Panasonic PV-GS320

Manufacturer: Panasonic Part number: PVGS320

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CNET Editor rating:
3.5 stars Very good
Average user rating: 3.5 stars out of 18 reviews

More product information:: Editors' review; User reviews; Specifications; Manufacturer info

Bottom Line:: Delivering high-quality MiniDV footage and decent still images, the Panasonic PV-GS320 should appeal to advanced amateurs searching for a tape-based camcorder.

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CNET editors' review

Panasonic PV-GS320

price range: $279.96 - $698.00

Reviewed by: Philip Ryan
Reviewed on: 04/16/2007
Released on: 02/01/2007

The good: Impressive video quality; decent low-light performance; very effective optical image stabilization.

The bad: No built-in flash or video light; no manual focus ring; no mic input or headphone output; all controls are menu-based.

The bottom line: Delivering high-quality MiniDV footage and decent still images, the Panasonic PV-GS320 should appeal to advanced amateurs searching for a tape-based camcorder.

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As Panasonic's top MiniDV camcorder, and the company's only tape-based standard-definition 3CCD model, you'd be right to expect a lot from the PV-GS320. You'd also most likely be happy with this camcorder, as long as you're not expecting prosumer-level controls. Advanced consumers, who tinker with manual controls, such as shutter speed and iris, should appreciate the image-quality perks that come along with this camera's three CCD chips. Nitpickers will note that Panasonic doesn't include a built-in video light or a flash for photos, though most built-in video lights aren't powerful enough anyway.

Panasonic kept the PV-GS320's design very similar to last year's PV-GS300, though thankfully they moved the manual focus selector as well as the USB and FireWire jacks out from behind the 2.7-inch LCD screen. However, Panasonic moved that manual focus selector to the right side of the body, to a spot that is difficult to access while shooting. Since there aren't any buttons below the LCD, that might have been a better spot. While Panasonic does a nice job of partitioning its menus, and you can access most manual functions with a few quick button presses, advanced shooters who are used to having dedicated buttons for functions such as white balance won't find any here. Instead, you access most of these types of functions by pressing the joystick, which brings up a menu that's separate from the main menu. In many cases this worked well, but some videographers prefer dedicated buttons, especially for oft-used functions such as backlight compensation. Our biggest gripe is that there's no focusing ring, even though the specs on Panasonic's Web site say there is. Instead, you need to use the joystick to focus; an annoying exercise, to say the least.

We were impressed by the PV-GS320's optical image stabilization. In our field tests, it did an admirable job of taming shake in our handheld footage, even with the lens zoomed to its 10x maximum. Autofocus wasn't the fastest we've seen, but it was certainly plenty quick for a consumer camcorder and did a nice job of keeping our subjects in focus when panning. As always, it's a bit slower when shooting in dimmer environs, but overall, we were pleased.

While the camera does include an unpowered accessory shoe, there is no microphone input--a notable omission compared to the PV-GS300. There's also no headphone output. Panasonic does include a useful built-in wind filter and the built-in stereo mic does have an audio-zoom feature, but we would have expected to find an external mic input. You really know MiniDV is approaching the end of its life as a format when manufacturers start pulling out useful features such as this.

This model's three 800,000-pixel CCD sensors really shine when it comes to image quality. Our footage had nicely saturated, accurate colors with relatively little noise compared to single chip models we've tested recently. We saw plenty of finer detail and in-focus portions of our footage were very sharp. Even indoors, with only moderate ambient lighting, we captured video with admirable saturation, though noise became noticeable but tolerable. Only when shooting in very dim light did noise become very intrusive, though we were surprised to find that colors weren't as washed out as we would've expected. Panasonic's MagicPix mode is supposed to help when shooting in dim conditions--and does help a bit--but it also yields a choppy look, as though the shutter speed is drastically reduced and the overall dynamic range of the footage is compressed a bit in this mode.

