Panasonic PV-GS320 or Sony DCR-HC96: Best low light?

by jmc2007 Jul 12, 2007 5:24AM PDT

I am looking for the miniDV camcorder that performs best under indoor low light conditions with a budget of $700 or less. After researching, I have narrowed it down to these two, but am still confused. I have read mixed reviews on which of the two performs best in low light...Most of the shooting will be indoors for our new baby, and the lighting in our home is horrible. Any thoughts or opinions would be greatly appreciated!

Also, am I headed in the right direction with these two, or is there a camcorder better suited for my needs that I have overlooked?

Discussion is locked

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Between the two...

by whizkid454 Jul 12, 2007 6:17AM PDT

It's funny because www.camcorderinfo.com recently posted their review of the GS320 and in that review, they stated how it did not perform as well as the HC96 in low-light situations. The reason why is due to the CCD sensors. The HC96 has one large CCD while the Panasonic has 3 smaller CCDs. Usually, larger sensors indicate better low-light ability. We must also take into consideration the amount of pixels on each CCD. The more pixels crammed onto a CCD, the smaller the pixels. The smaller the pixels, the less area they have to bring in light. The less light brought in, the darker and grainier the final image.

Just a thought, even though the HC96 does better than the GS320, it is still a consumer camcorder which means it is not expected to give outstanding low-light performance compared to a prosumer camera such as the Sony HDR-FX7 which is way out of your budget.

Bottom line: You get what you pay for.

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Thanks whizkid.

by jmc2007 Jul 12, 2007 7:19AM PDT

Yes, I did see that review. I also watched the comparison videos posted there, but, for some reason every link he posted pulled up as the sony video for me. I was not incredibly impressed with the low light clip, either.

The 3 CCD is what attracted me to the Panasonic, but I was concerned about the smaller size and did not know how that would compare to a larger, single CCD. Also, The Sony has a much higher resolution (2.05 mp versus Panasonic's 0.54 mp). But Sony has a lux of 0, while Panasonic's is 1. Hence, part of my confusion as to which would would
perform better!

Yes, the HDR-FX7 is way out of my budget, plus I am not interested in HD for now. I am just needing a good, reliable camcorder that won't break the bank and performs well under inside, low light conditions to record those precious moments of our last child.

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The Sony has a 0 Lux rating

by boya84 Jul 12, 2007 1:01PM PDT

ONLY when "SuperNightShot" is used. The Sony has a built-in infrared emitter - when "SuperNightShot" is on, the image is monochromatic (Green/white, not black/white). It is a fun novelty, but you probably won't use it much after the first few times.

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Video on LCD is brown for Panasonic - how about tape?

by muditgarg Jul 14, 2007 12:10PM PDT

I am also having the same confusion. I am more inclined towards the Panasonic due to better stabization and outdoor color reproduction. However, indoors on the LCD, in store, video on the LCD is very brown. Is it different when recorded to tape and then played on TV? I don't want a brown saturated indoor video. I usually have 40W flourescent tube indoors.
In fact, Sony was the most shaky at higher zoom compared to Panasonic, JVC or Canon.

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That's what the "white balance"

by boya84 Jul 14, 2007 12:31PM PDT

setting is for... it will be in the menu. Basically, point the camera at a white sheet of paper and tell the camera that "this is white"... then everything else balance out. There are also presets you can use... indoor flourescent, incandescent, outdoor sunny, etc...

Panasonic PV-GS320 or Sony DCR-HC96: Best low light?

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