Hi Adele

During recording, the level meters give you a pretty good indication. The great thing about Manual+AGC is that your initial level is set manually and the "AGC" part only clamps the audio if it goes more than +6db so you still get great audio without the "pumping" effect that normal AGC does with soft and loud bits of audio (wedding vows are like that!!)

The GS500 is actually lighter than the 400!! The 400 was Panasonic's "flagship" with a better build and bigger LCD and important stuff like headphone jacks. The 500 is sadly a downgraded version of the 400 but still an awesome machine.

Chris