Panasonic PV-GS180 Camcorder Review

Comparison
Panasonic PV-GS59
The PV-GS180 is at the lowest end of Panasonic’s 3 CCD camcorder line and the PV-GS59 is at the top end of the 1 CCD line. So what separates these two camcorders other than two CCDs and $120? Actually quite a lot, and enough in our opinion to justify the price spread. Most notably, the PV-GS59 is no match for the PV-GS180 when it comes to video quality. The 3-chip model produces sharper, brighter, and produced better colors while the PV-GS59’s image was noisy and not terribly sharp, i.e. run-of-the-mill for a $379 camcorder. While video quality is the most important feature differentiating these two models, the PV-GS59 does have a 2.7” LCD, a powerful 30x optical zoom, and a remote control vs. only a 2.5” LCD, 10 x optical zoom, and no included remote on the PV-GS180. In short, the 1-chip Panasonic comes with more bells and whistles and a similar feature set but falls far short of the PV-GS180 in terms of video performance. We believe value trumps the other concerns, and so our vote goes to the PV-GS180.

Panasonic PV-GS300
Despite the fact that the $599 PV-GS180 and $699 PV-GS300 are both 3 CCD camcorders, and only one step apart in Panasonic’s consumer camcorder line, comparing the two is like comparing apples and oranges. Video quality was essentially identical despite the name-brand Leica Dicomar lens on the PV-GS300. The step-up camcorder adds a few other features over the PV-GS180: optical image stabilization, a 2.7” widescreen LCD, an included remote, a flash, a built-in lens cover, and higher resolution stills (2048 x 1320 vs. 1760 x 1320). But strangely, the PV-GS180 has an AV jack that doubles as a headphone out while the more expensive PV-GS300 has a composite AV/S-video port but no headphone capability. In our opinion, that’s a significant downgrade that rules out the PV-GS300 for any video application where sound monitoring is important – and that includes any professional production scenario. Yes, the added features on the PV-GS300 are nice but with a headphone out, the PV-GS180 is ultimately a more serious tool. Our vote is with the PV-GS180 in this head to head.

Canon Optura 50
Canon’s Optura 50 was introduced in 2005, but remains available at the time of this publication. With a strong manual control set and…drum roll please…a real focus ring, it’s a decent camcorder that surpasses the Panasonic PV-GS180 in ease of use. The Canon is also built around a single 1-3/4” chip instead of the three 1/6” chips of the PV-GS180. The single large ship should yield excellent low-light performance and video resolution based on its size, while a three-chip design generally produces better color, but the Panasonic’s video performance was better all-around. In other respects, the camcorders are similar – both have microphone and headphone jacks, and both have 2.5” LCD’s. A last consideration is price: the Optura 50 had an initial MSRP of $499, $100 less than the PV-GS180, but street prices are comparable. Based largely on video performance, the PV-GS180 gets our nod but the Optura 50 is not a bad choice for users who like a simple interface.

Sony DCR-HC46
The Sony DCR-HC46 and Panasonic PV-GS180 are worlds apart, and are good examples of the different approaches these manufacturers take to camcorder design. The DCR-HC46 excels in ease of use, and performs very well in Auto mode with quick focus, white balance and exposure adjustments. If you want to go beyond Auto, and take manual control of your picture, the Sony will disappoint with limited manual control adjustments that can only be accessed via the LCD touch screen, no mic jack, and a good picture that still falls short of the PV-GS180’s stellar video performance. The Panasonic simply offers more, with a great manual control set, external mic support, and better video. Unless you are a strict point-and-shooter, the PV-GS180 is a stronger and more versatile camcorder.

Who It’s For
Point-and-Shooters (4.0)
The PV-GS180 should prove to be simple enough for point and shooters, as the camcorder has solid automatic performance. Of course, its main strength is its manual control suite, and you’d be a fool not to take advantage of it.

Budget Consumers (5.0)
At $599 (MSRP), this is definitely on the upper-end of what one might consider a “budget camcorder.” To make it quite plain, it’s worth it to upgrade from the PV-GS59, which cannot match the PV-GS180 in any type of performance.

Still Photo / Video Camera Hybrid (3.0)
The stills from the PV-GS180 are surprisingly good for a camcorder. The 1760 x 1320 image may be interpolated, but the colors certainly don’t suffer. The smaller stills compare quite favorably to camcorders in the same class.

Gadget Freaks (2.0)
Gadget freaks will not have much to drool over in this camcorder. Most of the innovations in the Panasonic MiniDV line came years ago. We are all riding out the medium until HD takes over.

Manual Control Freaks (8.0)
Of course anyone who finds themselves in this category knows that Panasonic is the way to go for a consumer camcorders. Fully independent aperture, shutter speed, gain, focus, and white balance, plus a host of one-touch fixes like telemacro and MagicPix are impossible to beat.

Pros/ Serious Hobbyists (5.0)
This year’s Panasonic MiniDV has lost a lot of the features of years past that made them so popular with serious hobbyists. While the manual control set still can’t be beat, the PV-GS400 still reigns supreme amongst the MiniDV cosmos.

Conclusion
Panasonic has not made it easy this year. Their entire 3-CCD line was revamped and scaled down, making them more affordable, but at the loss of a lot of features. The PV-GS180 replaces the PV-GS150, which sold for $699, one hundred dollars more than the PV-GS180. With the price cut came the loss of a hot accessory shoe, two remote control (one wired and one wireless), the DU12 battery (which has longer life), and editing software. That’s a pretty substantial cutback.

More importantly, though, is how it compares to this year’s models. When held up against the sibling models on either side, things look a little strange. The PV-GS59 ($379) has more features – a widescreen LCD, 30x zoom, and a remote control – but not nearly the video performance. The PV-GS300 ($699) has a few more features – optical image stabilization, a Leica lens, a widescreen LCD, a flash for stills, a remote control, and larger stills – but it loses the headphone jack of the PV-GS180, and its video performance was essentially identical, regardless of the lens upgrade. How can we make sense of all this?

It looks like the PV-GS180 is the smartest buy amongst the Panasonics in this category. The only camcorder to top it is the PV-GS500, or the saint among saints, the PV-GS400, which can still be found in the dark alleys of the internet. Both of those will cost you a fair bit more than the PV-GS180 and the PV-GS400 is certainly worth it if you can afford it.

The Sony DCR-HC46 does not offer much competition except in ease of use. It’s performance was its own worst enemy. The Canon Optura 50 offered some enticing features and performance, and is definitely worth investigating before you take your PV-GS180 to the checkout.

Do we wish the PV-GS180 had a widescreen LCD, optical image stabilization, and analog inputs? Of course we do. But this is the world we live in, where camcorders are more a commodity than dream machines. It’s a cold, hard, world, baby. The PV-GS180 might just help ease the pain. We recommend it highly.