Panasonic - NV-GS60 - Mini DV Camcorder
Panasonic - NV-GS60 - Mini DV Camcorder
Customer Review: Panasonic NV-GS60EB Great budget camcorder
When buying this Camcorder I looked at the JVC GR-D728EK and the Sony DCR-HC27E.
I discarded the JVC as it had very poor white balance, meaning the colures it produced were not faithful to the image being shot, the tape noise was picked up by the microphone in such a way that it was very distracting when watching the recorded video, and in-doors/low light the images lost their colure definition and became very grainy with the auto focus not working particularly effectively.
When I handled the Sony and the Panasonic in store they both appeared NOT to suffer from the above foibles of the JVC. I purchased the Panasonic so I cannot comment further than on the Sony but can comment as follows on the Panasonic.
The lens on the Panasonic is a 30 X Optical zoom (which is very good for camcorder standards) with an electronic image stabilising function which does contribute to reducing camera shake but will not, understandably, eradicate it. There is a however a fitting on the base of the camera to allow you to mount it on a tripod should you wish to.
The main differentiator with the focal length on this camera in relation to the JVC & Sony above is that it has a very wide angle lens meaning that more will fit in to the shot, ideal for filming indoors where it may be hard to move far enough away from the subject matter to fit it all in or when filming scenery where you want to fit in a wider vista.
In low light the images are still very good, the auto focus is still effective and the white balance is faithful. The camera comes equipped with a low light function (activated manually) to take filming down to 2 LUX (as much light generated by 2 candles at 1 meter) giving the ability to film in near darkness.
Whilst there is a photo feature for taking stills, this simply records seven seconds of still footage on to the tape as opposed recording to a jpeg image on to a SD card, or such like, as would be done on a stills camera.
The camera has a full auto setting and also manual over rides to cover focus, exposure compensation, and pre-programmed scene (sport, snow, beach, portrait etc), white balance, backlight compensation, plus others.
I found the camera a little larger than the Sony & JVC (still very small), which for me made it more comfortable to handle, with not too many buttons and all in the right place. The Panasonic felt well made with a colour viewfinder (with dioptre) and a 2.5-inch LCD flip out screen (will swivel through 180 degrees for filming yourself etc) both are of perfectly good quality and deliver clear images.
A sturdy/stubby joystick on the rear of the camera handles navigation for the menu & play functions. I actually found this very effective in use.
You can out put the audiovisual signal by way of a DV Out (No In), Mini USB and composite jack plug (Video, Audio left & right) but there is no S-Video. There are also no DV or USB leads supplied with the camera only Jack Plug. There is also no editing software supplied for your PC.
To see a thorough over view of the product you van down load the user manual from the Panasonic web site, www.panasonic.co.uk.
I have thoroughly enjoyed using this camera. It has excellent image quality and low light handling for a budget camcorder. It starts up quickly and is simple to operate as well as reproducing images faithfully. For the money I would be happy to give this product 5 stars.
Customer Review: Panasonic NV-GS60EB
Excellent little camcorder. Picture quality is superb directly to the television via the AV cable, it is easy to use and is small and light. Great value for money.
Just a shame it doesn’t come with any editing software or cable to connect to the computer.
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zennox dv566 5.1 mega pixel dvc. 
zennox dv566 5.1 mega pixel dvc a great product that fits in the palm of your hand. At the press of a button you can start filming your surroundings, but with a 5.1 mega pixel sensor it also makes for some great photos too. The lithium-ion battery means you can recharge it time and time again saving money by not purchasing new batteries. The large screen also means you can easily view what you record, preview what you have recorded, and with the easy navigated menu system delete what you dislike. 1. The market averages out at 5mp for top-end models. A high mega pixel level results in very high resolution of captured movie and pictures. 2. 8x is the highest dvc’s tend to go with digital zoom, so you know you are able to capture your surroundings that would normally be too small to see.. 3. A large screen makes it easy for you to see what you are filming, but great for playing back videos and photos you have stored on your memory card (sold separate). 4. The internal memory of 32mb is again the highest standard for dvc. This enables you to record onto an internal memory. However using an sd Card you can expand this to an enormous 1gb or 2gb. 5. A lithium-ion battery is also known as a rechargeable battery. Charge whenever you wish to save replacing batteries all the time. Charger included with kit.
Canon MD140 Digital Video Camcorder (35 x Optical Zoom) 2.7″ Colour LCD 
Amazon Price: ?199.99
Panasonic NV-GS230EB-S Mini DV Digital Camcorder Mini Dv (2.3MP Stills, 3 x CCD, 10 x Optical) 2.5″ LCD
Customer Review: Caveat Emptor
Whether this product is great or rubbish I have no idea. It was purchased from Pixmania (a non-UK company) via the Amazon marketplace. It arrived poorly packaged but on time. It showed clear signs of having been used - opened box, crumpled packaging, loose items etc. All of the instructions were in French and German but then again they would be - the item was an NV-GS230EF not the NV-GS230EB as advertised - never intended for the UK market. Pixmania insist that their own website makes it clear that the instructions are not in English (indeed if you look hard enough at their massive site you will find this somewhere). I remember buying it through Amazon though, where there is no such mention of non-english documentation. Certainly, there was no mention of second hand goods on either website. Pixmania insist (on their national rate phoneline) that they do not sell second-hand goods but offer no rational explanation as to why the product had clearly been used despite the transit box being sealed. Do I keep it and find out whether it works once I’ve found a download site for the instructions? Do I pay to have it sent back to Pixmania and hope for a refund? Perhaps Pixmania will collect it at their expense and make more effort to let buyers know they are buying goods never intended for the UK market.(!). I’m sure this product is great but I’m going to have to wait to find out. The service has definitely NOT being worth the small savings - buy from the UK or USA !!
DIGITAL/CAMCORDER BATTERY CHARGER 
PSADBC9027A PSADBC9027A DIGITAL/CAMCORDER BATTERY CHARGER PMWEB_28 PSA_2 CAMBRIDGE CORVUS HARDON TERIM
