Panasonic PV-GS200 Camcorder Review

Panasonic recently released their 3CCD PV-GS200 (Review, Specs, Recent News, $1299) camcorder which prices in at just under $1000.00, a very low price for a 3 CCD camcorder. The PV-GS200 has three 1/6inch CCD's (approximately 800,000 pixels per CCD) dedicated to red, green and blue, respectively. The PV-GS200 offers great video and great low light quality with strong control options, making it a great buy.

Video Performance (8.0)
There are several components that aid a user in capturing good video notably the lens, and in our digital/electronic world, the size and number of the CCD(s) (charge coupled device). The PV-GS200 has a Leica Dicomar 10x optical zoom lens. Panasonic cites Leica Dicomar's seven element, multi-coated lens as a major component to capturing true to life moving images. The lens has a focal range of 2.45mm to 24.5mm and has a 37mm filter diameter. I was unimpressed with the 10x optical zoom range, as there are several one chip camcorders in the GS line that have up to 24x optical zoom capabilities. Instead, they hype the 700x digital zoom which is total marketing propaganda. When ever possible, move closer to the image, don't use the digital zoom as it only digitally enlarges the pixel size. Sure it looks bigger but that doesn't mean it looks better.

The second component to capturing great video is directly related to the size of and sometimes the number of CCD's. In the case of the PV-GS200, there is one 1/6th inch CCD for Red, for Blue, and for Green. Each CCD inside the PV-GS200 has 800k pixel capturing capabilities. It is reasonable to assume that with 3 CCD's (each measuring 1/6 inch) in combination with the Leica Dicomar lens, that the PV-GS200 will have no problem carrying its weight in the consumer camcorder arena.

In our in house lighting set up, we tested the PV-GS200 at optimal settings of 3000 lux, which is a lot of light. Indeed, as was assumed, the PV-GS200 handled color well, keeping balance and pretty even distribution all around the board. Colors on the chart were well saturated and certainly not washed out, as is sometimes the case in well lit (mid-day sunlight) scenarios. The green and red tiles were especially vibrant, with yellows and blues being the dullest (relatively) color represented. The picture was sharp, very crisp and definition between colors and gray scales was distinct. All around I was very pleased with the video performance of the PV-GS200, it is very impressive for a $1,000 camcorder.

The Front (9.0)

Obviously the most dominant feature on the front of the PV-GS200 is the Leica Dicomar lens. But a close look will reveal the best part about this feature...the focus ring! On most consumer camcorders focusing is tedious, and usually requires fumbling with a depressible jog dial or a touch screen navigation menu that can severely hamper the recording process. A focus ring is a great addition, all consumers can do is hope that manufactures take notice. If you haven't' used one, you'll love it, I promise.

The PV-GS200 comes equipped with a pop-up flash that is programmable in three settings: forced flash, no flash, and automatic. The flash is engaged when a low light setting is detected or can manually be switched on. The switch is on the lower right side of the front, and the pop up flash is just above.

Below the lens on the PV-GS200 is the black stereo microphone cover. Just above the metal mesh cover is the white balance and IR sensor.

The Right Side (9.5)

One of the best parts of the right side of the PV-GS200 is its top loading tape mechanism: In the world dominated by bottom tape loading consumer camcorders, this is a rarity. Some manufactures have attempted to make loading tapes from the bottom possible, but in most situations it is in fact is not possible as the tripod attachment blocks or totally prohibits access to the tape slot. If tripods are your thing, then look carefully at the entire PV-GS line, as they are all top loading.

USB, Remote/Mic, AV/Headphone ports are conveniently located at the back of the right side, covered by a dark gray (matching the color of the entire right side) semi stiff cover. The cover is made of hard rubber, and snaps easily in and out of place.

