Customer Reviews

Panasonic PVGS15 MiniDV Compact Digital Camcorder w/24x Optical Zoom

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

This is the second Panasonic camcorder that I have bought in the last 4 years and my first MiniDV camcorder. I was trying to choose between the Sony DCR-HC20 and this model. Both retail for the same price and there were some reasons I chose this one over the Sony:
1. This camcorder has 24x zoom while the Sony has only a 10x zoom.
2. There were many reviews about the problems with the Sony's touch screen especially when viewing it outside in broad daylight.
3. I have read some reviews that the included software with the Sony is very difficult to use and install.
4. The Sony camcorder has no photoshot button or memory card, the Panasonic has both. The Panasonic photoshot allows you to capture low-res (640x480) digital still pictures with the touch of a button.
5. The viewfinder on the Sony is Black and White; the Panasonic has a color viewfinder.
6. The Sony has an included 1-hour battery. This model has a 3-hour battery included instead.

It was for these 6 reasons I went with the Panasonic instead of the Sony. After using the camcorder now for 2 weeks I have found out some drawbacks that I previously did not know about:
1. The included software for the Panasonic can only be used to edit STILL images NOT movie images. If you want to edit the movie images you have to buy additional software and a firewire cable. Also be careful if you have Windows 2000 because the optional Panasonic movie editing software is not compatible with Win2K.
2. The Panasonic has no in-camera movie editing capabilities. You can dub the movie to VHS tape but that is about it. You cannot copy a VHS or VHS-C to MiniDV by using this camera as you can with the Sony model. Also, the Sony camera is able to control most VCRs in order to make editing easier if you don't have a PC.
3. The supplied USB cable that comes with the Sony allows you to stream the movie onto a PC whereas the USB cable that comes with the Panasonic cannot do this. The Panasonic USB cable only allows you to copy the STILL images from the SD card or a STILL movie image, NOT the movie itself. With the Panasonic if I wanted to copy the movie to my PC and then burn a Video CD, for example, I would have to buy a firewire cable, and additional software. On the other hand, right out of the box the Sony can do this with the INCLUDED software and the included USB cable.
4. The supposed Panasonic 1.3 second "Quick Start" actually keeps the camera in "Standby" mode and uses quite a lot of battery power. I actually had this mode on for 4 hours and when I finally used the camera I was only able to shoot for 18 minutes before changing batteries. Be careful using this. In any case the camcorder comes on rather quickly without it.

Other than the 4 reasons mentioned above the Panasonic does have a lot of nice features such as the 24x zoom, the zoom mic, the MagicPix function, wind noise reduction and a Soft Skin Mode. I would say that overall I am pleased with the picture quality and sound of the movies I have made with this camera. For the price of this camcorder I would say it is well worth the money, provided you can live without the 4 things I have mentioned previously. If you are willing to spend an extra $100 you could buy decent Movie Editing software and a firewire cable, thus closing the gap on the two camcorders. Although, if you were going to spend another $100 anyway you could buy a Sony DCR-HC30 which has most of the features the HC20 lacks, such as digital still images and a color viewfinder; it still has a 10x zoom, but no camcorder is perfect, right?

This is the first camcorder I have bought in 10 yrs - my Sony 8mm finally died. I have had the camera about 1 month and have shot in various conditions and settings. Overall, I am extremely happy with my purchase, and have only a few nitpicky wishes. I don't intend for this to be a long expert review, just my impressions to help you shop. Some comments:

VALUE: This is a great buy for price/performance. I think I got more than I paid for. I love features but I'm not rich enough to pay for perfection. I had planned on the $400-$600 range based on reviews, hands-on at Sears, etc. Sony has the night-shot (which I really would have liked) but I didn't like the touch screen LCD. Canon 65/75/85 units did not seem as user-friendly to me.

Zoom: The 24x optical is SPECTACULAR. Turn the digital zoom off unless you are on a tripod and have very good full-spectrum lighting, then only 50x. Hard to hold still at 20x and above, even with stabilization. The variable speed zoom control is easy to use and easy to control the speed.

Sound: Built-in zoom mic picked up chirping of little birds over the sound of waves at the beach. Little to no motor noise. If you are shooting and talking, your voice is somewhat muddled. I'm sure an ext. mic would improve sound.