Still images can be captured in both 4:3 and 16:9 aspect ratios in sizes as large as 2,048x1,512 pixels. While certainly not as sharp as you'd get from a dedicated still camera, we were impressed with the shots we captured, which were suitable for uncropped 4x6-inch snapshots, though close inspection will reveal noise and plentiful image artifacts. However, given that there's no built-in flash, don't expect to get decent still images if you don't have plenty of light.

If you don't like bothering with fancy controls but can appreciate the value of good image quality, then the Panasonic PV-GS320 may be just the camcorder for you. It does a great job of capturing high-quality video in auto mode and provides just enough manual control to satisfy the needs of beginners and some advanced amateurs.

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User reviews

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Average user rating: 3.5 stars out of 18 reviews
My rating: 0 stars

Showing opinion 1 to 10 out of 18

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9 stars

Great Video Quality and Stabilization for a decent price!

by Larry Turner on April 23, 2007

Pros: Great Video Quality, Optical Stabilization, Manual Iris and Decent Still Quality, Light Weight, Compact

Cons: Miss the External Mic, Headphone jack and a manual focus ring would make things nicer for weddings

Summary: As likely the last 3 CCD standard definition camcorder available, this is one to grab.
I've tested it out at a couple weddngs as well as several church events
...

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Summary: As likely the last 3 CCD standard definition camcorder available, this is one to grab.
I've tested it out at a couple weddngs as well as several church events and family events and the performance has been great!
At the moment the miniDV tape format offers the best quality video you can get (although that is about to change)and this is important if you plan on editing your video in post. If you need to zoom in for tighter framing, you will find that any noise and compression artifacts present in your video will be magnified. DVD camcorders and Hard-drive based camcorders already show noticable compression artifacts at standard zoom, so as you zoom in closer, these artifacts can become even more of a problem.
If you've ever tried shooting the moon or any real bright object for that matter, you'll love having the manual iris control, and this is one thing I love about this camera.
I've gotten some nice video of the moon (with 2x multiplier attached) and tamed some bright white wedding dresses in sunlight as well thanks to the manual iris (trust me, brides like to see the detail in their dresses, that's why they spend big money on them; save the white-outs for a blizzard). The menu driven manual focus works well of course, but like most people, I like havng a manual focus ring. Dealing alot wit Canon SLR's, I've gotten used to the control that a manual focus ring gives me.
In summary, It's a great camera for those who don't want to spend $1,000+ or don't need the power of the latest "Hi-Definition" arrivals to the market.
Personally, you'll need a pretty powerful computer just to edit "Hi-definition" video and the market doesn't have a clear winning standard available at this time; Add to that, the fact that very few consumer households have the ability to play back hi-definition video either.
Which-ever camcorder you decide to choose; today's camcorders supplied by any of the four or five top makers should more than satisfy the average consumer.

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13 out of 13 users found this user opinion helpful.
8 stars

Excellent value for your money, but lacks mic input.

by ttencate on April 16, 2007

Pros: Very good picture quality, plenty of options.

Cons: No microphone input or headphone output.

Summary: The PV-GS320 seems to be the same camera as the NV-GS320, which I bought.

If image quality is your primary concern, this is the camera for you. In low light,

...

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Summary: The PV-GS320 seems to be the same camera as the NV-GS320, which I bought.

If image quality is your primary concern, this is the camera for you. In low light, too, it remains very usable. The picture stabilizer works pretty good. But don't buy this camera to take still photographs.

Audio quality is decent, but the mic picks up sound from all around the camera. The lack of a microphone input is a severe shortcoming.

The rest of the feature set is excellent, and the backlight compensation and night shot are nice additions. Remember to buy a FireWire cable if you intend to use anything but the accompanying software.

On the usability front, this camera is decent, but not excellent. If you're afraid of buttons and menus I'd recommend looking elsewhere, but anyone with a little bit of technical experience will have no problem controlling this camera.

