Panasonic PV-GS14 MiniDV Camcorder w/22x Optical Zoom Review

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(More customer reviews)I bought this only a few weeks ago & it's been a wonderful camera. I've used it to capture all sorts of life's moments, mainly our cats being crazy. I've also used it to capture digital images. I've not spent a whole lot of time using the camera, but enough to know how to use it fairly well. I'll start with the digital images 1st, and then move onto video.
The Digital Pictures:
The camera does not include a SD card so I had to purchase one separately, which is definitely a bummer. Luckily I was able to get a small 16mb Panasonic SD card off an auction site for $8 after shipping. I have no plans to capture a ton of pictures so 16mb was fine. I took about 18 pictures after I finally got the SD card in the mail & the pictures looked fantastic... At least on the camera they looked good. I never messed with changing the quality around so the settings were default on the camcorder.
When I finally got the free USB cable in the mail & hooked my camera up to my pc I was pleased with how easy it was for Windows (2000 Pro. in my case) to recognize the camera. Immediately it installed without me having to do anything extra & it added a new drive letter in my computer where I was easily able to copy the images or move them to my pc. When I started opening the images with ACDSee & Adobe Photoshop I was not please at the quality of the images. Not only were they fuzzy & dull looking, they were only 640 x 480 in size. This may be adjustable by changing settings on the camera itself, but I have not had time to do so.
The Video:
This is overall the best thing about this camera. I've recorded a lot of nothing as stated above, but the camera does a terrific job of capturing it all & keeping the image clean & colorful. I've hooked the camera to my TV & it all looks great. The camera has to be pretty still if you zoom into things or else the video becomes slightly blurred while trying to stabilize itself.
There are a lot of different functions to the video recording as well, it has many more options and special effects then I thought possible for a camera of its price range. The footage I recorded at night looked great with the backlight on. I was however unable to tell any difference with the soft skin effect. Unfortunately the battery is easily drained & a second battery is recommended.
The Pros:
Great Video, Light Weight, Easy To Hook Up, Lots of Extra Features, Zoom 22x, Firewire, Fun, Comes With Power Cord So Camera Can Be Used Without the Battery
The Cons:
The Cover for the ports is flimsy, Digital Pictures Fuzzy, Not Much in the Box, No Included Software or PC Cables, Short Battery Life, No included SD Card, No Included DV Tapes
I've not had time to test this out or not, but for other noobs to the DV Camera world might be interested in knowing that with a firewire cable capturing video from the camera is possible. Firewire is the only way to do this as USB & USB 2.0 cannot keep up with the frame rate & chop up picture quality. So if you want to use your video & make a home dvd you can do so with this camera as well as other DV cameras that have a Firewire port.
One last feature that's available that I never had time to mess with & do not care to, is the ability to use the camera as a webcam.
Overall the camera is terrific & worth checking out, if you really want it to take fantastic pictures I'd probably save $100 & pickup the pv-gs12 & use the $100 to get a digital camera or look at the latest model.
::UPDATE::
Someone asked how do you get the free usb cable? The answer is simple fill out the card that says you get a free usb cable when you return it. I believe it was much like a warranty card, or was the warranty card... mine was with all the other paperwork.

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Blending innovative technologies with new, simple-to-operate controls, Panasonic's PV-GS14 camcorder is an affordable and powerful entry into digital video. Panasonic continues to innovate, adding more optical zoom capability while reducing the overall size. This MiniDV camcorder features a 22x optical zoom, ultra-fast 1.3-second start-up time, SD memory card slot for digital stills, webcam capability, and color viewfinder.
Optics The PV-GS14 is equipped with a 1/6-inch, 680,000-pixel CCD and 22x optical zoom It also features a 800x digital zoom that allows you to zoom in on incredible close-ups.
Digital Stills In addition to shooting video, the PV-GS14 can also capture digital still images up to 640 x 480 pixels--good for sending photos to friends and family over e-mail or posting to your Web site. They are stored to the Secure Digital (SD)/MultiMedia (MMC) memory card slot. The Direct Mode Dial can be used in digital still mode lets you quickly select the desired digital camera mode, such as Record, Playback, Card Record, or Card Playback.
More Features The 2.5-inch LCD screencan be opened a full 120 degrees away from the camcorder's body, making it easier to view motion images as theyÕre being captured.
The Quick Start feature enables the PV-GS14 to begin taping 1.3 seconds after turning the power on so those unexpectedÊmoments wonÕt be missed.ÊAfter pressing the Quick Start button, the camcorder will bring up the previous settings that you were shooting with--even if they were manually entered.
The Soft Skin Detail function detects the different skin tones being recorded and softens the focus to create a realistic blend.
Other features include:
The image-enhancing MagicPix feature allows for rich videos under low-light conditions.
Web cam capability, which is ideal for video conferencing with friends or family, or use as a simple monitoring device when consumers are away from home.
The unsnapping hand strap doubles as wrist loops, enabling you to carry the camcorder like a small bag or purse.
Color viewfinder

Inputs and Outputs The PV-GS14 comes with the standard DV IEEE 1394 port (also known as FireWire; Panasonic refers to this connection as iLink) for a super-fast, lossless connection to a PC or other DV machines.
MiniDV Format MiniDV is the preferred format for personal and broadcast-quality video, and it is highly regarded for its high audio and image quality. With up to 540 lines of horizontal resolution and minimum color noise, MiniDV delivers a 2 percent clearer picture than analog camcorder formats. This is all delivered on a cassette that's 1/12th the size of a standard VHS tape. A MiniDV tape offers digital recording time of 2 full hours--20 times the capacity of a CD.

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Canon Optura 40 MiniDV Camcorder w/14x Optical Zoom Review

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(More customer reviews)I pre-ordered this camera and got it the day it was "released" (5/20), thank you Amazon. Overall the feature content is pretty slick but I have a few issues I need to investigate before I declare that I am in love with this camera or that I am disappointed.
My big concern is that I see a very strange effect when I am mildly zoomed on a subject and the subject is moving around. I see a "fluttery" effect as though the shutter is too slow for the action. It gets really bad at times and is really annoying. I am not sure if the camera (in its "auto-everything" mode) is attempting to adjust to the change in the subject but whatever it is its not good. I will follow up with Canon to determine what the issue is to see if this is a feature of the camera, if my camera is defective or if I am not using it correctly.
I did a side by side comparison with my old Sony DCR-TRV20. The Canon's image at times shows off the 3x more effective pixels and is generally brighter than the Sony but again I am not totally blown out of the room with improvements with the Canon. Low light is a problem and it generates grainy pictures.
Update: june 13, 2004
I noticed the review where the guy mentions the "auto slow shutter" control. BINGO. Barring this strangeness that is now solved, this camera is excellent. In my opinion the video quality is more film-like than video. I assume this is due to the high number of pixels.
As far as the still image feature goes, I've taken really good and really bad shots. Its all about holding the camera still and in my opinion its a little challenging considering the location of straps and buttons on this camera for still shots. None-the-less, if you take your time and think about it, you can get some great stills.
Great Camera.

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Whether shooting up-close or from a distance, the Optura 40 delivers video and photos with exceptional definition and contrast, making every shot you take a potential award-winner. Featuring Genuine Canon Optics, the Optura 40 expands on this range with a 14x Optical Zoom and 280x Digital Zoom. Both models allow you to cover all the angles, be it wide or telephoto, ensuring that you always get the shot you want.
Enjoy stunning video and photos The secret behind the Optura 30 and Optura 40 camcorders' incredible video and photos is Canon's DIGIC DV technology. Since videos and photos have different color requirements, DIGIC DV uses special color optimization techniques when processing an image for output to a TV or printer. The result is accurate, life-like color reproduction in all your videos and photos.
Catch all the action without the shake Life rarely sits still for a shot, that's why the Optura 30 and Optura 40 feature Canon's advanced Image Stabilization system. Now you can keep images smooth and steady, even at full telephoto and while panning or zooming. The large 2.5" LCD and Color Viewfinder further helps to compose sensational shots from any angle.
Dazzle on-lookers with vibrant color shots Now you can relive those precious moments with all their true vibrant colors. While traditional camcorders process color with a standard CMYG filter (resulting in duller colors), the Optura 30 and Optura 40 camcorders use Canon's RGB Primary Color Filter, which separates light passing through the lens into their true red, green and blue color components. The result is professional-quality images that deliver natural-looking tones and superior color rendition.
Get the full picture on your wide-screen TV Unlike camcorders which only record a vertically stretched picture, the Optura 30 and Optura 40 both feature a High-Resolution 16:9 Mode that records video in true 16:9 ("letterbox") format for playback on wide-screen TVs. When shooting in the 16:9 Mode, the entire width of the 2.2 Megapixel CCD image sensor is used to capture your footage. The result is wide-screen quality videos that are certain to impress even the biggest "big screen" fan.
Canon's Megapixel CCD Canon's Megapixel CCD Image Sensor delivers crisp images with life-like detail. Whether you are shooting video or photos with the camcorder, you will get the best results. The CCD works like film -- when light is captured by the sensor, it registers an image and advanced processing converts the pixels into digital data creating your video or photos.
Canon's exclusive DIGIC DV DIGIC DV, our exclusive signal processing circuit, makes it possible to achieve accurate color for both video and digital photos. Since video and digital photos have different color requirements, DIGIC DV utilizes two different color techniques to maximize video quality on a TV and still image quality for print or computer display.
Take it from sight to website at a moment's notice Thanks to the Optura's improved Motion JPEG feature, you can shoot video ready for streaming over the Internet or for e-mailing. The Motion JPEG Mode records your footage onto the Secure Digital memory card at 15 frames/second, giving you up to 60 minutes of recording time on a 512MB card. You can then quickly and easily transfer your movies to your computer using the USB cable.

