Panasonic PVDV953 MiniDV Camcorder with 3.5" LCD, 3CCD, and 16MB SD

Other products by Panasonic

Product Details

Product Manual [8.62mb PDF]

• Product Dimensions: 7 x 2.8 x 3.6 inches ; 1.7 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S.
• ASIN: B00008RUEO
• Item model number: PV-DV953
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #14,594 in Camera & Photo (See Bestsellers in Camera & Photo)
• Discontinued by manufacturer: Yes
• Date first available at Amazon.com: March 6, 2003

Product Description

Amazon.com Product Description

The stylish Panasonic PVDV953 is a stylish digital video camcorder boasts a 3CCD camera system that's the same used in Panasonic's professional broadcasting equipment. It also offers such advanced features as 3-megapixel still image resolution, MPEG4 video capability, and a Leica Dicomar lens..

Optics
The PVDV953 utilizes a 7-element, multi-coated Leica Dicomar lens that preserves your videos and still images with a high level of detail and subtlety. The 3CCD system uses a separate CCD for the reds, greens, and blues that compose an image and delivers high-fidelity color reproduction--up to 540 lines of resolution.

The PVGS70 also utilizes quad-density pixel distribution technology, which was originally developed for broadcast-quality cameras to help maximize picture quality. It utilizes vertical and horizontal pixel shifting to yield improved clarity and performance.

The camcorder is equipped with a 10x optical zoom, and also features a 700x digital zoom that allows you to zoom in on incredible close-ups.

Digital Stills
The PhotoShot built-in digital still mode is capable of capturing crystal-clear still images of up to 2048 x 1496 pixels. The images are stored onto the included 16 MB SD memory card. These stills can then be transferred to your PC using the available USB port.

More Features
The PVDV953 offers the capability to create high-quality MPEG-4 video clips from recorded video footage, or in real-time using the camcorder as a Webcam. This allows for computer-based editing, e-mailing video clips, or uploading to Web sites. The camcorder will also double as a Webcam when connected via USB to your PC. Also included is an auto pop up flash that eliminates darkness.

Other features include:

• 3.5-inch tiltable LCD screen.
• External microphone jacks allow for professional sound recording.
• 3 megapixels.
• Built-in voice recorder.
• The IEEE-1394 (Firewire) connections provides fast loss-less digital transfer to a computer, or dubbing from or to another DV unit.
• The manual focus ring enables the cameraman to adjust the focus by hand.
• Remote control features include playback with special effects, zoom, slow motion, and audio dubbing/insert editing.

MiniDV Format
MiniDV is the preferred format for personal and broadcast-quality video, highly regarded for its high audio and image quality. With 540 lines of horizontal resolution and minimum color noise, MiniDV delivers a 20 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.

Contents
This package includes the PVDV953 camcorder, 16 MB SD memory card, AC adapter, battery pack, shoulder strap, A/V cable (mini-3 RCA), USB cable, wireless remote control, wired remote control, lens cap, and software.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

38 of 40 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars 3CCDs, great optical stabilizer, and the price is right!, September 13, 2003

By	jemaerca (River Forest, IL, United States) - See all my reviews

panasonic has a winner in the PVDV953 camcorder. it has 3CCDs and takes incredible video. at a list price of less than fifteen hundred bucks, this is an incredible value. comparable 3CCD camcorders from sony are at least five hundred bucks more.

pros:
- excellent value - 3CCDs for less than fifteen hundred bucks!
- as expected from having 3CCDs, this camcorder displays excellent video quality in good lighting.
- color reproduction is amazing - having 3CCDs definitely make a difference here.
- for a camcorder, this unit boasts high quality stills.
- built-in flash for stills.
- optical image stabilization - and it really works.
- large 3.5 inch lcd.
- top-loading tape mechanism - this means you don't have to remove your camcorder from the tripod to change tapes.
- allows a great degree of manual control.
- miniDV media is widely supported.
- great connectivity options: firewire, USB, S-video, headphone, mic input, etc.
- leica dicomar lens.
- magic pix function - allows video capture even for very low light situations (just don't expect quality footage).
- built in pop-up flash for taking photos.
- ability to record mpeg videos directly to SD card.
- the built-in mic zooms to your target in coordination with the lens.
- the price. 3CCDs at this price point is just a huge bargain.

cons:
- the accessory shoe is not a hot shoe; this means that while you can get a third party video light, the camcorder will have absolutely zero interaction with the light. contrast this with sony, which has some video lights that will even adjust light intensity automatically depending on inputs from the camcorder. with the pv953, this is not possible.
- very limited accessory list from panasonic.
- no built in video light but you can get third party lights. oddly enough, when i emailed panasonic about an optional video light, they responded that they don't make video lights for this camcorder. very strange.
- low resolution viewfinder
- below average low light recording quality.
- the included 16MB SD card is barely adequate. be prepared to shell out more money for more memory.
- lots of functions are buried in the menu system.
- it could be lighter - dimensions are 5-1/8"H x 10-5/8"W x 8-1/2"D and this unit weighs 1.7 pounds.

i have to keep coming back to what an incredible value this camcorder is. this will apply downward pressure on sony products and that can only be good for consumuers. if you're considering a camcorder in this price range, the PVDV953 should be in your short list. enjoy!

