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7.0 out of 10

Panasonic PV-GS500

 

Information found in: from 14 sources in 18 countries

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  • User Score (115)
    9.1 9.1 from 115 reviewers
  • Expert Score (2)
    8.4 8.4 from 2 reviewers
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  • Score Distribution

Experts:
9-10
(1)
7-8
(1)
5-6
(0)
3-4
(0)
1-2
(0)
Users:
9-10
(79)
7-8
(28)
5-6
(1)
3-4
(4)
1-2
(3)

  • Expert Reviews

  1. PC World

    PC World
    8.0/10
    9 June 2006

    Photograph: Chris Manners The Panasonic PV-GS500 ($1000 as of 5/2/06) earned our Best Buy because it offers more controls, shot the best-looking Read more

    • Superior optical image stabilization, Good selection of controls for both automatic and manual shooting, Outstanding video quality
    • Some manual controls are a little awkward to access, Heavier and bulkier than other camcorders

  2. Macworld

    Macworld
    7 November 2011

    The highlight of this camcorder is its video quality: it got top marks in tests, in both normal and low-light conditions. The video has bright, accurate color and plenty of fine detail. The 16:9 wide-screen video looks equally impressive, and the excellent 2.7-inch wide-aspect LCD screen makes it easy to see what you’re shooting, even outdoors. It is on the large side, at 1 pound and 6 ounces. Read more

  3. Camcorder Info

    Camcorder Info
    1 June 2006

    Comparison Panasonic PV-GS400 When Camcorderinfo.com reviewed the PV-GS500’s predecessor – the PV-GS400 – we called it the best camcorder value ever. Panasonic has distinguished itself by offering top-notch video performance combined with a range of manual controls that make their products stand out in a competitive market. Sadly, with the release of the PV-GS500, Panasonic has opted to drop toward the pack. Read more

  4. Easy Camcorder

    8.9/10
    30 November 2006

    Quick Review Camcorders: Panasonic PV-GS500 Read more

    • - Terrific video resolution and performance, - Priced lower than its predecessor, - Retains many great features like a focus ring and superb manual controls, - An over...
    • - Loss of ring control over zoom, digital pass-through, headphone output and – sadly - much more., - We knew the PV-GS400...the PV-GS400 was a friend of ours. Panasoni...

  • User Reviews

  1. Great MimiDV Camcorder

    Amazon
    10/10
    Reviewer: Carl T, Amazon
    8 October 2011

    We've had 5 of these now for five years with no issues, so we recently purchased a couple of more "used" ones for filming sports. Our guys find easier to handle than our shoulder mount cams, and no issues with the tape loading system. Read more

  2. can take still jpegs while taking video

    Ebay
    10/10
    Reviewer: nobleone20012000, Ebay
    30 September 2011

    This is an 'oldie but a goodie' Camera takes nice pics, plus one can take still pictures _while_ taking video ... this is how most cameras will be like in the future ... nice product, thanks. Read more

  3. Love my Panasonic PV-GS500!

    B&H Photo
    8.0/10
    Reviewer: Funtech, B&H Photo
    2 October 2008

    Mini DVs (and tape camcorders for that matter) are going out of style in favor of disk drive and memory card models but I would not call that improvement. The Panasonic PV-GS500 may be the last of the best. For one thing reliability of tape systems, which have been around for ages, is proven but did you know the number one reason that disk drives fail in laptops is that users move the laptop around when the drive is working? Read more

    • Great Features, Great Picture Quality, Great Sound, Versatile
    • Uncomfortable

  4. Good product

    Beach Audio
    8.0/10
    Reviewer: Laura, Beach Audio
    4 December 2007

    I use the product for special events in the family, the picture quality is good! but it does not have a flash light, so taking video during evening is not possible, Read more

    • Comfortable to Operate, Great Picture Quality
    • No flash for video

  5. Big video in a small camera

    Newegg
    10/10
    Reviewer: DMA, Newegg
    9 January 2007

    The lack of a headphone output can be overcome with the use of the provided AV cable, adapter(s), and a headphone booster (available from Radio Shack); I orignally purchased the PV-GS300, due to its smaller size and lower price, but it was defective, so I returned it for the GS500, and I am so glad I did. The GS500's better feature set ends up more than justifying its higher price. Read more

    • Crystal clear video, widescreen modes, manageable size, great auto mode, manual control settings, audio meter, good low-light performance.
    • Expensive (at least for my budget), no headphone jack, proprietary AV cable, built-in mic could be better.

  • WikiFreak Description

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 image…

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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.

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