Make incredible panoramas and portraits The Optura line of camcorders gives you the power to edit your still images in a variety of exciting ways. The Stitch Assist feature allows you to capture and create breathtaking 360-degree panoramas, while the Skin Detail Mode helps you take complimentary close-ups of people by softening details and reducing skin imperfections.
Turn your camcorder into a webcam Exclusive to Canon, the Optura camcorders feature a Network Mode that enables you to remotely control your camcorder through the DV Messenger2 software application. Control the focus and zoom of your camcorder from a computer while streaming the video via its IEEE 1394 terminal
Explore your creativity with the supplied software Included in your Optura Kit are Pinnacle Studio 9SE and Pinnacle Instant Photo Album, two powerful editing programs that can help turn your videos and photos into lasting memories.
What's in the Box

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Panasonic PVDC152 MiniDV Ultra Compact Digital Camcorder with 2.5" LCD Review

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(More customer reviews)I've only had this camera about a week; it is my first camcorder, and I'm 17.
First of all, it is light and compact, very easy to handle. You can acess all the buttons with relative ease one-handed. The viewfinder I use rarely, except when I turn the LCD screen so that the person I'm filming can see what I'm filming. The light is extremely bright. The resoloution I tested on our 45" screen TV, and it is wonderful. This I didn't notice untill yesterday: The LCD screen, of course, can be flipped over so that the screen is facing the subject. What I didn't know is that it can then be clipped back into place. So you can watch what you've filmedehile keeping the camera compact! It has a speaker, and earphone jacks. Everything displayed on the LCD is displayed on the viewfinder when you use it: you can watch your movies through the viewfinder. It doesn't have infared (magic-vue), but it does have magic-pix, which makes everything much brighter as long as there is some light. However, any movement of the camera or the subject is recorder very slow, and this feature isn't one I use. What else...I haven't tested still pictures yet, but I know if you record a still to the cassette instead of the memory card, it records sound with it (about 5 seconds). This feature is cool. You can buy a 120 min (high quality) DV-tape for 10 bucks. In short, I love this camera, although I haven't had it it long. I've never even hooked it up to the computer. But what I've seen, I like. A lot.

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Panasonic line of Ultra-Compact Digital Palmcorder MultiCam Camcorders are pocket sized, SD-compatible camcorders that capture the same high-quality digital video as conventional sized camcorders. Their super-small dimensions make these camcorders so portable that you can bring them almost anywhere. The compact design also allows the camera to fit comfortably in the palm of your hand, for extra mobility when shooting. Puts the most essential functions - record, zoom and PhotoShot - on an easy-to-use, wired remote control. It's a comfortable way to get the perfect shot even if you're crouching down low, or reaching over people's heads. This feature also makes using the camcorder easier for lefties. Quick Start button turns the camera on in 1.5 seconds enabling you to capture shots almost instantly, even when your camera is off.Unique grip and hand strap converts the camcorder grip into a carrying strap in two easy steps for extra portability, and to more conveniently capture low-angle shots. Top-Load cassette mechanism opens from the top, so you can change cassettes without having to unscrew the camcorder from the tripod. Panasonic Ultra-Compact camcorders can also be used as high-quality digital still cameras. Digital Electronic Image Stabilizer compensates for unintentional hand and camcorder movement when recording. Progressive PhotoShot Mode helps to eliminate fuzziness by digitally capturing the image data of a singular moment, and temporarily storing it in two field memories. The two images are then combined to produce a better quality picture. Cinema Mode records video in the same 16: 9 aspect ratio as a movie screen, giving your videos a dramatic, cinematic effect during playback. Zoom Mic works the same way as video zoom, to get matching audio from subjects at a distance. Color LCD lets you view your subject in full color during shooting and playback through a large, 2.5" LCD screen.

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Panasonic Pro AG-DVC30 3-CCD MiniDV Camcorder w/16x Optical Zoom Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)This is a great camera for the wedding videographer or other serious amateur or semi-professional. It's well built, has great manual control, and takes super video including good low-light performance. You will probably want the external mic attachment, which lets you use professional microphones without additional adapters and signal processors. Now that the price is well below $2000, it's a great deal. One caveat: If you plan to shoot 16:9 format, this is not the best choice. The Panasonic GS400 handles that much better, and at a lower price. (But the GS400 doesn't have the low-light chops that the DVC-30 has - so you have to set your priorities.)
Plusses:
*Very good low light capability
*Sturdy, metal body construction
*Will take professional external microphones (with optional attachment)
*Unbelievable B&W no-light capability with infrared (short range built into camera; medium range add-on IR light increases range to hundreds of feet.)
*Excellent manual control available via menu AND you can put your favorite four settings on programmable buttons on the camera body for extra convenience.
*Without attachments, the body with built-in mic is small and consumer-like (won't draw attention to itself), not to mention light-weight.
*Lovely video with three 1/4-inch CCD's.
Minuses:
*The Sony 2100 has even better low-light ability
*The 16:9 mode isn't as good as the PDX10 or GS400.
*The still picture capability is only adequate.
*The built-in mic is only average.

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The AG-DVC30's Leica Dicomar 16x optical zoom lens answers a broad range of shooting needs, delivering superb results from 39.5mm wide angle all the way to 632mm telephoto (both 35mm lens equivalents). In wide-angle performance--critical in broadcast and other professional applications--this lens is top of its class. Behind this outstanding performance are the advanced optical technologies and expertise that have made Leica Camera AG one of the most respected names in the camera world.
This new 16x optical zoom lens system uses low-dispersion glass and aspherical lenses to reduce color aberration and boost resolution. Use of a special multicoating process dramatically reduces flare and ghosts. The result: sharp, crisp, beautifully rendered pictures with vivid colors, delicate nuances, and exceptional shading.
Optical Image Stabilizer Compensates for Natural Hand-Shake The AG-DVC30's advanced Optical Image Stabilizer (OIS) compensates for hand shaking that occurs as you shoot. A gyrosensor detects hand-shake and sends signals to a linear motor, which adjusts the lens to compensate. Because this process takes place prior to the CCD image capture (rather than in the downstream electronic processing), it virtually eliminates any effect of hand-shake on resolution and screen angle. The OIS can also be helpful when zooming or shooting in dim lighting.
1/4-Inch, 410,000-Pixel 3CCD Image System: High Sensitivity, Low Noise To ensure a level of picture quality suitable for professionals, the AG-DVC30 uses a 3CCD image system that delivers the highest sensitivity in its class. Its high S/N ratio and extremely low noise (in darker areas of a picture) combines with high sensitivity to deliver excellent image quality even when shooting indoors under dim lighting. When shooting in sunlight or under bright spotlights, this 3CCD system offers low smear.
12-bit A/D and RGB Gamma Processor The AG-DVC30 features an A/D converter that uses the same 12-bit processing as broadcast-quality camera-recorders. This, combined with an RGB gamma processor that uses Panasonic's unique gamma-curve function, helps assure high image-quality processing. In fact, the AG-DVC30's A/D converter and RGB gamma processor are the same ones used in the popular AG-DVX100A, which has won acclaim as the industry's highest-image-quality DV camera.
Movie-Simulation Mode The AG-DVC30 can capture and reproduce images that are strikingly similar in tone to film images, thanks to Panasonic's unique Cine-Like gamma curve and a 30-frames-per-second recording function that electronically interpolates interlaced images to create frames with no time differences between fields. Settings for this mode are preset in the Movie-Like scene file.
High-Sensitivity Slow Shutter The slow shutter function uses image accumulation to allow shutter speeds with frame rates reduced by half or more. The accumulation method provides bright-color images with less noise than those captured using conventional gain-up, so you get the higher sensitivity needed for nighttime shooting without illumination. The slow shutter function can also be used to obtain movie-like effects.
16:9 Widescreen Recording The aspect ratio can be set to either 4:3 or 16:9 to accommodate wide-image recording. In 16:9 recording, you can select either letterbox or squeeze mode, giving you more possibilities in downstream editing and playback.

