Panasonic PV-GS300 Mini DV Camcorder
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- Recording System: NTSC
- Camcorder Type: Digital
- Recording Media: Mini DV
- Optical Zoom: 10x
- Weight: 0.99 lb.
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Great picture and features from a 3-CCD camera
Pros
Great image quality, best low-light performance. Small, light, Wide-screen recording
Cons
Confusing menus, mediocre still pictures
Recommended it?
Yes
The Bottom Line:
The best picture for a widescreen camcorder without spending a $1000
Looking around for a new family camcorder, there was no shortage of choices. The first thing that caught my attention was the introduction of a few hi-def camcorders. But with prices hovering around the $1000, it was way above budget, and the limited options of computer editing software for hi-def editing and DVD recording made it not so attractive. The next best thing I found was this 3 CCD offering from Panasonic. I was already a user of Panasonic's digital camera, and was very fond of its features and it's Leica optics, which are also featured on this camcorder.
After using it for about 4 months, I am extremely pleased with selecting this model. It has a lot of features that rival most consumer camcorder offerings, but it stands out with:
- Optical image stabilizer (keeps images nice and steady when your hand moves a little)
- (the real show stopper) 3-CCD image sensor
The biggest weakness of every consumer camcorder I have seen or read about has been low-light performance. Indoor recordings invariably produce grainy pictures with unrealistic colors. And as a parent using the camcorder for recording my kids, about 90% of my recordings tend to be indoor. This camera with it's 3 CCDs comes the closest to fixing this problem. Indoor shots are very clear and the colors stand out. I even did a side-by-side test with my outgoing single CCD Sony, and the difference was amazing.
The camcorder is small and very light. It records on mini-DV tapes which produce much better quality than hard-disk or DVD based cameras. It shoots in wide format (16 x 9) which looks great on my hi-def TV. Comes with a remote and all the cables you need to play your recordings. You still need to get a firewire cable to transfer digital video to your computer. I personally use the firewire connection and convert all my tapes to a DVD and the camera works great with Windows XP or Windows Vista (I tried both).
The battery life is acceptable, lasting for at least one tape recording (60 minutes to 90 minutes). The menu system and settings are not the easiest, but I mostly keep it in automatic mode which produces the best results. The still camera feature is not remarkable and best left for the occasions where you forgot your digital camera.
After using it for about 4 months, I am extremely pleased with selecting this model. It has a lot of features that rival most consumer camcorder offerings, but it stands out with:
- Optical image stabilizer (keeps images nice and steady when your hand moves a little)
- (the real show stopper) 3-CCD image sensor
The biggest weakness of every consumer camcorder I have seen or read about has been low-light performance. Indoor recordings invariably produce grainy pictures with unrealistic colors. And as a parent using the camcorder for recording my kids, about 90% of my recordings tend to be indoor. This camera with it's 3 CCDs comes the closest to fixing this problem. Indoor shots are very clear and the colors stand out. I even did a side-by-side test with my outgoing single CCD Sony, and the difference was amazing.
The camcorder is small and very light. It records on mini-DV tapes which produce much better quality than hard-disk or DVD based cameras. It shoots in wide format (16 x 9) which looks great on my hi-def TV. Comes with a remote and all the cables you need to play your recordings. You still need to get a firewire cable to transfer digital video to your computer. I personally use the firewire connection and convert all my tapes to a DVD and the camera works great with Windows XP or Windows Vista (I tried both).
The battery life is acceptable, lasting for at least one tape recording (60 minutes to 90 minutes). The menu system and settings are not the easiest, but I mostly keep it in automatic mode which produces the best results. The still camera feature is not remarkable and best left for the occasions where you forgot your digital camera.
