Panasonic PV-GS85 review

For a budget camcorder, the PV-GS85 produces rather nice video. Colors looked neutral and accurate, and footage was relatively clean and free of grain. Of course, if you plan on watching your movies on a large, high-definition television, it won't be very impressive; most budget camcorders' standard-definition video tends to look blown out and jagged when upscaled on modern HD screens. Finally, the PV-GS85 failed at recording low-light video. Even enabling Night Mode or Panasonic's Best Pix mode yielded no significant difference when shooting in the darkness of a 50-watt lamp. Fortunately, the PV-GS85 has a built-in video light--so you won't be left totally in the dark, when shooting in the dark. The PV-GS85 also has an SD card slot for recording stills. Since the sensor is so low-resolution, however, the photos are only on par with camera phone photos.

The Panasonic PV-GS85 is a decent budget camcorder in its own right, but you could get a much better camera for the same or a slightly higher price. The comparably priced Canon ZR850, for example, outshines the PV-GS85 in almost every way.