Zero Lux IR Mode: Super Nighttime Shooting System The AG-DVC30 is the world's first 3CCD camcorder to offer black-and-white recording in the dark using infrared light. This featre opens the door to a host of new possibilities in nighttime monitoring, surveillance, and news gathering. The built-in infrared light makes it possible to record at a distance of about 16 feet.
Professional Audio Quality with XLR Mic (Optional) The AG-DVC30 comes equipped with a built-in stereo microphone. Adding the optional AG-MYA30G XLR adapter provides you with +48 V phantom mic and line input needed for news gathering. Featuring two XLR audio input terminals and level controls, the adapter lets you independently switch channel 1 or channel 2 to mic or line input, with each having its own "glow in the dark" level adjustment.
Audio Level Meters Two color audio level meters can be displayed in the viewfinder and LCD monitor, making it easy to check the signal as you record.
Full Auto or Manual Shooting Use the AG-DVC30 for either full auto or manual shooting. The Auto/Manual switch turns the four auto functions--focus, shutter speed, iris and gain, and white balance--on and off as desired. Manual focusing is controlled by the large focus ring. You can also switch between manual and auto focus by pushing the Focus button. For added convenience, one of the user buttons can be assigned to turn autofocus on and off.
3.5-inch Color LCD Monitor and Tilt-Up Viewfinder The large 3.5-inch color LCD monitor rotates 270 degrees, making it easy to shoot at difficult angles, and the Mirror mode makes it easy to record yourself. The display is bright, too, so even outdoors you get good visibility when using the LCD to monitor footage or to select settings from the menu. For added ease of use when taking low-angle shots, you also can tilt the viewfinder 70 degrees upward.
Magnesium Alloy Chassis Designed for professionals, the AG-DVC30 boasts the same tough magnesium alloy diecast chassis as do the DVCPRO broadcast models. This rigid casing protects the high-precision components from bumps and jolts, helps shield out interface, and provides the AG-DVC30 with the reliability and durability needed for active field use.
Automatic Head Cleaning The AG-DVC30 provides the same head-cleaning function as do the DVCPRO models. The white roller pad positioned to the right of the head cylinder cleans the head each time you load a tape, helping to minimize dropouts and head clogging.
IEEE 1394 Terminal with Synchro Lock An IEEE 1394-compliant 4-pin DV terminal makes it easy to upload data from the AG-DVC30 or to dub footage onto a DV recorder. This terminal also features a new synchro lock function that lets you use the AG-DVC30 to remotely start and stop an external DV device. Three recording modes help protect against mistakes: record onto external recorder only, record onto both AG-DVC30 and external recorder, and begin external recording when the AG-DVC30 tape ends.
Versatile Performance Total mobility? Easy carrying? Or advanced audio specs? With the multistyle handle, the choice is yours. Designed with the professional in mind, the AG-DVC30 introduces a new detachable handle that adds versatility by letting you use this compact DV camera three different ways.
Style 1: With handle detached, this super-compact 3CCD camera fits easily into a bag or pack for highest mobility.
Style 2: With handle in place, the AG-DVC30 is easy to carry and easy to use, even when shooting at difficult angles.
Style 3: With the optional XLR adapter mounted on the handle, the AG-DVC30 has outstanding audio specs, plus the ability to add two external phantom mics or line inputs with "glow in the dark" level controls.

MiniDV Format The MiniDV format offers more precise image detail and color accuracy than was previously possible with analog camcorders. The superior quality of digital video results from:
Higher resolution: Up to 530 lines of horizontal resolution on select models for sharper picture detail
Component color sampling: Preserves three times more color information than does analog VHS or S-VHS video, for brighter and truer colors
Time base correction: Stabilizes the picture, eliminating video jitters
Error correction: Fills in missing video data, providing seamless, professional-looking video

What's in the Box Camera, handle, lens hood, lens cap, shoulder strap, AC cord, AV cables, DC cord, battery, AC adapter, large eye cup, wireless remote control unit, Master Series tape.

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JVC Everio GZHD7 3CCD 60GB Hard Disk Drive High Definition Camcorder with 10x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)If you are more than a casual video user or if you have bought a video camera more than twice in the last 10 years I would say that you probably need a high end HD camera to satisfy you. For me, someone who has only owned 1 other video camera in the last 10 years I find this camera to be amazing. I do not shoot professionally and if i did there are many great HD solutions in the 3-6 grand range. Since this is not my business and I do not have money to burn this was the camera that satisfied all my needs. Those needs were: no tapes, large hard drive, HD quality or something far, far better than my old mini DV camera. I also needed to be able to archive the files on my mac which is a dual 800mhz G4 and possibly edit on the mac in imovie. This camera does all of that, and quite easily I might add.
I had no problems installing the codec that came with the camera for quicktime. Once I opened a clip in quicktime it did not play properly, however once I imported it into imovie it worked fine. I edited simple edits, added new audio and was satisfied for what I need. After all, all I will be doing with this is shooting the wife and kids.
JVC recommends A 1.25 Gigahertz G4 or higher, so do not complain about the camera not working smoothly on your mac unless you meet those requirements. They are stated on the GZHD7 box. I suggest the newest mac with 2 gigs of ram at least. In my experience, more RAM makes all the difference in the world. Eventually I plan to get a new mac to be able to handle the footage.
I have a 1080i sony plasma TV. The picture looked great. There was some banding of subtle gradients I shot. It was acceptable to me. Also the banding was not apparent on my mac in imovie. I think because my TV is already 2 years old it is not up to the same standards as the GZHD7 camera and my mac. Bottom line is the camera was producing better images on my mac than on my TV. Now all this is nonsense because I will be using this to mostly shoot video of my family and friends for recreational use. Compared to what my dad shot of us when we were kids and then the sandy grainy video we used in the 90s this camera is AMAZING. The quality is good enough for me and I would also add that any film student on a zero budget could easily get by with this. Like I said earlier, if you have the means and require perfect HD video, spend the few extra grand and go for the gold.

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The JVC Everio GZ-HD7 is a hard-drive based high definition camcorder with a variety of unique features destined to the wet the palette of professionals and enthusiasts alike. The 60GB internal hard drive is capable of recording up to 420 minutes of standard definition footage, as well as being able to shoot up to 1080i.Equipped with a plethora of controls, the GZ-HD7 performs much like a compact prosumer camera while still being incredibly affordable. The most notable feature on the camera is its ability to shoot ultra-high bandwidth MPEG-2 video for increased quality over traditional HDV.FEATURES30 Mbps RecordingHDV's variant of MPEG-2 compression has a bit rate of 25 Mbps. The GZ-HD7 records in the same widely popular MPEG-2 format but the similarities end there. The camera increases the video's overall bandwidth to 30 Mbps, which results in less compression and higher image quality.GigaBrid Engine AdvantageThe provided 1/5" CCDs are ideal for both low light and high definition applications. The camera's sophisticated pixel-shifting technology adds fidelity while maintaining higher sensitivity found when using less dense sensors.60 GB Internal DriveThe 60 GB drive provides extended record times in both standard and high definition formats. Record a staggering 420 minutes of standard definition footage without having to change a tape or pop in a new DVD; simply hit record and you're in business!Professional-Grade ControlsWhat truly distances the GZ-HD7 from its competition is the professional feeling of its controls. The camera is designed to give users a maximum amount of manual control without being overly intimidating. Whether it's the manual focus ring of convenient shoe mount, the GZ-HD7 will perform like a pro through and through.ITEMS INCLUDEDAC AdapterBattery Pack (BN-VF815)Shoulder StrapAV CableUSB CableComponent Video CableRemote ControlSoftware: CyberLink BD

