Panasonic PV-DV851 MiniDV Digital Camcorder / Still Megapixel Camera With USB Reader
Written: Jun 26 '01 (Updated May 14 '02)
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Pros: Picture, features, resolution, USB reader/writer, looks
Cons: Price
The Bottom Line: The Panasonic PV-DV851 is not for those who are seeking “the best bang for the buck”. But for those who want high-resolution...
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| dkozin's Full Review: Panasonic Palmcorder® PV-DV851 Mini DV Camcor... |
For the price of the Panasonic PV-DV851 digital camcorder, you can buy two cheap digital camcorders. So, you would not buy this model if you wanted the cheapest digital camcorder.
You would want to buy the DV851 based on its features and performance. The camcorder has a megapixel CCD, 2.5” LCD, color viewfinder, analog inputs and PhotoShot still camera mode with resolution of up to 1200x900.
MiniDV
The DV851 uses MiniDV format, as majority of digital camcorders. The 60-minute MiniDV tape holds 60 minutes in SP mode or 90 minutes in LP mode at a cost of $6-10. The MiniDV tapes are smaller than either VHS-C/S-VHS-C or 8mm/Hi8/Digital8. The recording is digital (both picture and sound) and provides up to 500 lines of horizontal resolution.
Zoom
The DV851 features 10x optical and 100x digital zoom with several zoom speeds. 100x might not look much, compared to Sony’s Digital8 camcorders that get up to 700x digital zoom. But the 100x is enough for several reasons:
1. At high digital magnification levels (and more so at 700x), the image becomes so very grainy and “pixelated”.
2. The image stabilizer is not effective at high magnification levels.
3. You are very unlikely to use even half of the range of digital zoom, because you just don’t need to.
The DV851 has a megapixel CCD – a significant improvement over cheaper models from both Panasonic and Sony.
Picture And Sound
Both the picture quality and sound are excellent. In both LP and SP modes the quality is virtually the same, due to the digital format used to store the information. But to be able to perform audio dubbing, the recording should be in SP mode. The camcorder employs a 12-bit/16-bit PCM stereo with two sets of stereo audio tracks (4 channels total), which allows you to add a second track of music, when using a 12-bit mode.
PCM (pulse code modulation) is used in CD, DVD and other digital formats short of Super Audio CD that uses delta-sigma encoding. Even though MiniDV standard provides up to 500 lines of horizontal resolution, majority of camcorders cannot provide such resolution from their optics, CCD or electronics. The DV851 employs its megapixel CCD to get better resolution and picture quality than the cheap models.
Focus
The camcorder allows you to adjust the focus manually, using the focus ring when you need to. Otherwise, the focus as well as exposure are automatic.
LCD
The 2.5” LCD in this model compliments its color viewfinder. The use of viewfinder instead of LCD allows to conserve the battery power.
Digital Electronic Image Stabilization
The camcorder has digital electronic image stabilization to remove excessive shaking and movement while shooting. The stabilizer is quite effective even at high zoom levels.
Analog Inputs
The camcorder has analog inputs, so you can convert your old analog footage into a digital format for archiving purposes or advanced editing.
Digital Effects
You can apply several digital effects: the "digital mirror" creates a mirror like symmetrical image, while "strobe" digitally freezes a series of images. "Mosaic" turns the image into a mosaic pattern, and "slim" expands the image vertically. You can also stretch the image horizontally and form multiple impressions of images in motion and gradually fade them out for a "trail" effect. In addition, it also gives you the option of playing back your recording in color, B&W or sepia.
PhotoShot™ Mode
You can take still pictures at up to 1200x900 resolution. The pictures can then be stored on either 8 MB MultiMediaCard or MiniDV tape. You can use a supplied RS-232C serial cable and software to connect the camcorder to your PC to transfer your still images to the PC for printing, editing or sending by email.
The camcorder comes with a 8Mb SD memory card and a USB SD reader/writer.
The use of the USB connection makes the task of transferring your pictures to the computer easier. And when you buy the DV851 you also get a coupon for a free extra 8Mb memory card.
PhotoShot™ with Memory Card
The MMC (MultiMediaCard) or an SD Card can be used as a "digital film." You can take pictures until the card is full and then either remove it and replace it with a fresh card or erase any or all of the images from the card and reuse these "empty areas". It is an analog of Sony’s MemoryStick.
You can get another 8Mb memory card free from Panasonic if you buy your camcorder before 9/15/01.
PhotoShot™ with MiniDV Tape
You can also store your pictures on tape. The tape can contain still pictures, audio and video. But the access speed will be much slower than when using MMC.
i.Link, IEEE 1394, FireWire
You can also use FireWire (i.Link, IEEE 1394) to transfer your video to the computer for editing or to another digital camcorder or VCR for editing and making copies. The cable is not included, so you will have to buy it separately.
Remote Control
The DV851 comes with IR remote control, unlike the cheaper Panasonic models. The remote gives you index search capability and other advanced functions.
Bottom Line
The Panasonic PV-DV851 is not for those who are seeking “the best bang for the buck”. But for those who want high-resolution digital camcorder with high-resolution still capability and the convenience of memory card, it is a good choice.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 1100
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dkozin
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I love to push buttons on electronic (audio and video) equipment. It makes me happy.
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