Wish I was more impressed...
Written: Nov 01 '04
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Pros: 3-chips should make a huge difference, at least on paper.
Cons: Didn't like how the footage actually LOOKED. Sigh.
The Bottom Line: In less than perfect lighting you can do much better. Wanted very much to love this camera, was SURE I would, until I played back my footage...
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| expert_witness's Full Review: Panasonic Palmcorder® PV-GS200 Mini DV Camcor... |
Picked this up on the Open Box table at a local Circuit City, and saved a bundle (couldn't believe how low a price, almost half off!) Shot with it a few times over the next 14 days, and on the last day of the return window, I actually played some of it back on a TV. Got out my old single-chip Sony (a TRV-20) to compare, and...whoa. Low light performance on the Panasonic was inferior (I know 3-chip cameras lose light because of the optics, but still) and it didn't focus as well in low light (aimed it at my desktop, and couldn't get it to focus on some papers two feet away -- there's a macro button on it, and that helped, but the Sony could do it without having to flip out the screen and push any buttons), and the crispness wasn't there... Didn't like the color balance either, the Sony was more golden, the wood tones looked great, but the Panasonic seemed more magenta and...ick. Took both cameras out into the living room, sunny day, lots of morning light, and shot the kids playing. Played back both footage, and the Panasonic's just...wasn't...all that great. Now I WANTED to like this camera, I'd saved a ton on it and I know on paper it's a great camera, I've read the reviews too -- BUT I DIDN'T LIKE THE FOOTAGE! Maybe something was deeply wrong with it (open box after all, buyer beware) or someone messed up the settings -- but I couldn't think of a setting that could make the colors smearier or the detail less or the color just not as pleasing. And I went through all the menus, and there aren't that many controls. (On a pro camera, there are lots of things to mess with -- hey, they gamma's off! But on this guy, once the white balance is set to Auto, I expect at least passable color matching.)So I packed it up and returned it. Sigh.
Outside, in a park, it may have outperformed anything in the world -- but most of what I shoot is people clowning around indoors, often at night, and I gotta go with what looks better, namely my old Sony until I find something even better, perhaps a new JVC (they say they're much better in low light than even the Sony's.) So maybe it's a fantastic camera, but I wasn't impressed with my footage, and since no matter what you read about it, the final decision has to be made by what you see on the screen, away it went. Picked up another open box (a seemingly unused Samsung for $250!) and in quick tests it seems as crisp as the Sony in low light (but half the size). So there you go, the exact opposite of some of the reviews I've read, where Samsung's are supposed to be bad and the Panasonic flawless. Ha! Just test everything yourself before you keep it, that's all I can recommend.
Recommended:
No
Amount Paid (US$): 499
Recommended for: Home and Families - Keep Memories of Family Vacations
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expert_witness
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Reviews written: 22
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