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Panasonic SDR-H200 30GB 3CCD Hard Disk Drive/SD Palmcorder with 10x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I took the plunge and bought two of them (One for my brother). My reason for this is:
1. the predominance of editing software available for MPEG2, MPEG4, AVI, etc. as well as the ability to play on practically any regular DVD player. My Aunts, Uncles, relatives and friends do not care for, nor ever will buy a BluRay Player and a 42"+ Panny, although I do (more about that in a sec). Thus sharing compatibility is more important to me than obtaining the latest AVCHD, although I may for other reasons in the future. I know I can down convert but the extra steps, increased price, limited industry supported software (for unconverted .mt2s files), the new h.264 compression standard and the increased horsepower required for PC use are all compelling reasons to stick with SD in the home and for sharing - not only the finished product but also raw footage with others and having zero complications.
I have a 2GB RAM, P4, 3.0 Ghz, etc. laptop but 8 out of every 10 others I know use centrino technology, 1.8 Ghz, 256-512 RAM, etc. which just isn't gonna drive h.264 footage nicely is it. Same goes for desktop setups. Try downloading and watching 720p video from the Windows Media HD Video website if your computer leans more towards the latter to see what I mean. SD footage won't encounter these snags. Once again, I am speaking from the point of view of sharing with the people I know who for the most part will never upgrade to the latest PC / Home theatre (or at least not in the next 5-10 years).
2. USB 2.0 Hi Speed Transferring, i.e. 100 MB files transferred from card/ HDD in about 15 seconds. Editing, Rendering, Authoring is a breeze.
3. I wanted a MEMORY MAKER, not a home movie studio. This unit fits in the palm of your hand (almost bordering on too small) and easily slips into a LowePro camera bag.
4. I have a 32-bit PCMCIA SD/SDHC card reader (not 16) that I bought to replace my laptop 4-in-1 media reader. Standard readers that most people have today on their desk or built in to their laptop will not read the new SDHC cards available at 4GB+ capacities. More mention of this should be made in my opinion. Also, these new cards will not work in older devices that do not support SDHC. The SDR-H200 does support SDHC.
I experimented recording to the card and then transferring footage to my laptop. The 32bit cardBus adapter is 10-16X faster than USB 2.0. It is just awesome. The reason I mention this is because of the 1 major gripe I encountered, Namely...
...Transferring HDD footage requires disconnecting the battery from the unit and connecting a DC cable to it from the AC power adapter. Then USB 2.0 cable out to computer. Sooooooo, this means always needing to be around power instead of just turning on the camera and transferring the HDD footage randomly anywhere. It's not that big of a deal but I like having Zero restrictions ;) So using SDHC cards frees me from that restriction, hence the mention of the 32bit cardBus reader (YES they exist - interfirm - http://www.synchrotech.com/products/media-adapters_01.html)! ***If you follow suit and get this adapter make sure you download and install the correct driver from the website because there's no Windows XP/ Vista substitute that will do it for you like we're used to!!
Another Note - if you transfer files directly from the card they show up as .mod files. Windows media player 11 recognizes them and plays. Other players don't, so you simply change them to .mpg. Sektionschef created a great program that automatically converts multiple .mod files (i.e. all of your stored clips) to the .mpg extension all at once! Very cool. It's called
5. 3CCD over single chip, this unit uses 3CCD RGB, nice. A handy F1.8 for dimly lit environments works pretty good. The 10x optical zoom is very smooth, speed contollable by the amount of pressure used on the toggle switch and there was no focus hunting in Auto mode. The O.I.S. doesn't help much when zoomed in on a subject and you're moving around so staying wider helps unless you're into using tripods. But zooming in fully on a WestJet airplane taking off produced good results.
Another nice feature is the auto fade in and fade out when you start and stop recording. It effectively smooths over those slight but noticeable camera movements that sometimes occur when the record button is pressed non-gently, awkwardly, haphazardly or whatever. This setting can be switched on or off. I like it, but you may not want to use it if you're into utilizing post-editing software because you can't remove an already recorded fade.
Here is a few clips I uploaded you can check out. I recommend downloading and playing the clips on your computer video player over using the website streaming player because the web player compresses the video resolution...
Indoor, Available Light, Auto, Setting = XP (higest SD quality) - Outdoor light is completely overcast.
http://files.filefront.com/MOV007mp...;/fileinfo.html
Outdoor - Auto, Zoom in on airplane, XP, Completely overcast sky
http://files.filefront.com/MOV009mp...;/fileinfo.html
Low Light, Indoor, Coffee Shop, XP Mode, Auto
http://files.filefront.com/MOV002mp...;/fileinfo.html
Finally, does the footage measure up? YES. There is no comparison to watching footage on the laptop as compared to a monitor, TV or Plasma. When I watched it on my laptop I was like hmmmm, oh yeah, that's pretty good. But when I ran my footage from the camera through a Yamaha RX-V2700 Receiver with 1080i/1080p upsacling to a 42" Panasonic Plasma via HDMI I was blown away! You will be extremely PLEASED if you run your footage through a home theatre HDMI setup. The same goes for a DVD disc.
I also tried S-Video out directly to TV with included AV cables (no HDMI/ no receiver) and I would still rate the footage as GREAT. Fortunately, you can do this running on straight battery power and a remote control is included! I also ran it through my 23" Samsung LCD HDTV computer monitor and... you guessed it, great. In all cases the picture turns out to be very crisp, clean and vibrant.
So although I love the new HiDef footage, etc. I took my chances in sticking with SD for home video purposes and am more than pleased. No regrets. The unit shoots in 16:9 or 4:3 and has no problem saturating my entire 42" screen. Even my mother who is expecting plenty of baby footage from my brother was more than impressed and could tell that it was a quality pic.
So, if you are looking for a memory maker and anticipate bringing it along on trips or to the ball game or whatever you'll be happy to own this unit.
The menu is simple and clean, and you can easily switch from recording to HDD/ SD/ SDHC card at the push of a button. There is plenty of manual settings you can tinker with but auto mode does the trick nicely.
It is simple, handy and fun which is exactly what I wanted. This unit delivered that. 4 out of 5 stars for not being able to transfer HDD footage to computer without power adapter (but to its credit, the adapter is conveniently small). Since it also holds 7 hours of highest quality footage this shouldn't be too much of a bother unless you're a frequent downloader. I peronally will buy an 8GB SDHC card (110 minutes) off of eBay and leave it in the unit so that I'll have options baby :)
The unit comes with ImageMixer editing software and is very easy to use and import your video with directly from the camera - it's a good added value piece of software.
This is my first review here and always appreciate when others have taken the time to share their experience with new products that I'm interested in buying too. I hope my taking the plunge this time helps. Enjoy!
One more thing... READ the manual you lazies, there are things you should and need to know.
P.S. It takes decent one push 2MP still photographs too in a pinch (not outstanding but not too bad - it's nice knowing that it's there if necessary)! You can find a still I posted here...
http://www.pana3ccduser.com/showthread.php?t=14208&page=4&pp=10
Bruce


Click Here to see more reviews about: Panasonic SDR-H200 30GB 3CCD Hard Disk Drive/SD Palmcorder with 10x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom

The Panasonic SDR-H200 3CCD Hard Disk Drive/SD Palmcorder Camcorder is perfect for recording long events. It features extended recording for extended shooting fun. The internal 30 GB hard disk drive holds as much video data as about 22 8-cm DVD discs. That means you can record for around 27 hours non-stop. This SD Card/Hard Disk camcorder is perfect for people who want to shoot for hour after hour without worrying about memory space. 3CCD Camera System/ Optical Image Stabilizer /Minimum Illumination1 Lux (Magic Pix)High Speed Shutter - 1/60 - 1/8,000 sec. (Moving Picture) / 1/30 - 1/2,000 sec. (Still Picture) / IrisAF/Manual / Backlight Compensation LCD Monitor -2.7 wide (123K pixels) /Manual Focus Ring /Microphone -Stereo Zoom Mic /Wind Noise Reduction / Date Recording Wide Mode (16 - 9) / Digital Zoom -10x - 700x /Recording Modes -XP/SP/LP Still Picture -JPEG / Built-in SD Slot (SD/SDHC) / DPOFMax. 999 stills PictBridge Compatible / S-Video Out / Video Output -AV out / USB 2.0 High Speed (mini B)Dimensions (H x W x D) - 3.27 x 2.98 x 4.76 inches Weight -1.01 lbs

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Panasonic PV-GS250 3.1MP 3CCD MiniDV Camcorder w/10x Optical Zoom Review

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(More customer reviews)I did my research, and bought this camcorder based on video quality and features.
Most reviews give this camcorder the highest marks on video quality in good light. It often gets comments about the quality in low light, but from my experience in normal indoor lighting at nighttime, the quality was not very grainy, but was bright with very good color reproduction. The focus is very good, and quick as the scene changes.
I wasn't planning to use the still camera, but the quality is acceptable for times when you need a shot and nothing else is available. This has the best quality still shot than any other camcorder I've seen, and my results are better than some of the sample shots I've seen online.
I transfer my video to DVD using Ulead DVD Workshop, and the quality I ultimately get for the end result is extremely good. I shoot in widescreen mode, which does a very good job. It might be nice to have a 16:9 LCD screen, but the 4:3 LDC does well.
Pros:
* Excellent (the best) video quality. Detail is sharp, and the color is accurate. No grain, except in low light and even that is better than most camcorders. My previous camcorder was terribly grainy, the PV-GS250 is far better in comparisson.
* I like the controls, features and ease of use. It is light, and fits my hand well with all the buttons in easy reach.
* Excellent video quality.
* The Optical Image Stabilization works well, and helps to produce better quality video (sharper) than EIS systems.
* Excellent video quality.
* It's nice having the still camera for times when I don't want to lug my digital still camera around.
* Did I mention, excellent video quality.
Cons:
* Outdoor nighttime shooting doesn't give you many options. Using standard mode produces dark video, the magid-pix is too few frames per second so you have ghosts floating across the scene instead of people. It would be nice to be able to manually set the shutter speed below 60 to produce more fps than the magic-pix but still have light video. Also, it would be nice to be able to add more gain for the nighttime video (yes this would add graininess, but it would be nice to have this option available).
* It would be nice to have the option to produce progressive scan 30fps video.
I think this will be a camcorder that I will be using for years to come. I don't see a need to buy and HD camcorder yet, as I will only downconvert it to NTSC for DVD playback. Low end HD camcorders are now still about 3 times the cost of this one. The detail I get from the pv-gs250 on my 55 inch hi-def set is incredible (much better than standard def broadcast, satellite) and about the quality of some of the best DVDs. It doesn't compare to hi-def broadcasts, but I suspect the low end HD camcorders are no comparisson either.

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The Panasonic PV-GS250 MiniDV Camcorder has a powerful combination of innovative features that will redefine your photography and digital video. Its 10x optical and 700x digital zoom will provide you with sharp, detailed images that show incredible depth and presence. The fantastic Leica Dicomar lens captures and finely renders nuances of light and shade.Electronic Image Stabilization(EIS) provides you with perfect pictures and video. The 3.1-megapixel CCD gives photographers the best that camcorder technology has to offer.Soft Skin Detail creates a realistic skin tone Records to SD cardHi-Speed USB 2.0 portMiniDV output Unit Dimensions - approx. 3 (h) x 3.25 (w) x 6 (d) Unit Weight - 1.1 lbs.

