Panasonic PV-GS300

Panasonic's 2006 3 CCD MiniDV line is down from four to three camcorders since last year. The new 2006 middle model is the PV-GS300, coming to the market at $699. It replaces last year’s GS250. The GS300 is currently the lowest priced 3 CCD camcorder with optical image stabilization (OIS). Since last year, Pansonic added  a 2.7 inch, 123K widescreen LCD, and the newly shrunk GS300 is sleeker and more stylish. However, if you are a current GS250 owner and plan to upgrade or buy another GS300, you will find that your 43mm accessories no longer fit. By making a smaller camcorder, Panasonic also chose to decrease the filter thread to 37mm. That doesn't seem to have affected the video that the GS300 will produce, as the chips and lens assembly appear to be unchanged from the GS250, though they have incorporated the integrated lens cap from the GS150.