Panasonic Palmcorder® PV-DV203 Mini DV Camcorder

Pros: compact size, nice features
Cons: 'dew detected' problem; poor customer support.

I bought my DV-203 through Dell in Sept '03. On my 2nd or 3rd use, I got a 'dew detected-eject tape' error. Thought it would go away or best case Panasonic would fix. Made the mistake of calling after 90 days of purchase. Attitude from service folks seemed to be 'too bad - it'll cost you now'. Will keep complaining all the way to President of company. Never buy Panasonic again.

Pros: Good camcorder when it works
Cons: Keep you fingers crossed that you don't get the "DEW DETECTED" problem

I really liked this camcorder up until two weeks ago when a "DEW DETECTED" message came up and now it's unusable.

I have taken good care of the camcorder and it has not been in any damp surroundings but now Panasonic want me to pay $140.00 plus shipping to have this six month old camcorder repaired, they must be kidding.

I have told Panasonic how annoyed and disappointed I'm am and as a result I will never buy or recommend Panasonic to anyone in the future.

There is a possible class action lawsuit underway because of the "DEW DETECTED" problem happening on so many of their camcorders. I am very suspicious of Panasonic and their business practices now.

Pros: The picture quality is great until I ran into the dew detected issue.
Cons: DEW DETECTED, camera stops working....

I bought this camera last November. I was impressed by the video quality until I ran into the Dew Detected error. As soon as I turn the camera on, the LCD displays a warning that dew has been detected and then says eject tape. even though there is no tape inside. I contacted Panasonic and they recommended leaving the camera open for some time and if the problem still exists they recomended shipping it to their service center in IL. They said they will charge $140 for looking at the issue.... I am very disappointed by the quality of the camera. Please avoid buying it.

Many have run into this problem with Panasonic camcorders. Please search on the DEW DETECTED in google to see how many have run into this problem.

Pros: Easy to use
Cons: small baterry

The PV – DV203 Mini DV is very easy to use and set up with a computer or TV. Everything is well placed. I also found many features, some useful and some not depending on your need and creativeness. The colors are outstanding, the EIS (Electronic Image Stabilization) works well and there are no added artifacts on the screen (weird colors, squiggly lines etc.) on playback. The auto focus gets a little weak in low-light situations. The best feature I really like is a Photo Shot and you can insert a previously taken photo image into the video that you are recording.

Pros: A great mini-digital camera that is very compact and has a ton of features.
Cons: Not a still picture digital camera that will give high-end results.

The Panasonic DV203 is an extremely versatile mini digital palmcorder with a built in SD digital picture card for storing still pictures. I have found the camera to very easy to use, program and off load both video and still pictures. The video clarity is very good, but the still pictures require adequate light aside from the built-in projection light. However, the unit is intended as a digital video recorder FIRST and not a digital camera. If you are looking for superb still pictures - buy a digital camera, mate. I purchased an extended life battery, and so on, and will probably upgrade the picture card. I like the size, comfort and versatility of the DV203 and have taken pictures at track meets, of animals and other challenging situations.

Pros: many features, small size, great button placement
Cons: horrible in low light situations, awful color representation, bad still pictures.

After spending a great deal of time researching mini-DV's, I decided to purchase the Panasonic PV-DV203 from Sears. The price vs. features sure seemed to good to be true. When I got it home, I was extremely disappointed. The picture (on TV) was extremely grainy, had bad color representation, and looked no better than VHS. I had to turn on extra lighting just to get some decent colors. I took several still pictures of my dog and then downloaded them to my laptop. I couldn't make out any of the details in my dog's face and she looked black (she's brown). Assuming that I bought a faulty camcorder, I returned it to Sears and got another one. The new one performed in the same manner. If your going to be recording everything outside in the sunlight this might be the camera for you.

Pros: Small and easy to use. Nice video.
Cons: The still pictures are not as good as my 1.3 megapixel Olympus.

After researching the lower cost miniDV camcorders, we purchased a Panasonic PV-DV203.
We have been very happy with our purchase. We used it at Sea World in bright sun, indoors in well lighted and dim lighted areas, and outdoors in the evening. We also used it indoors during Thanksgiving.
We were pleased with the results. The night video at Sea World was a little darker than we preferred, but that was easily corrected using Windows Movie Maker before we burned it to DVD.
I'm sure we can produced even better shots when we become more familiar with all the features.

As an experienced digital camcorder and camera owner, I have been on the move again. I was recently trying to decide which digital camcorder to keep. Decisions, decisions. Immediately after buying the Panasonic DV203, I tried out the new Sony TRV19. I found that it had some nice Sony features, especially the Carl Zeiss lens and touch screen LCD. I wish it had at least megapixel still image quality or at least some type of interpolation. I then returned to the Panasonic DV203 and have grown to like it a lot. It offers nice features for the price and the overall quality is fairly decent.