Panasonic Pv-dv953?

I've been looking at it for a while and it seems to be a good "bang for your buck" camera. I was originally considering getting the 3ccd Panasonic Pv-GS70 because of it's low price, but after finding out it had no manual exposure mode and was equipped with digital image stabalization well.... I backed off.

The pv-dv953 has an optical image stabalizer, a zebra mode to check for hot spots, three 800,000 pixel ccds, as well as manual exposure and i've even seen it at some places in the $900 range. I know people say it's low light capabilities are horrible, but is it really that severe? I was playing around with one at Circut City a few days ago and under the store's flourecent lighting the picture quality looked amazing!!!

What's you're guys take on this camera? Pros? Cons?

 

I've not used that particular panasonic cam model but my cam is about one model below that one and I love it. Yes the low light capabilities aren't as good as they are on some of the sonys. But, really if you're serious about shooting videos and stuff you'll need some sort of extra lighting anyway since video needs more of it to look good.
I looked at the dv953 3CCD model but I didn't have enough for it at the time that I needed a cam. One thing about the dv953 I saw I liked was the top-loading of the tapes so you don't have take it off the tripod to change a tape.
The manual exposure is pretty much the same on this model as it is on mine and I like it. But be sure to read the manual on that manual adjutments functions so when you're in a hurry you aren't second guessing yourself.
The zebra mode adjustments is a big plus for this model... and I wish my panasonic model had it.

A search on Amazon.com for:
"Panasonic PVDV953"
brought up some good detailed reviews.
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B00008RUEO/ref=cm_cr_dp_2_1/103-1765812-0819813?v=glance&s=photo&vi=customer-reviews

 

Thanks for the link AVMaster, I don't use Amazon much so I hadn't read the reviews there.

I'm guessing you're camera is the panasonic Pv-gs70 right? It's the only other camera Panasonic makes for under $1,500.... at the moment at least. From reading all the many reviews and many different site's "specifications" on it, I never saw manual exposure listed, and when I was at the good guys testing it out a while back I couldn't find the controls for manual exposure.

I'm currently in a video class that uses Panasonic cameras (horribly inefficient ones that reset the manual controls when they turn off after the automatic 5 minute power saving thing kicks in ) To access the manual controls on the cameras in my class, you simply push in the scroll wheel in while not in the main menu, and up pops the manual control menu, so maybe that's where the exposure thing is hidden.

Also, on that link you gave me, it listed two new panasonic 3ccd cameras: The Pv-gs120($699) and the pv-gs200($999). The pv-gs120 is apparently going to replace the pv-gs70 and the pv-gs200 is going to be a model in-between the pv-gs120 and the pv-dv953. Both new cameras will be released on March 15.

The pv-gs200 sounds intruiging but Amazon states that the pv-gs200 has three 760,00 pixel ccds, while camcorderinfo.com states that both the pv-gs120 and the pv-gs200 have 3 410,000 pixel ccds. I don't trust the specs on Amazon though. On the second line of the features description for the pv-dv953, it exclaims it has a digital image stabilizer, which is obviously wrong.

I guess i'll just have to wait until more reliable info comes forth.

ps.- does anyone know if there is a sharpness control on the pv-dv953? My crappy sony over sharpens my video which makes bluescreen keying a nightmare of jagged edges. Manual controls to the end!!!!

 

Actually mine is a 1CCD PV-DV901D. Which is a 2001 model. The 901 is only one model down from the 3CCD PV-DV951, which is the grandfather/earlier model of the camera in question, PV-DV953 which is a 2003 model. Notice the 1 and 3 at the end of the model numbers, denoting year made.

My 901 thankfully isn't plagued by the self-reseting of the manual controls if it goes into stand by mode as you meantioned your school cameras have. Mine has the manual control menu wheel on the side too.

That same Amazon page has an official product manual of the dv953 and I can tell you for certain it has a manual settings mode.

I've never noticed any over sharpening in the video from my cam so I'm guessing it shouldn't be a problem in the later panasonic models.

 

Yeah, I think the cameras we are using in class are the model pv-dv401 0r 402 (I don't encourage anyone to buy these). They even come with what looks like a manual focus ring, until you try to move it . I guess panasonic wanted to let casual videographers look a bit more like pros. "Yippe!!! look at the cool grip thing on the lens!!!"

Btw,when I said I couldn't find the manual exposure, I was referring to the Panasonic pv-gs70, not the pv-dv953.

Thank you for all your generous help AVMaster!!!

 

*bump*

 

I have the PV-gs70. The manual Exposure, Iris control, everything is in the on screen menu. I adjust these settings manually when shooting at night (full moon shots). The one thing I hate about the menu's is that some features aren't accessible until others are turned off. The manual doens't really go into that, so it was trial and error.

It's an excellent camera, and a 3ccd cam for under $1,000 is just too good.

 

I also have the NV GS70 and the only thing it lacks is the viewfinder which is too small. Anything else is great in my opinion.