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Panasonic HDC-HS9 AVCHD 3CCD 60GB Hard Drive High Definition Hybrid Camcorder with 10x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom Review

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(More customer reviews)I write this review because I wish it had been written during the time I was purchasing my camcorder. I will summarize this review between the Sony HDR-SR11 vs. Panasonic HDC-HS9 as basically a toss up, but the little things of Sony leaned me to the SR11.
First, let me say that I really did not want to buy Sony HDR-SR11, granted a Bravia TV is my LCD of choice, but I cannot stand their proprietary memory. Since this camcorder was not purchased for photos this was not a big deal. Though I commend Panasonic for using SD that can be readily found. Sony is pricey (though some may say justifiably so because of the quality) but competition is good for the consumers as we benefit through new, quality, and innovative features.
A salesman from a particular store told me that Sony was good to get for camcorders, and I'd add Nikon or Canon are a way to go for digital cameras, anyway I digress.
Having to see it for myself, initially I purchased the Panasonic HDC-HS9 and after a tough decision I had to switch for the small things mainly from software which I'll get to later, but first let me give a side by side comparison between the two after testing out each product for a couple hours about the features that matter to me at least. I will refer to the products as HS9 and SR11 for the remainder of the review.
Appearance: I'd have to give it to the HS9 for being noticeably smaller. But the SR11 is not big (especially not 90's camcorder big), as I have a man sized hand, but the HS9 wins the compact comparison in this case. While we're on the physical appearance of it, I was disappointed in the HS9 placement of the external adapter. The battery must be physically removed every time you want to connect the adapter as the cable connector is behind the battery. Therefore you cannot charge the battery simply by pluging in the charging cable as you can on many products that you can usually do this and as you can for the SR11. And the HS9 forces you to use the external cable when transferring a video, even though this may make sense, but when you have a short clip and just took the battery off the charger, it's annoying to remove the battery and find the external adapter every time to do so. Bad placement of the external adapter on the HS9 unlike the nicely placed (as is with most camcorders, at least with a previous Canon ZR200 that I own) with the HS9. If size is an issue for you, the HS9 may be your choice.
Video Quality: My opinion of the quality between the HS9 and SR11 was comparable. Between the two it's a toss up during daylight conditions as both are excellent, and the SR11 is stunning as your eye sees it, it appears on the screen, very nice. The HS9 records in a 1080p vs. a 1080i format, that may give the albeit slight edge in terms of theoretically video quality to the HS9. Though the software provided with the HS9 to play back these high quality videos ruins the superb video recording. I hate to say my eye didn't notice the difference between 1080p and 1080i though my correction lens aren't the greatest, mileage of your eyes matter perhaps.
In low light conditions, the HS9 seems to record slightly brighter images which are decent, the SR11 are a bit darker, though look extremely realistic. A true toss up, and really based on personal preference and would have to say they're evenly matched for you to decide.
In extremely low light conditions I found the HS9 surprisingly grainy. It seems to brighten up a extremely dark image thus resulting in grain. I have not recorded the SR11 in low light conditions other than finding a youtube video of a low light condition video and it seemed to keep it's realistic tone but remained dark. The HS9 seems to be on the right track to attempt to brighten up things, as the SR11 does not, but at this point I would have to say the HS9 was unsatisfiability grainy.
Both were grainy in bedroom light condition when displaying directly from the camera to the TV (not recording, just displaying through the cables) though the SR11 might have had a slight lead when panning or moving the zoom in and out a bit more responsive, though hardly noticeable.
Formats: The HS9 takes the lead in this regard as it has a 24 cinema mode, that records frames at 24 frames like some movies. Otherwise the HS9 records in 60 frames per second. However, the Pinnacle trial version could not handle the 60 fps mode and only the 24 cinema mode (though it said it was 30 fps). Though the HS9 software could handle its own 60 fps video fine, more later on software. The SR11 records it's videos in 30 fps
Night vision between the two the HS9 uses a blue illumination for night vision and the SR11 uses the commonly known green illumination as often seen on TV. I like the green better, but the blue was a nice change and this did not affect my decision either way, though it was nice to have on both.
Transfer to PC: Both transfer to your computer via a USB extremely quickly and at seemingly equal times.
Sound: Both are 5.1, the sound is acceptable and nice on both camcorders, I would say that the wind cut function on the HS9 was nice to have and did seem to work, the SR11 does not have this feature, though I'd wish it did. I'd give a slight edge to the HS9 in this one, especially if you record in windy conditions often (soccer games perhaps), which I don't.
Optical Image Stabilization: Both claim image stabilization, the OSI on the HS9 seems to slightly work better, though not noticeably. I think both still need to work on this.
Face recognition: The SR11 impressed me with the facial recognition as it just works. Turn the camera on a person and a white box appears around a persons face and moves as the person does, always keeping focus on that persons face. The focus on the HS9 on faces seemed very good, though I couldn't figure out the white box feature, it might have had to been enabled through a button a readily accessible button at the very top, so not that bad, but the HS9 was automatic.
Cables: Both have an ample about of cables that allows you to connect your camera to the TV with both RGB and Yellow and white/red audio cables.
Remote: Both had remote controls, a definite plus.
Software: This is where I must reluctantly gives this definitely to the SR11 or Sony. First, very few software handle the AVCHD videos at this time, so both Panasonic and Sony include their own software to retrieve the videos from the camera. The Panasonic software is a bit clumsy when it asks which folder you want to save it in, it's a bit manual where the Sony software detects when the camera has been connected, and simply asks whether you want to import all your videos, one click and it does, in a folder already created with an independent name. The Panasonic software called HD Writer had some additional editing capabilities to slice, merge, and delete unnecessary scenes and save to dvd and mpeg2 whereas the Sony had no editing features.
Playback software: I really hope panasonic gets this point. Their playback software most likely did not use directx, where the Sony PMB or Picture Motion Brower does. What this does is use your video card when the HD videos are playing back video. At one point I thought there was something wrong with the camcorder because the playback would skip using the HS9 playback software, but after encoding it to another format, my native video player kicked in and played back smoothly. This really scared me thinking that there was something wrong with the HS9 when there was not, however my x2300 dual core processor was not able to handle the playback of the native HS9 videos alone. This is in contrast to Sony PMB software for playback that installed directx that utilized my video card so that playback of the native format of the camcorder was silky smooth. What's more the Picture Motion Brower is a nice video playback software that throws in additional calendar features of when a video was imported and such, a nicety that should be used with backing up as it's insanity to store large amounts of precious moments on a computer instead of constantly backup up these priceless moments on DVD's and such, those who have had hard drive failures know. Panasonic included a copy of Pinnacle trial version 11 for HD cameras, it could import the HD 60 fps videos, but did not encode them properly. The 24 cinema mode (or 30fps) videos has no problem in Pinnacle. The SR11 videos also were imported into Pinnacle with no problems. Once additional nicety of the Sony software is that you can make a still picture at any moment making a jpeg without importing it into an editing software. Though the HD Writer software has nice features to backup your videos, hard to use in other cases like loading the HD videos stored on your computer. Sony's Picture Motion Brower software is very good to view and backup, though a register folder option was awkward, why not just allow the ability to just drag in folders to register, always room for improvement I guess.
Viewfinders: Both viewfinder display a clear image, though the SR11 has a touchscreen where the HS9 does not, though understandable with the price difference. I was disappointed I could not navigate to playback a video on the SR11 without using the touchscreen since the screen would get a lot of fingerprints, though there are less buttons to complicate things because of the touchscreen. Both have easy buttons to begin recording.
The HS9 had a feature to offer advice how to record like turn on the low light feature (should have had a feature that this would turn on automatically) or you're panning to fast, this advice can be taken as good or bad.
Zoom: The HS9 had digital zoom, but...Read more›

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The Panasonic HDC-HS9 60GB 3CCD Hard Disk Drive/SD Hybrid Full-High Definition Camcorder with 1920x1080-Pixel Recording features the best of both worlds with an extra-large 60GB internal hard disk drive HDD and SD storage technology, providing up to up to 23 hours on the hard drive. But you can add up to an additional six hours of recording (also in HE mode) onto a 16GB* SDHC memory card (sold seperately). The 1920x1080 Full-HD Recording capability in this camcorder will astound you. It records horizontal pixels at an HD resolution of up to 1920 pixels, which results in a total of around 2,070,000 pixels. And with progressive scanning, our hi-def camcorders provide twice as much data per picture as conventional interlace scanning. This means you get breathtaking images with exceptional resolution and detail. Combine that with a 1080/24p format, which lets you capture scenes with a rich, film-like quality, and you can see why Panasonic full-HD camcorders take visual expression to the next level. With its Face Detection Functionality — offered for the first time for recording moving pictures with a video camera — Panasonic makes it easy to capture beautiful faces and clear backgrounds even in dim or backlit scenes. This new function, which can detect up to five faces at once, automatically adjusts the exposure and smooths skin tones according to the ambient brightness, so faces are bright and easy to see. The new Intelligent Shooting Guide function helps you get magnificent shots by displaying a text message in the LCD monitor, telling you which settings are best for the current shooting conditions. With Intelligent Selection Playback, poor or inadvertent shots (such as shots of the ground or overly dark scenes) are skipped and all normal scenes are played while viewing. Panasonic's Advanced Optical Image Stabilization (O.I.S.) suppresses the effects of hand shake as you shoot. The system uses gyrosensors to detect hand shake,

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Panasonic VDR-D300 3.1MP 3CCD DVD Camcorder with 10x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom Review

