Customer Reviews

Panasonic PVDV852 MiniDV Multicam Digital Camcorder w/ 2.5" Color LCD, Color Viewfinder & 8MB SD Memory Card

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

 

 

We bought this in a store where they had scores of camera plugged in and you could scan around with all of them. This one consistently had the most natural color and exposure... even better than some very expensive ones (of course you can't always say what adjustments have been goofed up on some of the display cameras) After using the camera for a week or so we find that that indoors the video is nearly on a par with broadcast quality. You would never suspect is was a home video. It's very clean and properly exposed. Low light performance is also very good if you employ the Magicpix digital effect.

Outdoors it is also quite good but, being a bit more challenging, you might be able to tell it's not the travel channel you're watching (but it's still very good)

Now here's the bad news.
The optical image stbilizer is OK but you do stil have to be very careful to get good video. It does not iron out the bigger shakes like the electronic ones do. So I am not so thrilled with the stabilizer.

Still pictures, if you care, are good 1M pics but nothing more. They are useful.

Surprise! The lens is mismarked and will not accept 43mm filters or auxiliary lenses. In fact it won't accept ANY filters because it is 50mm (not 49 and not 52) and therefore non-standard. So you can forget about getting a wide angle lens for it. This is a problem for us... No polarizer, no wide angle lense. So, at this point we are not sure we'll keep the camera.. even though we have been favorably impresed with the basic quality.

Just to correct previous reviewer: how to attach 43mm filter or add-on lens (from the manual):
"When you want to attach a Tele Conversion Lens (not supplied) or a Wide Conversion Lens (not supplied), be sure to first remove the lens Hood by turning it counterclockwise."
I removed lens Hoood, attached 43mm filter and putted Hood back.