Quick Review Camcorders : Panasonic PV-GS120

We tested the PV-GS120 at a bright light level of 3000 lx. It did produce video better than may of the others in its class, with great color and a well-defined gray-scale. The PV-GS120 offers a surprising number of manual and automatic control options; however, they might not be as easily accessible as you might think. Automatic control was very responsive on the GS120 with automatic settings, such as focus, white balance, exposure, etc., to be quite accurate. Focus adjustments at varying focal lengths or zoom settings weren’t that bad on the PV-GS120 as they usually are with camcorders this cheap. Automatic white balance creeps into effect, subtly altering the image.

There are also manual controls a plenty on the GS120. Manual options include white balance, focus, exposure, shutter speed, and gain. The major drawback to the many manual controls is the navigation system used for accessing the options. The controls are forced onto the LCD, which restricts accessibility. The PV-GS120’s zoom is only 10x optical. Focus is fast and reliable but controlled by a slider rather than the focus ring found on the PV-GS200. Exposure is adjustable between F16 and 18bB. Shutter is available between 1/60 and 1/8000. The PV-GS120 captures JPEG stills at 1280 x 960 (1.2 million pixels) or 640 x 480.

The GS120 performed quite well under low light settings of 60 lux and 15 lux. At 60 lux there is no grain to speak of, and color has been represented well in relation to the 3000 lux test. At 15 lux, grain is present in the image, but there appears to be minimal distortion and blurring of color. Good job you three CCDs you.