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(More customer reviews)The Panasonic VDR-D300 "Palmcorder" is a compact 3CCD camcorder that records videos to mini DVDs: 3" (8 cm) DVD-RAM, DVD-RW and DVD-R. (Note that it cannot use the "plus" version of DVD+R/RW.) Thanks to the three separate 1/6" CCD image sensors inside, it shoots broadcast-quality videos and turns in decent low-light performance. It also doubles as a 3.1MP digital camera, but its forte definitely lies in shooting video.
5/4/06 UPDATE: before going any further, let me offer a bit of a "warning." The fundamental differences between DVD camcorders and tape (miniDV) camcorders are two: 1) DVDs let you access a scene quickly and easily, while tapes have much faster start-up times (assuming you are already at the point where you can record or play); 2)DVD camcorders like the VDR-D300 use MPEG4 compression whereas miniDV camcorders compress much less. For most scenes you won't notice a difference. In fact you can probably shoot a good professional-looking movie on the VDR-D300. Just be aware that the MPEG4 can very occasionally raises the ugly head of heavy compression for certain shooting conditions. The "warning" concerns the DVD media: if you use DVD-RW, which is more common and cheaper than Panasonic's DVD-RAM, be prepared for up to 5 minutes of formatting time and up to 10 minutes in finalization time (both have to be done with the AC adapter attached, not from battery). In a nutshell, if you plan to do some editing, use DVD-RAM. If you plan to just shoot and watch (like me), use DVD-R or DVD-RW in Video mode (both require finalization but can be played back on almost all DVD players). I just wanted to point out the long formatting and finalization times as the biggest caveat with DVD camcorders, including the DVR-D300.
Update2: if you buy this between now and 7/31, you can get a free camcorder bag and 3 DVD-R blanks from Panasonic by mail. Check their website for the PDF rebate form.
Before offering my take on the VDR-D300, let me tell you why I chose it. My story might be of some help in your own decision making.
First, I had always wanted a 3CCD camcorder of my own. Most consumer camcorders on the market have one image sensor inside. The image sensor is like the eye of the camcorder. The VDR-D300 has not one, but three CCD image sensors, each designed to process a specific color: red, green or blue. In fact, all professional video camcorders -- like the ones used to shoot things on TV (news, dramas, etc.) -- use the 3CCD design to better capture color. Together with proper white-balance calibration and judicious choice of lens, you get eye-pleasing colors and sharpness not found in most consumer camcorders, which tend to give dull, bland, fuzzy video images.
Second, I was a little fed up with using tapes for video recording. You know the drill: you buy a tape-based camcorder, then you find out it's a pain to dub it to a VHS or a DVD, or to transfer it to a computer, so you end up using the camcorder like one or two times a year. Like many folks I have been using the video function of my digital camera a lot and left my Sony DCR-PC5 camcorder behind in the closet. My Fujifilm F10 digital camera shoots pretty good video for a camera, but for important occasions, I still want a real camcorder. (Cameras are designed for still images whereas camcorders are designed for moving pictures. For now and the foreseeable future, there's no perfect hybrid camera that does both very well.) DVD-recording has always appealed to me because I could just pop in a recordable/rewritable DVD, shoot some footage, and then play it back, without all the fussing involved with tape recording. I played with my friends' DVD camcorders (Panasonic and Sony) and really liked this "new" way of shooting videos. I waited until someone released a camcorder that combined DVD recording and the 3-chip design. Panasonic finally did, and I bought.
Oh, when I was contemplating the purchase I also considered Sony's HD (high-def) camcorder, which records high-def video on MiniDV tapes. In the end, budget constraint (that one is $1500, a lot of dough for a poor guy like myself), compatibility concerns (i.e., impossible to burn HD video to DVD, not many friends having HDTV) and also the fact that I have been totally let down by the subjective quality of HDTV content on TV convinced me to stick with the standard NTSC resolution. My priority was to get a camcorder that shoots great colors and clarity, not one that gives the highest resolution. It's the same thing with buying a digital camera: higher number of megapixels doesn't necessarily mean a better picture; the camera's image sensor is just as important, if not more.
OK, let's take a look at the VDR-D300 itself. (A slightly cheaper model, VDR-D250, also sports the 3CCD design and records to DVDs. It has slightly lower resolution and lacks a built-in flash and a few other features.)
Whenever you evaluate a camcorder, video image quality should account for 75-80% of the composite score, because you buy a camcorder to shoot videos! Here, the D300 shines, thanks to its 3CCD design. Video quality is especially excellent when there is a lot of light. It's difficult to describe in words, but let me just say that with this camcorder, you can shoot video that looks almost like the professional stuff you see on TV: clear pictures, pleasing colors, smooth motions. Even though the D300 shoots at the same resolution as other NTSC (standard defintion TV) camcorders, its video images are very noticeably clearer and look sharper. Many consumer camcorders exhibit bleeding reds, but the D300 is largely free from this defect. I would like to point out that when I say "professional-quality eye-pleasing" colors, I don't mean high-saturation colors. Most people like warm, high-saturation colors that "jump out" of the screen. The D300's colors are rather muted when set to auto white balance. If you want to get warm colors, you'll need to manually set the white balance to achieve this effect. I personally use WarmCards from VortexMedia.com.
Indoors, without professional-grade lighting rigs, the D300 turns in good performance. Definitely better than 1CCD camcorders (except probably Sony's HD camcorders), but you'll get most of the 3CCD prowess if you provide enough lighting. After all, photography and videography is 99% about lighting. Not just how much light, but the angle of light, the temperature of light (i.e., white balance), and the quality of light (i.e., diffused or concentrated). Having a 3CCD camcorder like the D300 helps improve your home video images tremendously, but if you want your video to look close to being professional, you need professional lighting techniques. For example, when shooting indoors, use a video light. You can buy a cheap one and just mount it on top of the D300 (it has a cold shoe) and turn on the video light manually. Also use the WarmCards I mentioned earlier to achieve the white balance you desire.
The D300 records videos in three quality settings: XP, SP and LP. XP here means the best quality. (On some video equipment XP means eXtended Play, which equals the least quality, but not here.) You can fit about 18 minutes of video on one side of the DVD media (DVD-RAM, DVD-RW or DVD-R). SP, or Standard Play, gives you 30 minutes, but the quality is noticeably inferior. I'd never use LP (Long Play), because video quality there is worse than VHS. The battery that comes in the package lasts well over an hour of shooting with LCD on (you can also use the viewfinder only to conserve power). You can buy an extended battery that doubles the battery life.
The D300 has some nifty features not found in other brands. One truly unique feature is something called AGS (auto ground-directional standby). This mysterious-sounding function automatically pauses recording when it detects the camera titled straight up or down. This is most useful when you (like I) often forget to stop the recording and end up shooting a lot of junk footage of the ground, shoes, etc. Another nice feature is optical image stabilization, which utilizes a set of small lenses to compensate for handshakes. In theory, optical image stabilization is better than the electronic type (found in Sony's products); in practice, the D300 seems to do a good job of minimizing, but not completely eliminating, handshakes.
The D300 can double as a 3.1MP digital camera, but this feature is nothing to write home about. Still image quality is just okay; I defintitely prefer to use my Nikon D70 or Fujifilm F10 for photography anytime, anywhere. Pictures are recorded on an SD or mini SD card (neither included). BTW, unlike with Sony's recent offerings, you cannot record video to the SD card or capture pictures on the DVD. It doesn't matter to me at all, since I would have wanted to keep video clips and still pictures separate anyway. (You can insert a still image captured on the SD card into your video during editing.)
Video editing can be done in camera, or on a computer. Both Windows and Macintosh are supported, but you definitely get more functions if you use a Windows PC. In fact, Mac users will be disappointed to know that the things they can't do with Panasonic's software, they can't do at all (i.e., no other software is compatible). In the end, it's worth keeping in mind that you buy a DVD camcorder really for its convenience; in my case, for example, I hate editing, so I'm just going to shoot, delete bad scenes, and finalize; no editing whatsoever. If you are an editing type, a miniDV camcorder will be better as all the major brands (Canon, Hitachi, JVC, Panasonic, Sony) offer comprehensive editing support for both Windows and Macintosh.
Conclusion: The Panasonic VDR-D300 (along with its lesser...Read more›

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The Panasonic VDR-300 DVD Camcorder makes recording and sharing life's precious moments simple. By recording directly to a blank DVD, you'll preserve the sharpness and color of the special events in your life, as beautifully as you remember them. The Leica lenses don't miss a detail and neither will you, with the 10x optical and 700x digital zoom. Preview your footage through the 2.7" LCD screen, then transfer images to a PC or digital camera through a USB port or SD slot. Your new DVDs will work in almost any DVD-RAM, DVD-R or DVD-RW player, so you can share those great moments as soon as they're recorded.

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Sony DCRVX2000 MiniDV Digital Camcorder with 2.5" LCD, Memory Stick & BuiltIn Digital Still Mode Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Before buying this camera, think carefully about what you'll be using it for, and when. I also recommend playing with one at a store, to feel its size and weight. (Even if, like me, you'll ultimately buy it at Amazon.)
I've owned the VX-2000 for over a year now, and I'm very happy with the results. Arguably, the picture quality is better than the Canon XL-1 (and the vx2000 is significantly -- thankfully -- smaller), it's rugged and reliable, and it's somewhat portable. I carry mine in a backpack that has a padded pocket designed for laptop computers. It was the best solution as most smaller camera bags don't fit this beast. Those that do aren't useful for toting other things as well.
Anyway, I know a handful of other people with this camera. Some of them are *filmmakers* and these people use their VX-2000's to document events that they'd later like to make movies of. The filmmakers, as a whole, LOVE this camera. I also have a friend who does casting for television ads. Often, for his boss, he walks around with a VX2000 and shoots people on the street, later bringing the tape to the boss for evaluation.
The other people I know own the VX-2000 because they *like electronics*. They *Like To Own The Best* and they like to play with gadgets. I advise, if you're one of these people, and really, I KNOW YOU ARE, get a different camera. Something smaller... granted the quality will be slightly less, but you're more likely to have it when you witness your kid's first words (or your best friend's wife in a rendevouz with a neighbor. you get the point) Furthermore, this camera is somewhat lacking in toy features. No night vision, no silly effects (save for a few wipes, swipes, fades, and sepia, etc.), no bluetooth transmitter, etc. It's just good, strong, somewhat rugged, and takes a great shot.
I give this camera a 5 for quality (sharp, beautiful, accuracte colors, good in medium/low light, backlight compensation remarkable, optical steadyshot rad). Just keep in mind what you want... this camera is neither professional nor amateur, and therefore I believe it serves best a select, picky subset of the population.
Last, if you do buy it, go for (1) a bigger battery, well worth the cost, and (2) a wide angle lens. Both are cool.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Sony DCRVX2000 MiniDV Digital Camcorder with 2.5" LCD, Memory Stick & BuiltIn Digital Still Mode