Picture: Colors seem very true to my non-expert eyes with default settings. Better (not just brighter) light makes better video. In imperfect outdoor light, colors not very saturated using auto WB. I will try some adjustments for clouds/fog or filtered sun. Auto WB mode is pretty good indoors, incandescent or flourescent. LED light is useful only within 4-5 ft depending on ambient light. There are 2 LED light modes, one with slower shutter and one with normal. LED can also be used with MagicPix, but I don't think it would help much. MagicPix is for very slow scenes in low light, although zooming or motion may produce interesting psychadelic effects.

Controls: The new model no longer has the menu wheel; a menu button is placed inside the viewfinder door. You use a 5-key directional pad (which doubles as the VCR control) to navigate menus. Simple enough, but defintely a 2-handed task now - you cannot hold still enough to change menu options while filming. There is no one-button toggle to show/hide the date in your recorded video. Other than that, controls are intuitive and relatively simple. Zoom control is great. During VCR playback, zoom button controls volume from the tiny (but adequate) speaker. When playback is paused, zoom button acts as a single-frame jog wheel (nice feature, but slow). VCR searching is too fast for my taste, but still usable. In recording mode, there is a handy "check" button to review the last 2-3 seconds of video.

Photos: 640x480 good only for e-mail or monitor, otherwise worthless to me except in an emergency. The included 8mb SD card holds roughly 45 pix in fine mode. You can snap a photo live or from already-recorded scenes.

Ease of use: My wife is technophobic, so if she can operate it, it passes the test. She shot a few minutes of video using all automatic options and seems comfortable with it. I can fiddle with options when I choose, or shoot in auto if I want. Most people will be fine operating 1-handed. I was most comfortable using 2 hands, right hand close to right shoulder to minimize bending wrist backward. Boot-up time is very fast, 3-4 seconds without using quick-start feature, <2 sec with.

Battery: Included charger charged the battery in 1 hr 15 minutes, which lasts for almost 1 hour of shooting video, plus playing with features, light, playback, etc. I will get another battery sometime, useful for vacation or long events.

I was looking for a Camcorder in the $400-600 range and got the Panasonic PV-GS15. I chose the GS15 over the higher end Panasonic PV-GS55 or GS-120 models because of its higher optical zoom (24x vs 10x). Also, those other Panasonic models are "Ultra-Compact" and I find the GS15 compact enough already.

I also considered the Sony DCR-HC40 but was not happy with the 10x optical zoom limitation. Also the GS15 comes with a longer lasting battery than the Sony. The GS15 also comes with a remote control and both view screens are color.

I did consider a Canon (e.g., the ZR90) but found to many reader reviews about Canon camcorders in general complaining about motor noise coming through the microphone and also electronic problems with condensation. Also, Consumer Reports ("Consumer Reports Best Buys For Your Home 2004") finds that Canons "are among the more repair-prone brands of digital camcorders". In comparison, Sony & Panasonic models do well. I looked at JVC models as well, but again they are more repair prone.

I do not hear any motor noise on the GS15. I am amazed at how much sound it picks up. It makes you realize how much noise you "tune out" after you listen to a video taped outdoors. It seems to pick up sound equally well whether the person you are taping is talking or the person holding the camcorder is talking.

I am happy with the indoor video quality. This is my first camcorder though so I have no comparison. Keep in mind that the GS15 does not have a "Nightshot" feature like Sony and also that you CANNOT record short video clips to the memory card as you can with other camcorders (only photos).

So I feel that the GS15 is a great deal because it is actually $100-200 less in price than models that I was comparing it with. Overall, a great little camcorder that I hope will last for 10 years!

We bought this camera a week ago. We recorded our daughter's first christmas. The picture quality could have been better, but maybe it had to do with the poor lighting in the living room.
Be aware that you have to buy the fire connect software if you want to download the video onto your computer to burn dvds. We haven't bought that yet, but we will.
Also, don't buy this camcorder for its photo taking capability. Keep your digital cameral around for photos, this takes poor photos. That's the only thing we were not aware of when we bought this combo camcorder.
I wish I could be of more help, but this is our first digital camcorder experience.

I bought this camcorder at the end of September in 2004.

This was my first camcorder and my first MiniDV. Since I never had a camcorder before, the small convenient size of the camcorder and tapes just blew me away. It also brings attention to those curious and unfamiliar with MiniDVs.

