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General Features
Mini DV Camcorder Features
Digital Camera Features
Software/Computer Information
Warranty Information
General Features
Three-in-One Multi-Cam Camcorder:
The PV-GS500 is three cameras in one:
- Digital Camcorder:
Recording video onto Mini DV tape
- Digital Still Camera:
Recording still images onto SD Memory Card
- Web Camera: Using the
camcorder and the Internet to communicate by picture and sound, similar to a
videophone
3CCD Camera System:
The PV-GS500 features three separate 1,070,000-pixel CCDs (total) which reproduce
color with great fidelity, using separate CCDs for reds, greens, and blues. The
effective pixel count for each CCD is 700,000 for video in 4:3 mode, 730,000 for
video in 16:9 mode, 990,000 for still photos in 4:3 mode, and 740,000 for still
photos in 16:9 mode.
Lens: This unit features a
multi-coated Leica Dicomar lens, providing video and still images with a high
level of detail and subtlety that produce truly moving images.
LCD Monitor: This unit features
a 2.7" color LCD monitor for framing moving and still images while recording and
for viewing recorded movies or still pictures. It can swing out 90 degrees, and
while opened, the monitor can rotate 270 degrees (180 degrees forward and 90
degrees backward). When rotated a full 180 degrees, the image is inverted so it
can be properly viewed from the front of the camcorder. The color viewfinder
also turns on when the LCD is facing forward. For best viewing, the color and
brightness of the monitor can be adjusted.
Recording Media: The PV-GS500
can record video on Mini DV tape and still images on an SD Memory Card. The
manual specifies 8, 16, 32, 64, 128, 256, and 512 MB, 1 GB, and 2 GB SD cards.
Accessory Shoe: The accessory
shoe supplies power to Panasonic's optional video light (model VW-LDH3) and
stereo zoom microphone (model VW-VMH3), available from Panasonic directly.
Image Stabilizer:
The Optical Image Stabilizer helps you obtain clear pictures
by compensating for any hand movement that occurs as you shoot video.
Gyrosensors detect the amount and direction of movement, while a linear motor
adjusts the lenses as needed to compensate. You get clear, sharp images in
situations where hand-shake is typically a problem, like wide-angle shots or
high magnification levels of the zoom.
Focus: The PV-GS500 lets you
focus automatically or focus on your subject manually using the Focus ring.
Zoom Function: The optical zoom
of the lens magnifies the subject up to 12 times. The digital zoom function is
useful when you want to record close-up shots of subjects located beyond the
optical zoom range. With the Digital Zoom Function, you can select a
magnification of 30x or 700x.
Soft Skin: When this function
detects skin tones, it softens the focus in that area. This helps make wrinkles
and lines appear less noticeable and preserves resolution in other areas of the
picture. If there is anything in the background that's the same color, it will
also be softened.
Tele-macro: By focusing only on
the subject and blurring the background, the subject is made to stand out. This
camcorder can focus on the subject at a distance of approximately 20".
High Speed Shutter: The high
speed shutter feature gives the ability to record high speed motion for improved
still or slow motion playback. You can rotate the jog key to manually select any
of the following shutter speeds for video: 1/60, 1/100, 1/120, 1/180, 1/250,
1/350, 1/500, 1/750, 1/1000, 1/1500, 1/2000, 1/3000, 1/4000, or 1/8000. For
recording to the Memory card, the same shutter speeds apply up to 1/2000, plus
1/15, 1/8, 1/4, and 1/2. If you choose not to manually select the shutter speed,
the camcorder can automatically a shutter speed for you.
Exposure: Normally the
camcorder adjusts the exposure automatically, however, when the situation
requires, you can compensate by manually adjusting the iris.
Auto/Manual White Balance
Adjustment: When the white balance is correct, all other colors
will be accurately reproduced. White Balance Settings include: Auto, Indoor Mode
(shooting under incandescent lighting), Outdoor Mode, and Manual mode.
Backlight Compensation: This
feature prevents a recording subject that is in front of a light source from
looking too dark.
Power Save: When the power save
mode is on, after 5 minutes without any camcorder operation, the power turns
off. If either the USB or DV jack is connected to a computer the power save
function is disabled.
Digital Inputs/Outputs: The
PV-GS500 has a USB jack (mini-USB Ver. 2.0) and a 4-pin DV jack for digital data
transfer to and from your computer. A USB cable is supplied.
A/V and S-Video Output: This
unit has a proprietary audio/video output for use with the supplied A/V cable.
The A/V cable has a proprietary connector on one end and the following
connectors on the other end: left and right RCA audio, RCA composite video, and
S-video.
AC Adapter/Battery Charger: The
supplied PV-DAC14D AC adapter allows you to operate the camcorder on AC current
and doubles as a battery charger.
Battery Performance: The
supplied CGA-DU14 Lithium Ion rechargeable battery pack requires about 2 hours
and 45 minutes to fully charge. You can expect approximately 2 hours 10 minutes
of operation from a fully charged battery.