The near professional-level Sony DCR-VX2000 digital video camcorder uses three progressive scan CCDs (one for each primary color) to capture quality images and can record in the 16:9 widescreen aspect ratio common to movies. A 12x optical zoom and 48x digital zoom bring images closer, while the Sony SteadyShot optical image stabilization smoothes out hand-induced shakiness.
Like most digital camcorders, the DCR-VX2000 is equipped with an IEEE 1394 connection (also known as i.Link and Fire Wire) for digital image transfer, allowing video editing on a properly equipped home computer. Also included is an S-Video input, encouraging the conversion of already existing footage into the DV format.
The DCR-VX2000 also doubles as a digital still camera, recording photos onto an included Memory Stick at a resolution of 640 x 480. This resolution is fine for images you're e-mailing or viewing on a monitor, but most dedicated digital cameras today offer far more detail. The package includes PictureGear Lite 4.1 software for Windows, which lets you transfer stills to your computer and manipulate and catalog them once they're there.
The camera includes a number of manually adjustable settings for ultimate flexibility, including manual zoom, focus, shutter speed, and exposure. Microphone record level can also be adjusted for optimum sound quality. The Memory Mix feature works by superimposing a digital still stored on a Memory Stick over the video being recorded. A color-bar generator produces standard NTSC color bars to calibrate monitors, and four different white-balance settings help optimize color. The DCR-VX2000 includes a mic input, as well as an intelligent shoe for select Sony accessories, and has several digital effects built-in. Also included are a 4 MB Memory stick and reader, AC adapter, lithium ion battery, AV cable, remote, and lens cap.

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Panasonic AGHMC70PJU AVCHD 3CCD Flash Memory Professional Camcorder with 12x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)As the retired chief technology officer for a Fortune 100 company that developed their own digital cine camera, my fundamental interest was in image quality. This 3-CCD, 1440 x 1080i anamorphic 16:9 format camera produces outstanding image quality -- closer to the theoretical limits of performance of 1/4 inch sensors than anything in its price range.
The complex optics (zoom with a telecentric focal length converter ahead of the prism assembly) should be expected to reduce the available contrast ratio because it has so many glass surfaces. Without the sophisticated equipment to measure MTF (modulation transfer function) at home, I measured effective resolution instead, which was 576 lp/pw vs. the theoretical limit of 719 lp/pw in the horizontal axis. This is an indication that all the glass surfaces are, indeed, causing a significant loss of contrast ratio.
Even so, the camera performs very well in almost all respects. Panchromatic dynamic range excedes 6 stops (I cannot reliably measure more than that) vs. a theoretical limit at room temperature of around 9 f-stops given the 4.4 um pixel size (horizontal axis). Color saturation falls off sharply with non-optimum exposure. It measured out at ASA 100 with 0 dB of gain.
It has two XLR inputs.
So far, it warrants about four stars.
Now for the bad part: User features are poor. Perhaps they are adequate for ENG work and action footage, but nowhere near adequate for professional photography. This is like a kiddie toy wrapped around a very high quality lens + sensor package. This mystifies me: Putting a Trabant or Yugo body around a Mercedes engine. Here are the problems:
* The body is a big, mostly-empty box with mold lines showing, in a medium gray color, with labels for connectors and controls being molded in vs. silk-screened (which makes them totally unreadable in most lighting situations)
* No manual focus ring. Manual focus can be attained, but only by running the focus motor through pushbuttons. THIS MAKES IT IMPOSSIBLE TO USE THIS CAMERA FOR FOLLOW-FOCUS SHOTS, and will therefore completely disqualify it for use by anyone that must have this capability.
* No manual iris ring, either. Again, buttons must be used with the menu to set depth of field.
* Gain cannot be set higher than 0 dB when the iris is closed below full-open. This takes away an important variable in depth of field control.
* Iris full-open is not marked. I still don't really know what it is. It's probably around f/1.6 or some odd number like that.
* White balance is available in only one of four pre-select modes.
* There is no optical anti-alias filter, so any pattern with detail approaching half the pixel-limited resolution will generate moire patterns; even weave patterns in clothing.
In summary, this looks like two different design teams were involved. One for the internals and a separate (and thoroughly incompetent one) for the user controls, form factor, and externals.
For my purposes, this is a high-quality hand-held prosumer camera in a kid's toy shell and I cannot really use it for professional work. But, if you need a shoulder-mounted ENG camera for outdoor action photography, this might be just the ticket.


Click Here to see more reviews about: Panasonic AGHMC70PJU AVCHD 3CCD Flash Memory Professional Camcorder with 12x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom

The AG-HMC70 provides entry-level professionals with an easy-to-use, high-quality, solid-state HD recording solution at an affordable price. The HMC70 is the first shoulder-mount camcorder in Panasonic s professional AVCHD line-up to utilize the new AVCHD High Profile video codec, which offers similar image quality to HDV 1080i at about half the bandwidth. This second-generation, affordable HD format offers longer recording times and half the storage requirement of older systems. As easy to use as a digital camera, the HMC70 records onto standard SD/SDHC cards to assure a fast tapeless production workflow. It gives you fast access to content without fast forward or rewinding, and footage is immediately available to editing systems without the download delay and additional cost of a playback deck. Using just one 16GB SDHC memory card, the HMC70 can record over 2.6 hours at 13Mbps, the HMC70 s highest quality mode, or up to 6 hours at 6Mbps, the camera s extended recording mode. SD and SDHC cards are widely available, and content can be played back in AVCHD-compatible consumer products with SD card slots including Blu-ray players, Playstation 3, computers (using an AVHCD decoder software), and a growing number of large HD flat screen displays and front or rear-screen projectors. (This camera uses 43mm filters.)

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Panasonic PV-GS300 3.1MP 3CCD MiniDV Camcorder with 10x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I've only had this camera for a few days, but I am quite pleased with it.
Before buying this camera, however, take a look at what else is out there. This camera sits in a very strange place between consumer cameras and pro level (or at least prosumer) cameras.
While it has some excellent features like 3 CCDs (so it captures richer color), optical image stabilization, and fully manual controls; it also lacks certain desirable qualities such as a real focus ring (it has manual focus, but it's joystick driven and imprecise), a headphone jack (although it does have line-level audio out), and the ability to pass analog video through to digital video.
To get all those features, you'd need to spend about $200 - $300 more on something like the PV-GS500. For $200 - $300 less, you can get a very comparable camera that simply omits the 3CCDs and has digital image stabilization.
What those extra features give you, however, is a richer picture with less noise and more detail, and a much more stable handheld image. You will especially notice the richer image detail if you edit your video in the built in software or iMovie or Final Cut or whatever you use. You can make much broader color and image adjustments on the picture from this camera than you could with a 1-CCD camcorder.
Personally, I am very pleased with this camera. I very much like the controls (although I definitely recommend trying out the Panasonic-style joystick control before buying -- some people can't stand it, although I think it's definitely the way to go). The ability to go full manual permits me to take excellent shots in low light, backlit, or otherwise strange situations. The auto mode, however, takes care of 99% of what I need, and does a surprisingly good job managing white balance and shutter speed.
The only things that makes me give this camera less than five stars are the manual focus, which requires that you be in full manual mode and also requires two button presses (one on the side of the camera, and then you adjust using the joystick), rather than being entirely joystick-driven as all the other manual controls are; and the AC adapter/battery charger which can EITHER charge the battery or power the camera, but cannot do both at the same time. Expect to buy a separate charger for long shoots.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Panasonic PV-GS300 3.1MP 3CCD MiniDV Camcorder with 10x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom

The Panasonic PV-GS300 Digital Camcorder with 3 CCD Technology offers superior images and features, in a more affordable package. This small digital camcorder uses the same type of 3CCD imaging system used in professional broadcast equipment, giving you 540 lines of breathtaking resolution. 3.1 Megapixel still image recording lets you record vivid, true-to-life pictures with remarkable colors. A 10x optical Leica lens with 700x digital zoom helps you capture every detail. Record to a miniDV tape or directly to a PC through DV (FireWire) or high-speed USB 2.0 interfaces, for high quality full-motion video transfer. The color viewfinder & 2.7 inch LCD display make it simple to preview photos, and the joystick control gives you easy, one-finger navigation of every advanced feature. Accepts MiniDVHi-Speed USB 2.0 interface Cold shoe 2-hour battery life Includes remote controlComes with Motion DV Studio and Quick Movie Magic softwareDimensions(WxHxD) -2.874 x 2.993 x 5.316Weight -. 99 lbs.

