Panasonic PV-GS320 Camcorder Review

by David Kender
Published on Jul 9, 2007 10:00 AM

 
Intro
 Performance
Format Auto / Manual Controls
Still Features Handling and Use
Audio / Playback / Connectivity Other Features
Comparisons / Conclusion Photo Gallery
Specs and Ratings
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We’re pretty sure our 2004 review of the PV-GS400 read something like this: “My name as Ozymandias, king of kings: / Look on my works ye mighty and despair!” (At least it seems that way in retrospect.) Panasonic’s top-end consumer DV camcorder knew no boundaries, and was beloved by all. Would that anyone could have foreseen the PV-GS320, a shell of its former glory, toiling in a dead format. What, too baroque? Perhaps, but even Panasonic’s loyal fan base has expressed serious disappointment in this camcorder, due mainly to the loss of the mic jack, headphone jack, and manual focus ring. Clearly, no company is focusing on DV camcorders anymore, but we hoped that the former king would have gone out with a bang, like Canon’s Elura 100. The PV-GS320 retains all the great manual controls and handling of its pedigree, but Panasonic also made a lot of simple mistakes. Read on for the full account.


The Front (5.5)
Behold the front of the Panasonic PV-GS320, one of the last standing MiniDV heavyweights. Its protruding f/1.8 – 2.8, 10x optical zoom lens is capable of a 3.0mm to 30.0mm focal length and has a filter diameter of 37mm. No, that’s not a focus ring, just a removable mini-matte box. There is no built-in lens cover. To the left of the lens is a plastic strip encasing the white balance sensor and remote control sensor. Below that sits the built-in stereo microphone, ducking out of harm’s way from an encroaching finger.

The Right Side (5.25)
The PV-GS320’s right side is one big wall of fat MiniDV hatch action. The hatch release switch is located on top near the front end. Tape eject time is not exceedingly quick, but it’s about the best you’ll get for a MiniDV camcorder, especially with so little of them to choose from nowadays. Be sure not to close the hatch while the tape is loading to prevent a very bad internal traffic jam. To the right of the tape hatch is a hard plastic port cover housing the A/V out jack. Toward the back of the PV-GS320 is a small switch controlling the auto, manual, and focus settings. This switch cannot be accessed while your hand is gripping the camcorder. The hand strap is thin, made of cheap plastic, yet just cushy enough to redeem its novelty-grade construction. The major issue you’ll have with the PV-GS320 is common on so many consumer models that feature a low-strung hand-strap—camcorder flop. This, of course, is the dramatic flop away from your hand that most camcorders take when you slide your hand into the strap. We suggest ratcheting the strap as tight as you can—just make sure your hand doesn’t turn blue.

The Back (6.5)
Just a gander at the PV-GS320’s backside will remind you of the Canon HV20, Sony HDR-HC7, or a really wide dump truck. This is a short, hefty camcorder. Before we take you through the PV-GS320’s back end, it’s imperative to highlight a vital flaw in the design. Three essential ports are located right in the battery chamber! The DC-in, USB, and Firewire terminals all remain smothered under the PV-GS320’s battery unless the pack is removed. So what happens if you forget your external power source and need to import footage while charging the battery? What if you need to swap out battery power for direct power without breaking the shot? Poor design, Panasonic. Poor, poor design.

Above the battery lies the extendable electronic viewfinder (0.33”, 113,000 pixels resolution). Though the viewfinder is made of a hard plastic and cannot be pivoted, it extends a generous inch from the body. The fan-shaped dioptric adjuster is positioned on top of the viewfinder shaft. To the right, above the back of the hand strap, is Panasonic’s tried and true mode dial with joystick embedded in the middle. This is Easy in a Can, folks—all the power lies at your thumb. To the left of the mode dial is the record start/stop button, splashed with a line of red paint. The menu button and on/off switch are located toward the top right of the PV-GS320’s back end, and you’ll have to exhibit a great deal of prestidigitation to access them with one hand.

The Left Side (3.25)
Usually, the left side of a camcorder is home to a smorgasbord of bells and whistles, but the PV-GS320 plays it cool as a cucumber with only an LCD screen. The 2.7”123,000 pixel widescreen LCD is standard on a camcorder in this price range. Construction wise, it’s rigid and durable, more so than most camcorders we’ve seen this year. The LCD panel is devoid of any controls like zoom or record start/stop, relying heavily on that classic one-handed Panasonic operation. Since the left side is looking a bit gaunt, we’ll mention the SD card slot located in the bottom of the PV-GS320, housed by a rubberized plastic door that swings out on a hinge. Panasonic, why do you mount your SD card slot on the bottom of the camcorder when the entire left side of the PV-GS320 is famished for features? Recording stills with a tripod just got a whole lot lamer.

Left side of Panasonic PV-GS320

Behind the LCD panel

The Top (6.0)
Up top, the PV-GS320 features a cold accessory shoe. Not bad for a battery-powered video light…and that’s about it. The zoom toggle is located to the bottom right and you’ll notice that it’s a slider instead of a lever. Sliders are more of a pain to zoom with because the plastic-on-plastic action tends to make noise that the built-in mic has no trouble picking up. A round photo button lives behind the zoom slider.

 

 

 

 



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