Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

I don't normally write online reviews, but when I saw the 2.5 average rating for the GS500, I felt compelled. First, let me qualify myself. I am a techno geek. I love electronics, and whenever I'm about to spend more than a couple hundred dollars for something, I THOROUGHLY research it. I have been doing video editing for several years, and I have produced several wedding videos. I'm not an expert, but I do know quite a bit about the topic of video cameras. Oh, and by the way, I can also very critical of products. Secondly, let me state that, aside from the Panasonic GS400, the GS500 is by far the best camcorder you can purchase unless you plan to spend over two grand. It has great color reproduction and AMAZING low light performance. Sure, compared to the GS400, it has less functionality, but I don't think the average user is going to miss it. And, given its price is several hundred dollars cheaper than the GS400, I can almost assure you the average user will bid good riddance to the missing functionality. So, why so many negative reviews on this camcorder? Usually, when a product that is head-and-shoulders above the competition gets negative reviews, it is because the reviewer either works for the competition or they are ignorant of the facts. Reading the reviews on the gs500, it is my belief that ignorance was the culprit in these cases. First, to the "kid" that had a problem with his four year old video camera -- we don't care. This board isn't for questions, it is for getting opinions and ratings on products of interest. And regarding products of interest, people on this particular board are interested in the gs500, not the nv gs5. Additionally, I have not had a single problem with the blue screen you describe, nor have I read about anyone else having this problem on either the gs500 or the well-established gs400. So, I'll chalk this up to an isolated issue. To the fellow who thinks the gs500 is too heavy, it is 3 pounds. Your gs200 was only 1 pound. So, yes, the gs500 is substantially heavier than your previous camcorder. However, it wouldn't have taken much research to realize this. Folks, the gs500 is not a crappy, little, fit in the palm of your hand, spy camcorder. It is a high quality camcorder with 3 large CCDs offering exceptional video reproduction. If quality video is what you're looking for, then you've found your camcorder. If you want something you can carry around in your shirt pocket -- keep looking. And, by the way, I have no affiliation with Panasonic.