a quandary... help me decide!!!

[Shaka[Zulu]]

I need help... Ive decided to get a camcorder in the next couple months, and have whittled the field down to 2 models from panasonic, but I cant make up my mind:

in the red corner we have the PV-GS70. The first 3-chip camcorder ever to break the $1000 barrier, it has become quite well regarded for its' outstanding image quality and color fidelity. uses DV tape, which might not be a dominant media for much longer.

in the blue corner, we have the newest member of the D-Snap line, the SV-AV100. This is the first camcorder able to record full 704x480/576 mpeg2 video at a bitrate of 6Mbit/s onto SD media. Currently, it is limited to only 10 minutes at maximum quality onto a 512meg SD card, but SD capacity will be hitting 4gig by the end of 2004. while image quality isnt *quite* as good as the GS70 (but still damn good nonetheless from what ive seen), the small size of the camera more than makes up for it in terms of always being able to have it on you.

both cams can be had for $700-$800 online, the $$$ of the 512meg SD card making up as much as 1/3 the price of the AV100 @ ~ $250 apiece


as an aside, Panasonic is also likely going to be migrating a substantial % of its' *entire* camcorder lineup to SD within the next 2 years -- including the pro models which will record anything from standard DV format to HiDef onto the cards. I am really waiting for one of THOSE

[Rye]

Go for the nontape one, i did click on the other one though, first, but now i've changed my mind.

[SPOOFE]

QUALITY.

I cannot stress that enough. Quality, quality, quality. Go for the 3-CCD.

Solid-state is useful, but not yet at the point where it's feasible for video. Wait until you can get a 10-gig compact flash card for a hundred bucks, THEN go for the CF camcorder.

EDIT: Besides, I've seen the Panasonic 'corder you're referring to. It's not particularly large. GET IT!!

[Shaka[Zulu]]

you know which one Im really waiting for??? well here it is:


the Panasonic AJ-SPX800: Harbinger of a new era

a pic for those who dont wanna follow the article link:



now THAT is gonna be a really mean beastie!!! seriously tho, when they officially announce this one @ NAB, I fully expect a few more models to cover all the market segments, including a solid-state version of the SV70.