Panasonic PV-GS500

The Panasonic PV GS 500 Mini DV Camcorder is a petite video recorder that can record and capture those precious moments.

Features

The Panasonic PV GS500 Mini DV Camcorder has a recording format ratio of 16 is to 9. It makes use of a 3 CCD Technic and a 3 Chip Technic. It also has a digital zoom ratio of 700. Its focal length ranges from a minimum of 45 millimeters to a maximum of 540 millimeters. It is compatible with multimedia cards. It contains an LCD display for making a preview of transpired images. it also contains a viewfinder to assist the user in focusing on the subject on hand. It has a width of 91 millimeters, a height of 73 millimeters, and depth of 153 millimeters. Its weight is at 570 grams. It has an image stabilizer to prevent any distortion on the computer.

Review Summary

The PV-GS500 is the best MiniDV unit coming from Panasonic this year. This top of the line camcorder is following in the footsteps of the PV-GS400. This is not going to be an easy thing to do thanks to the fact that the PV-GS400 has quite the following, and it is equipped with more features than you could ever imagine. The goal for the PV-GS500 was to offer fewer features so they could in turn sell it at a lower price point. Although this is a great camcorder, there is a lot of competition from both past and current models.

The new PV-GS500 comes equipped with a 12x optical zoom that is sure to allow any user to get close ups no matter how far away they may be. Additionally, three ¼.7” CCDs come along with everything else that the Panasonic PV-GS500 has to offer. Most of the competition only uses a one chip set up, but Panasonic feels that three is better. This way the light can be split into three separate channels, and in turn enhance overall color quality. The result of the three chips was impressive as long as adequate lighting was available.

One of the biggest selling points is the picture quality that the Panasonic PV-GS500 offers in low light conditions. Although you may not be aware of it, in many circumstances you wind up shooting in low light. This is never a problem with the Panasonic PV-GS500. In low light you can expect sharp images, and colors that are pretty much true to their original shade.

For the most part, it is easy to handle the Panasonic PV-GS500. The body is compact enough that it will not get in your way, and the 2.7” screen is the standard in the industry.

Overall, the Panasonic PV-GS500 can easily hold its own among the competition.