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Panasonic PV-GS500 4MP 3CCD MiniDV Camcorder with 12x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I don't normally write online reviews, but when I saw the 2.5 average rating for the GS500, I felt compelled. First, let me qualify myself. I am a techno geek. I love electronics, and whenever I'm about to spend more than a couple hundred dollars for something, I THOROUGHLY research it. I have been doing video editing for several years, and I have produced several wedding videos. I'm not an expert, but I do know quite a bit about the topic of video cameras. Oh, and by the way, I can also very critical of products.
Secondly, let me state that, aside from the Panasonic GS400, the GS500 is by far the best camcorder you can purchase unless you plan to spend over two grand. It has great color reproduction and AMAZING low light performance. Sure, compared to the GS400, it has less functionality, but I don't think the average user is going to miss it. And, given its price is several hundred dollars cheaper than the GS400, I can almost assure you the average user will bid good riddance to the missing functionality.
So, why so many negative reviews on this camcorder? Usually, when a product that is head-and-shoulders above the competition gets negative reviews, it is because the reviewer either works for the competition or they are ignorant of the facts.
Reading the reviews on the gs500, it is my belief that ignorance was the culprit in these cases. First, to the "kid" that had a problem with his four year old video camera -- we don't care. This board isn't for questions, it is for getting opinions and ratings on products of interest. And regarding products of interest, people on this particular board are interested in the gs500, not the nv gs5. Additionally, I have not had a single problem with the blue screen you describe, nor have I read about anyone else having this problem on either the gs500 or the well-established gs400. So, I'll chalk this up to an isolated issue.
To the fellow who thinks the gs500 is too heavy, it is 3 pounds. Your gs200 was only 1 pound. So, yes, the gs500 is substantially heavier than your previous camcorder. However, it wouldn't have taken much research to realize this.
Folks, the gs500 is not a crappy, little, fit in the palm of your hand, spy camcorder. It is a high quality camcorder with 3 large CCDs offering exceptional video reproduction. If quality video is what you're looking for, then you've found your camcorder. If you want something you can carry around in your shirt pocket -- keep looking.
And, by the way, I have no affiliation with Panasonic.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Panasonic PV-GS500 4MP 3CCD MiniDV Camcorder with 12x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom

The Panasonic PV-GS500 3CCD Digital Palmcorder MultiCam Camcorder with 4.0 MP Still Picture Recording offers superior images and features. This small digital camcorder uses the same type of 3CCD imaging system used in professional broadcast equipment, giving you 540 lines of breathtaking resolution in a more affordable package. The 4.0-megapixel still image recording lets you record vivid, true-to-life pictures with remarkable colors. And featuring a 12x optical Leica lens with 700x digital zoom, the PV-GS500 helps you capture every detail. Record to a miniDV tape or directly to a PC through DV (FireWire) or high-speed USB 2.0 interfaces, for high quality full-motion video transfer. The color viewfinder and 2.7-inch LCD display make it easy to preview photos, and feature navigation is a breeze with the easy, one-finger joystick control.

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Canon XL2 3CCD MiniDV Camcorder w/20x Optical Zoom Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)O.K. I have been taking a beating from camera rental houses this past year, so when I needed to finish a project that was dragging on and forcing me too shoot on many different days, I said "what the heck", and put down the money for the XL2. I was a reluctant buyer not excited at all about buying a DV camera. I was ready to be disappointed by another crappy and expensive DV camera.
Two months later, I'm glad I bought it, and I'd say that it is the best prosumer DV camera out there, period.
Here are some of the positives and negatives about the camera based on experience.
Positives:
1) Clean signal: While not as good as something like the Sony DSR 500 its a cleaner signal than the VX2000, PD150, and the Panasonic DVX100a. Of all the DV cameras I've shot on I like the XL2's signal the best.
2) Interlacing: I've shot a great deal on Sony cameras. Especially the DSR 500, and The Sony image is always funky, the interlacing is always visible specifically in details like hair and what not. Even with all the menus set properly by a great DP the Sony cameras always have a very hard and interlaced look. Even When shooting in 60i mode The XL2 does not have this and it handles fine details better than the Sony cameras I am used to.
3) Buttons and menus: The design of the button lay out and menus is very good. If you have shot on the Panasonic DVX100a you will really enjoy how the canon is laid out, you don't have to go deep into the menus for every shot on the XL2. The one really bad decision was putting the film grain and color bars on the same button. THAT was a mistake. Why they hell does this camera have a film grain button anyway?
4) BNC output: A small but really helpful addition to the XL2 is that it has a BNC out. For anyone who knows how those BNC to RCA adopters tend to fall off or get lost its about time that a pro-sumer camera included this simple thing for people who use an external monitor.
5) The custom menus:
For professionals: If you have shot on pro cameras you will naturally look at the custom menus as a joke, a pro-sumer "toy".I won't try to tell you that they aren't a "toy" But they do actually work! Which is a great surprise. I have used the camera on sets and on outdoor documentary sports shoots. I find than things like the black stretch and the knee work and are helpful, they are not like what you find on a Beta camera for example but they are a lot better than what else you can find for the money.
For Consumers: This camera comes with a lot of features that you won't use if you are a point and shoot, "Let the camera do it for me" kind of person. However, if you are willing to learn or interested in videography, you will find these features interesting and with a little practice down right useful.
6) Color features:
To the professionals: These work too, you don't get very deep control of the color gain and the RGB settings but you get some and they work pretty well, which is saying a lot for a camera under $5,000! I am developing a preference for shooting with the color gain and RGB settings set pretty high and then pulling them down in color correction, if necessary. Desaturating in post using after effects gives great results, but it has not been necessary all that often, and I'd rather take the color out rather than trying to put it back in.
For the consumers: The color controls are better than on any other camera you are thinking about, most of which will have none. The XL2 gives you noticable control over the saturation of the colors as well as how much red, green and blue you see in the image.7) Sound: I don't know what it is, if its the mic or the signal processing but the XL2 has better quality sound than you would expect from a DV camera out of the box. Use a real mic and the results are great.
Negatives:
too many rip off artists trying to sell this camera. Purchase the camera only from a trusted and well known retailer, no exceptions, you will get ripped off.
1) The lens:
For Pros: You don't want this lens since it has no witness marks etc. Buy the body without the lens and put on the 16X manual servo zoom. It will cost a bit more but it will be worth it if you need any percision in your shooting.
For consumers: The standard lens is better than any other lens out there, I think you'll find shooting with it a good experience .
2) The eyepiece:
For consumers: If you are a consumer don't worry about it, its fine. Its only an issue in specific cases that pros encounter because of they way they shoot.
For pros: Its REALLY hard to make focusing decisions with the eyepiece that comes in the box. Its not so bad for run and gun doc work but if you are doing dramatic work or pulling focus you'll want to Upgrade or always use a monitor.
3) Its still DV: This is a really great camera for what it is, but you are still shooting DV, and you can run but you can't hide from all the inherent problems of the format.
4) Using the FIRE WIRE: WARNING!!!!! if you use Lacie external firewire drives, among others, the XL2 does not place nice with other devices in the fire wire chain. To log footage from the camera onto your computer you may have to turn off your external drives to do it. This is a for sure with Lacie drives. For many users this will mean either buying larger internal drives or capturing footage to an internal drive with the externals turned off and then transferring the footage later.
The professional should keep in mind:
1) The 24 and 30p frame rates: Naturally the XL2 does not output a true 24 or 30 frame rate. The camera gives you the choice of pull-down you want and then you can remove it in post. If you are going to true 24p output you have the option of 2:3:3:2 pull down, which seems to work without problems with Cinema Tools.
2) All the weight of the camera is at the front so its having a shoulder pad is not that helpful, since most of the weight is on your hand anyway.
3) It may be user error but on the last shoot I directed that used the XL2 there were some strange time code things happening. The DP (who I trust completely) was pre-setting the TC as is usually done but on some tapes the TC changed from the pre-set hour back to hour 0 at some point in the tape. Was this due to battery changes or something else? Who knows? The TC should never do this so I have no Idea why it happened but it obviously effects postproduction and makes generating an EDL impossible.
4) Assuming that you don't have the cash for an Anton Bauer upgrade, The BP-945 batteries are good, they last a long time. So with two of them, the battery that comes with the camera, and the 910 charge you are in great shape and will be able to shoot continuously no problem. If you are shooting in the field you will get 10+ hours of camera time out of these three batteries before you need to recharge.
5) The Pelican 1600 case is a little small if you want to break the camera down all the way. A bigger case is not a bad idea.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Canon XL2 3CCD MiniDV Camcorder w/20x Optical Zoom

Includes: XL2 Camcorder Body / Zoom Lens 20x zoom XL 5.4-108mm L IS / Color Viewfinder / Lithium Battery (for Auto-Date) / WL-D4000 Wireless Controller with 2 AAA Batteries (for Wireless Controller) / Lens Cap / Lens Dust Cap / Lens Hood / Lens Soft Case / Camcorder Dust Cap / CA-920 Compact Power Adapter and Adapter Holder / AC Cable / DC-920 DC Coupler / BP-930 Battery Pack (with Terminal Cover) / SS-1000 Shoulder Strap / STV-150 Stereo Video Cable / S-150 S-Video Cable / Microphone / XL2 and Lens Instruction manuals. Canon XL2 allows you to capture images closer to the finished product than ever before. Work that previously was limited to post-production can be simply and effectively accomplished in the field, in the camcorder. An Open Architecture philosophy, performance found only in much more expensive video cameras, Total Image Control and the solid foundation of Genuine Canon Optics, interchangeable lens capability and superb Canon image processing quality are united in the XL2. The XL2 brings a host of performance and convenience features to this class of video camcorder- benefits that can't be found in this combination on other high-end video cameras. They include: Canon Super Range Optical Image Stabilization in the standard lens; dual aspect ratios; various frame rate capabilities; image gamma and detail controls; skin detail control and convertible LCD display among others. Flourite Zoom Lens with Optical Image Stabilization SMPTE time code Custom Presets EIA standard (525 lines, 60 fields) NTSC color signal Dimensions - 8.9 x 8.7 x 19.5 in. / Weight (not including lens and battery pack) 5.3 lbs.

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