I have the GS31, which is basically the same but with a slighty longer optical zoom. For overall video shooting, I like the camera a lot. The controls are very easy to use for what I do (mostly Auto-mode stuff), but if you need to, it has manual over-ride. My only negative about the camera is the low-light performance, but at around $300 it's not a fair complaint. My GS31 cost $349 on Amazon and I'm waiting for a $50 Panasonic rebate. I liked the controls on the Panasonic better than what I found on the Sony, Samsung and Canon, but that's my personal opinion. The Panasonic uses a joystick to choose menu options so you don't need to take your eyes off of the viewfinder to find buttons. My favorite feature is the ability to get very close to objects (with lens zoomed back all the way). I can video bugs at only 3/4" from the lens and the image is outstanding. Also, the zoom function does not add any motor noise to your movie. Some cameras are terrible about this.