Next to the port cover, running horizontally, is the auto and manual/infinity focus mode slider. Also located on the right side of the PV-GS200 is the factory setting reset button and an audio speaker. At the bottom, spanning the length of the PV-GS200, is the thin pleather/Velcro strap. The strap snaps in and out of place on the front end, and can be converted into a wrist dangling strap by snapping it in to the secondary metal bracket on the back (why you would dangle $1,000 around your wrist is beyond me). To Panasonic's credit, and to the credit of Alexander Parkes (creator of plastic), the locking mechanism is sturdier than it looks. To satisfy my curiosity, I gave it several good, hard tugs and it didn't budge, nor did I get the feeling that it would/could break. Be forewarned, however, as upon first glance it can be somewhat unsettling.

The Left Side (9.0)

The all important LCD screen, which measure 2.5 inches diagonally, dominates the left side of the PV-GS200. The LCD is flipped out with the aid of a small push button. The PV-GS200's navigation system is revealed when the LCD is flipped out. The buttons read: Color Night View, Soft Skin, TeleMacro, Multi/picture in picture, and the largest of the buttons, located in the middle of the others, depict the VCR symbols stop, play, pause, fast forward and rewind. Blue against a silvery gray, the navigation buttons handsomely stand out with the lettering and pictures clearly visible as well. The image enhancement buttons are circular touch spots which are ever-so-slightly raised (not unlike many remote controls).

The SD card slot is skillfully hidden away under this entire selection of buttons. At the bottom of the left side users can slide the gray open slider, which flips out the navigation panel and reveals the SD card slot. All around a pretty cool feature.

Separate from these other buttons, in the middle of the PV-GS200 (still under the LCD) are the record and backlight buttons.

The Top(9.0)

At the very back of the top of the PV-GS200, users can access the color view finder which can be extended out one inch and rotate up 45 degrees. Next to this, on the right, is the wide angle/telephoto zoom toggle which doubles as a volume button when the GS200 is in VCR mode. The toggle is made of silvery plastic with raised ridges and is moved easily. The still photo button is directly behind the still photo button.

In front of the view finder users can make use of the accessory shoe. One of the best handling features of the PV-GS200 is located on the top right of the camcorder body, and is essentially a three finger rubber grip pad. Semi soft rubber cradles for the index, middle and ring finger of the right hand (sorry lefties). This feature improves handling of the PV-GS200, and is a great innovation.

The tape eject button is at the front right side on the top of the PV-GS200. The eject mechanism is engaged when this button/slider is pushed in and slid forward. The user must then pull away from the camcorders body, in order to completely engage the eject mechanism.

The Back (8.5)
From a layout and design stand point, the back of the PV-GS200 is like most camcorders. Most of the back is taken up by the battery housing. On the right of the back is the mode dial with its multi-colored picture icons denoting record and VCR playback, and SD card modes of still capture, still playback, MPEG record, and PC/Webcam. The innovative quick start button is below the dial, and if pressed before turning the camcorder off, allows the GS200 to be jump started in just over one second, bypassing the usual start up. Below this is the power off/on and record button. It's actually more of a switch, and can be flipped up or down. The record button is in the center of the on/off switch. Very skillfully hidden, so skillfully hidden that I almost forgot to mention it, is the second port cover, which hides the DV and S-Video ports. It is located directly below the on and off switch.

Picture & Manual Control
Automatic Control (6.0)
The PV-GS200 is equipped to perform well in automatic, and is responsive in all automatic modes. Auto white balance, auto exposure (with gain), auto shutter, auto focus, all of these perform accurately and quickly. The auto white balance is somewhat slow to make adjustments, but the adjustments are subtle, in fact hardly noticeable. Adjustments while moving can put some camcorders to the test, but the PV-GS200 is graceful in its calculated adjustments, even when zooming. The only automatic feature that I could not detect whether it was on or off, was the image stabilization. The same goes for the PV-GS120 (Review, Specs, $479): On both these GS camcorders it is virtually impossible to tell if the image stabilization is improving the image. This is one of the biggest weakness of the Panasonic 3 CCD camcorder, the image stabilization is terrible, especially when compared to Sony camcorders.

