Panasonic PV-GS120 3CCD MiniDV Camcorder w/10x Optical Zoom

by Panasonic

Product Details

Product Manual [13.33mb PDF]

• Product Dimensions: 6 x 3 x 3 inches ; 15.5 ounces
• Shipping Weight: 4 pounds
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S.
• ASIN: B0001DBEJ2
• Item model number: PV-GS120
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (24 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #10,690 in Camera & Photo (See Top 100 in Camera & Photo)
• Date first available at Amazon.com: January 27, 2005

Product Description

From the Manufacturer

LEICA DICOMAR Lens
World renowned lens-maker LEICA has developed an exquisite, 7-element, multi-coated lens that helps add a high-level of detail and subtlety to your creations, resulting in truly moving images that last. With refinements like a 2-stage neutral density filter for aperture independent adjustment, you'll appreciate the remarkably crisp, true-to-life color that is a hallmark of Leica Dicomar optics.

3CCD Camera System
Reproduces color in great fidelity, with a separate CCD for reds, greens and blues. It's the same technology used in Panasonic professional broadcast equipment, resulting in 540 lines of breathtaking resolution.

3.0 Megapixel Still Picture Technology
This feature combines three CCDs, each with 800,000 pixels with our Quad-Density Pixel Distribution Technology to deliver true, 3-megapixel still.

Mega Optical Image Stabilizer
Virtually eliminates jitter from unintentional hand movement while taking vibration-sensitive still images. This technology has been dramatically improved since last year's model to further help prevent even the slightest shake.

Built-in SD Memory Card Drive
SD Memory Cards are versatile, high-capacity storage cards that are extremely small - about the size of a postage stamp. They work as "digital film," letting you capture images and then transfer them to a PC, TV, PDA, or other device equipped with an SD slot.

700x Digital Zoom
The zoom ratio on our digital camcorders can be increased to 700:1, producing an incredibly close shot.

2.5" Diagonal Color LCD Monitor
Lets you view your subject in full color during shooting and playback through a large, 2.5" LCD screen.

MagicPix Images (Low Light Shooting)
Now you can shoot full color video and stills when you're in extremely low light situations. On select models, the LCD panel provides even more light.

Picture-in-Picture
Lets you take a previously recorded still image, miniaturize it, and then include it in your videos for a unique special effect.

Cinema Mode
Records video in the same 16:9 aspect ratio as a movie screen, giving your videos a dramatic, cinematic effect during playback.

Quick Start Button
Turns the camera on in 1.7 seconds, enabling you to capture shots almost instantly, even when your camera is off.

Product Description

3 separate 460,000-pixel CCDs * digital photo mode with RapidFire Consecutive Still Shooting * photo resolution options: 1280 x 960; 640 x 480 * SD Card slot for use with MultiMediaCard® or SD (Secure Digital) memory cards * 2-1/2" color LCD viewscreen * color viewfinder * PCM stereo digital audio (12-bit or 16-bit) * variable-speed 10X Leica Dicomar optical zoom lens (digital zoom to 700X) * built-in zoom mic * Digital Electronic Image Stabilizer * MagicPix for low-light recording * auto and manual focus * shutter speed range (1/60 1/8,000) * Auto Exposure modes * digital effects * i.LINK digital A/V jack (IEEE 1394) * USB (2.0) interface * A/V input/output, including S-video * video streaming to PC via USB * 3-1/16"W x 3"H x 5-1/2"D * weight: 1.0 lbs. without battery * warranty: 1 year parts (6 months CCD), 90 days labor

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

146 of 151 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Panasonic PV-GS120 Camcorder, June 25, 2004

A Kid's Review

This review is from: Panasonic PV-GS120 3CCD MiniDV Camcorder w/10x Optical Zoom (Electronics)

