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Panasonic PV-GS300 First Impressions Camcorder Reviewby Guy BrunerPublished on Jan 16, 2006 12:00 PM 
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Handling
The GS300 (Review, Specs, $469.99) is a sub-compact camcorder and feels that way in the hand. It is very similar to the GS150 (Specs, $449.95) in size and weight. People with small hands will find it a comfortable fit. The next model down, the GS180 (Review, Specs, $448.25) (Review, Specs, ), is even smaller.
Like all Panasonic 3 CCD camcorders, the GS300 is designed to be held cradled in the palm of the right hand with the forearm raised vertically. In the shooting position, the zoom slider and photoshot button are directly under the index finger. The right thumb can easily access the joystick control for setting functions like fade, and the record/pause button is nearby and also readily accessible. Manual focus adjust is accomplished by using the right thumb on the joystick. Not only is the joystick a touch awkward for most of us, but southpaws in particular are going to find this joystick setup a little inconvenient.
LCD/Viewfinder
The color LCD on the PV-GS300 is the same 2.7 inch 123,000 pixel screen as that used on the GS500 (Review, Specs, $1040). The PV-GS180 (Review, Specs, ), on the other hand, offers only 2.5 inches on LCD. The GS300’s LCD displays widescreen video in the correct 16:9 aspect ratio. Normal aspect ratio video (4:3) is pillar boxed (meaning vertical black bars are placed on either side) when displayed. This means that the LCD display offers the user a visual indication of which aspect ratio the camcorder is currently shooting in - a nice bit of engineering.
Panasonic has always provided a lot of information on its screens; the GS300 continues that tradition. The degree of information displayed is selectable in the menus. The EVF is also in color and functions similarly to the EVF on the GS500. User can withdraw the EVF eyepiece so the eye can be positioned away from the protruding battery. However, it does not tilt upwards, which may cause problems if you want to use the EVF while the camcorder is on a tripod.