Overall Manual Control (8.5)
Multiple manual control features can be found within the menu system on the PV-GS200. Focus control is the only manual feature controlled outside of this navigation system. It would be nice if there was a secondary navigation controller, a jog dial perhaps, located elsewhere to assist in sifting through the menu. Alas, there is not, so the user must be contented by sliding the mode switch to manual (on the right side of the body) and then using the small center button (play/enter) on the navigation panel. This will bring up the various manual options that can be adjusted: White Balance, Shutter Speed, Exposure, and Gain. Adjustments can be made by using the arrow keys, and when selection is complete, the play/enter button will move to the next setting. However, the Panasonic downgraded the method of manaul control from the PV-GS70 (which the PV-GS200 replaces). On the PV-GS70 there was an outstanding jog dial which made changing manual picture functions incredibly easy, however, now the buttons are hidden behind the LCD screen.

Zoom (5.0)
The PV-GS200 offers 10x optical zoom, 700x digital zoom (run away, run away) and TeleMacro zoom enabling users to record at distances as near as 40cm. As mentioned earlier, the minimal 10x optical zoom is a bit of a downer for a camcorder with a near $1,000 price tag. Usually when a user has maxed out the optical zoom on images that are too close, it is not possible to focus on that image. By engaging the TeleMacro button the PV-GS200 makes necessary adjustments and voila! the image is crisp and focused.

Focus (7.0)
Focus is controlled manually with the focus ring around the lens, or automatically when set in auto. The focus ring feature is worth its weight in gold. Ok, so that might not be much considering it's made of light weight plastics, but the idea still stands. It's a great feature that's worth paying for. The focus ring is responsive and it's a wonderful feature, I only wish they had included it on the PV-GS120.

Exposure (Aperture) (7.0)
The PV-GS200 has five exposure settings: sports, portrait, low light, spot light, and surf and snow. Manual exposure is adjusted using the directional pad behind the LCD screen. When the camcorder is set to manual, you can adjust the exposure settings and get aperture readings in F Stops from the camcorder.

Shutter Speed (7.0)
Shutter speeds of 1/60-1/8000 sec. in tape mode, 1/30-1/2000 sec. in card mode are available with the PV-GS200. The shutter speed is controlled the same was the exposure is, by using the directional pad inside behind the LCD screen. It should certainly be noted that a lot of camcorders don't even offer any shutter speed control.

White Balance(9.5)
White balance can be adjusted manually, or set to indoor and outdoor. White balance on the PV-GS200 can also be set to automatic. To manually adjust the white balance, the mode switch must be set to manual, and the user can press the play/enter button on the navigation panel. The first option to appear is AWB. By pressing the arrow buttons, the user can select which setting they would like, and if they would like to set it manually, they simply need to hold the play/enter button down for several seconds while focused on the white image.

Gain (8.0)
The ability to boost gain manually on consumer camcorders is a rarity, but Panasonic usually manages to include it. It's a great way to increase the over all brightness of the image, but user be warned: above 0dB image quality is degraded with every increase of gain. You can adjust the gain only when you have the aperture set to fully open, however, the Panasonic is the only camcorder in this price range to offer any manual gain control.

Still Performance (7.5)
The PV-GS200 captures still photos with approximately 2.3 Mega pixels (640x480 and 1760x1320 settings). Panasonic uses Quad-Density Pixel Distribution Technology which was introduced in the broadcast world to maximize picture quality by shifting pixels vertically and horizontally for enhanced clarity. The technology combines the pixels of all three CCDs. All manual features are available in still mode. The PV-GS200 also features progressive still capture mode, allowing stills to be captured in two separate fields, saving the joined images to the SD card.

The photos produced by the PV-GS200 are impressive, especially for this price range, however they are certainly not as good as those of the PV-DV953 (Review, Specs, Recent News, $899.88), the PV-GS200's more expensive consumer 3 CCD camcorder. Whereas the stills produced by the PV-DV953 were among the few stills done by a camcorder to be usable and printable, I can't really say the same for the PV-GS200. They aren't terrible, and it's good for this price category, but as we always recommend, you should get a separate still camera.

