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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The Panasonic PV-GS300 Digital Camcorder - Almost as good as it gets
Pros
3 CCD Optics. Exceptional Lens. Nice array of features.
Cons
Mediocre still camera, frustrating joystick/menu option control. Price.
Recommended it?
Yes
The Bottom Line:
A superb, professional quality entry level camera that's suitable for the novice as well as the semi-pro.
If you're a parent in today's 21st century technologically advanced world, then chances are you have – or are looking to purchase – a video camcoder to help capture all the glorious moments of parenthood.
Like the spaghetti fights…or the 42 minute all-out toddler melt down…or the caught-in-the-act, hand-in-the-cookie-jar moments that are bound to happen. Let's face it, it's moments like those – and more – that had us all jumping into the "expand the gene pool" dance…and it's moments like those that you'll want preserve and look back on one day.
I certainly plan to --- especially when my daughter brings home her first boyfriend. You better believe I'll be pulling out some of the "most embarrassing moments caught on tape" for THAT occasion.
But, I digress.
After putting my first digital camcorder (a Panasonic PV-DV200) to the test over the past 6 years, and dropping it on one-to-many occasions, I felt it was time to upgrade to the latest and greatest offerings that were out there. Having had no problems with the Panasonic brand and logging literally several thousand hours of taped footage, I decided to remain loyal to the brand and pick up one of their latest offerings; the PV-GS300.
The PV-GS300 is a true palm-corder as its diminutive size and light weight can be practically hidden within one's palm. But don't let the size fool you; this is one powerful and well-equipped camera that's available at a near-entry level price. While it's not without some flaws, for the point-and-shoot novice to semi-pro, this camera will suit just about everyone's needs.
The numerous strengths this video camera has going for it are obvious.
It's a 3 CCD camera which offers up incredibly accurate and detailed color images over a typical 1 CCD unit. The advantages here become obvious when you enter into indoor and/or low-light situations. With older 1 CCD cameras, low-light scenes would cause significant "noise" or graininess on the image, with poor and reddish color reproduction. With the 3 CCD set up of the PV-GS300, color and detail is maintained even in most low-light situations. A blessing as the camera does not come equipped with an on-board light.
The PV-GS300 also comes with an amazing, high-quality Leica-Dicomar lens which was specifically designed for digital camcorders. According to Panasonic, a multi-coating which is applied during the lens' manufacturing process minimizes flares and ghost images. I love the optics of this lens. The images are as sharp as I've ever seen coming out of a digital camcorder, and the focus control and level of detail is second to none. Married with a 10X optical zoom, the complete lens package is simply amazing.
In addition to the great lens, the PV-GS300 has an OIS (Optical Image Stabilization) which is almost unheard of at this price. Most camcorders employ a digital image stabilization system which effectively cuts off the edges of the images to 'stabilize' the scene. With an OIS, you don't have to sacrifice viewing space for an even, stable image.
Stereo sound is also beautifully captured with the PV-GS300 as its wind-filter capabilities, directional microphone and audio-zoom option work flawlessly; a vast improvement over earlier Panasonic models.
The video-camera also acts as a 3.1 mega pixel still camera which stores the images either on the Mini DV tape or a bottom-end loaded SD card (which isn't included with the camera). Despite the modest mega pixel rating, the still pictures are only barely acceptable and color coding and details seem to be washed out somewhat. The addition of a on-board still flash helps matters a bit, but most stand-alone 3 mega pixel still cameras will still net better results than the PV-GS300.
Another gem of an option is the ability to record your videos in a wide-screen 16:9 ratio format. This bodes well if you plan on replaying your videos on a wide-screen TV. Of course, you have the option to record (and view) in the more traditional format as well. The on-board 2.7" color LCD does a nice job of displaying the video in either format.
Other nice features of this camera include a color-viewfinder, an quick start-up (boot) time as well as a "sleep" feature which provides a near-instantaneous boot up process, exceptional battery life (2+ hours) and a fairly intuitive menu system.
But no camera is perfect, and while this one is great for most outside of professionals, there are some issues that I found frustrating when fully utilizing the camera.
Access to nearly every function of the camera is controlled via a tiny finger-controlled joystick. While the process of navigating through each icon-based menu item is fairly intuitive, the process of actually getting the joystick to do what you want it to do can be frustrating. Add to that the fact that the camera will, without question, tilt as you select an icon/option. Not a big deal if you're not recording, but if you want to make an on-the-fly change while recording, it's nearly impossible to keep the camera steady and use the joystick. The OIS doesn't help here, either.