My full in-depth review of this camera can be found here:
http://typethinker.blogspot.com/2007/04/panasonic-nv-gs320-review.html

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7 out of 7 users found this user opinion helpful.
9 stars

Great camcorder for the family

by rkd46 on November 22, 2007

Pros: easy to use; great video quality; WORKS WITH MY VISTA MACHINE!

Cons: None, except the mic and light issue.

Summary: I've owned my PV-GS320 for about 3 week. I've tested it on a night time road trip to see how it handled very low light and focus issues. ...

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Summary: I've owned my PV-GS320 for about 3 week. I've tested it on a night time road trip to see how it handled very low light and focus issues. I was very pleased. It picked up the reflection in the eys of some deer that I didn't even see when I was driving. I'v shot outside and inside, and the color is great. Audio could be a little louder, but that may just be how I have it set up right now.
We just finished our Thanksgiving day and capture much of it on this camera. We all set down and watched it on the TV and all the kids and grandkids were impressed.

I'm shopping for a light at this time. I'm glad it doesn't have a light, most of them just drain the battery and fall short of what you need.

I did purchase 2 extra batteries (long lasting ones). They weren't that much and a good case.

I down loaded a short clip of my daughter singing on my Vista computer with HP's own software and it worked great. I have purchased a Vista supported editing software, but that's because I'm looking into doing more with my videos than just storing them on miniDV tapes.

I would highly recommend this camera to anyone looking for quality and not ready to take the HD plung at this time. I'm not sold on the hard drive systems yet, and find this PV-GS320 to be just right for this man who likes to get the best he can afford. I don't think you will be disappointed at all.

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4 out of 4 users found this user opinion helpful.
9 stars

Great, affordable 3CCD camera

by josh11morgan on July 12, 2007

Pros: Excellent picture quality, image stabilization

Cons: Menu options are limited, and battery life.

Summary: I purchased this camera after my son was born. I was really wanting to get away from miniDV tapes, but the picture quality, sound recording, etc. blows all of those ...

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Summary: I purchased this camera after my son was born. I was really wanting to get away from miniDV tapes, but the picture quality, sound recording, etc. blows all of those hard drive based (non high-def.) cameras away. This camera is really easy to use, and I have had no problems with it. Only complaint is that Panasonic is shipping this with the lowest capacity battery. I recommend purchasing larger battery for extended recording/viewing.

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4 out of 4 users found this user opinion helpful.
8 stars

Camera has easy to use features

by Cuaron on July 6, 2007

Pros: 3CCD quality in a Small Camera

Cons: Flash is an accessory also must buy a Battery and charger with it.

Summary: This Camera is Great for the price, however I bought one in April 2007 it stopped working and the customer service is awful in getting it repaired. You must send ...

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Summary: This Camera is Great for the price, however I bought one in April 2007 it stopped working and the customer service is awful in getting it repaired. You must send it to IL for repair. No other location in the US. When calling to see about your product you are met each time with someone that is RUDE. Panasonic needs to get it together with thier service. I will never buy another Panasonic Product because of that reason.
I have had Canon which once mine was inop it was explained to me that it was an ongoing problem and fixed ASAP. Panasonic has had my Cam for 3 weeks and still no signs of return

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4 out of 4 users found this user opinion helpful.
6 stars

Anybody else using this camera with vista?

by mindib on May 29, 2007

Pros: I'm digging the quality as much as everyone else, but doesn't matter if software is not compatible with the new vista

Cons: ...bought camera today and already am very upset that the firewire attachment is behind battery

Summary: Could not download video software and editing software due to incompatibility with vista. Anyone else have this issue?

Summary: Could not download video software and editing software due to incompatibility with vista. Anyone else have this issue?

4 out of 4 users found this user opinion helpful.
2 stars

No Vista Support, Poor Customer Service

by alikelystorybooks on July 23, 2007

Pros: Easy to use

Cons: Can't get video off tapes, Panasonic = Behind the times

Summary: I think the camcorder is great. However, I purchased it in Feb of 2007 and I have still not been able to pull any video off the tapes for editing ...

