Panasonic PV-GS320 Mini DV Camcorder

Quality Digital Camcorder

Posted Dec 21, 2007 - I bought this camcorder to replace our old 8mm analog camcorder. It is very small and light. Its lens is made by the legendary Leica, one key factor in my choosing it over several other camcorders in its price range. Its user-interface is intuitive. Overall its features seem to be well designed. To my surprise for some reason it does not accept my Kingston Elite-Pro 2GB SD card (it flashes "card error" message whenever I attempt to use or format that card), but seems to work fine with my cheaper Kingston 2GB SD card (I prefer using the Elite-Pro for its higher write speed). Panasonic only certifies and lists their own SD cards for use with the camcorder, so if you want to shop for a 3rd-party SD card make sure that you can exchange or return it just in case.

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Nice MiniDV camcorder

Posted Jul 13, 2007 - This camcorder is light and handy for traveling. The camcorder's menus were also easy to operate via the controls. I can use both FireWire and USB ports for transferring video to my PC. The most point is that I like its three CCDs (charge-coupled devices) function for handling primary colors individually. Nice camcorder!

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Great leisure Camcorder at a very competitive price

Posted Apr 29, 2007 - I don't see myself moving away from Mini DV anytime soon, despite all manufacturers de-emphasizing it in favour of hard drive or DVD models, as well as of course HD. I know popular fads often prevail, but Mini DV picture quality is so much superior to hard drive or DVD format, and cheaper than HD, that it is surprising it has apparently lost public popularity. Anyhow, with the shrinking of the line of Mini DV models offered, it made my screening job easier. I narrowed things down to the GS320 and Sony's DCR-HC96. Both offer excellent picture quality, but the GS320's 3CCD is a significant advantage (although the HC96's 1/3 inch CCR somewhat narrows the gap). Both models have 10x optical zoom, but again the GS320's 3CCD is a boon, as it makes the digital zoom (which I normally ignore in digital camcorders or cameras) more usable than normal. So if you have that telephoto shot that you can't get close to, you are still in luck. The GS320 is reasonably compact and fits nicely into the palm of one hand. The zoom button has good sensitivity unlike other models I have used where it is difficult to do a slow zoom. The menus are fairly logical and the joystick manipulator, once you get used to it, is also fine. My only minor quibble is the lens cap. Not only is it not automatic, it is also bigger than I expected and has a tendency to flop about annoyingly when you are recording. Other reviewers have commented on the downgrade in features from earlier models (no focus ring, no hot shoe, no external microphone). In exchange for that, Panasonic has brought down the price of this model by ~$300 over the past 2 years compared to its equivalents. So they are targeting a mid-end consumer market, probably figuring that expert users will plump for HD anyway. It works fine for me as my staple use is vacation and kids. Overall, I am so far happy with the GS320 - its performance is akin to a higher end model but at a very competitive price. If you are a picky leisure user, in my view, it's hard to beat.

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PV-GS320 Mini DV Digital Camcorder good little miniDV

Posted May 29, 2007 - I have had this camcorder for a short time, but used to fairly heavily. The quality is amazing as the outside still pictures and the video inside and out are extremely sharp. I have not found any real complaints or issues with the camcorder at all. After looking at some hard disk Camcorders, I felt that for the money this was the best bang for the buck and so far I think it was a great choice.

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The best in its class

Posted May 20, 2007 - If you are a point and shooter and looking for great picture quality, then you cannot find a better camcorder in this price range. Of course for prosumers it lacks a lot of options compare to GS250 and even GS300. Eventhough the miniDV format is phasing out, it still provides the best picture quality and very easy storage and editing options. The only competetor for this camcorder is sony HC96 but it is almost $130 more expenseive without much to add. Also I don't like the touchscreen menu by sony. the only real weakness for me is the fact that the pc port is located on the back and you need to remove the battery and power up with ac to connect it to a PC.

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PV-GS320 Camcorder

Posted Sep 22, 2007 - I moved from a Canon which after many years of service, had to be retired because it made no sense to repair. When it came time to look for a new camcorder, all the reviews placed the GS320 at the top. After using the camcorder for about a month, I would have to agree. The quality of the video is excellent including low light. The controls are thoughtfully designed and after getting used to the joystick controls, I like them very much. It is easy to use on auto, but still has plenty of manual controls, if needed. I would highly recommend this model.

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Too soon to tell

Posted Jan 28, 2008 - I will have to use the camera some more and go get the cables that will help the camera work with my TV and my computer. Hopefully, with knowledge and experience, my opinion will change for the better

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HIGH QUALITY VIDEO

Posted 1 year ago - I purchased this pv-gs320 for my sons wedding gift and video tapped his wedding. The results were amazing. The wedding was outdoors and the recepition indoors and even the indoor video was very good. I used Windows Movie maker to edit and results were fantastic. The audio was good enough to get even the wedding vows. Everyone was amazed at the video quality. Do not hesitate to buy this camcorder for at around $300 dollars you can't go wrong.

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PV-GS320 Review

Posted Dec 14, 2007 - Overall it is a decent camcorder. It campares well against Sony's HC-96 which is more pricier. This is a good camera for an intermediate shooter with much more advanced features but still not quite professional grade.

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Great Digital Camera for the price!

Posted Dec 9, 2007 - I bought this camera for $149.99 before tax. It is a good value for this camera. It is compact and light to bring around to record events. What can you expect for this price. Even with all the shortcomings, for the price, you can't beat it.

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