This camcorder performed great the first couple of months. Here are a few Pros and Cons I noticed while I used this camera:

Pros:
- Powerful built in mic. You can make the audio pick up noise as you zoom in.
- Clear and bright outdoor picture. In good lighting, the colors were quite accurate.
- Colored view finder.
- Take pictures while recording and doesn't disturb your recording.
- Firewire port for video editing.
- Changing tape is a breeze since it's on top.
- Backlight button is very useful under lowlight.
- Comes with a remote control great to use if you're recording yourself or want to do a prank without being caught. (Not that I've done this...)

Cons:
- Grany picture in low-light
- Hard to control from shaking if you use more then 14x zoom
- Digital pictures come out dark
- Limited Warranty

Like I said before, it was great for the first few months, but then on January, things started going downhill with this camcorder:

After uploading video into my computer, I rewinded the tape I've watched several times before. I pushed play and suddenly the video and audio started to skip. I checked my other tapes to see if it was just the tape that went bad, but now all of them were acting up. I looked at the tape and noticed that the camera was marking the film strip. I bought a head cleaner, but that did nothing to improve.

I called Panasonic and they said it was probably something wrong with the head. They told me to send it to a certified camcorder repair shop (I live in Florida and the closest was in Tennessee). So I packed it up, sent it over there. They looked at it and told me that it would cost around $159 to get it fix (the warranty didn't cover it). So, I paid to get it repaired. A few weeks later, I got it back.

When I turn it on, at first it acted just the same. I was furious. Though I kept recording and it soon stopped for a month or two.

Now, however, the video sometimes shows these lines that go up and down and last for a minute. It shows up on all my tapes either at the beginning or in the middle of a used tape.

Also, I went out of state last saturday, and during the whole trip my cassette would constantly jam and request to be restarted almost every time I turn it on or changed modes.

In conclusion, I ask that if you have just purchase this camcorder, register it and buy the extended warranty.

If you are thinking of buying this camera, don't. It's been a nightmare and I'm so dissapointed I've waisted $450 (cost) + $159 of repairs that did little to help it.

Despite the problems, I still use it but for events with little importance that I don't mind having the video skip.

I have a Panasonic camcorder, PV-GS15, five months short of being two years old. Now it is broke and does not work. However before it died, the screen kept turning blue with a message to hit the reset button. Doing so provided no positive results. I telephoned Panasonic and questioned the reason for this reset button, and their technical support could not offer an explanation. I noticed all Panasonic camcorders have this annoying reset button, while other manufacturers do not have this defect of an option. I suggest buying your camcorder from anyone but Panasonic.

THIS CAMERA IS GREAT FOR THE AMEATEUR AS WELL AS FOR THE MORE EXPERIANCED! FOR ME THIS CAMERA WAS PERFECT BECAUSE I EXPECTED A GREAT, EASY-TO-USE CAMCORDER FOR A LOW PRICE; THIS IS PROBABLY ONE OF THE BETTER CAMERAS IN ITS PRICE CATAGORY ($300-$400). I HAVE BEEN USING THIS CAMCORDER FOR OVER A YEAR, MAINLY FOR CREATING MOVIES THROUGH WHICH ITS GOOD FEATURES HAVE ENABLED ME TO BE WELL SATISFIED. I LOOKED FOR A GOOD CAMERA WITH DECENT SP-FX AND GOOD LIGHTING. THE LIGHTING FOR THIS CAMERA IS PRETTY GOOD AND SUFFICENT FOR WORKING WITH AT NIGHT. THE ZOOM IS A VERY GOOD FEATURE FOR THIS PRICE CATEGORY (24x) AND I HAVE USED THIS TO TAKE PICTURES FROM A CRUISE SHIP TO THE SHORE WHEN PORTING. I HAVE NOTICED HOWEVER (FOR MOST CAMCORDERS) YOU MUST HAVE A STEADY HAND WHEN ZOOMED IN ALL THE WAY AND FOR THE MORE EXPERIANCED FILM MAKERS A TRIPOD IS A MUST (THIS PERTAINS TO ALL CAMCORDERS HOWEVER(IN MY MIND)). THE CAMERA IS BUILT VERY WELL. I AM IMPRESSED THAT IT SURVIVED ME FOR OVER A YEAR. THIS HAS BEEN USED IN EVERY SITUATION THOUGHT POSSIBLE AND I HAVE FOUND NO DAMAGE YET. I ALSO ADMIRE THE SET UP VERY WELL. THE MENU IS SETUP INSIDE OF WHERE THE SCREEN FLIPS OUT AND THIS NOT ONLY MAKES THE CAMERA COMPACT BUT EASY-TO NAVIGATE/USE AS WELL. THIS IS ONE OF MY FAVORITE CAMCORDER SET-UPS I HAVE SEEN WHEN LOOKING MAINLY BECAUSE EVERYTHING FEELS LIKE IT'S IN ITS OWN PLACE AND IT EASILY GRASPED AND FEELS GOOD ON THE HAND. I PURCHASED MINE FROM COSTCO FOR $300 LAST YEAR WHICH IS VERY CHEAP FOR THIS CAMCORDER, HOWEVER THIS WAS A SPECIAL AND IT DIDN'T COME WITH ALL THE ACCESORIES (NOT EVEN THE REMOTE) THAT THE REGULAR PRODUCT HAS. IF YOU WANT THESE ACCESORIES I SUGGEST YOU BUY IT FROM ANOTHER STORE FOR AROUND $350-$450. I HAVE DONE MY HOMEWORK ON THIS PRICE CATAGORY OF CAMERAS AND I AM VERY IMPRESSED WITH MY DESCISION!

