Panasonic PV-GS31 Mini DV Camcorder
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- Recording System: NTSC
- Camcorder Type: Digital
- Recording Media: Mini DV
- Optical Zoom: 26x
- Weight: 0.9 lb.
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Panasonic PV-GS31 Mini DV Digital Camcorder - Grainy & Pixelated
Pros
Light-weight, easy to use, compact, simple setup, fast charge on the battery.
Cons
Poor quality in low light, unacceptable pixelation & grainy film in good light.
Recommended it?
No
The Bottom Line:
Save your money until you can purchase a better quality camcorder to preserve your memories.
I bought this camera for $250 on Black Friday. It was replacing an old Sony 8mm. After much research it seemed that Mini DV was the way to go.
Any reviews you have read about poor quality film in low-light are NO exaggeration. The pixelation and graininess were overwhelming. If you turn on the camera's light, suddenly it's as though you are filming in slow motion. The light is completely useless. Additionally the auto-focus seems to struggle.
Filming a subject with bright light behind him caused a very thick black border to surround his image.
I filmed my daughter's dance class in a very large well-lit room. The images from a distance, say 20 feet, are pixelated. Close up, say less than 3 feet, the footage is stellar, crystal clear! But who is always filming that closely? The door in the background appeared to be moving up and down with the grain of the wood, though clearly it was closed and still.
I was extremely unhappy, so I returned the camera for a refund. The sales rep explained to me that luxe on this camera is higher than the Sony's, which are great performers in low light (their luxe is very low). He also explained that there are more chips in the more expensive models and that, as always, you get what you pay for. A higher end Panasonic, say the 250, would have performed better, according to him.
On a positive note I can say the joystick navigation is very comfortable. The camcorder is extremely light-weight and I felt overall, simple to use. The zoom is excellent and the control on wide vs tight shots is great. You can really zoom-in in a very slow, controlled fashion. I didn't take any still photos as I already have a great digital camera(Sony Cybershot 3.2mp).
Remember unless you download the film to your PC, (a real-time transfer meaning that if the film is 30 minutes the transfer is 30 minutes) the camcorder becomes your recorder and player, adding to the wear and tear.
If you are looking for a camcorder, pass this one by no matter the price and save up for a better quality picture.
Any reviews you have read about poor quality film in low-light are NO exaggeration. The pixelation and graininess were overwhelming. If you turn on the camera's light, suddenly it's as though you are filming in slow motion. The light is completely useless. Additionally the auto-focus seems to struggle.
Filming a subject with bright light behind him caused a very thick black border to surround his image.
I filmed my daughter's dance class in a very large well-lit room. The images from a distance, say 20 feet, are pixelated. Close up, say less than 3 feet, the footage is stellar, crystal clear! But who is always filming that closely? The door in the background appeared to be moving up and down with the grain of the wood, though clearly it was closed and still.
I was extremely unhappy, so I returned the camera for a refund. The sales rep explained to me that luxe on this camera is higher than the Sony's, which are great performers in low light (their luxe is very low). He also explained that there are more chips in the more expensive models and that, as always, you get what you pay for. A higher end Panasonic, say the 250, would have performed better, according to him.
On a positive note I can say the joystick navigation is very comfortable. The camcorder is extremely light-weight and I felt overall, simple to use. The zoom is excellent and the control on wide vs tight shots is great. You can really zoom-in in a very slow, controlled fashion. I didn't take any still photos as I already have a great digital camera(Sony Cybershot 3.2mp).
Remember unless you download the film to your PC, (a real-time transfer meaning that if the film is 30 minutes the transfer is 30 minutes) the camcorder becomes your recorder and player, adding to the wear and tear.
If you are looking for a camcorder, pass this one by no matter the price and save up for a better quality picture.
