16:9 - Maintaing that AR

[Hat]

I recently just got a hot spankin new camera (Panasonic GS400), and like it said it would, it has a true 16:9 mode. Now i can edit fine and everything with it, export in that aspect ratio and everything, but say if i wanted to send the video to my friend and I want to compress it in WMM, how the hell do I maintain the aspect ratio?

[hardbed34]

what happened to your GL? (if your the one that has it)

[ntbullock]

Looks like a decent little camera there. Wow, 3 CCD cams have come down in price, haven't they?

Right now I shoot everything full-frame then crop it. That may change once I get my new camera coming up here pretty soon. If you shoot anamophic 16:9 then you'd have to render out another video to fit 4:3.

[hardbed34]

after looking at that camera I've decided to screw getting a GL, this thing is so much cheaper.

[ntbullock]

There's much to be said for a lens, though.

[Hat]

Personally, I think this thing is a great buy. It's so-called "end of the line for consumer video". Which then of course after that it goes into professional. Now, you were talking about lenses. My cam does have a Leica lens on it, which I heard is the same kind of lens that they use to make IMAX cameras, so it can't be that bad. What lens is on your GL2?
(and btw, i got it for even less than that MSRP) :-)

[ntbullock]

The camera is probably fine. I've actually never seen a 3CCD that cheap. Canon has always had nice lenses. It has an L-Series Fluorite lens. Plus, there are different levels of lenses that each manufacturer makes. I'm sure Canon makes an even cheaper Flourite lens for its lower-end cams.

I'm simply stating that you get what you pay for - in reference to:

screw getting a GL, this thing is so much cheaper

Panasonic is a good namebrand and I hope it works wonderfully for you. Just throwing in my 2.

[grizzly69]

Videomaker magazine did declare the Panasonic PV-GS400 as best camcorder for $500 - $1500 in their "Best Products of the Year" issue.

I would still have to look at the feature list of each camera before deciding to pick one over the other. Maybe the GL2 has more manual controls and other options that justify the difference in price.

[th3_win]

I'm using a cheap ass cannon zr80, it keeps me on dv though.

[Hat]

Let's try and keep this on this topic:
So i was thinking this through and if i shoot in 16:9, edit and export back to cam in 16:9, then will it import into iMovie on a Mac at 16:9? (my school is so rich we can afford 1 eMac and 1 of the blue iMacs! And then on top of that, the eMac has so much RAM, we can't put Final Cut Express on it! Cool huh?)

[Barista]

I have a similar model. That is a bit better than mine, but everything looks the same except the lens. And I got mine for about $1,000.

[Hat]

grrrr! how about talking about aspect ratios?!!?

[hardbed34]

never have tried to shoot in 16:9 I just crop it in post, so I can have more control of what I want cut out. all I know is in premire and final cut you can choose normal ntsc, or widescreen ntsc. so I assume you just shoot it in widescreen then import in that way, maybe it's anamorphic.
and to respond to n.t.:
I doubt I'll ever get enough money anyway to get a nice camera, and when I do, there will probobly something better out there, and maybe I'll go HD. but I'd definately do more research than, "ooh this camera has 3ccd and it's cheaper, I'll take it!"

[Barista]

Yes, my father and I do video production, and when the price on HD camera's come down, we will get one. Sony makes a nice cheap model for about $2500.

[Jaise]

$2500 is cheap? Man!