Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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196 of 198 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
GREAT BUY!!, June 2, 2007
This camera is a wonderful option to someone new to videography and filmaking. It offers basic features, while packing a mighty punch in performance.
Heres the GOOD:
1.)GREAT video quality for a camera in this price range
2.)Firewire compatible
3.)very useful Optical Image Stabalizer(O.I.S.)
4.)VERY easy and SIMPLE to use
5.)comfortable "one touch" joystick navagation
6.)feels sturdy and fits in palm nicely
7.)Mini DV tape loads from the TOP of the unit(helps with use of tripod)
8.)Crystal clear 2.7 inch LCD screen
9.)you don't hear motor noise.(which tends to be a problem with cameras in this price range.)
10.)Small design which makes it easy to travel with
Heres the BAD:
1.) Battery isnt very good..only about 1-2 hours max recordong time with the LCD flipped open(however, compensating for use of the eyepiece will significantly save battery.)
2.)At Max zoom O.I.S. isnt 100% effective
3.)Removable Lens cap..(they say if you don't remove the cap before powering the camera on, then that will mess up the white balance sensor..although i havent tested that claim)
4.)You have to remove the battery to have access to the fireiwre port, thus needing to plug another adapter into the camera to recive power from the wall.
5.) Eyepiece does not flip up at an angle, insted it only pulls out about 1/2 inch( also, to use the eyepiece, the LCD has to be closed and it isnt diffucult to lean in too close to the eyepice and accidentally push it back in, which will power off the camera, which tends to get annoying.)
6.)Low light performance isnt very impressive( but it still does a decent job.)
My Thoughts:
This Camcorder is deffinatly something to consider if you are a begginer in filmakking(me), or if you just want something inexpensive to record those speacial moments with. I REALLY like this camera, and right now it goes everywhere with me(almost! lol) and the deisgn is wonderful! At a glance, one would never imagine that this is a "lower end" camera. By "lower end" I simply mean "Entry Level." There really is nothing significantly bad with this camera's performance. I highly reccomend it. But there is one catch for those PC users out there. YOU NEED FIREWIRE!!(if you want to edit your footage) Get a firewire card from Amazon. I bought one here for 23 bucks and it came with a cable!! I saw the same card at best buy for 35$( Cable not included, which runs another 20$-50$!! that's ridiculous!!) So go ahead. For the price of this camera, and all you get, you really cant go wrong.
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121 of 123 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great focus and Color Saturation, March 1, 2007
I compared this camera against the GS85 and the GS320, I found the OIS to be exactly the same on all three models, as is the body, the GS320 at 500 bucks DOES give you a leica lens, it's true. But comparing the picture from these three proved to me that the GS80 gives better blacks and a more colorful image, at 279, its a great deal.
Its important to note that all three of these cameras come with firewire as standard, something thats lacking on Camcorders of almost any price range by other manufacturers. Firewire is essential for video editing, make sure that whichever Camcorder has Firewire and not USB!
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77 of 78 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Perfect for the Price, October 28, 2007
I recently decided to purchase a video camera and went through hours upon hours of research both on the internet and in stores. In the end, I purchased this camera with the knowledge that while I wouldn't get HD quality, I would get a camera that provided results far superior to what the price tag would suggest.
I've used this camera in a number of situations and will describe a few of them below. However, I have to say first and foremost that the optical zoom on the Panasonic GS80 is ridiculously good. I tried it when I was in the store and zoomed in on the price tag of a product that was easily 20 feet away. I could not only read the price, but also the small product numbers on the store's price display tag. It really is as good as you would think it is when you read, "32x Optical Zoom."
=== Indoors (Low Light) ===
The night I purchased the camera, I unpackaged it, charged the battery, and promptly used it to film my friends' band during a nighttime practice. The practice was held in their basement with low lighting and the camera performed admirably. The results definitely had some graininess to them as compared to later videos I took in sunlight or even brighter indoor light, but the grain was also definitely less than my digital point-and-shoot (which I paid twice as much for a couple of years ago) would produce in the same situation. I was surprised by how much color the camera still captured and the sound was great.