I bought this used off of that _ Bay place on 7-2-2010. It works wonderfully,I used it in many different situations and it performed great!
I'm currently using it as a WEBCAM....Vista did everything else.Hooked right up to my ACER PC w/an AMD and stock on board graphic's
Burns DVD very easy with windows....I'm tellin ya anyone can do this with this great little {and it is quite small} camera!!!!Pick
up a firewire cord {I think I paid 72cents and 2.99 shiping on Amazon} Also has an SD card for still pic's but I didn't buy this for stills!But it also works great! Panasonic is a old trusted name that I will alway's own,Love my 2 other digital panasonic cameras also my 42in PLASMA Panasonic!Love em all!!!!

I bought this camcorder for my wife. After using it for a while, we just stopped. Indoor pictures, even with lights on, are very grainy. And unfortunately, we would shoot a lot indoors.

In order to move the video to a computer, you need a Firewire cable and Firewire on your computer, and additional software not supplied with the camcorder. I wouldn't mind this, execpt the camcorder also has USB connectivity. Everyone has USB, but you can't send the video over USB, only still pics.

The basic shooting controls are easy enough to figure out, but beyond that, the controls are very unintuitive. The control panel tucked in where the LCD screen comes out has myriad buttons, and it's not obvious what they all do.

I remember shortly after I bought this, Consumer Reports came out with their evaluations of Camcorders. This one was at the very bottom of the ones they rated, and in my opinion, for good reason.

I bought this camcorder a couple of years ago, when it was the latest version of the pv-gs# series. It has proven a great purchase, with tons of features for a great price.

My favorite features are:
(1) 24x optical zoom--plenty for virtually any need
(2) Appearance/feel--I will have a hard time when I need to find a replacement; why don't they make nice-looking, comfortable camcorders anymore?
(3) PhotoShot--pics are never blurry, and its a breeze to use
(4) All the add-ons--SoftSkin, Backlight, LED light, WindCut, ZoomMic...
(5)Price--Outrageously low next to comps!

I dislike:
(1) Magicpix--doesn't do a great job, but I understand there's not much better out there
(2) D-zoom--never been successful using it, so just turn it off. Who needs 800x zoom anyway?
(3) You cannot burn video to a DVD or anything without buying pricey software
(4) Recently all components must be in perfect alignment or am asked to press the reset button. Anyone familiar with this?

Also, not a good camcorder to tape storms etc. where it is directly exposed to rain; if it gets wet, dry it out ASAP. I used it to record severe weather several times last year without thinking about it, and ended up corroding the battery contacts (which are nearly impossible to clean thoroughly).

Bottom line--this guy gives plenty of bang for the buck, especially at its new price. Logically, there is no need to buy the "latest and greatest" model, when there is a well-equipped "last-year's" model at a remarkably lower price.

If you're sold, act fast--this is a discontinued model so once its gone its gone forever. Good luck!