Panasonic PV-GS180 First Impressions Camcorder Review

Automatic Control
Automatic controls on the PV-GS180 are similar to those on the GS300 and GS500. The camcorder controls focus, shutter, and iris to maintain exposure. It is good that the automatic controls function very well, as most of the manual controls are buried in the menus.

Automatic focus works pretty well as long as there is light enough to give good contrast to the electronics.

Overall Manual Control
Users have manual control over most frequently adjusted camcorder functions like iris, shutter, focus, zoom, flash brightness, and white balance. Manual functions are adjusted via a menu setting. The joystick control makes adjustments easier than a touch screen, especially if you want to use the EVF instead of the LCD. As on the GS300, folks who like to use manual controls a lot will find this process limiting.

Zoom
The PV-GS180 has a 10x optical zoom and a 700x digital zoom. Digital zoom can also be limited to 25x via a menu option.

Focus
In automatic mode, focus is adjusted by the camcorder's electronic sensors. In manual, the user may adjust focus with the joystick. It’s a good idea to take over manually as the light diminishes. Using the joystick is not a great way to make adjustments. The PV-GS500 has a focus ring, unfortunately absent here.

Exposure (Aperture)
The iris can be adjusted for apertures from f/1.8 to f/16 in both video and stills mode.

Shutter Speed
The shutter is manually adjustable in video mode from 1/60 to 1/8000 of a second. In stills mode, the shutter ranges from 1/30 to 1/2000 of a second.

White Balance
The PV-GS180 uses automatic white balance when in auto mode. In manual mode, the user may select presets for auto, indoor, outdoor, and fluorescent lighting. Also, manual white balance may be selected which can adjust to a wider range of color temperatures.

Gain
In darker, indoor settings when the iris can open no wider, adjustable gain is available to brighten the scene. The PV-GS180 allows the user to set up to 18dB of gain in 1dB increments. The onscreen display registers changes only every 3dB increases.