VCR Mode (7.0)
Switching the mode dial to the green arrow puts the PV-GS200 into VCR/Playback mode. Obviously, this allows the user to navigate though the DV tape, but the PV-GS200 doesn't make a very good handheld playback device, as the LCD has to remain open to access the controls. Some camcorders (Canon ZR's) have the VCR buttons placed on the body of the camcorder, so the user can swivel the LCD screen outwards, close it, and hold it like a small video playback unit.

Low Light Performance (5.5)
This is the section that many readers may have just skipped down to, and I hope that what is written below this point is worth the read. The PV-GS200 is replacing the PV-GS70, which was quite weak with regards to low light performance. The PV-GS200 was tested in our facility at low light levels of 60 lux and 15 lux. Some may quibble over our choice of low light levels, claiming that no one shoots in those conditions, but there are, in fact, many situations in which users might be without appropriate lighting. The minimum light listed by manufacturers for most camcorders is near 5 lux, and perhaps we will drop the levels that low on one of these tests in the future just to demonstrate how unviewable images captured at these levels would be.

At 60 lux, the PV-Gs200 performed very well, and there is no grain apparent in the image. Interestingly, the focus remained sharp, and differentiation between colors is crisp, consistent and accurate. In comparison to the 3000 lux test, what is really lacking is color vibrancy. At these levels, the color doesn't jump out quite as much as they do at 3000 lux. Side by side, there is not that much of a difference, and when one considers the difference between 60 lux (the corner of a poorly lit office) and 3000 lux (outside on a bright day) the lack of difference is remarkable. Panasonic has really improved the low light performance on the PV-GS200.

At 15 lux, not that far from 60 lux, there is a drastic shift in overall luminance and brightness. The colors are accurate, but there is definitely some noise introduced to the image. The image is still sharp, however, and you can see the difference three separate color channels can make. Overall, the image simply looks darker, which is to be expected when the lights are turned out. Gain could be adjusted, but at this level would introduce an unsavory amount of noise to the image.

I am very impressed with the results produced by the PV-GS200. There is a slight difference between the GS120 and the GS200, which was speculated after the GS120 review. In my opinion, the GS200 holds much better at 60 lux than the PV-GS120, and at that level the colors on the GS200 are much closer to the 3000 lux image. However, after the image files have been compressed for the web, there may not be a visible difference. We are considering ways to improve this, as reporting of tests is an ongoing and ever-improving process. Stay tuned.

LCD/ Viewfinder (8.0)
The PV-GS200's LCD is standard 2.5 inches diagonally. The entire GS line has poor LCD view-ability, even with the power LCD function turned on. From a visibility standpoint, Sony is definitely king of the LCD world (with the exception of the touch screen menu nonsense). If you are not looking at the Panasonic PV-GS200 LCD straight on, or really close to dead on, the image solarizes. The LCD can be rotated to a desired position to allow for easy viewing during recording, but either the user has to continually shift their neck and eyes, or keep one hand permanently on the LCD for fine tuning. While reviewing the PV-GS200 I felt like I had gone back in technology time, after recently playing with some low end Sony camcorders. I suppose that it isn't that bad, and a user can always adapt to the gear they use frequently.

The PV -GS200's color viewfinder pulls out one inch from the camcorder body and can be lifted/rotated up approximately 45 degrees.

Audio (7.0)
The GS200 can record both 12 and 16 bit audio, and has wind noise reduction as well as a zoom mic capable of focusing, or tuning, into the center of the action as the camera zooms. Additional audio can be added through the use of a magic wire remote, and the PV-GS200 also has headphone jacks located on the right side at the rear under the port cover. The PV-GS120 also includes a manual microphone in jack, however the jack is shared with the camcorder's external controller.

Handling (9.5)
The PV-GS200 is just big enough. It's not too small, so as that my fingers creep in front of the lens, or rub the mic, and it's not so big that the controls are out of reach (are there any camcorders like that anymore?). The zoom toggle is well placed, and the index finger almost falls naturally on it. The rubber grip finger cradles are comfortable, although not nearly as comfortable as on the prototype. The PV-GS200 sits very comfortably in a variety of recording postures. All the buttons are well placed, and can be reached by tiniest of hands. The mode dial on the back of the PV-GS200 has to be accessed with the left hand, and was a little awkward to get used to. The mode dial functions more like the dial on a digital still camera than a traditional camcorder mode/jog dial.

