Small, Powerful, and (sometimes) Discrete
Written: Sep 24 '04
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Pros: design, audio player, supplied software, size, features
Cons: proprietary codec, small video resolution, digital zoom
The Bottom Line: A perfect device for carrying around in your pocket without a major loss of quality.
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| paulygon's Full Review: Panasonic SV-AV50 Flash Memory Digital Camcorder |
"Wow! Is that a cell phone?" "No, it's a camera." "Oh my god! It's so small! Where's the lens?" "Over here, and watch it flip into the camera body when not in use..." "WOAH!" "It's also a camcorder and an MP3 player." "NO WAY!! THAT IS SOOO COOOOL! How much did it cost?" "Only 300 bucks." "That's not bad...where'd you get it?" "Online." If you buy this camera, you can expect similar responses from everyone you meet. I spend more time explaining myself than taking pictures.
Before buying this camera, I read many reviews at many websites, and I think some people expected way too much out of this camera when they wrote their reviews. Firstly, the camera only cost $290 at newegg.com (when I bought it), which is about the same price you would spend on the lowest grade of digital camcorders. Secondly, the entire camera is almost smaller than my palm! Thirdly, the camera takes on four different functions: 2MP digital photo, QVGA ASF video camcorder, voice recorder, and MP3/AAC player. In addition to those, one can record television and convert computer movie files to play on it. I absolutely love this camera, it's exactly what I've wanted for years. Here's a quick rundown of quality of the basic functions:
Digital Camera:
2 Mega Pixel... eh... but what do you expect from a lens smaller than a dime. It has minimal backlight compensation and white balance adjustment. The quality is somewhat higher than I expected but not when using the digital zoom. The zoom really ruins photos, I've set my camera to the maximum resolution and so then on a computer cut out the parts I want. An optical zoom would have been nice, but I really don't see how they would have fit one in. 1 out of 2 pictures turn out nice, which (for me) is still a much higher ratio than with a 35mm film camera.
Digital Video:
Extra Fine recording mode is very good quality. It records at 1Mbps using a proprietary MPEG4 format. Using a public format like DivX would have been nice, because currently I have to take one extra step of conversion to be able to use the clips in any of my editing programs. That also means that unless you have the codec installed on your computer (which is unlikely unless you own the camera) you can't watch the video, which would be trouble if you moved the clips directly from the camera to an email. I have also had success with the Super Fine recording mode, but Normal and Economy are worthless. I would liked to have seen a higher resolution available, like 352 x 288 or 640 x 480, but only 320 x 240 is available. This is not a big problem, as the QVGA resolution is still VHS quality.
Voice Recording:
Once again, a proprietary format. This is unfortunate and I have had the most trouble with this aspect of the camera. If I want to convert a file I recorded with the camera to an uncompressed WAV, I first have to copy it to my computer using the program provided (instead of Windows Explorer), then convert the file to WMA using Windows Media Encoder, and then use dbpoweramp 9dbpoweramp.com) to convert it back to WAV in a usuable form. This is cumbersome.
Media Player:
Suprisingly, the software (SD Jukebox) for putting music on the device and creating playlists is very good. It has a neat "mood analysor" function that will group songs according to their content into a playlist. I haven't used it extensively, but it seems to be rather robust. The media player on the actual device is very nice, you can even attach pictures to each song using the Jukebox software. There isn't much to say because the function of an MP3 player is limited by nature, and Panasonic has done a good job with it.
Design:
The dime-size lens and 2" LCD folds into the body of the unit when not in use, which is a wonderful protection for someone who carries this around in their pocket like me. The entire device is smaller than my hand and perfectly weighted...it isn't so light that it's uncontrollable. All of the buttons line up on the back of the device, the flash (obviously) and a grip reside on the front. The roller ball that is used for navigation of menus is rather cumbersome and slow, but I can see how arrow buttons would make the device much larger. I very much like the design.
Extras:
The camera comes with an 8MB memory card, and I recommend 128MB or higher (I bought 256 for $17 after rebate at ZipZoomFly.com); the 8MB can only fit 30 seconds of extra fine video and only a dozen pictures. A cradle comes with the camera to supply an interface with the computer and television, and to charge the camera. I would have liked charging to be possible without a cradle, but it is not. The cradle also fits inside the notch of my tripod. The supplied remote control is nice for music and sometimes when taking touchy photos. An A/V cable, USB/cradle cable, neck strap, and carrying pouch also come in the box.
Overall, a very good buy. I have no regrets. I recommend this camera to anyone who is trying to free up their pockets of electronics, but I do not recommend this camera to a serious photographer or videographer.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 290
Recommended for: Home and Families - Keep Memories of Family Vacations
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Epinions.com ID:
paulygon
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Location: Livin' in the midwest
Reviews written: 10
Trusted by: 1 member
About Me:
"Point me towards the tube and I'll be just fine" - Becker/Fagen
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