Panasonic PV-GS250 Camcorder Review by Matt Culler Published on Mar 15, 2005 12:00 PM
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Comparisons
Panasonic PV-GS150 (Specs, $449.95)
The PV-GS150 features three 1/6 inch CCDs with 800K gross pixels each (400K effective for video, 530 effective for stills). These are worse specs than the PV-GS250. The PV-GS150 also lacks a focus ring, though it does have a built-in lens cover that is surprisingly similar in looks to a small focus ring. The PV-GS150 is also about a full inch shorter than the PV-GS150, though it has nearly all of the same features. The PV-GS150 lacks the optical image stabilization of the PV-GS250 and looks worse overall (the PV-GS250 has a nice glossy finish). The optical image stabilization on the PV-GS250 is really an important and very noticeable upgrade from the PV-GS150. Certainly there are not major differences in low light performance to factor in, though the PV-GS250 does a bit better. Also, the PV-GS250 offers more still resolution options than the PV-GS150, including 2048 x 1512, 1600 x 1200, 1280 x 960, and 640 x 480 (the PV-GS150 only has options for 640 x 480, 1280 x 960, and 1720 x 1320) - however, we were happy with the still performance of both the PV-GS250 and the PV-GS150.

Panasonic PV-GS400 (Review, Specs, $1099)
The PV-GS400 features better imaging specs than that of the PV-GS250 (three 1/(4.7) inch CCDs, each with 690K effective pixels for video and 1 MP for stills). It features better video quality in bright and low light than the PV-GS250, and runs about $150 more than the PV-GS250’s recommended price. On top of its superior video performance, the PV-GS400 also features a zoom/focus ring that also controls most of the camcorder’s manual controls--and there are a lot of them, as the PV-GS400 features all the manual control of the PV-GS250. On the downside, the PV-GS400, released last year, lacks the new navigational system of the PV-GS250. Then again, it has an amazing combo ring, and did I mention that the PV-GS400 has a 3” LCD screen? It's really an amazing camcorder, and if you have the money you should jump at the chance to pick one up.

Sony DCR-HC1000 (Review, Specs, $1199.89)
The Sony DCR-HC1000 features the same imaging specs at the PV-GS400. Available now for about $150 more than the recommended price of the PV-GS250, the DCR-HC1000 produces noticeably better video due to its enhanced image specifications over the PV-GS250. (And it should--after all, as shown earlier the PV-GS250 offers few improvements in this area over the PV-GS200 (Review, Specs, Recent News, $1299).) The DCR-HC1000 offers a good zoom/focus ring which is nice, but unfortunately it adds a gimmick (rotating body design) rather than much-needed manual control. The DCR-HC1000 still lacks manual shutter speed and independent aperture control. It's a bad camcorder and a bummer; the PV-GS250 is a better bet.

Who It's For
Point-and-Shooters (5.0)
Though it doesn’t feature a designated easy mode, the PV-GS250 is a good handheld camcorder. It is not designed for the point-and-shooter, with a lot of manual control, focus ring, and microphone jack, but can definitely work for one, especially if they want good video quality. But it’s going to cost more than, say, a Sony point-and-shooter.

Budget Consumers (3.0)
Kinda pricey, the PV-GS250 isn’t recommended for the budget-conscious consumer; however, it can be considered a deal for the amount of money that it does cost versus the amount of camcorder you receive.

Still Photo / Video Camera Hybrid (4.5)
Compared to other camcorders, the PV-GS250 does pretty well in the still department. It produces good images at a variety of different resolutions, which is a lot more than most. Still, it can’t be considered a hybrid camcorder.

Gadget Freak (5.0)
The PV-GS250 doesn’t feature any crazy gadget this year, though it does sport a new, super-handy navigational system.

Manual Control Freaks (7.5)
This is where the PV-GS250 shines. It includes all the nice manual controls that we’ve come to expect from Panasonic over the years, and offers a cool focus ring to boot.

Pros / Serious Hobbyists (8.0)
A good backup camcorder for the serious hobbyist, definitely.

Conclusion
The PV-GS250 is a great camcorder, but the PV-GS400 is such an awesome camcorder that it might be a better idea to save $150 dollars more for the PV-GS400. For another $150 you’ll get better video performance, a wonderful zoom/focus/shutter speed/aperture ring, and a bigger LCD screen. You also get added control. The advantages to the PV-GS250: a new navigational system, some nice still options, and a smaller form. But it doesn’t really seem worth it. In fact, for the recommended $300 difference between this camcorder and the PV-GS150, there might not be enough of a difference between camcorders to justify such a gap in price. For instance, there really isn’t much difference performance-wise between the two camcorders. Besides, the PV-GS150 doesn’t have a focus ring, or the ever-important optical image stabilization. And something tells me that still options aren’t going to tip the scales too much. The bottom line is that the PV-GS250 trumps the competition with great video performance, great manual control, and acceptable low light performance. We certainly recommend it, but if you have the money the PV-GS400 adds a ton more features.