The PV - GS320 represents Panasonic ’s top of the MiniDV line . It uses three CCD ( kick - match twist ) detector to captivate TV ; most utilise just one . It ’s the only 3 - CCD camcorder the company put up in the MiniDV format , and though it ’s sensibly priced , its only competition in term of video recording operation in our late camcorder testing came from a high definition theoretical account that cost double as much .
Design and usability
The PV - GS320 replace the 2006MacworldEddy award - deliver the goods PV - GS500 ( ) , and it looks like a somewhat slimmed - down rendering of that model . It check nicely in my palm , and both its zoom control and its bill of fare telephone dial with joystick button were right at my fingertip . Carried over from the design of the PV - GS500 is one of my personal deary peeve : The Mount Rushmore State Card slot for saving still photo is on the bottom of the whole . If you ’re using a tripod , as we do in our testing , you must unscrew and remove the tripod skid whenever you need to get rid of or insert a board . Another questionable design decision puts the FireWire and USB ports for transferring video to your Mac under the barrage . You must take away the battery and plug your AC cables into the wall to transport video .
The PV - GS320 is also missing a phone mariner and external microphone remark — this can be a slew breaker for serious video jockeys . The camcorder has an auxiliary skid for self - powered Light and other accessories .
The camcorder ’s menus were easy to sail via the controls . However , they take up the whole 2.7 - inch liquid crystal display screen , which makes it heavy to preview changes to your setting without back out of all of the carte .
Performance
The benefits of this design were quickly manifest in our testing , as our assembled panel of editors gave the telecasting quality a Superior rating , both in low ignitor and in normal shooting atmospheric condition .
Our panel gave the camcorder ’s 3.1 - megapixel still shots a rating of Very dependable and seduce its highest marks for color truth . The only functioning detail that did not rate well was stamp battery animation . With just 81 min of TV captured on a full explosive charge , the camcorder earn a rating of Fair .
performance
plate : Superior , Very unspoiled , Good , Fair , Poor
How we tested : The ikon - quality rating of the camera is based upon a gore of judges ’ vox populi in five class : photograph , colouration , sharpness , deformation , and overall . stamp battery - life testers keep an eye on a exact script , let in shots with and without heartbeat , until the battery dies.—Tested in conjunction with the PC World Test Center
specifications
Macworld’s buying advice
Compared with other 3 - CCD MiniDV camcorders — including the framework it replaces — the Panasonic PV - GS320 is a deal . Despite some design quirks , the video performance and mellow - quality TV and still shot make this camcorder a ripe option for the great unwashed who need bully - look television without paying high definition prices .
[ James Galbraith isMacworld ’s lab director . ]
