Panasonic PV-GS500 Camcorder Review

Audio (7.25)
The Panasonic PV-GS500 gives users several control options. A stereo microphone is on the front of the camcorder body near the base, beneath the behemoth lens. Users will also be pleased to hear that Panasonic has placed a Mic In port on the right side of the camcorder body in front of the top loading tape compartment. By not putting this feature on the front of the camcorder body, Panasonic has really eliminated any concern users might have over obscuring the lens with cables and wires. We have to generally commend Panasonic for giving users a mic input, something so many manufacturers are sacrificing.

In addition to these options, users can choose to set a wind cut filter through the Basic menu. This high pass filter will cut out low tones produced when wind strikes the microphone surface. It is possible to also set the microphone level and use a feature titled zoom mic, which acts as an automatic Gain feature, boosting all audio levels in an attempt to capture audio produced by subjects in the distance. Not surprisingly, users are warned to not use this feature in noisy situations.

Within the advanced menus users can record via the hot shoe with either low cut or normal frequency range. It is also possible to control the microphone’s audio levels through the mic level sub-menu also in the Advanced menu. From here, Auto Gain Control automatically adjusts gain levels, Set+AGC engages AGC only to reduce or eliminate distortion, letting the user set the recording levels, and Set puts both gain and recording levels under the user’s control. This last adjustment produces the most controlled results, but only if the user is able to monitor and understand audio dynamic range and respond properly to varying levels of amplitude. Audio may be recorded in either 12 or 16 bit sample rates.

Finally, we regret to inform you that the GS500 has no headphone jack, so hearing a live preview of all these great features is not possible.

VCR Mode (6.5)
Selecting the Tape Playback mode on the Mode Dial enters the VCR mode. A diagram on the LCD then explains how to navigate the MiniDV tape with the joystick: the up arrow functions as Play/Pause, right arrow for Fast Forward, down arrow for Stop, and left arrow for Rewind. These controls are easy to use, and the user doesn’t need to hold the control once a function has been initiated. There is no frame by frame or slow feature, so users will need to be quick on their feet or have time code or frame by frame control options within their editing suite on PC. It is possible to view playback images via both the 2.7 inch LCD and the Electronic Color viewfinder.

Ports (6.5)
Three areas around the body of the Panasonic PV-GS500 are dedicated to ports, with the first located on the right side of the camcorder body in front of the tape compartment hatch. The port cover is made of a hard plastic that is slightly lighter in color than the metallic silver body to which it’s attached via a small hinge at its base. A slight tab is located at the back of this cover and, when opened, reveals an A/V port and a Remote/Mic port. A USB 2.0 compliant port and DV in/ out IEEE1394 4-pin port are beneath the LCD screen on the left side. Finally, the SD memory card slot is on the edge between the left side and the base of the camcorder body, inaccessible when the camcorder is on a tripod. They've really downgraded the camcorder when it comes to ports compared to the PV-GS400 (Review, Specs, $1099).