Panasonic PV-GS59 Camcorder Review

Widescreen/16:9 Mode (7.5)
The PV-GS59 records video in 16:9 natively, and is equipped with a 2.7-inch widescreen LCD screen. The camcorder can also record video in standard 4:3, and in 4:3 mode, the image on the LCD display is pillar-boxed or cropped at the sides. The aspect ratio is set in the Administrative Menu’s Basic submenu by selecting the Aspect option. True “native” 16:9 feature is a great feature, and many 1-chip (and even 3-chip) camcorders still only shoot 4:3 natively, cropping and zooming the image to achieve a 16:9 look. Native 16:9 camcorders lose no information in widescreen mode, and thus produce a considerably better picture than the crop-and-zoomers.

Scan Rates/24p (0.0)
The only available scan rate on the PV-GS59 is 29.97 fps. For 24P or other frame rate options, consumers should expect to enter into a higher price range and deal with 3 CCD machines.

Other Features (7.5)
Fade On/Off - This setting lets the user of the PV-GS59 fade in and fade out images at the beginning and end of a given shot. For users who plan to work with their footage in a non-linear editor, there is no reason to use an in-camcorder feature like this, but it’s an effective solution when that is not an option.

Backlight Compensation - The Backlight Compensation is an automatic control that increases the overall brightness of the recorded image. It is an option that is meant to compensate for the fact that camcorders in Auto Mode take the whole image into account when calculating exposure, leaving subjects in bright environments (beaches, ski slopes…) underexposed. BLC is a brute force adjustment that simply cranks up the brightness of the whole image, and manually controlling exposure will usually yield better results.

Soft Skin Mode - Soft Skin Mode is located on page 2 of the Manual Menu and gives “Skin Tones” a softer look that is intended to produce more flattering results, helping to reduce the prominence of blemishes and wrinkles. It should be noted that feature is only beneficial to certain skin tones – not all. The fact that this camcorder is calibrated to interpret a certain color range as skin tone is not uncommon, and something we hope manufacturers will work on in the future.

MagicPix - Panasonic’s MagicPix feature is essentially an automatic slow shutter speed adjustment, and is intended for low light situations where use of gain or the Video Light is unfeasible undesirable. Because MagicPix slows the shutter speed below 1/60, it produces video with a stuttering look that Panasonic calls “time-lapse-like.” Focal depth can be adjusted in this mode, but other manual controls such as white balance, shutter speed, and scene mode settings are not available. Panasonic also notes that this MagicPix slows the CCD’s up to 30x its usual speed, may produce artifacts on the image in the form of white dots. Image stabilization is disengaged when this feature is engaged.

Wind Noise Reduction Function - Wind Noise Reduction (or wind cut) is a feature that reduces the buffeting effects of wind noise on the microphone’s windscreen. The feature utilizes a low cut filter that cuts out some sound, reducing the overall quality or recorded audio so it should only be used when necessary.

Web Camera Feature - The Panasonic PV-GS59 works as a Web Camera when it’s connected to a PC via the USB.