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Summary: I think the camcorder is great. However, I purchased it in Feb of 2007 and I have still not been able to pull any video off the tapes for editing and conversion. I am using Windows Vista and, according to Panasonic tech support, Panasonic has not yet agreed to support Vista and may not ever release the drivers to be compatible. He said that it is not their responsibility to be compatible with my operating system. Another tech support person said that they should come out soon. That was February. I called back today and I got the same answer. Also, there is no record of this product existing on their web site.

I am pleased with the ease of use of the product, however not being about to do anything with the video has severely decreased my satifaction with the purchase. I would not recommend purchasing this product or any Panasonic product due to their lack of compatibility or responsiveness to the market.

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7 out of 14 users found this user opinion helpful.
9 stars

Incredible Image quality

by reifnawss on November 23, 2007

Pros: Impressive Video Quality, very stable when hand held, great sound quality

Cons: No wide angle view, need to purchase stronger battery

Summary: Basically i'm used to the typical camcorders, when I first recorded with this I was blown away. I do use some post production corrections but it's very very ...

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Summary: Basically i'm used to the typical camcorders, when I first recorded with this I was blown away. I do use some post production corrections but it's very very good quality for the money paid. Image stabilizer was great as well, and shooting in 16:9 widescreen mode is fantastic.

Only problem I have is, after having this camera, and experiencing the high quality, i'm ready for the next level, i'm spoiled.

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1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
9 stars

Fantastic Picture 16x9 or 4x3.

by rentb on October 11, 2007

Pros: Great Image Stability, Excelent Zoom

Cons: No Cam light, no flash

Summary: I just love this unit. I have a Sharp DLP 16x9 1080i projector and the video quility is very good. Built in mic is good as well. I wanted a ...

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Summary: I just love this unit. I have a Sharp DLP 16x9 1080i projector and the video quility is very good. Built in mic is good as well. I wanted a camcorder with tape so when I travel I don't have to worry about running out of space on my hard drive.

Low light is also very good but I wish it had a light adn a flash. Otherwise this unit is Excelent!!!

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1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
8 stars

Great not perfect

by guitar_fury on April 14, 2007

Pros: Size, quality, ability to tweak with preferences, feels solid, image stabilization really works

Cons: Manual focus hard to use, toggle hard to get used to, very simplistic

Summary: I like the white balance adjustment and the ability to fiddle with other preferences like that. The quality and LCD screen are superb. Menus easy to navigate, but toggle switch ...

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Summary: I like the white balance adjustment and the ability to fiddle with other preferences like that. The quality and LCD screen are superb. Menus easy to navigate, but toggle switch weird to use, it never quite seems to click exactly where you want it. I like the size, it is about half the height of my previous camera and can kinda fit in my pocket, not comfortably but just to illustrate the size.
Updated
great quality UNLESS IN THE DARK

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1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.

Showing opinion 1 to 10 out of 18

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Specifications

Manufacturer: Panasonic
Part number: PVGS320
Description: Imagine taking video shots on a moving boat and then viewing them on a large-screen TV. They're likely to appear blurry from the boat's movement and from your unsteady hands. Panasonic solves this problem with O.I.S. (Optical Image Stabilizer), which minimizes hand-shake in situations where it is most often a problem, such as with zoom shots - or on a moving boat. The system is optical, so there is no quality loss, and images look clear and beautiful on a big-screen TV. Enjoy vivid color, crisp detail, and subtle gradation with 3CCD, the system used by most professional broadcast cameras. PRODUCT FEATURES: 3CCD camera system; O.I.S. (Optical Image Stabilizer); Leica Dicomar lens; Advanced pure color engine; Still picture recording; 10x optical zoom; Tele-macro; Simultaneous motion video and 1.2-megapixel still picture recording; High-picture-quality wide 2.7" LCD.