=== Indoors (Regular Light) ===
We went to a children's museum with our niece and brought the video camera along. All day long, I captured great videos of our niece playing. The "normal" light of the museum was more than adequate and the colors and sharpness of the video were exactly what I would have expected. The microphone did a great job of capturing my niece and very little of the ambient noise inherent in a children's museum.
=== Outdoors (Sunny) ===
We went to one of the local farms for National Alpaca Day and had an opportunity to take a lot of footage of the alpacas roaming around outside. Not only were the colors and captures great up close, but I also got a lot of great footage at about a 20x zoom. Also, there were several times when I was recording movement from outside to inside the barn area and the camera recovered quickly when going from the bright light of the outside sun to the low light inside the barn; probably less than a one second recovery time for the picture to clear up.
=== College Football Game (Night, Outdoors) ===
I smuggled my video camera into a college football game and hoped for the best. I really didn't know what to expect because while I was close to the field (about 15 rows up), I was also in an endzone, meaning the opposite side of the field was 100+ yards away.
I started filming the game and couldn't believe how well the camera reacted. I would start many plays zoomed in on the quarterback and then, when the play started, I would zoom out and follow the play as it developed. Many times, on a passing play, I'd follow the ball and then I'd zoom in again to focus on the receiver and the play after the catch. On every play, the camera zoomed perfectly and the only time I missed a play, it was my fault, not the camera's.
The colors and fast-paced action were captured beautifully and I was flat-out stunned at what the camera could do. On one particular play, I managed to zoom in on the quarterback, even though he was completely on the opposite side of the field. The capture was still crisp and had minimal shake, despite being over 20x zoom.
For the heck of it, during a break in the action, I zoomed all the way to 32x and it was enough to capture just the head of a marching band member who was sitting in the stands beyond the opposite end zone.
To say I was happy with the results would be a huge understatement.
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There are, obviously, some downsides to this camera. You can't get a camera for this price tag without having at least a few negatives.
One of the biggest negatives for me is the actual placement of the microphone. I love how well the microphone captures audio, but the particular way I like to hold the camera (with my left hand under the camera, towards the front) often has me putting my left hand index finger over the microphone. I have to remind myself to keep my hand completely under the camera and as long as I remind myself, I'm fine. If I don't, then the audio is obviously muted on playback. I wish they had put the microphone somewhere else so that I didn't have to remember this.
Another negative is that the hookup for the transfer of video to your computer is behind the battery, which means you not only have to remove the battery for the transfer, you also have to plug the camera into an electrical outlet. This wouldn't be TOO bad if the electrical hookup required fewer than three parts (outlet to charger cord, battery charger, charger to camera cord). However, because the electrical hookup DOES require these three parts, it's kind of a pain in the butt.
Still, despite these negatives, I couldn't be overall happier with my purchase. Things like the ease of adjusting camera settings, changing tapes, and quick start-up time are more than enough to make up for the negatives I've outlined. For $300, I got the camera, tapes, and a case and I would do it all over again in a heartbeat.
Lastly, I've used Adobe Premiere Elements to edit my videos and have been ecstatic with the results. I worked up a DVD of my niece's first birthday party and anxiously dropped it into the DVD player that's hooked up to my HDTV. I was expecting "good enough" quality, but what I got surprised both me and my fiancee.
First, thanks to the widescreen format of the camera, the picture filled the HDTV, which was great. And the picture itself was great. On our HDTV, we get both HD channels and "regular" channels. The HD channels are crystal clear, as one would expect, and the "regular" channels are fine. The DVD I had made pretty much fell in-between these two types of channels. So, while the Panasonic GS80 won't produce HD-quality videos, you'll get better than "normal" TV from it and it's hard to ask for much more from amateur home videos off a video camera that's this inexpensive.
If you already own a digital video camera and are looking to make the next step, you might want a bit more than what this camera can offer you. However, if you're looking for a great entry-level digital video camera, you can't go wrong with the Panasonic GS80.
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NOTE: If you do not have a Firewire Pci card in your computer (needed to download your movies to your computer), I highly recommend the TRENDnet Usa TFW-H3PI 3PORT Firewire Pci Card Adapter with 6FT Firewire Cable from Amazon. For the price, you can't beat it!
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