I do admit that, after much practice, I've been able to limit the amount of tilt the camera/image exhibits while using the joystick, but if you're tracking a fast-moving 3 foot 2 inch target who's about to dump finger paint on your new couch and you want to adjust the back-lighting option to capture the moment, the utilization of the joystick will surely drive you batty. How's that for a run-on sentence?
Price is another partial downside as somewhat comparable camcoders will range $100-200 less than the PV-GS300. But as with anything else, you do get what you pay for. It's all a matter of whether you notice and utilize the real features of this camera to justify the additional cost.
For a MiniDV camcorder, the PV-GS300 offers enough bang for its buck with only a few shortcomings to meet the needs of most. If you craze ease of use coupled with the best possible video images and sound recording, you can certainly do a lot worse than the PV-GS300.
Below is a list of specifications for the PV-GS300.
As always, thanks for reading – and Happy Holidays!
PV-GS300 Specifications:
General
Video input type: Camcorder
Digital zoom: 700 x
Optical sensor size: 1/6 in
Optical sensor type: 3CCD
Min illumination: 12 lux
Image stabilizer: Optical
Min shutter speed: 1/30 sec
Max shutter speed: 1/8000 sec
Shooting modes: Digital photo mode
Shooting programs: Low light, Spotlight, Sports mode, Surf & snow, Portrait mode
Exposure modes: Manual, Program, Automatic
Flash type: Built-in flash
Webcam capability: Yes
Lens System
Optical: zoom 10 x
Lens system type: Zoom lens
Filter size: 37 mm
Manual focus: Manual, Automatic
Zoom adjustment: Motorized drive
Memory / Storage
Media type: Mini DV
Viewfinder / Display
Display type: LCD display - - 2.7 in - Color
Display form factor: Rotating
Display resolution: 123,000 pixels
Viewfinder color support: Color
Audio Input
Audio input type: Microphone
Microphone type: Built-in
Expansion / Connectivity
Connections: 1 x S-Video output, 1 x Microphone, 1 x Accessory shoe
Expansion slots: 1 SD Memory Card
Additional Features
Software type: Drivers & Utilities, Panasonic MotionDV STUDIO
PowerPower supply included: Power adapter + battery charger - External
Like the spaghetti fights…or the 42 minute all-out toddler melt down…or the caught-in-the-act, hand-in-the-cookie-jar moments that are bound to happen. Let's face it, it's moments like those – and more – that had us all jumping into the "expand the gene pool" dance…and it's moments like those that you'll want preserve and look back on one day.
I certainly plan to --- especially when my daughter brings home her first boyfriend. You better believe I'll be pulling out some of the "most embarrassing moments caught on tape" for THAT occasion.
But, I digress.
After putting my first digital camcorder (a Panasonic PV-DV200) to the test over the past 6 years, and dropping it on one-to-many occasions, I felt it was time to upgrade to the latest and greatest offerings that were out there. Having had no problems with the Panasonic brand and logging literally several thousand hours of taped footage, I decided to remain loyal to the brand and pick up one of their latest offerings; the PV-GS300.
The PV-GS300 is a true palm-corder as its diminutive size and light weight can be practically hidden within one's palm. But don't let the size fool you; this is one powerful and well-equipped camera that's available at a near-entry level price. While it's not without some flaws, for the point-and-shoot novice to semi-pro, this camera will suit just about everyone's needs.
The numerous strengths this video camera has going for it are obvious.
It's a 3 CCD camera which offers up incredibly accurate and detailed color images over a typical 1 CCD unit. The advantages here become obvious when you enter into indoor and/or low-light situations. With older 1 CCD cameras, low-light scenes would cause significant "noise" or graininess on the image, with poor and reddish color reproduction. With the 3 CCD set up of the PV-GS300, color and detail is maintained even in most low-light situations. A blessing as the camera does not come equipped with an on-board light.
The PV-GS300 also comes with an amazing, high-quality Leica-Dicomar lens which was specifically designed for digital camcorders. According to Panasonic, a multi-coating which is applied during the lens' manufacturing process minimizes flares and ghost images. I love the optics of this lens. The images are as sharp as I've ever seen coming out of a digital camcorder, and the focus control and level of detail is second to none. Married with a 10X optical zoom, the complete lens package is simply amazing.