General
Product Type Camcorder
Digital Zoom 700 x
Effective Sensor Resolution 0.54 megapixels
Total Pixels 0.80 megapixels
Optical Sensor Size 1/6 in
Optical Sensor Type 3CCD
Min Illumination 1 lux
Special Effects Black & White
Image Stabilizer Optical
PCM Digital Sound 12bit (32KHz / 2 channels), 16bit (48KHz / 2 channels)
Digital Scene Transition White fader, Black fader
Min Shutter Speed 1/25 sec
Max Shutter Speed 1/8000 sec
Shooting Modes Digital photo mode, Normal movie mode
Shooting Programs Spotlight, Low light, Surf & snow, Portrait mode, Sports mode
White Balance Custom, Automatic, Presets
White Balance Presets Outdoor, Indoor
Exposure Modes Automatic, Program
Webcam Capability Yes
Widescreen Video Capture Yes
Main Features
Camcorder Sensor Resolution 2.4 megapixels
Camcorder Effective Video Resolution 1.62 megapixels
Camcorder Effective Still Resolution 3.1 megapixels
Color Support Color
Still Image Format JPEG
Remote Control Camcorder remote control - Infrared
TV Tuner None
Video Capture MPEG - 320 x 240 - Web camera mode
Memory / Storage
Supported Flash Memory MultiMediaCard, SD Memory Card
Floppy Drive None
Image Storage JPEG 1280 x 960, JPEG 2048 x 1512, JPEG 640 x 480, JPEG 640 x 360, JPEG 1600 x 1200, JPEG 2048 x 1152
Media Type Mini DV
Recording Speed LP, SP
Lens System
Type Zoom lens - 3 mm - 30 mm - F/1.8-2.8
Focal Length 3 mm - 30 mm
Lens Aperture F/1.8-2.8
Optical Zoom 10 x
Lens system type Zoom lens
Min focal length 3 mm
Max focal length 30 mm
Auto Focus TTL contrast detection
Lens Manufacturer Leica
Filter Size 37 mm
Focus Adjustment Automatic, Manual
Zoom Adjustment Motorized drive
Additional Features
DV input Yes
Edit Functions Audio dubbing
Low Lux / Night Mode Yes
Digital Still Camera Function Yes
Additional Features USB 2.0 compatibility, Direct print, Backlight compensation, Auto power save, PictBridge support
Time Code Yes
Remote control Camcorder remote control - Infrared
Software Drivers & Utilities
Included Accessories Lens cap
Viewfinder
Viewfinder Type Electronic
Viewfinder Diagonal Size 0.33 in
Viewfinder Resolution 113,000 pixels
Display
Type LCD display - TFT active matrix - 2.7 in - Color
Digital Player (Recorder)
Type None

Microphone
Type Microphone - Built-in
Microphone Features Zoom, Wind noise reduction
Connections
Connector Type 1 x IEEE 1394 (FireWire/i.LINK), 1 x Composite video/audio output, 1 x USB, 1 x S-Video output
Expansion Slot(s) 1 x SD Memory Card
Audio Input
Audio input type Microphone
Microphone type Built-in
Microphone Operation Mode Stereo
Miscellaneous
Carrying Case None
Cables Included USB cable, S-Video cable, 1, 1 x A/V cable
Power
Power Device Power adapter - External
Battery type - Lithium ion
Battery
Supported Battery 1 x Li-ion rechargeable battery ( Included )
Viewfinder / Display
Display Form Factor Rotating
Display Format 123,000 pixels
Viewfinder Color Support Color
Physical Characteristics
Width 3.1 in
Depth 5.8 in
Height 3.3 in
Weight 15.9 oz

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Panasonic PV-GS320

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Specifications

General

Main Features

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Additional Features

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Display

Digital Player (Recorder)

Microphone

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Audio Input

Miscellaneous

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Manufacturer info