Panasonic PV-GS35 Camcorder Review

Still Features (6.5)
Stills can be captured to SD card in both digital camera mode and during video recording in camcorder mode on the PV-GS35 (Review, Specs, $359.95) (Review, Specs, $283.25). Capture to the SD card is at a resolution of 640 x 480 during tape recording and in card mode. With the included RapidFire Consecutive Photoshot, users can take up to ten photos at a half second interval (if 1/30 shutter is selected, only 0.7 second intervals are available). In card playback mode, the PV-GS35 includes a Slide Show feature with which the user can view his or her recorded stills sequentially at an interval. Although the PV-GS35 does offer an SD card slot, and that’s all fine and good, I would not recommend buying this camcorder based on this ability. The stills it captures are of low quality and can be bested by nearly any dedicated digital camera.

Still Resolution (1.4)
In the same way that we tested the video resolution of the PV-GS35 above, we tested the resolution of still images taken to SD card. The PV-GS35 captures still images to SD card at 640 x 480. When these stills were processed by Imatest Imaging Software, they gave us 140,800 pixels (0.1408 Megapixels) of resolution. It should be noted that this is “real resolution,” and although it differs from the reported resolution of the camcorder (307K pixels at 640 x 480), it is not an unusual reading as all imaging products perform worse in our tests than in the manufacturer’s report.

Still Performance (4.0)
The only still resolution available for capture on the PV-GS35’s SD card is the standard 640 x 480, and the results are pretty good for a camcorder with only a 1/6 inch 680K pixel CCD. In fact, for such a 1 chip camcorder the PV-GS35 performs down right admirably. Its 640 x 480 stills, while not as vibrant, crisp, or free of noise as the PV-GS65 (Review, Specs, $899)’s (a 3 chip camcorder) 640 x 480 image, it is still very good. The image shows good color information with not nearly as much grain as some comparable 1 chip camcorders this year. For instance, compare this with JVC’s GR-D270 (Review, Specs, $379.99)’s 640 x 480 image. The PV-GS35 shows much less noise and drastically better colors (look at the reds).