Panasonic PV-GS19 Camcorder Review

Ease of Use (4.0)
Panasonic has improved their ease of use by leaps and bounds since last year’s models. That said, there is still some road to plow. The joystick on the rear is perfectly placed for the right thumb, much better than the old hide-it-under-the-LCD bit from last year. The problem most users may experience, particularly those unfamiliar with Panasonic, is a steep learning curve as to their menu system.

Half of their menu is accessed by pressing down on the joystick. A circular menu appears on the lower right corner of the LCD with some puzzling iconography. (What does the smiling face of a little girl mean? Ah yes! The Soft Skin Mode, naturally.) It takes some heavy referencing of the manual in order to decipher most of the icons.

The joystick menu is where nearly all of the manual control features are accessed. A second menu, selected via the Menu button on the rear of the camcorder, handles the picture quality, aspect ratio, language, etc – all the options that don’t need to be as readily accessible as, say, exposure. It’s generally a good system that Panasonic has employed, but it will take users some time to learn all the aspects of their new camcorder.

Handling (8.5)
The PV-GS19 (Review, Specs, $244.74) feels like what it is: the lowest-end camcorder in its class. It’s a little bulky, a little hollow-sounding, and a whole lot gaudy. If you can get over your initial urge to recoil, and maybe find some sunglasses to block your view of the blue exterior, you’ll probably like what you find.

Panasonic has stepped up its navigation and manual control this year, and nearly every operation can be conducted with one hand. The learning curve for the menu systems is steep, but once you become acquainted with the PV-GS19 and its manual (be sure to hold onto it), shooting quality is effortless. The zoom toggle should definitely be moved back so that the index finger falls upon it naturally rather than the middle finger, and a proper toggle would have been nice instead of the sliding switch.

Manual controls are nearly all accessible via the well-placed joystick at your thumb. I found only the Menu button difficult to reach one-handed. The enormous record button blocked all but the very tip of my thumb from reaching it, and I’m sure I would have accidentally started recording if I’d not been more careful.

Portability (7.0)
As camcorders slim down, the PV-GS19 tends to look rather bulky. Why it takes up so much space is a mystery, because the inside sounds as hollow as an election year promise. This will not fit in your purse and will not pack flat in a suitcase. Plan on bringing an additional carry-on if you’re taking the PV-GS19 to Bermuda.

LCD/Viewfinder(6.0)
The 2.5” LCD screen on the PV-GS19 is adequate, but with so many manufacturers plunging into widescreen, the PV-GS series is a bit behind the times, particularly because they offer “Cinema Mode,” a bastardized 16:9 aspect ratio that merely letterboxes the 4:3 image. This entire series has also lost points for their tendency to solarize at extreme angles.

The crushing loss of a color viewfinder is what really drags the score down in this category. While a black & white viewfinder is something you might find on very high-end, professional camcorders, this low resolution, electronic model is a pale imitator, and lets you know exactly where the Panasonic skimped in order to lower the cost.

Battery Life (10.8)
The included CGR-DU06 battery lasted 108 minutes (1 hour and 48 minutes) , continuously recording with the LCD screen open and the zoom untouched.