Panasonic PV-GS65 Mini DV Camcorder
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- Recording System: NTSC
- Camcorder Type: Digital
- Recording Media: Mini DV
- Optical Zoom: 10x
- Weight: 0.93 lb.
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Want the Truth? You got It...
Pros
Awesome Video Quality With 3CCD
Cons
Doesn't record to DVD format
Recommended it?
Yes
The Bottom Line:
Take a serious look at this camcorder.
If you are looking at camcorders in the $300-$600 price range then you have about a thousand camcorders to choose from. Just finding a place to start the search can be difficult. Here is the perfect place to start.
Choosing a Camcorder
There are several important factors to consider once you have determined your budget. Among the most important are:
* Size
* Weight
* LCD Size
* Recording Format
* Output formats
* Still Picture Capability
* Ease of Use
* Major Brand Name -vs- Non-Major Brand Name
In this write-up I will attempt to address each of these factors as they relate to whether or not you should choose this camcorder.
Size, Weight, and LCD Size
The Panasonic PV-GS65 weighs in at slightly less than a pound and measures roughly 3"x3"x4.5" which places it squarely in the mix as a lightweight palmsize camcorder. In addition it comes with a 2.5" LCD screen which is pretty much standard for camcorders of this size. All in all I give the Panasonic PV-GS65 a 7 for size/weight/LCD screen. Slightly above average for the price range.
Recording Format
The Panasonic PV-GS65 records primarily to mini-DV cassette with an optional SD slot for recording still pictures to an SD card. Cassettes have been around for camcorder use for many years. Recently camcorders have begun to utilize DVD which may or may not more closely suit your needs. Personally I prefer a DVD format simply because DVDs are so much thinner and therefore I can store my hundreds of home videos more easily, such as in a large 300 DVD wallet type case. (yes I take my camcorders everywhere!) For this reason I give the Panasonic PV-GS65 a 5 when it comes to recording format. Definitely better than VHS-C but not quite as nice as DVD.
Output formats
By far the best way to transfer digital recordings from this camcorder is to use the DV cable. By doing this you will be able to transfer the content without losing any of the quality. After all, what's the point of making a high quality home movie and then throwing away the quality when you go to store it permanently. As I stated earlier I much prefer DVD format for longterm storage which means that I have to transfer the footage from mini-DV to DVD. Utilizing the DV cable makes the transfer flawless.
Another option on this camcorder is the USB port. This can come in handy if you are looking to connect your camcorder to a computer. In addition there is a "pic-bridge" which when used in conjuction with a compatible printer will allow you to print pictures directly from the camcorder.
Overall I give the Panasonic PV-GS65 a 9 for output formats. Defintely get a lot of different options for transferring content for permanent storage.
Still Picture Capability
The Panasonic PV-GS65 is equipped with a 1.2 megapixel still camera function. This is better than a cell phone camera, but nowhere near what you can expect from a budget digital camera. In reality I would not plan to use the still picture function very often. I would suggest reserving it for emergency situations when you forgot your real still camera and you just have to take a picture even if the quality is somewhat lacking. I give the Panasonic PV-GS65 a 5 for still picture capability. It can take the picture, but don't plan on hanging that picture over your mantle.
Ease of Use
The best thing about the Panasonic PV-GS65 is the joystick control. I can't really describe how nice it is to be able to navigate through various functions using the joystick. Not sure how I ever got by with my old sony's 500 buttons. Beyond the joystick this camcorder should be fairly easy for anyone with minimal camcorder experience to use. I give it a 9 for the joystick alone.
Brand Name???
The Panasonic PV-GS65 is obviously made by Panasonic. I would consider them a Major Brand Name. I have always had pretty good luck by sticking with Major Brand Names when making major purchases. Granted there are always exceptional new companies that emerge, but with well established companies at least you can be sure that they will be around to deal with any problems years down the road. That being said, I have bumped each of the ratings in this wrting by a point just based on the fact that the camcorder is backed up by Panasonics relatively good reputation for quality.
Bottom Line
This is a solid camcorder that I would not hesitate to recommend to my friends if they could find it for under $500.
Choosing a Camcorder
There are several important factors to consider once you have determined your budget. Among the most important are:
* Size
* Weight
* LCD Size
* Recording Format
* Output formats
* Still Picture Capability
* Ease of Use
* Major Brand Name -vs- Non-Major Brand Name
In this write-up I will attempt to address each of these factors as they relate to whether or not you should choose this camcorder.
Size, Weight, and LCD Size
The Panasonic PV-GS65 weighs in at slightly less than a pound and measures roughly 3"x3"x4.5" which places it squarely in the mix as a lightweight palmsize camcorder. In addition it comes with a 2.5" LCD screen which is pretty much standard for camcorders of this size. All in all I give the Panasonic PV-GS65 a 7 for size/weight/LCD screen. Slightly above average for the price range.
Recording Format
The Panasonic PV-GS65 records primarily to mini-DV cassette with an optional SD slot for recording still pictures to an SD card. Cassettes have been around for camcorder use for many years. Recently camcorders have begun to utilize DVD which may or may not more closely suit your needs. Personally I prefer a DVD format simply because DVDs are so much thinner and therefore I can store my hundreds of home videos more easily, such as in a large 300 DVD wallet type case. (yes I take my camcorders everywhere!) For this reason I give the Panasonic PV-GS65 a 5 when it comes to recording format. Definitely better than VHS-C but not quite as nice as DVD.
Output formats
By far the best way to transfer digital recordings from this camcorder is to use the DV cable. By doing this you will be able to transfer the content without losing any of the quality. After all, what's the point of making a high quality home movie and then throwing away the quality when you go to store it permanently. As I stated earlier I much prefer DVD format for longterm storage which means that I have to transfer the footage from mini-DV to DVD. Utilizing the DV cable makes the transfer flawless.
Another option on this camcorder is the USB port. This can come in handy if you are looking to connect your camcorder to a computer. In addition there is a "pic-bridge" which when used in conjuction with a compatible printer will allow you to print pictures directly from the camcorder.
Overall I give the Panasonic PV-GS65 a 9 for output formats. Defintely get a lot of different options for transferring content for permanent storage.
Still Picture Capability
The Panasonic PV-GS65 is equipped with a 1.2 megapixel still camera function. This is better than a cell phone camera, but nowhere near what you can expect from a budget digital camera. In reality I would not plan to use the still picture function very often. I would suggest reserving it for emergency situations when you forgot your real still camera and you just have to take a picture even if the quality is somewhat lacking. I give the Panasonic PV-GS65 a 5 for still picture capability. It can take the picture, but don't plan on hanging that picture over your mantle.
Ease of Use
The best thing about the Panasonic PV-GS65 is the joystick control. I can't really describe how nice it is to be able to navigate through various functions using the joystick. Not sure how I ever got by with my old sony's 500 buttons. Beyond the joystick this camcorder should be fairly easy for anyone with minimal camcorder experience to use. I give it a 9 for the joystick alone.
Brand Name???
The Panasonic PV-GS65 is obviously made by Panasonic. I would consider them a Major Brand Name. I have always had pretty good luck by sticking with Major Brand Names when making major purchases. Granted there are always exceptional new companies that emerge, but with well established companies at least you can be sure that they will be around to deal with any problems years down the road. That being said, I have bumped each of the ratings in this wrting by a point just based on the fact that the camcorder is backed up by Panasonics relatively good reputation for quality.
Bottom Line
This is a solid camcorder that I would not hesitate to recommend to my friends if they could find it for under $500.
