Panasonic SDR-H250 SD/HDD Hybrid Camcorder (30GB HDD, 10 x Optical Zoom, 3CCD)

November 25, 2007 | By Doug In Digital Camcorder |

Panasonic SDR-H250 SD/HDD Hybrid Camcorder (30GB HDD, 10 x Optical Zoom, 3CCD)

JVC GR-DVX507 Mini-DV Digital Camcorder [DV-in/out]
Customer Review: Excellent!!
After looking at various models of DV camcorders I came accross this one by accident, I had played with a more expensive Panasonic model but it did not have DV in. The features this model has for the money is in my mind second to none, Stills camera, web-cam etc, etc. The only slight let down with it is the battery. The standard one only gives about 40 minutes of playtime, other then that it is excellent.

Panasonic - NV-GS60 - Mini DV Camcorder
Amazon Price: ?134.99
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.