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General discussion

Panasonic PV GS19

Nov 30, 2005 5:55AM PST

I have been looking around trying to figure out which camcorder to purchase without spending too much. I am thinking about purchasing the Panasonic PV GS19. If anyone has an opinion on this camera I would like to hear about it. The price range for this camera is about $360-$400. If anyone can suggest a better camcorder for this price I would appreicate it?

Thanks!

Discussion is locked

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Panasonic PV GS19
Nov 30, 2005 6:33AM PST
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PV-GS19
Nov 30, 2005 6:46AM PST

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.

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sold
Dec 1, 2005 1:10AM PST

Thanks so much for the input. I will probably make the purchase in the next few days.

Is is easy to upload video to the computer and then burn onto dvds?

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Video to computer to DVD
Dec 1, 2005 1:41AM PST

Downloading video to your computer is very easy. Just remember the Golden Rule: Use the Firewire port for video download, NOT USB. Mac's come pre-installed with Firewire and iMovie for editing and are ready to go off the shelf. Many PCs do not come equipped for video editing, so you need to check your computer. If you don't have the proper card with Firewire input, have one installed. Then I believe all you need is the proper editing program (Microsoft Movie Maker is free as I think is WinDVD in it's basic version. Also Vegas has a demo mode or inexpensive basic version of their program.). Then you will need a DVD drive that can burn a DVD, either an internal one or an external one.