Looking for new minidv camcorder. Panasonic miniDV or other?

[latin trident]

I am new to this site and see how great you guys are at helping others. I do have a question. What camcorder is best out of the 3 listed below?

1. Panasonic PV-GS320
2. Panasonic PV-GS500
3. Panasonic PV-GS400
4. Other

I am planning on buying a miniDV camcorder w/ 3CCD but if you believe buying another format (minidvd, SD, HD, etc) please let me know why and which model you would recommend. From all the research I have done, it seems as if miniDV is still the way to go.

Anyways, I am planning on using this camera to make short films and family videos but I want to make sure good quality is included. I am also planning on using Adobe Premier as the video editing software. But i am still stuck at which camcorder to get. If there is one thing I know for sure, I would like a mini dv camcorder with 3CCD! but if there are better options out there other than the ones i listed above, please let me know. I also would like to have a microphone input if possible but not necessary. Do you think paying extra money for a mic input is worth it? What are your thoughts? Which camera should I get?

Thanks!

[MJA]

HV-20 or HV-30

you can shoot in both HD,and SD

http://www.amazon.com/Canon-HV30-Definition-Camcorder-Stabilized/dp/B00114PN1U/ref=sr_...4696293&sr=8-3


https://forum.videohelp.com/topic354235.html?highlight=canon%20hv20

$800 and up for a consumer MinDv camera out of production is not worth it

[latin trident]

I went to the amazon link but didn't know where to find my answer to my question: does it have 3CCD or does that not matter?

[MJA]

1/2.7-inch CMOS sensor

http://www.camcorderinfo.com/content/Canon-HV30-Camcorder-Review-34401/Performance.htm#

[latin trident]

So i am guessing that 3CCD doesn't matter. It looks nice and now i will try to convince my wife that $700 is a worthy investment. Thanks for your input.

What media type do you recommend for recording? Do you recommend Sony DVC-60 PR/5 Premium Minidv tapes or something else? Any suggestions are appreciated!

[MJA]

I use Panasonic tapes

by the way .there is a site for the HV-20/30

http://www.hv20.com/

[latin trident]

Thanks so much for your help! It looks like I will be getting this camcorder and after checking out the sight, I am pretty much sold!

[stantheman1976]

The Panasonics and Canon are totally different beasts. The Panasonics have 3CCD's and are standard definition only. The Canon has a single CMOS sensor which is completely different than a CCD. Some say one CMOS sensor is as good as a 3CCD like the Panasonics. From my understanding the CMOS on the Canon is larger in size than the 3CCD's on the Panasonics and will allow more light to be processed at once giving you a slight edge in darker situations. Someone correct me if I'm wrong on that. I use the Panasonics and they are great cameras when the lighting is decent but they suffer in low light. The GS400 was supposedly the pinnacle of consumer grade SD camcorders because of the controls it has. I have a GS300, 320, and 400. In terms of image quality you won't really notice any difference. I've shot 3 angels at the same time and interchange them with no problem. The 320 is cheap but lacks a mic jack and other features. I'm still weary of HD because it's compressed more than DV but I have not seen anything about the HV20/30 that turns me off. I would like to get one sometime when I have the money.