomical. The zoom is amazing. Great for outdoors recordings.

This camera is the answer to my prayers. I'm a film student and poor. i needed a camera to replace the cheap one i was using but couldn't afford the 3000$ models i would've liked. After considerable research i got me one of these baby's and couldn't be happier with it. It has a huge lens for such a small camera and takes a beautifully clear picture-perhaps not the sharpest picture in the world but the color clarity is so amazing it really doesn't have to be razor sharp. There is zero color noise and I've filmed hours worth of footage on one charge. All in all if your a serious filmmaker and have a small budget this is a good option. It wont get you an oscar but it will most definitely get you started, and if you ever get a better one this camera could still perform just fine as a backup or secondary unit-it competes with the prosumer models

I have this camera for 8 months now. I like it. I had several $600-$800 video cameras, this IS the best! Here is my review:
br /Pros: Great vivid, color reproduction. Really good video quality in both full light and low light conditions. Easy to operate. Intuitive interface. Reliable. Great sound recording. Nice set of features. The included DV interface is a great plus for me. The battery life is reasonable.
br /Cons. Still pictures taking is only mediocre. The quality is not that good. Does not have a shoulder stripe, so it is not easy to carry it around.
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This is a great camcorder. It has eyepopping colors and picture. The only thing I wish it had was an animation feature where it will take a 1/4 sec or 1/8 sec frame for doing animations. Other than that, it is very good.

I have been using the Panasonic PV-GS500 camcorder for more than 6 months now and I am quite happy with this camcorder. My main usage of it is for keeping track of my son's progress so I use it mostly indoor. Therefore I needed a camcorder with a good low-light sensitivity; I got what I needed. Image quality is very good even in dim light (not nigth shots, though!). I have big hands so the fact that this camcorder is somewhat bigger and heavier than most is a plus for me: it weight makes it very stable in my hand and all controls are easily reachable. Sound capture is reasonably good with the internal microphone. I have yet tried to transfer the data from the tape to a DVD so I can't comment on this part of the package.

This is an amazing camcorder that produces very close to Broadcast quality video. I would know, I work in the industry. After doing much research, I decided on the Panasonic PV GS500 Mini DV ($699). I could not justify spending another grand or two for an extra channel of audio, although the lack of a headphone jack is the only negative I have about this camcorder but there is a way to work around this problem, just GOOGLE and you will find many solutions in being able to monitor the audio via a set of headphones.You can still monitor the audio on the LCD screen, but I don't understand why Panasonic didn't add the headphone feature. Aside from that, this is a very powerful little camera. Shoots both in 16:9 and 4:3 ratio, which was a plus. I shot in 16:9 and the video (3ccd chip) was stunning! Great for viewing on a HD television set. Colors are vibrant and sharp. We used the PV GS 500 as a 2nd camera on a shoot in Nashville and with some color correction we were able to match it to our Broadcast quality camera which cost $40,000! Records audio perfectly clear. I bought a $25 lavalier mic from Radio Shack and recorded prestine clear audio. Also bought a mini jack to XLR audio cable ($9) so I could test Broadcast Quality Sony Electret Condenser Microphone ECM-55B, again perfect sound. Camera is sturdy compact, does not feel cheap light like some of the other camcorders. You breeze through the internal menues by scrolling via a joystick on the camera. This is an EXCELLENT camcorder for the price. Also included in the package are a Battery Pack, Remote Control, Magic Wire Remote Control, Lens Cap, Multi Cable, Shoulder strap, USB cable and CD-ROM . The Panasonic PV GS500 is great for those wanting to do weddings, documentaries and shorts.

I just got my Panasonic PV-GS500 camcorder/digital camera on Friday. I have not had a lot of time to completely try out all its features (which probably has more than I will ever use for either personal or business reasons), but I already love it. One review states that it is over 3 pounds. This is only true if you include all the accessories that come with it. Normal operation (a lens cap, hand strap, tape, SD card, and battery), along with the camera/camcorder, put this unit at just under 1.4 pounds, which is certainly NOT heavy. Also, Amazon does a disservice to potential customers when it lists "What's in the box?" on this page. More than the three items mentioned comes with this camcorder. In fact, everything that the company packages with this camcorder comes with it. To see which accessories are included, you can go to Panasonic's website, click on this product, and view its product manual. The included accessories are listed near Page 12, I believe. You get things like cables, batteries, remotes, a manual, software, etc. I have never written a review before, but these two things compelled me to do so. I love this camera, and Amazon is reputable and offers a great price on it. I did a lot of research on all camcorder/camera combos, and this one won out in my opinion.

I tried JVC GRX5US (5MP and 3-CCD) and Sony DCR-HC96 (3.3MP CCD) and finally decided to buy this Panasonic PV-GS500 from Amazon. This is the best camcorder for the buck.
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br /The video quality is outstanding even though we tried it indoor in the evening. The control is very user-friendly. The lense (12x optical zoom) is made by Leica, the German lens specialist. This makes the world of difference. 5 Star for the camcorder, 10 star for Amazon.com's unmatchable price.

