Does anyone know if the PANASONIC PV-GS300 will work on a MAC?

It should it has a Firewire port. You will need a 4-6 pin firewire cable. No the PC software will not work. 😉
--
Daniel C. Slagle
Keeper of the "Unofficial" iMovie FAQ
http:// iMovie.danslagle.com

So I found a camera, I want to purchase...but i'm
reading that the supplied software only works on
windows machines.

Does anyone have this camera and if so, how does it
work?

George--I've spent many hours researching mini-dv camcorders. I narrowed the choices down to the GS 300 and the Canon S1. Today, I ordered the Canon--tough call but I heard fewer compatibility issues with the Canon. I'll find out in two days when it arrives! My understanding is that you don't need the shipped software because you will use iMovie to import and edit.

Hi George:

The camera should work fine as the boys have mentioned. it has Dv In/Out with a Firewire port. You will need to purchase a 4-pin to 6-pin Firewire (IEEE 1394) cable beacuse it won't come with one. That's the only way to send the DV to the mac.

Dump the SweetMovieLife1.0E / MotionDV STUDIO 5.6E LE for DV software that comes with it. That's what isn't compatible with Mac.

:)Sue

Hi George,
I have had the Panasonic PV-DV-800 for about five years and am completely satisfied with it. It has everything neccessary for working with iMovie.
I also have an older Panasonic VHS-C which I hook together as a pass through to convert older tapes to digital. This also works well from a regular VCR and DVD player because it has an imput for other devices.

I am not familiar with the PV-GS300 although I believe that most Panasonic cameras have good features. I have always liked the Panasonic lines although I would certainly look at a Sony or Canon if they had better features.
I do use the new Canon Rebel XT and have always favored Canon for still cameras.

Any camera you get should have pass through capabilities for the above purposes.

Hope this helps,
Harold

Almost ANY camera where the mic is on the body of the camera will have this "hum". Look for a camcorder where the mic is off the body.

Daniel,
I have heard of some folks encountering the tape hum from mics but do not experience this with the Panasonic mentioned in my last comments. My Daughter has the same 800 that I have and she doesn't have that problem either.
This is not to say that all Panasonics may be free of the problem - that I don't know. I have never heard of this until recently and in these posts. Maybe something about the newer cameras that cause this. As I said my camera is at least 5 years old.
I have been impressed with the pickup the mic has, even events I have taped from across the room from the speaker.

Tape noise is certainly something to be aware of in selecting a camera. Just one of the many things.

Harold

I had a little Canon Elura I loved until I bought it inside to a quiet room. The tape noise was UNREAL!

I have the GS 250 and it works great. You will need a firewire though.

I don't know if you are still needing an answer, but I thought I'd share anyway. I have a GS500 and it works flawlessly with my Mac, not to mention there is NO noticeable tape/motor whine on any project I have worked on to date....

there is plenty more info for you here

http://www.pana3ccduser.com/showthread.php?t=4542

I just purchased the PV-GS300, and I can't even get the MacBook Pro to recognize something has been stuck into it's USB port. It came with a USB cable, but not a firewire. I'm still pretty new to the Macanese way of doing things...is there a difference between USB and firewire? I read where one person could at least get the computer to recognize that something had been added, but mine doesn't even recognize anything. The manual that came with the camera doesn't seem too useful for a Mac.
Thanks
Lisa FL

Lisa,

Yes, there is a difference between USB and firewire. Namely, iMovie will only work with firewire. It is annoying that most camcorders only come with USB. You can buy a firewire (6-to-4 pin) at any electronics store.