Panasonic PV-GS300 3.1MP 3CCD MiniDV Camcorder with 10x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom

Customer Reviews:

Great Camcorder
After reading many reviews I settled on this camcorder because I wanted something that produced above average video results, was easy to use - yet still had plenty of manual control functions so as my skills improved I could make use of them, and was priced under $500. This camcorder fit the bill and I am very happy with it.

Many professional reviews noted that this camcorder does not have
analog-to-digital pass through (for changing your old analog tapes to digital), a focus ring (focusing is done with the joy stick), and no headphone jack. None of these features were important to me.

Of course I considered DVD and hard drive camcorders but was turned off by reviews mentioning loud noises, etc. Plus, video editing may not be an option, nor is there any guarantee that the the DVD media used in DVD camcorders will play in all DVD players. Of course there are real advantages and disadvantages to DVD, hard drive, flash, and miniDV (which this camcorder is). I chose to go with the one that is tried and true, has the most software that will go with it when editing or transfering it to other media, and can produce the best videos.

I previously owned a vhs-c JVC camcorder for 7 years and it broke twice and just was too big and bulky to enjoy any longer. Of course the video cannot compare to this miniDV camcorder.

What I love about this camcorder is:

1) The images are great! My husband keeps commenting on how good the videos look. (We have only recorded school plays, home video, etc.) I use a firewire connection to my computer (firewire cable not included) and burn the images to a DVD, then view them on my tv. I use sonic to do this rather than the included software. This is a fairly easy process. (Note: your video is only as good as the quality of the media you transfer it to and the tv you view it on) Low light has not been a problem, however, there is a manual option to improve videotaping in low light situations (as well as options for sporting events, surf & snow, portrait, etc.)

2)It is very easy to use. I just looked at the operating instructions for a few things, but anyone with any familiarity with a camcorder could figure this one out in a second. (Like most instructions manuals, this one could have been better, but it is adequate).

3)The still images are better than average. Plus, stills can be taken while videotaping. Transfering of the stills with the usb cable is easy.

4)It is so compact and lightweight. It is not the smallest or lightest, but one hand operation is easy.

5)Nice feature. The optical image stablity (no more shaky video, 3CCD for richer colors, good sound, good battery life, wide screen LCD, etc.

Previous Concerns:
I was worried about the camcorder only having a 10x zoom, but this has been more than adequate so far. I was also worried about the joystick control, but this has made operating the camcorder easy.

Cost:
Camcorder ($479.99 at Amazon)

Additional Purchases:
Add $50-$100 for additional accesories.
-Extra longer life battery ($24.99 Digital Concepts)
-SD Secure digital card for still images ($32.99 San Disk)
-Camcorder bag ($15)
-5 MiniDV tapes ($13.99)
-4pin/6pin firewire cable ($9.45)

Future Purchases:
-lense filter
-screen protector for LCD screen

Also available
-Additional light
-Additional mic

Other comments: I am pleased with my purchase. I will update this review if I find any weaknesses. I had problems using this camcorder as a web cam with Yahoo, but it works fine with Windows Messenger and MSN Messenger.
--2006-12-18

Good deal
This is something good at the good price. Espesially that optical image stabilizer and 3ccd. This camera beats many more expensive cameras in the picture quality
--2006-12-13

Great camera for the price
When shopping for a camcorder, you have to realize that at this price point there are going to be compromises. According to all the reviews, this is one of the best at this level. I've had it for about a month now, and I can't imagine that there is anything out there better than this and comparably priced. Here are my likes and dislikes:

The Good:

- price (obviously)
- picture quality outdoors is excellent. Beautiful color and clarity. The lens seems to be extremely sharp. Should be, it's a Leica, but these days Leica is throwing their name on a lot of low-end (relatively) consumer cameras and camcorders with varying results.
- I like the joystick control. Some people don't, but I'm a big fan. Makes selecting options very fast.
- Reasonable battery life. Third party extended life batteries are inexpensive, I recommend getting one.
- Menus are fairly easy to navigate. You do need to spend some time familiarizing yourself with all the options, but this will be time well-spent and you only need to do it once.

The Bad:

- Low-light performance is good but not great. I'm not sure how it compares to others, but some reviews mention that the Sony model in the same price range is superior in this regard. If you're going to do a lot of indoor shooting check into this carefully.
- Manual focus is done with the joystick. Focusing with the joystick is AWFUL..an exercise in frustration. Panasonic really goofed here, this camera needs a focusing ring like a baby needs a mother. To me this is the most serious drawback of this camera. If not for this I'd give it 5 stars.
- Auto white balance can be a little slow to kick in, but seems to work well otherwise.
- This camera is just too small and light to hold steadily.
- Manual is one of the worst I've ever seen, takes several reads to get through. A background in still photography helped me immensely in understanding some of the manual features, but I feel sorry for those who open this manual without some kind of previous experience. On the other hand, if you're just going to turn it on and shoot in automatic mode all the time it's not an issue.

Overall, I'm convinced this camera is a great deal. The only serious flaw is the lack of a focus ring, everything else is just a function of the compromises you have to expect in this price range. In good light the picture quality is outstanding, so if you're shooting mainly outdoors this is the one for you.
--2006-11-25

Nice one ( except software )
I bought this one aorund 2 months back. Overall it is good, and the clarity is good. Little bit noise in lowlight indoors ( with backlight on..it is OK). And it is very easy to handle, only the zoon button should be somewhere on top...it is kept to handle by middle finger which I am not used to. The great drawback is the software, which has no capability of burn to a DVD. These days, how can they give a software without that facility, then I used third party softwares for that. Otherwise its a coool one.
--2006-11-10

FANTASTIC CAMERA
I did alot of research on digital camcorders before purchsing this camera and I decided to go with this one because it was just sounded so great. The similar Sony models seemed to have extra blue colors in the video quality while this Panasonic model has perfect, real-to-life color contrast. The video quality is alot like actual film,which is a scarce find these days. I use this camera, with a variety of attachments and extra lenses of course, for my film productions company and my school film club. It has an amazing low light mode and is really easy to use. The joystick function is so simple and much more handy than a series of random directional buttons like most other camcorders. I love this camera and I use it for more than just family vacational type movies. I use it for actual films and high quality movies. It's great!
--2006-11-01

- Panasonic