Wireless Remote: The included
wireless remote will control almost all of the camcorder functions. The IR
sensor is on the front of the camcorder below the flash and the remote's range
is approximately 16 feet.
MagicWire Remote
Control: This controller allows flexible placement of the camcorder while
maintaining control using the wired remote and is convenient when a Tripod is
used.
Mini DV
Camcorder Features
Record
Speed/Playback Time: You can record video in two speeds, SP and LP. LP
records at 2/3 the speed of SP, so you get longer recording times; however, you
can not use audio dubbing with a tape recorded using the LP speed. Picture
quality is about the same at the lower speed; it is likely, however, that a tape
recorded in LP mode will not play back as well on another Mini DV camcorder. The
recording/playback time for the Mini DV cassette types is as follows:
|
Cassette
type |
Recording/Playback Time |
|
SP |
LP |
|
Mini-DV-30 |
30 minutes |
45 minutes |
|
Mini-DV-60 |
60 minutes |
90 minutes |
|
Mini-DV-80 |
80 minutes |
120 minutes |
Program AE (Auto
Exposure) Modes: You may
select automatic exposures under specific recording situations. There are five
Program AE choices:
- Sports Mode: For scenes
involving quick movements, such as sports scenes
- Portrait Mode: The
camcorder will focus on the main subject of the image and leaves the
background slightly out of focus
- Low Light Mode: Preserves
the mood of dim light settings without altering picture brightness
- Spotlight Mode:
Neutralizes the additional brightness created by a spot light
- Surf and Snow Modes:
Compensate for excessive illumination from sun glare to produce a clear
image
Audio Modes: This unit
can record and play audio in 12 and 16-bit modes. In 12-bit mode, there are two
stereo audio tracks (stereo 1 and stereo 2), which enable audio dubbing and
audio mixing. In addition, there is a Mix mode that allows playback of both the
original sound and the sound added by audio dubbing simultaneously. Mix mode is
possible only in 12-bit recordings. Tapes recorded in 16-bit mode are of higher
audio quality, however, audio inserts cannot be made on a tape recorded in the
16-bit or LP modes.
Wide/Pro-Cinema Function: If you will be viewing videos on a
wide-screen TV, you can record in the Wide mode, which switches the aspect ratio
to 16:9. In addition to the effects when the Wide mode is used, images can also
be recorded at a rate of 30 frames a second with a strobe-like effect in
Pro-Cinema mode. The audio is also recorded with more presence.
Fade In/Out Functions: The fade
in/out functions bring images and sounds in and out from a black screen.
Zoom Microphone: The microphone
zooms in along with the picture, enabling you to pinpoint distant sound
emanating from your subject.
Wind Cut: When recording in
windy conditions, you can reduce the audio distortion caused by the wind hitting
the microphone by engaging the Wind Cut function.
Blank Search: This helps you
locate the end of a recording on a tape quickly.
Variable Speed Search: You can
search in either direction for a particular scene by choosing one of playback
speeds: 1/5x (1/3x in LP mode), 2x, 5x, 10x, or 20x.
MagicPix Images: When recording
video in very low light, you can greatly enhance the picture by engaging the
MagicPix function. Because it uses a slow shutter speed, motion jitter will be
much greater, so use of a tripod is recommended. MagicPix allows you to shoot
full color video in very low light.
Web Camera: If the camcorder is
connected to your personal computer, you can send video and audio to the other
parties via the web.
Note: Please see web
cam computer requirements below.
Auto Ground-Directional Standby
(AGS): This function prevents unnecessary recording when you forget to pause
recording and walk with the camcorder tilted upside down while recording
continues.
Digital Camera Features
Still Photo: You can record
digital still images to the SD Memory card in high or normal picture quality.
Using an SD Memory card, the approximate image capacity is as follows:
4:3 Mode:
|
SD Memory Card |
640 x 480 |
1280 x 960 |
1600 x 1200 |
2288 x 1728 |
|
High |
Normal |
High |
Normal |
High |
Normal |
High |
Normal |
|
8 MB |
45 |
95 |
9 |
15 |
5 |
9 |
2 |
4 |
|
16 MB |
100 |
200 |
21 |
35 |
13 |
21 |
6 |
10 |
|
32 MB |
220 |
440 |
47 |
75 |
30 |
47 |
14 |
22 |
|
64 MB |
440 |
880 |
98 |
155 |
63 |
98 |
30 |
47 |
|
128 MB |
880 |
1760 |
185 |
300 |
120 |
185 |
57 |
91 |
|
256 MB |
1760 |
3520 |
390 |
620 |
250 |
390 |
120 |
190 |
|
512 MB |
3520 |
7040 |
780 |
1230 |
500 |
780 |
240 |
380 |
|
1 GB |
7040 |
14080 |
1550 |
2470 |
1010 |
1550 |
480 |
770 |
|
2 GB |
14080 |
28160 |
3160 |
5030 |
2050 |
3160 |
990 |
1560 |
16:9/Pro-Cinema Mode:
|
SD Memory Card |
640 x
360 |
1280 x
720* |
2288 x
1288 |
|
High |
Normal |
High |
Normal |
High |
Normal |
|
8 MB |
45 |
95 |
12 |
19 |
3 |
5 |
|
16 MB |
100 |
200 |
29 |
46 |
8 |
14 |
|
32 MB |
220 |
440 |
64 |
98 |
19 |
30 |
|
64 MB |
440 |
880 |
130 |
200 |
40 |
64 |
|
128 MB |
880 |
1760 |
250 |
390 |
78 |
125 |
|
256 MB |
1760 |
3520 |
530 |
810 |
165 |
260 |
|
512 MB |
3520 |
7040 |
1040 |
1600 |
330 |
510 |
|
1 GB |
7040 |
14080 |
2090 |
3200 |
650 |
1030 |
|
2 GB |
14080 |
28160 |
4250 |
6510 |
1330 |
2090 |
* Displayed only in Tape
Recording mode.
