Panasonic PVDV52 MiniDV Digital Camcorder w/ 2.5" Color LCD

[Archived in $400 - $500, All, All Camcorders, All Digital Camcorders, Camcorder Special Offer, Camcorders, Digital, Digital MiniDV, Panasonic, Products]

Manufacturer: Panasonic
Price at amazon.com: Used from $249.99

List price $499.99



Product Features:

• MiniDV camcorder
• 10x optical, 700x digital, zoom with digital image stabilization
• 2.5 inch color LCD monitor and black and white viewfinder
• Features digital still mode
• IEEE1394 port for easy video transfer

Product Description:

Digital camcorders have finally reached both a level of both technological sophistication and affordability, and Panasonic's PV-DV52 is prime example. Casual video users will be pleased with the 2.5-inch LCD screen, 10x optical zoom, digital still capability, and a built-in video light. Lens With an optical zoom magnification of 10x, the DV52 also has a digital zoom, which works by electronically enhancing the optical image, and can magnify the picture up to 700 times. The digital image... read more


See all product description...

Description from Manufacturer:Panasonic's low-end MiniDV camcorder, the PV-DV52, doesn't have all of the features of its pricier siblings--like a zoom mic or a larger LCD--but it does capture high-quality video in a light, tight package.

Although its 10x optical zoom is lower than other camcorders, it still provides a close-up image for average recording, and a hefty 700x digital zoom capability as well. The image stabilization feature of the PV-DV52 worked well, keeping our frame steady even during one-handed filming.

The PV-DV52 will capture still images as well, but only at 640 x 480 resolution. It also stores images to tape, which sometimes makes them difficult to locate in order to transfer them to PC.

Speaking of transferring, you'll need a FireWire port to move video and stills over at high speed, as the camera doesn't include USB connectivity. It does offer a serial connection, but that is only for transferring still images, as moving video via a serial connection would be akin to draining a lake with a stirring straw.

Some of Panasonic's more expensive MiniDV camcorders offer a 3.5-inch LCD, but the 2.5-inch color LCD of the PV-DV52 proved large enough for average use. The PV-DV52 also offers some nice features for low-light recording (although not for no-light recording), including the MagicPix digital enhancement mode and a built-in light with a 10-foot range.

Tapes eject from the top of the PV-DV52, allowing you to keep the camera on an optional tripod when popping in a new tape. And the battery--which lasted a little over an hour--charges separately from the camera, which makes it easier to have a backup fully charged.

For the price, the Panasonic PV-DV52 allows for high-quality video recording without requiring a big investment. It's a great starter camcorder for a family on a budget. --J. Curtis

Pros:

• Light and compact
• Sharp video image
• Inexpensive

Cons:

• No storage card for stills
• Lower optical zoom

Average Customer Rating:

---

Comment: Very nice camera Rating:
This is my first video camera, and I'm very pleased with it. The detail and the sound are great. I can hear my kitten jumping on leaves, and the detail is great due to the high pixelation. (680K) It picks up colors very well. I had no disappointments with the zoom, though the optical zoom is reputedly low end, it seemed fine to me. And there is also a phenomenal digital zoom which should make up to some extent for anyone who has high zoom needs. It worked right out of the box with a very intuitive interface that required practically no reading of directions, except for the image stabilizer function which I haven't wanted to use yet because camera shake hasn't really been that bad. The low light compensator is basically just a continuous flash, and that does eat up battery time. The worse thing about this camera is that there isn't a lot of battery time. That's fine if you're doing domestic projects like filming your pets, kids or backyard barbecues. It might be more of a pain if you took the camera abroad and were not exceedingly organized about your time and keeping the battery charged.

Also the camera worked great with my Mac Ibook. All I had to do was plug into the Firewire slot, get the Firewire driver for Quicktime, and I could record clips into my computer and make a wonderful little web movie. It's a great basic video camera for someone like me who's never had a movie camera of any kind and wants to edit on computer. And the price is also right.

---

Comment: The BEST, but.... Rating:
The camcorder is very light with ease of use, fits in hand. Looks and works really cute. But there are two things, it doesn't have a builtin Digital camera and the view finder is Black&White. If those doesn't concern you, I Would recommend this quality camcorder.

---

Comment: Great value - shame about the mic quality Rating:
I have had this camcorder (my first and only) for nearly a year. It was a great entry to home video.

I was very pleased with the picture quality and it is easy to use. I have tried the EIS feature(electronic image stabilization) and it really works and the effect on picture quality is barely noticeable.

Editing on a computer with the IEEE1394 interface is fun (and IEEE1394 interface cards for desktop and laptop PCs can be had very cheaply - I bought one for each.) The camcorder can even print the finished movies back to a blank MiniDV tape for archiving and for displaying on NTSC TVs.

The built-in microphone has very poor sound quality - voices sound very tinny. I wish it had a way of connecting an external microphone. And I wish a second, larger battery wasn't so expensive - it is hard to shop around for a third-party battery as the online catalogs rarely mention this model of camcorder.

Shop around for MiniDV tapes - good brands can be found for around $5 but I see them many places over $8.

The battery charger included with mine doubles as an AC adapter and works on many electrical systems round the world (just get a travel plug from your local hardware store.)

Posted at November 11, 2003 07:59 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)