In addition to the great lens, the PV-GS300 has an OIS (Optical Image Stabilization) which is almost unheard of at this price. Most camcorders employ a digital image stabilization system which effectively cuts off the edges of the images to 'stabilize' the scene. With an OIS, you don't have to sacrifice viewing space for an even, stable image.
Stereo sound is also beautifully captured with the PV-GS300 as its wind-filter capabilities, directional microphone and audio-zoom option work flawlessly; a vast improvement over earlier Panasonic models.
The video-camera also acts as a 3.1 mega pixel still camera which stores the images either on the Mini DV tape or a bottom-end loaded SD card (which isn't included with the camera). Despite the modest mega pixel rating, the still pictures are only barely acceptable and color coding and details seem to be washed out somewhat. The addition of a on-board still flash helps matters a bit, but most stand-alone 3 mega pixel still cameras will still net better results than the PV-GS300.
Another gem of an option is the ability to record your videos in a wide-screen 16:9 ratio format. This bodes well if you plan on replaying your videos on a wide-screen TV. Of course, you have the option to record (and view) in the more traditional format as well. The on-board 2.7" color LCD does a nice job of displaying the video in either format.
Other nice features of this camera include a color-viewfinder, an quick start-up (boot) time as well as a "sleep" feature which provides a near-instantaneous boot up process, exceptional battery life (2+ hours) and a fairly intuitive menu system.
But no camera is perfect, and while this one is great for most outside of professionals, there are some issues that I found frustrating when fully utilizing the camera.
Access to nearly every function of the camera is controlled via a tiny finger-controlled joystick. While the process of navigating through each icon-based menu item is fairly intuitive, the process of actually getting the joystick to do what you want it to do can be frustrating. Add to that the fact that the camera will, without question, tilt as you select an icon/option. Not a big deal if you're not recording, but if you want to make an on-the-fly change while recording, it's nearly impossible to keep the camera steady and use the joystick. The OIS doesn't help here, either.
I do admit that, after much practice, I've been able to limit the amount of tilt the camera/image exhibits while using the joystick, but if you're tracking a fast-moving 3 foot 2 inch target who's about to dump finger paint on your new couch and you want to adjust the back-lighting option to capture the moment, the utilization of the joystick will surely drive you batty. How's that for a run-on sentence?
Price is another partial downside as somewhat comparable camcoders will range $100-200 less than the PV-GS300. But as with anything else, you do get what you pay for. It's all a matter of whether you notice and utilize the real features of this camera to justify the additional cost.
For a MiniDV camcorder, the PV-GS300 offers enough bang for its buck with only a few shortcomings to meet the needs of most. If you craze ease of use coupled with the best possible video images and sound recording, you can certainly do a lot worse than the PV-GS300.
Below is a list of specifications for the PV-GS300.
As always, thanks for reading – and Happy Holidays!
PV-GS300 Specifications:
General
Video input type: Camcorder
Digital zoom: 700 x
Optical sensor size: 1/6 in
Optical sensor type: 3CCD
Min illumination: 12 lux
Image stabilizer: Optical
Min shutter speed: 1/30 sec
Max shutter speed: 1/8000 sec
Shooting modes: Digital photo mode
Shooting programs: Low light, Spotlight, Sports mode, Surf & snow, Portrait mode
Exposure modes: Manual, Program, Automatic
Flash type: Built-in flash
Webcam capability: Yes
Lens System
Optical: zoom 10 x
Lens system type: Zoom lens
Filter size: 37 mm
Manual focus: Manual, Automatic
Zoom adjustment: Motorized drive
Memory / Storage
Media type: Mini DV
Viewfinder / Display
Display type: LCD display - - 2.7 in - Color
Display form factor: Rotating
Display resolution: 123,000 pixels
Viewfinder color support: Color
Audio Input
Audio input type: Microphone
Microphone type: Built-in
Expansion / Connectivity
Connections: 1 x S-Video output, 1 x Microphone, 1 x Accessory shoe
Expansion slots: 1 SD Memory Card
Additional Features
Software type: Drivers & Utilities, Panasonic MotionDV STUDIO
PowerPower supply included: Power adapter + battery charger - External