Quad Pixel Distribution Technology:
With Quad-Density Pixel Distribution
Technology, you can record 4.0-megapixel images with the PV-GS500. It captures
all of the outstanding detail, color and sensitivity. Whether you take still
pictures in 16:9 wide mode or 4:3 mode, you get beautiful images.
RapidFire Consecutive
PhotoShot: Up to ten still images can be taken as quickly as every 0.7
seconds in the RapidFire mode. The picture size can be set to 640 x 360 or 640 x
480.
Self-timer: When
you set the self-timer, a still picture is automatically taken after 10 seconds
and stored on the memory card.
Flash: The
built-in flash helps record still pictures in dark places. The useful range of
the flash is from 3.3 to 8.2 feet.
Simultaneous
Recording: When recording video on the Mini DV tape (in tape recording
mode), still photos can be captured on the SD card. In 4:3 Mode, the image size
can be set to 640 x 480 or 1280 x 960, and in 16:9/Pro-Cinema Mode, the image
size can be set to 640 x 360 or 1280 x 720.
Printing Images: You can select
images to be printed, the number of prints and other print-related information
on a Memory card. This camcorder supports the Digital Print Order Format (DPOF),
which allows you to add printing data to a card and take the card to a photo
shop that also uses the DPOF format to have your prints made.
Software/Computer
Information
USB Driver:
Software for USB Driver allows you to transfer images directly from the Memory
Card into the computer.
USB Driver
requirements for Windows:
-
OS: IBM-PC/AT
compatible personal computer with Windows 2000 Professional, Windows XP Home
Edition, or Windows XP Professional Edition pre-installed
-
CPU: Intel
Pentium II 300MHz or higher
-
RAM: 32 MB or
more (64 MB or more is recommended)
-
Interface:
Minimum USB 1.1 Terminal
USB Driver
requirements for Macintosh:
-
OS: Mac OS X
10.1-X v 10.4
-
CPU: PowerPC
G3 (400 MHz or higher), G4, or G5
-
RAM: 64 MB or
more
Web Camera: The
camcorder can be used as a web cam to send audio and video to other computers
via a network or the internet. Along with the USB Driver requirements, to use
the camcorder as a web cam, the following additional minimum requirements must
be met:
-
OS: Windows XP
Home or Professional (service pack 1 or later), Windows 2000 Professional
(service pack 4 or later)
-
CPU: Intel
Pentium III 450MHz or higher
-
RAM: 128 MB or
more (256 MB or more is recommended)
-
Free Hard disk
space: 250 MB or more
-
Communication
Speed: 56 kbps or faster is recommended
-
Interface:
Minimum USB 1.1 Terminal
-
Necessary
Software: Windows Messenger 5.0 or later (XP), MSN Messenger 7.0 or
later (XP/2000), DirectX 9.0b or later (XP)
-
Other Requirements
(to send/receive audio): Sound card, Microphone, and Speaker or
headphones
Quick Movie Magic/MotionDV
Studio: These applications allow you to capture video recorded on tape or
images viewed through the lens. If the camcorder is connected to the computer
using a DV (firewire) cable, video footage edited on the computer can be
recorded back to the camcorder. Quick Movie Magic and MotionDV Studio have the
following minimum computer requirements:
-
OS: Windows XP
Home or Professional (service pack 2 or later), Windows 2000 Professional
(service pack 4 or later)
-
CPU: Intel
Pentium III 800MHz or higher
-
Graphic Display:
High Color 16 bit (32-bit or more recommended); Desktop resolution of 1024 x
768 pixels or more to support the overlay
-
Sound: PCM
sound source (Compatible Direct Sound)
-
RAM: 256 MB or
more
-
Free Hard Disk
Space: 640 MB (more is recommended, 1 GB needed for approximately 4
minutes of video)
-
Interface: DV
(IEEE 1394), High-Speed USB 2.0
-
Necessary
Software: DirectX 9.0b or later, Windows Media Player 6.4 or later
Warranty Information
Warranty: The warranty on the
PV-GS500 is 90 days labor and 1 year parts, except for the CCD image sensor,
which is 6 months.