28 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Takes great video and is fun to use, January 10, 2004

By	A.W.T.Night (Atlanta, GA) - See all my reviews

Overall I really like this camera. It takes great video and is fun to use.
Pros:
* 3CCD for great resolution and color separation
* Gorgeous LCD screen image
* Manual as well as automatic settings
* Fades sound in addition to picture
* Auto focus from wide angle to macro
* Mic directional angle and sensitivity vary as video zooms
* Automatically position to end of tape
* Create titles and overlay them on video
* Convert/Shoot video as MPEG4 for the web
* Low light mode preserves mood without altering picture brightness
Cons:
* External microphone, headphone, remote, and external A/V in/out use the same jack, so no two can be used at the same time (a real design screw-up).
* Camera can show date and time over the image in the display but does NOT record it.

I will comment on features and facets that I think are significant or that are not done justice by the detailed specifications. Of course, you can find out all this and more by downloading the pdf of the manual.

* The camera has three modes: Camera, VCR, and Card. In Camera mode you acquire video through the lens. In VCR mode you can record on and playback from the tape through a cable. In Card mode you can work with still images on a memory card. In particular, you can take a 3 megapixel digital picture and store it on the card.
* Camera starts recording approx. one second after pressing record button. Record lamp appears to not turn on until camera actually starts recording. Record lamp can be disabled.
* Camera takes approx. 6 secs to position tape and prepare for next shot after pressing stop recording. It makes a whining noise while doing so. This has not been a problem so far.
* Many functions are accessible only through menus. The menus display on the LCD or viewfinder.
* Date/Time display is turned on and off through menu, but I cannot get it to record as an overlay to the video.
* Audio: 12 bit or 16 bit. Audio dub mixes with 12 bit and replaces 16 bit.
* Video insert: This may be a DV feature. Recording over an existing recording inserts the new audio and video without damaging the recording that follows.
* Counter is frame accurate. Can position to any already-recorded frame when in VCR mode.
* The eyepiece viewfinder is rather small, but is color. It can swivel up and pull out. I use the LCD monitor.
* The LCD swivel allows turning the LCD toward the people being taped so they can see themselves. The image automatically rotates to be right side up and can be mirror image or not.
* Filter diameter is 43 mm.
* Hot shoe does not appear to be "hot," but it does allow mounting an external light or mic.
* Optical Image stabilization removes the little shakes and makes possible reasonably steady handheld telephoto shots as well as steady handheld moving the camera around.
* The infrared capability seems to be only for using the camera in VCR mode with the infrared remote.
* The cable-attached remote functions are record start/stop, zoom and photo shot.
* Digital still can be 640x480 or 2048x1496. A still shot can be recorded to the memory card or to tape (DV resolution) for 7 seconds.
* Camera can convert A/V source (camera lens, recorded tape, or cable input) to MPEG4. It creates an ASF file on the memory card. ASF is a format used by Windows Media.
* Camera can connect to a PC so that the memory card appears as a USB drive. Then can drag wanted files to the PC.
* Create titles that overlay on video by selecting Create Title from menu and pressing photo shoot button to take a picture of text or other two-color image. I print black text on white paper using PowerPoint. Then set the image or background to black and the other to the desired color. Video will show through whatever is black and the other color will overlay. Store one or more titles on the memory card, select the desired one, and when ready, push a button to make it overlay, push again to make it go away.
* A cable is provided to do stereo audio and composite video in/out, which allows showing videos on a TV, copying them to VHS, copying VHS to to DV, etc.
* Other cable included is USB.
* S-Video jack can be used for input and output (cable is not supplied). Must use the A/V IN/OUT cable at the same time for the sound.
* Battery type is CGR-D16 (lithium). A battery and charger are included.
* In-camera digital effects: Multi-picture (display 3x3 grid of pictures and tape them), P-in-P (overlay moving picture with small still picture in any one corner), Wipe/Mix (horizontal wipe or dissolve, both from still captured at end of last scene to new scene), strobe effect, gain up, trail, mosaic, mirror (right half of image is mirror image of left), negative, sepia, Black and white, solari (painting-like effect). These must be set up through a menu.
* Has a tripod receptacle.

27 of 31 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Download movies to PC? Of course!, June 14, 2003

By A Customer

Rishibh is incorrect: Like most if not all DV camcorders, this one has an IEEE-1394 interface to download movies to your PC. In addition, you can store MPEG-4 video on the data card, and use the unit as a webcam.