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- Average user rating: 2.5 stars out of 16 reviews Back to product review
- My rating: 0 stars
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22 out of 23 people found this review helpful
2.5 stars
"Great Zoom. Easy Manual controls. Focus Shiver!"
Pros: Zoom, Manual Controls, small size, Intuitive
Cons: Focus Shiver, Light causes ghost shadows, Low res Stills
Summary: I kept this camera although really not totally happy with it. Returned it 3 times cause thought it was defective, and all cameras the same. First, the zoom is GREAT and outdoor pictures good -- sharp colors. Zoom is quiet as a mouse (not like the Canons) and wind noise reduction works well, as well as zoom mic. Stills recorded directly to SD card (not tape like JVC) so no interruption in video (but low resolution makes them suitable for slide show only). Last positive: camera has an S-video out which makes picture look better than regular AV jacks. Every digital camcorder should have an S-video out.
Now the bad things. Indoor quality no where near the quality of my 1/4 inch CCD Sony Hi 8 (althogh much better than the Canon mini-DVs I tried -- they are GRAINY). But Hi 8 resolution stunk on the new Sony 60 Inch TV, so went digital. Panasonic PV GS 35 is a 1/6 inch CCD, so that lets less light in which results in poorer indoor video. The light on the camera is USELESS to me. Any time you put it on, it lights up the subject well, but increases the camera's "gain" and that results in big time ghost images in any motion in camera or subject. Result is jaggedy, ghosted, ANNOYING video. If you press light again, it goes out of Gain mode, but light makes no differnce in video. On positive side, you can manually adjust shutter speed, and gain easily and lighten the video to an acceptable level. My biggest gripe with the camera is an occasional but continual (present in every indoor video) focus shiver. It's like the camera got a little chill. I'm not sure if it is the image stabilization not working correctly since I am usually zooming at least some level (but I have a pretty steady hand and did not have this problem on Sony Hi8). It really annoys me, and I exchanged the camera 3 times (at Panasonic's recommendation) and all do the same. Last annoyance is no feature to show date and time once at start of new video. If date and time set to on, they are always on video unless you turn them off with the remote. Thus, if I want to back up to DVD with DVD recorder connected to TV, I have to toggle the date on and off as I record. If uploading video to computer (which I haven't tried) I read that extra software will be needed to transfer the date info to a DVD (not sure on this, but don't have time for the computer editing stuff -- would just like to back up to DVD).
I am keeping the camera for the following reasons: 1) I need the 30X zoom for children's outdoor sporting events with tripod. Zoom is incredible, QUIET and SMOOTH and outdoor pics don't seem to have noticible focus shiver, but could be due to tripod. 2) Small size is great and although light is ineffective (unless you like jaggedy video), manual adjustments can be made easily to get acceptable indoor video without light. No 1/6 inch CCD is going to give good indoor video, but manual override compensates some, and can't find a 1/4 inch CCD with 24 plus zoom. 3) Nothing out there with same zoom that isn't rated poorly for indoor, so due to my fatigue at reviewing this camera and attractive $450 price, I'll take the good and the bad and wait for a better digital camera with great zoom to come along.Updated
I took a video of my daughter's play and used a tripod and zoomed alot. No focus shift or shiver. So, it seems that it is a function of the EIS not doing the greatest job when zooming. I'm always zooming at least some, so I'm guessing that's what it is. And it only happens indoors.
