Panasonic PV-GS150 Camcorder Review

Comparison
JVC GZ-MG77
With an MSRP of $900 vs. $999 for the SDR-S150, the JVC GZ-MG77 Everio has price on its side, and a few other qualities as well. It has a powerful 32x zoom, a large single imager (1/3.9”) a similar manual control feature set, and an onboard HDD with a 30GB capacity. That means you’ll be able to record considerably more MPEG-2 video with the Everio. On the other hand, it’s not nearly as compact as the Panasonic and produced mediocre video despite its big CCD. With its added size, the JVC is a more full-featured camcorder than the SDR-S150, but we like the pint-sized Panasonic in this head-to-head. For a better bet, check out the JVC GZ-MG505, the step-up cousin of the GZ-MG77. It’s a much more solid, and expensive ($1300) camcorder.

Panasonic VDR-D300
With the same MSRP of $999, and made by the same manufacturer, the VDR-D300 makes a useful comparison for the SDR-S150 – but the two camcorders are very different in terms of what they offer. The SDR-S150 is all about convenience and portability. It uses SD cards and slips into your pocket with ease. The VDR-D300 is all about performance and features, with superb video resolution and performance for a DVD camcorder. It also offers more, with a microphone jack, viewfinder, better widescreen, an accessory shoe… The question for you is, do you want a strong performing ultra-compact or one of the best DVD camcorders on the market? In either case, Panasonic delivers with these two camcorders.

Panasonic SDR-S100
Not much about the SDR-S100 has changed with this year’s SDR-S150 – the two camcorders are nearly identical, and both use 3 x 1/6” CCD imagers. Cosmetically, the new model has seen a few changes, but they reflect only minor changes in the camcorder’s surface such as a slightly more recessed microphone on the SDR-S150. Most notably, the SDR-S150 costs less at an MSRP of $999 vs. $1200 for the SDR-S100, and it supports Panasonic’s new 4GB SD cards. Without changing much, Panasonic has “improved” this camcorder’s value, but don’t expect anything new.

Sony DCR-SR100
Sony’s DCR-S100 is another impressive MPEG-2 camcorder, but it has little in common with the SDR-S150 other than convenience. The DCR-S100 is much bigger, and is really meant to be used in Auto mode – at which Sonys excel. Instead of three CCD’s, the Sony utilizes a single large 1/3” that turned in better low light performance. The zooms of both camcorders come in at 10x optical, and both are short on higher-end features with no mic jack – but the Sony does not suffer from a closed battery, offering the option of a longer-life battery upgrade. As you’d expect, the Sony, with a touch screen interface, is also short on manual control options where the Panasonic wins hands-down. Selling for a little more than the SDR-S150 at $1100, the Sony’s 30GB HDD makes it a stronger camcorder overall, but the Panasonic wins on ounce-for-ounce power. This one is a draw with each camcorder offering a decent array of features

Who It’s For
Point-and-Shooters (4.0)
In Auto mode, the SDR-S150 performs well, giving similarly priced Sony’s a run for their money. If you want something that offers a high level of convenience in the form of SD card memory and pocket-sized portability, the SDR-S150 may be just the thing.

Budget Consumers (2.0)
This is not a budget camcorder, at $999, but the price has dropped $200 from last year’s SDR-S100 making the SDR-S150 a better value. If price is your prime consideration, you’ll be better off looking for a low-end MiniDV camcorder in the $300 range, like the Canon ZR500. It’s not as convenient or portable, but it delivers more bang for the buck than any MPEG-2 camcorder on the market.

Still Photo / Video Camera Hybrid (4.0)
This camcorder is a decent still/video hybrid, and produces some nice looking stills. The fact that its no bigger than many still cameras is another selling point for the SDR-S150 but the JVC GZ-MG505 may be the best hybrid on the market for $300 more.

Gadget Freaks (9.0)
This diminutive camcorder is a pretty cool gadget. Nothing on the consumer camcorder market delivers the same video performance combined with manual control features in such a compact size.

Manual Control Freaks (7.0)
This isn’t a bad camcorder in terms of manual controls, though its interface is miniaturized. Full-size Panasonics make accessing manual controls easier, but no camcorder offers as much in such a small package.

Pros/ Serious Hobbyists (6.0)
This is not a pro camcorder, but it is an interesting one given its small size. It could be useful to pros and serious hobbyists who need something durable and compact in the service of action shots that would put a camcorder with more moving parts in jeopardy. Otherwise, serious shooters won’t see much appeal in the SDR-S150 other than its very cool pocket size.

Conclusion
As we stated in the introduction, you are likely to either outright disregard a camcorder like the Panasonic SDR-S150, or you are willing to consider it as a contender for your 1000 or so hard-earned dollars. Those in the first group, probably never even read the review, despite all our hard work in writing it. And that’s okay. This camcorder cannot compete in many regards with horizontally-oriented bodies – those with viewfinders, larger bodies, and lots of exterior buttons. Panasonic is certainly not aiming for that market.

But if you’re largely a point and shooter with an interest towards some manual controls, this is a compelling buy. The video performance is absolutely beautiful for its size – exactly the same as the top-end Panasonic DVD camcorder, the VDR-D300. The fact that it’s about 1/2 the size of the VDR-D300 is a pretty persuasive feature.

The biggest liability of the SDR-S150 is the small capacity of the recording medium. The included 2GB SD card can only hold about 25 minutes of the highest quality video. If you purchase a 4GB SDHC card, you’re looking at twice that, but still less than a hour. The Sony DCR-SR100 has a 30GB hard disk drive. Consider how much video you shoot on vacation and you'll  realize what an enormous difference that makes.

In conclusion, we love this camcorder, if you can accept the handling issues inherent in an ultra-compact and the almost assured necessity of purchasing an additional SD card. It’s a tough call, but the quality just about makes it worth it.