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Panasonic PV-GS500 Camcorder Reviewby David KenderPublished on Jun 2, 2006 1:15 AM
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The Front (8.5)
The predominant feature on the front of the Panasonic PV-GS500 is the Leica Dicomar 12x optical zoom lens. This lens has a 43 mm diameter and a 3.3 to 39.6 mm Focal length. The GS500’s aperture range is F1.6 to F2.8, and the manual focus ring is a great feature, far better than digital focal control. That said, this is actually a step down from this camcorder’s predecessor, the PV-GS400, which provided users with an opportunity to control both focus and zoom with an external focal ring which has been dropped on the GS500. Another setback to this new design comes with the placement of the external in-camera flash. The flash sits to the left of the zoom ring and prevents the user’s hand from being able to access and control the external ring in a proper grip. Users will find themselves creating awkward, imprecise and absurd hand positions in an attempt to circumnavigate this design obstacle. Beneath the Leica lens is the camcorder’s stereo microphone unit. Beneath the flash, to the left of the microphone are the White Balance sensor, Remote Control sensor, and Recording Lamp for the PV-GS500.
The Right Side (8.5)
The right side of the PV-GS500 features a top-loading MiniDV tape compartment, which opens via a switch located on the top of the camcorder body. Horizontal striations running across the length of the body also provide a bit of texture on this side.
Near the front, users should notice a port cover with a lighter gray tone which sets it apart visually from the rest of the PV-GS500: it opens with a tab to reveal the Mic In/Remote port, and the A/V S-Video Out port. A rubber hinge at the bottom of this cover connects it to the camcorder. The hinge isn’t quite long enough to really allow the user to move this port cover out of the way for clean access to these ports, but the port’s placement does keep cables and wires away from the camcorder lens, as often occurs with ports at the base of the front face.
The Mode Dial on the GS500’s back face forms a mound on the right side. Slightly in front of this mound is the in-camera playback speaker for monitoring captured footage.
A right-hand strap, with Velcro pads for adjustment, spans the length of the camcorder body. Its slender design forces users to clutch the top of the camcorder body when shooting; a wider strap could help alleviate this death-grip and allow the right hand to focus on navigating menus, manual controls, and zoom. Adding to this problem, the space between the strap connection on the front of the right face and the protruding mound at the back isn’t really wide enough for bigger hands. We like the layout of the right side of the camcorder because it's simple and really has very few features on it to get in the way of your hand.
The Back (8.5)
Positioned in the upper right corner, the Color Electronic Viewfinder has an extendable design which also allows for forty-five degrees of pivot away from the Panasonic PV-GS500’s body. This feature has really been falling out of favor of late. We haven't put as much emphasis on it as we should. The extendable and rotatable viewfinder really makes shooting much easier. With smaller, more compact camcorders, viewfinders have become incredibly difficult to use. Located on the underside of the viewfinder component is the Diopter Adjustment feature, which lets users individually adjust the distance between the eye and the viewfinder frame. This control was well sized and provided smooth adjustment without hassle.
Beneath the viewfinder is the Li-ion battery holder and battery. This battery may be removed and replaced via a tab located on the bottom of the camcorder body. To the right of the viewfinder, balanced on the cusp between top and back face, is the Off/On slider. A small blue button in the center of this control alters the GS500’s power setting. Beneath the Off/On switch is the Menu button, which displays the in-camcorder menu structure on the LCD.
The Mode Dial to the right has a joystick positioned in its center, a controller which allows the user to navigate menus as well as engage and manipulate manual control settings via displays located on the LCD. A blue LED ring appears around the joystick when it’s depressed and the control menu is displayed. In an interesting and advantageous design, Panasonic has set the Mode Dial at an angle to the back face of the camcorder so that the top extends further out from the back. The Mode Dial allows users to smoothly switch between Tape Recording Mode, Tape Playback Mode, Card Recording Mode, Card Playback Mode, and PC Connection Mode. To the left of the Mode Dial is the Record button for Tape Recording Mode. This controller is easily accessed by the right hand thumb.
The Left Side (8.5)
The most visually prominent feature on the left side of the Panasonic PV-GS500 is certainly the 2.7 inch wide view LCD screen. This screen swings out easily from the camcorder body and pivots 270 degrees, an action which allows users in front of the lens to view images.
When the LCD is rotated away from the camcorder, it reveals two ports and two controls: the Auto/Manual/Focus switch is positioned at the center of the left face, with the Power LCD control, which lets users increase or decrease the display’s brightness, located beneath. Moving toward the back of the camcorder from these two controls, users will find USB and DV ports. There is no port cover for these features, and the LCD will be necessary when accessing them due to their placement on the left side.
At the bottom of the left side, in the center of the GS500’s body, an SD card slot is balanced between this edge and the base of the camcorder. This SD card slot features a cover which easily and accidentally opened any time the hinge edge encountered a hand, table surface, or other object. It seems as though using the camcorder quickly could easily break this cover.
The Top (8.5)
The Open/Eject switch, near the front activates the top loading tape compartment on the right side of the GS500’s body. This switch activates from back to front, so users shouldn't be concerned about accidentally opening the compartment when holding the camcorder during shooting. Toward the back, still on the right half, is a Zoom Toggle which doubles as a volume controller during playback. The Photo Shot button is located behind the Zoom Toggle and may be activated by the index finger of the right hand when capturing still images. To the left of the zoom toggle, on the lens barrel in front of the viewfinder’s hinging unit, is the PV-GS500 hot shoe attachment.
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