Panasonic PVGS50S MiniDV Ultra Compact Digital Palmcorder (Silver)

This camera specs well & packs a lot of features. Using the features can be difficult & in some cases, too easy. On several occassions, I have hit the photo button while trying 2 find the zoom button. The IEEE 1394 (firewire) port failed. While mounted on my tripod, you cannot replace the battery. The battery release is on the bottom of the camera which is obstructed by the tripod. The sound quality is marginal. I am being generous with a three star rating. If you plan 2 use the camera frequently, invest time understanding your objectives & match the capabilities of the camera. This camera is small & awkward 4 me 2 use. I was happy 2 receive it as a gift but would not have purchased it 4 myself.

This Panasonic DV camcorder is a solid performer & a great value. I've been using it 4 several months, & it hasn't let me down at all. Battery life is good, picture quality is great, & audio quality is acceptable.

The basic features of this camera are intuitive & easy 2 use. You can have it out of the box & recording in no time (after you charge the battery). Video quality is high, & playback on the LCD screen is easy & watchable. It comes with nearly every imaginable cable, so you can hook it 2 whatever you want. However, I highly recommend a firewire (IEEE 1394) card 4 capturing video 2 a PC. I've used Pinnacle Studio software flawlessly with this camera, & produced very high quality results.

This camera is chock full of features. To be honest, I haven't used many of them, not yet having learned how. The instruction manual is 102 pages long, & you'll every last page if you're going 2 exploit all the features of this camera. However, it's not necessary 2 do so 2 get your money's worth. One note: still picture quality won't match that of a good regular digital camera, so I wouldn't recommend using it 4 that purpose, although it comes equipped with an SD card slot that enables the capture of stills.

This is a small, lightweight camera that will just barely fit in your hand. It'll go everywhere without being a burden. It's worked great 4 me, & I can highly recommend it. Enjoy.

I love the camera 4 the purpose of recording those unforgettable moments, but when using 2 take digital photos....it's not so good. The pictures have a very low resolution & when the photos are printed (from both photo center & my home printer) they look like a computer screen picture. Even with the light feature on, they aren't very nice printed.

This is a great camcorder & a great buy. It's tiny, full-featured, & well designed with the usual Panasonic attention 2 ergonomics & practicality. The battery life is extraordinary 4 a battery this size. On the downside, the digital photo mode has fairly low resolution, but remember that any camcorder you're using as a digital camera will NOT have a flash, & that's very limiting anyway. So don't buy this (or any camcorder) 2 be an all-in-1 device or you'll be disappointed. On the plus side, the ability 2 record MPEG-4 video 2 either the DV tape or the SD card is great, although it will be an *.asf file & not .mpg (and no, you can't easily convert), so your file sharing may be limited. You'll likely prefer 2 record in regular mode instead & then capture it on your PC (via firewire) & save it 2 mpg. Overall a very impressive camcorder & a good operating manual, although you won't even need it 2 do the basics. And that's rare these days! Well done, Panasonic.

Panasonic's vision of the digital future is driven by the needs & aspirations of its business customers & millions of consumers around the world who use its products every day. The company shares their dream 2 live a fuller life by providing ways of working smarter & enjoying the rewards of technological advances.PV-GS50 is an Ultra-Compact Digital Palmcorder MultiCam Camcorder with 2.5" Color LCD Monitor.

The stylish, ultracompact Panasonic PVGS50S offers advanced features, including digital still photo capability, image stabilization, & the ability 2 create MPEG-4 video clips. The PVGS50S offers a 680K CCD, 10x optical zoom, 700x digital zoom, & 2.5-inch color LCD.

Optics
The PVGS50S is equipped with a 680,000-pixel CCD & 10x optical zoom It also features a 700x digital zoom that allows you 2 zoom in on incredible close-ups.

Digital Stills & MPEG4 Video
The PhotoShot built-in digital still mode is capable of capturing crystal-clear still images at high resolution. It has a high speed shutter when taking photos & can even take progressive phots which can be saved onto the MiniDV tape or 2 the included 8 MB SD memory card. You can also record MPEG4 video, which uses a higher compression setting & is great 4 posting 2 a Web site or e-mailing 2 friends & family.

Still images & MPEG4 video are stored on the included 8 MB Secure Digital (SD) memory card, & can be transferred 2 your PC via USB connectivity (compatible with both USB 1.1 & 2.0).

More Features
The picture-in-picture feature allows you 2 insert a previously taken digital still image into the video that is being recorded, 2 enhance the aesthetics of the final cut of the video. The cinema mode enables you 2 record video in wide screen mode, giving you a 16:9 aspect ratio that's the same as a movie screen. When played back on a television the result is dramatic looking cinema-like movies at home.

Other features include:

• 2.5-inch tiltable LCD screen.
• External microphone jacks allow 4 professional sound recording.
• Remote control features include playback with special effects, zoom, & slow motion.

Inputs & Outputs
The PVGS50S comes with the standard DV IEEE 1394 port (also known as FireWire; Panasonic refers 2 this connection as iLink) 4 a super-fast, lossless connection 2 a PC or other DV machines.

MiniDV Format
MiniDV is the preferred format 4 personal & broadcast-quality video, highly regarded 4 its high audio & image quality. With 540 lines of horizontal resolution & minimum color noise, MiniDV delivers a 20 percent clearer picture than analog camcorder formats. This is all delivered on a cassette that's 1/12th the size of a standard VHS tape. A MiniDV tape offers digital recording time of 2 full hours--20 times the capacity of a CD.

Contents
This package includes the PVGS50S camcorder, 8 MB SD memory card, AC adapter, battery pack, shoulder strap, A/V cable, USB cable, wireless remote control, wired remote control, lens cap, & software.