I payed for half of my camcorder which came to be about $450 with the extra batteries and wires you needed to get for the camera. I'm only 13 so $450 is a lot to spend for me but it was well worth it. I'll tell you what I wanted to know about a camera in a review before I bought one...
-the zoom is good, not as good as some of the other models in the store but it is also not as shaky.
-it has a zoom mic which allows you to shoot someone talking from far awa distances without them having to talk much louder then usual for the camera to pick up the sound.
-the pictures is what you pay for in a 3CCD camera. there is one chip for red, one for green, and one for blue. This makes the imagery OUTSTANDING.
-The camera is comfortable in my small hands and my dad's big hands... all you need to do is adjust the strap on it for it to fit our hand perfectly.
-i must be honest... the bad things about it is the battery life on the battery it comes with is only fourty five minutes but if you buy an extened battery it is 1 hour and 15 minutes and if you use both that adds up to about 2 hours of filming time.
-I also don't like that it doesn't come with a light but magic pix is sometimes helpful if you are shooting at a still object in the dark but it slows down the pixels so much that if you move it it could be very blurry, still, with a tripod it could be useful.
-i like the easy mini DV format. Some people are now saying that it's beyond in technology but realy... if you want to edit your tape then you have to get mini DV's... they're not hard to use and they are less expensive. You'll have to plan on shooting a perfect film with a DVD camcorder.
-the manuel tells you all of the things hiden inside of your camera like cinema mode, spotlight mode, sports mode, low-light mode so you can use he camera to it's full potential.
-overall i really was very happy with this camera and i am sure i am forgetting something but i hope my review was helpful to you.

80 of 83 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Best camcorder under $800, April 27, 2004

By 

Jake Ludington (Seattle, WA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Panasonic PV-GS120 3CCD MiniDV Camcorder w/10x Optical Zoom (Electronics)

Panasonic out did themselves by releasing two 3CCD camcorders below the $1000 price point (the other being the PV-GS200). No other consumer DV cam boasts 3CCDs, and the difference in image quality really shows. Getting a similar image quality from any other brand of DV cam requires spending at least $1500. The only reason I gave this camcorder 4 stars instead of 5 is because the battery life is far too short. Even with an extra battery, this camcorder beats out everything in the same price range from Canon, Sony, JVC, etc.

70 of 72 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars After 1 month I love it even more....., February 11, 2005

By 

Laszlo Csuha "prosumer" (Puyallup, WA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Panasonic PV-GS120 3CCD MiniDV Camcorder w/10x Optical Zoom (Electronics)

I was like anybody else, which camera to buy? The first thing I did , bought a Pinnacle AV/DV Firewire card and Studio v.9 software package. I have a Nikon D70, so I was looking for a camcorder not a digital camera.
I made my decision the "dirty way": I bought 3 different cameras from 3 different stores (made sure they will not charge re-stocking fee if I return it within 2 weeks) I will not mention the stores, but the cameras were my final 3 after extensive online research. Sony DCR HC40, Panasonic PV-GS120 and Canon Optura 65.
I took all three home, made a 20 minutes movie with each camera: low light, medium light indoors and outdoors, macro, etc... I've uploaded the movies from the camera I took it with, unto Pinnacle Studio v9, and then I burned a DVD of this 1 hour movie.
To make the long story short, I did return the Sony and the Canon, and here is why:
- 3CCD really works, you can't match the color separation, even if the "one" CCD is larger and has more pixels.
- Panasonic's picture quality was almost broadcast quality, vivid colors and sharp edges, Canon and Sony looked like a very good Hi8.
-Canon was horrible in low light, and my palm never got used to it.
-Sony's touch screen is Stupid, why would you wanna use your oily fingers on the screen which you are using to see what are you capturing.
-Sony's night vision shot might work with 1% of the population, I don't really want to look at grainy green pictures.
-Carl Zeiss makes very good lenses, but this Leica is superior to Sony's (notice that Panasonic is using Leica only on their "top" models)If this camera would have a Leica badge on it instead of Panasonic, this camera would be 3 times more $.Please see Panasonic and Leica dicams.
-Set the sound to 16 bit and you will better sound pick up than Sony or Canon.
-Yes, Sony Steady Shot is better than EIS, but I don't have shaky hands, and never use digital zoom more than the 20x.
Few things I would change on the Panasonic:1, The manual focus is weird. 2, use of an internal lense cap. 3, Could use a 20x optical zoom. Other than that, I am very happy with this camera, I've paid $500 at Costco.