I've used lots of prosumer and professional video cameras over the years as a video production teacher, a producer and videographer and the quality of this camera is outstanding. Both video and stills. Great for 'grab' shots. I am pleasantly surprised at the great point and shoot pictures this camera produces. Excellent white balance, exposure and focus under nearly every lighting condition. I've been using it for nearly a month now and am completely satisfied.

I ordered the video camera as a refurbished item. When I received the camera, it looked brand new. I mean "never been used" brand new for real. I figured I'd give it a shot, since I had 30 days to return it, and also since it was from Amazon, and not a 3rd party reseller. The price was very good, $375 (free shipping, no tax).
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br /The battery life is good. The picture quality is good, etc, etc.... The cinema mode is interesting. You will end up doing research in forums, whether or not you should shoot in cinema mode or not. You'll research making some kind of rig to steady the camera while shooting hand-held. You'll look for filters and fish-eye lenses. You'll find out that there are professional tapes vs the standard ones you find everywhere.
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br /I will be using my camera to create short films, and documentaries. I don't know how this camera compares to everything else out there, but I know that I've done my research, and the bottom line is that everyone has their own budgets to consider.
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br /That said, I plan on making the most of this camera, and I hold it with all seriousness and respect.

it's very simple. If you can't decide what camcorder to buy, and you want the best mini-DV one (to get full quality from your video, since HD and DVD camcorders record in Mpeg2 format), then buy this one.
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br /Even other panasonic ones, more advanced in model numbers are not that great as this one. Basically because it has a mic connection, so you can attach your own external mic which is what everyone should do to get good sound and no amateur one.
br /Also you can manually adjust the focus with the ring, no servo-motor adjustment (you get automatic too of course). Manual-white balance is there too.
br /It's a 3CCD and the picture quality is great even at low light.
br /I checked every other camera out there at this moment, and none of them have everything I wanted, except this one.

This is a really good camera. I had a Sony DCR-HC32 before, and this is 100 times better. Also I used to carry around both a digital camera and the video camera. Now I just use this. This is an excellent deal.

I ordered this camcorder on May 20th of this year, and received it in about a week. Since then I have had a good amount of time to learn and play around with all of its features. I must say that I am very impressed with the quality of this camcorder. The structure is solid, navigation between features is a breeze, and the quality of the video is amazing. When researching camcorders I had a max spending amount of $500. This camcorder is worth every cent extra that I ended up paying. (Ordered for $799, and within 30 days the price dropped to $699, so I called Amazon and was refunded the amount!) If you are considering this camcorder, don't think twice and buy it!

I bought this camera because I have the earlier model. This one does not do everything that the PV-GS200 does, but it still a great camera. The reviews and evaluations on the camcorder web sites are right on. I will buy Panasonic again, in the future.

PROS
br /* Large 3 CCD produces amazing colored images.
br /* Image Stabilization System does magic
br /* Mini Dv tape has the best transfer rate which needs low video compression.
br /* Mini DV tapes are low cost media
br /* Stereo MIC input

I'm not interested in technical jargon to tell me if something is supposed to perform for me. I'm only interested in what I see or hear.
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br /I purchased this camcorder 3 years ago to use for my media business and general purposes. All the reviews and stats basically said that for average consumer's and average consumer price, this camcorder delivered professional results. I have also acquired a Canon HV30 Hi Defintion camcorder for my business and the gs500's picture is just as good if not better for normal video recording.
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br /The camera was easy to learn and get used to all of it's functions. It's design is nice and all buttons are well placed. The extending eyepiece is great!
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br /So after 3 years of use, this camera has lived up to it's "average price, pro results" comment. From high noon sun to evening twilight, this camera picks up colors very well. It's autofocus is quick and very accurate. It's LCD display is bright and easily viewable, even in bright sunlight. The video clarity is fantastic!
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br /If you're looking for a great camcorder for a reasonable price that delivers professional results, this is it. I'm planning on getting another one of these later this year.
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br /My gs500 has recorded 478 tapes so far and I've never had a single issue with transferring, ejecting, particles or anything else.
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br /If I had to pick one flaw with this camcorder it would have to be that the spring loaded switch to open the tape eject bay is very stiff. Could just be my particular camera.