Weighing in at just over a pound, the PV-GS200 feels like a solid piece of machinery in the hands and its weight is evenly distributed. The strap is a little thin, but it feels secure. The rubber grips on top really help to keep the camcorder in a comfortable hold.

Navigating through the menu is done with the free hand, and for the first few hours of use will have to be done while looking as it is hard to distinguish the difference between buttons. It's too bad there isn't another navigation access dial or button. The PV-GS200 is, despite the nuisance of a side panel navigation system, a breeze to handle and is one of the more naturally fitting camcorders I have had the pleasure of holding.

Ports (7.5)
S-Video, External Mic, Headphone, DV, USB, AV, and Remote ports are located on the PV-GS200: At the rear are S-Video and DV, and on the right side are the remaining ports. Hard rubber covers very effectively hides both sets of ports.

Other Features (7.0)
Magic PixMagic Pix is Panasonic's low light or no light shooting solution. Press it once and the shutter is slowed dramatically, increasing the amount of light allowed to enter the imager. Press it twice and the LCD will prompt the user to flip the LCD around. When this is done, the LCD turns white and the dark space is quite effectively illuminated. Of course anything moving will streak severely, so use with caution. Quick start In a mere 1.7 seconds the PV-GS200 user can jump start the camcorder at the touch of a button. Before shutting down the camcorder, simply press the quick start button. When you need to catch that unexpected action, just flip the PV-GS200 on and you're ready to record. SoftSkin Lines and blemishes are digitally softened when this feature is engaged. The button is on the left side, under the LCD. TeleMacro Users can use this to get focused on images that are too close otherwise. Again, all at the press of a button (located with the others, under the LCD).

Magic Wire RemoteThe PV-GS200 ships with a magic wire remote control which is also a mic. The Wire remote is about 3.5 inches long and has several important buttons for the user to invoke. At the bottom, there is the Talk button. When pressed, the mic on the camcorder is overrided by the mic on the top of the "wand" remote. Above the talk button is photo shot, pretty self explanatory. There is also a zoom toggle and above that is the record button. On the Crown of the skinny remote is the microphone. On the back side of the remote is a clip, which could be handy if the recorder wanted to narrate what they were recording. The nice thing about the Magic Wire remote is that it can server the functions of a zoom controller which is a great accessory for when you are shooting on a tripod, and can cost upwards of $200.

16:9 widescreen modeThe PV-GS200 supports a letterboxed image. Not stretched, just black bars on top and bottom.

WebcamThe PV-GS200 has Webcam capabilities, and software is included.

MPEGShort MPEG 4 movies can be saved to the SD card. Interested users may want to check out the news article regarding Panasonic's new 1GB SD card.

Analog to Digital Pass ThroughThe PV-GS200 can serve as a pass through device, which allows the user to transfer material between multiple sources.

Comparisons
PV-GS70 The PV-GS200 replaces last year's PV-GS70. The PV-GS200 solves one of the two major problems with the PV-GS70 with it's good low light performance, however, the image stabilization is also very poor. Although Panasonic is still above all the competition with regards to manual control, they've downgraded the way picture functions are controlled by using the directional pad inside the LCD screen instead of the great jog dial on the PV-GS70. The other noticeable upgrade however outweighs that downgrade. Panasonic has significantly improved the low light performance of the PV-GS200, making it quite impressive, beating many nearly priced camcorders on the market

DCR-HC85 (Review, Specs, $593) We haven't tested the DCR-HC85 yet so it we can't make video and low light performance comparisons, I the DCR-HC85 should provide for some strong competition for the PV-GS200. The DCR-HC85 includes a 1/3.6 in. 2 Megapixel CCD, the same CCD that was used on last years DCR-TRV70 (Review, Specs, $744.99), which excelled in low light and video performance. Although the PV-GS200 has more still resolution than the PV-GS200, they are close enough that the two could tie with regards to still performance. The manual control on the PV-GS200 is certainly better than the touch screen control offered on the DCR-HC85, but the DCR-HC85 offers a larger screen. What we expect is that the video and low light performance will be similar (with the DCR-HC85 most likely producing a sharper image while the PV-GS200 provides better color definition). However the control options on the PV-GS200 will make it a much better buy for most consumers, with the DCR-HC85 being reserved for those who want a point and shoot camcorder with good video and low light performance.

