Quick Review Camcorders: Panasonic PV-GS19

The PV-GS19 sports a 1/6” CCD, with 680K pixels. These are identical specs to its big sister, the PV-GS35. Video tests proved this camcorder to be a strong competitor in its price class. Crisp, clear pictures produced in most lighting conditions easily hurled the PV-GS19 over camcorders like the Sony DCR-HC21, the JVC GR-D270, and the Canon ZR200.

Manual control is the name of the game on the PV-GS19. It features two menu systems, one dedicated to manual control options you’d want on the fly like exposure, focus, white balance, shutter speed, iris, and (yes, even) gain. The other menu is used for more administrative options like menu language settings, aspect mode (4:3 or 16:9), etc. The icons can be a little tough to decipher, especially when you encounter the Panasonic-specific features like Skin Tone correction and MagicPix (low light mode). Make sure not to throw out the manual with the box. The learning curve is an uphill climb.

Once you’ve mastered the interface, which shouldn’t take much time at all, you’ll be thankful for all the features. Ease of use and handling are good, considering the price. The thumb-operated joystick makes accessing all those great manual features fairly easy. We’re hoping that next year Panasonic tries push the zoom control farther back on the body. Right now it falls under the middle finger rather than the preferred index finger.

The PV-GS19 is a little bulky, considering the rapidly shrinking size of the average camcorder, and the shiny blue exterior is not going to win you friends. Don’t count on fitting this in a purse or pocket, and make sure to carry it in an opaque bag to avoid snarky comments from passers-by.

The still features on the PV-GS19 leave something to be desired. You can only shoot in 640 x 480, in two qualities: Standard and Fine. They do include the convenience of a dedicated SD card port to record JPEGs. Though you could certainly find cheaper cameras specifically for the purpose, the PV-GS19 also functions as a webcam.

Ports on the PV-GS19 are bare bones. This is one of the areas in which the camcorder marks itself as the bottom end of the GS line. Only an A/V port, a DV, and a USB are included. The big sister, the PV-GS35, includes an S-Video port and a microphone input.

You would be hard pressed to find a better value than the PV-GS19. The manual control set for an under $300 camcorder is incredible. This is a great camcorder for beginners and budget-minded consumers eager to learn some advanced videography.

Panasonic PV-GS19 THE BOTTOM LINE.... Rating: 200.33

Likes

-Affordability -Manual controls -Handling -Navigational system -Still features

Dislikes

-Low light

Panasonic PV-GS19 Compared to the...

Panasonic PV-GS35  Rating:199.06	Panasonic PV-GS31 Rating:	Sony DCR-HC21 Rating:174.93	Canon ZR-200  Rating:192.19	JVC GR-D270 Rating:194.78
Better	Better	Better	Better	Better
-Digital still capability  -Audio -Ports	-Optical zoom specs -Built in LED light -Color viewfinder	-Automatic control -LCD -Ease of use	-Ease of use -LCD viewfinder -Portability -Ports -Widescreen	-Automatic control -LCD Viewfinder -Ease of use -Portability -Widescreen
Equal	Equal	Equal	Equal	Equal
-Video performance -Automatic control -Manual control -Ease of use -Low light performance -LCD	-Imager specs -Digital still capability -Ports -Portability -Manual control	-VCR mode -Widescreen mode -Ports	-Automatic control - Still features	-Optical zoom specs -VCR Mode
Worse	Worse	-Worse	Worse	Worse
-Affordability	Affordability	-Ease of use -Video performance -Low light performance -Optical zoom specs -Manual control -Digital still capability -Wide angle	-Manual control -Wide angle -Low light -Audio -Optical zoom specs	-Manual control -Video performance -Audio -Still features -Low light performance -Ports