I JUST RECEIVED THIS CAMERA TODAY.
br /AND I MUST SAY THIS 3CCD CAMERA GIVES A GREAT PICTURE.
br /I HAVE BEEN IN THE VIDEO PRODUCTION BUSINESS FOR OVER 25 YEARS,DOING WEDDINGS,
br /CABLE PRODUCTIONS.
br /WORKED WITH A LOT OF BROADCAST CAMERAS.WHICH ARE $10,000 cameras.
br /I OWN A KY27 JVC BROADCAST CAMERA WHICH PUTS OUT 750 LINES 65DB SIGNAL TO
br /NOISE RATIO.THIS CAMERA IS CLOSE.INDOOR SHOOTING IS NOT BAD A LITTLE ON THE
br /GRAINY SIDE BUT WITH A GOOD VIDEO LIGHT THERE IS NO PROBLEM.
br /ALL CONSUMER CAMERAS HAVE A LITTLE GRAIN.BUT WITH PROPER LIGHTING YOU CAN
br /OVER COME THIS.
br /I TOOK THIS CAMERA OUTSIDE.GREAT VIDEO,COLOR.
br /I DID NOT CARE FOR THE DIGITAL CAMERA PHOTOS ARE NOT THAT GREAT.I DID
br /NOT BUY THIS CAMERA FOR THAT ANYWAYS.
br /VERY NICE CAMERA YOU WONT BE SORRY. PAID $850.00

Had it since 19 June, 2006, and picture quality is excellent with the 3ccd, good features overall, allows manual focus and other settings. Its digital picture function, however, is not as good as a single function digital camera, just as a digital camera is not as good as a camcorder to record videos. Joystick is difficult to handle in one hand, got to use the other hand to change functions. If only optical zoom is a bit better than 12x.
br /Overall, I like it, and with $300 off the panasonic list price, it is a bargain (for now at least).

This is my first Video camera ever! and i really enjoy using it, It is easy to navigate through the menu and takes great stills as well.
br /My only issue with it is the software is not so user friendly, i realize that there is a learning curve with these things and with more time i'm sure i'll be able to master it, but it can be daunting at first.
br /Aside from that, so far so good.

Product is of high quality and the delivery was prompt. I am very pleased with this transaction

The Camara is a nice size, the colors come out wonderfully bright when the area is well illuminated, but if you are recording in a normal home environment with regular light bulbs, the video comes out darker than the area was. The camera requires a light for those situations. The 4MP camera is disappointing. The flash over-saturates the subject and the pictures come out discolored and grainy even at maximum resolution. The lens is not wide enough compared to a regular still digital camera. You have to go much farther back to capture the subject than with a regular camera. There are controls that should be at your fingertips that panasonic hit away in layers of menu choices. The joystick is a nice idea, but it doesn't do a good job at navigating the menu or the tape when in preview mode. The button to record and the one to take pictures are separate and it requires switching the control wheel to get to it. By the time you get ready to switch back and forth, you missed the moment to take pictures and/or video. I've used video cameras that can take pictures without stopping the video and can integrate it to the video as a special effect.
br /The video capture mode was easy and painless. Editing is also very easy and rather fast. The computer controls the camera while editing saving additional steps. Don't buy this camera thinking that you won't need to buy a digital camera for your pictures. It's far from that. You need a light and then you'll be happier. There's much room for improvement. If it's of any consolation, the competition has many of the same problems. I did my research before I bought it and this is the best of the pack so far. It should be cheaper though.

I bought this camcorder 3 months ago and, after using it a grand total of 6 times, it is broken. It constantly loses track of timestamp on the tape doing things like rewinding 2 minutes (two minutes on the counter in the display), refusing to rewind anymore and telling me the tape is full. It's a 60 minute tape and it can only record 2 minutes??? I figured that was a problem with the tape so I tried another one, which seemed to work fine until I got home and tried to watch the footage. The camera counter once again became confused and the whole camera just locked up. I had to power off and on several times before finally getting the camera to rewind the tape to where I needed it to be. Lastly, the mechanism for ejecting the tape broke after only one month.
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br /One last note, the support for Panasonic is horrible too. You can't talk to a "real" person and instead have to go through an annoying robotic voice recognization "person". I'll never buy another Panasonic product again...give me Sony.

I have been to the showroom today and tested the gs 300 myself. To my great disappointment, the technological level remained the same as what I have got four years ago. No improvement at all. It is actually unbelievable that the Panasonic company did not realise or did nothing to rectify the problem.

I bought this camera to replace a PV-GS200 which died in a canoeing accident. It's about twice as heavy and much larger than the GS200, and other than the greater still picture resolution offers no other advantages. I truly wish Panasonic had not killed the former 3CCD camcorder line -- they were excellent, and the new ones are less sophisticated and much less convenient. It's unlikely I'll feel like lugging a four-pound machine around, so chances are I would leave this one home, and miss all the video I want to shoot.

I am by no means an expert on electronics of any kind. I wanted a camera that would be simple and better than average in low light. This camera was simple to use but the quality of the picture was very disapointing. It does terrible in low light and it shakes. It is also quite heavy. I knew it would be heavier than the compact video cameras but I thought that was because of all the extras this camera would provide. It doesn't so I sent it back and got a Sony DCR-HC26, much cheaper and the quality is better in my opinion.

It is a very easy for me to buy a suitable product on Amazon. This product is stable and meet my requirment for MiniDV.

This camera is by far one of the best cameras around for the price. Great picture and color quality.