Who's it For
Point and Shooter's (6.0) The PV-GS200 is a decent camcorder for the point and shooter. It handles well in automatic, and makes difficult adjustments quickly, and quietly. Manual options are somewhat hidden away, but are none the less there, for the point and shooter that might want to branch out.

Budget Consumers (9.0)The PV-GS200 lists for $999.95, which a budget consumer on a budget might consider to be a bit much. However, for the consumer looking for a lot of great options, semi-professional grade features, in a consumer price range, they may very well have found a great deal. For just under a $1,000, consumers certainly get a good bang for their buck on the PV-GS200. For fewer options, and for $300 less, the more frugal spender might check out the PV-GS120.

Still Photo / Video Camera Hybrid(8.0) The PV-GS200 is a good competitor as a hybrid with the pop up flash, 3CCD's, a focus ring for super fine tuning, and with a mega pixel boost over the GS120. It takes crisp stills at a variety of compression settings. The video enthusiast who likes to take photos on the go while shooting will be happy with the PV-GS200.

Gadget Freaks(7.0)Geek chic. This camcorder would make the gadget freak squeal with joy. It's got the sexy shiny exterior, and has enough goodies hidden away so as not to spoil the fun of having a new toy...ahh the joy of discovery.

Manual Control Freaks(9.0)Manual control freaks will find themselves at home on the PV-GS200. Between the focus ring and all the image tweaking capabilities you could ask for, there isn't much more to control on a consumer camcorder.

Pro's/ Serious Hobbyists(7.0)The PV-GS200 a great choice for the pro who wants something small and portable. Plenty of control for fine tuning, and for those times when you just can't be bothered the automatic controls leave one with a better impression of automatic intelligence.

Conclusion
The Panasonic PV-GS200 is comfortable to hold. An innovative finger grip system is to be applauded. Every year I wonder how the camcorders will change, and this year I was pleasantly surprised to see something so simple work so well. The PV-GS200 isn't too small, and it isn't too big. It is weighted well, and feels balanced with the LCD both opened and closed. In a word, it handles wonderfully, especially for it's small size.

From an imaging perspective, it's a true performer, and all across the board we see the power of 3CCD technology. Even at 1/6 inch (which is small in comparison to prosumer models), having separate color imagers makes a difference in vibrancy and color consistency at optimal light levels of 3000 lux and when the lights get turned down, an improvement over last years models. The PV-GS200 performs well in motion and when mounted. It has several features which rank high on my list of things a camcorder must have: Focus ring, top loading tape mechanism, good feel/handling in a variety of shooting modes, manual control. The Panasonic PV-GS200 should be applauded for its intelligent features and for its sub $1000 price tag. Users will notice the attention to detail.

On the more critical side, to keep the overall critique balanced, the navigation system takes some getting used to. The buttons are hard to locate, nearly impossible without looking, and as a result users will find themselves fumbling through the menu. Of course, when compared to the touch screen control offered on Sony's and the menu only control offered on JVCs and Canon's this is the best out there. The LCD on the GS line is one of the worst on the market, even with the Power LCD feature. It almost feels as if something is wrong, the image is so prone to solarize when not in prime viewing positions. Panasonic needs to do some reverse engineering with any Sony camcorder LCD, because with that one improvement the PV-GS200 would be a real champion of a camcorder.

I would recommend the PV-GS200 openly, and only with the above mentioned, somewhat nitpicky critiques. The PV-GS200 is an awesome camcorder, offering amazing video performance, good low light performance, and decent manual control. It's a great value and certainly one we recommend.