Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #97939 in Camera & Photo
• Brand: Panasonic
• Model: PV-GS70
• Released on: 2003-06-10
• Dimensions: 3.00" h x 2.75" w x 5.25" l, 1.06 pounds
• Display size: 2.5

Features

• 3CCD MiniDV camcorder with 10x optical and 700x digital zoom with electronic image stabilization
• 480K pixel resolution on each CCD for 1.3 MP total resolution; Leica Dicomar lens
• 2.5-inch color, swivel LCD, cinema mode, MPEG4 video
• Saves digital stills to SD memory card; 8 MB card included
• Connects to PCs and Macs via Firewire (IEEE1394); USB transfer for stills

Amazon.com Product Description
The stylish, ultracompact Panasonic PVGS70 digital video camcorder boasts a 3CCD camera system that's the same used in Panasonic's professional broadcasting equipment. It also offers such advanced features as 1-megapixel still image resolution, MPEG4 video capability, and a Leica Dicomar lens.

Optics
The PVGS70 utilizes a 7-element, multi-coated Leica Dicomar lens that preserves your videos and still images with a high level of detail and subtlety. The 3CCD system uses a separate CCD for the reds, greens, and blues that compose an image and delivers high-fidelity color reproduction--up to 540 lines of resolution.

The PVGS70 also utilizes quad-density pixel distribution technology, which was originally developed for broadcast-quality cameras to help maximize picture quality. It utilizes vertical and horizontal pixel shifting to yield improved clarity and performance.

The camcorder is equipped with a 10x optical zoom, and also features a 700x digital zoom that allows you to zoom in on incredible close-ups.

Digital Stills and MPEG4 Video
Each CCD delivers 460K pixels that, when combined with the quad-density pixel distribution, captures up to a 1-megapixel still image (1280 x 960 pixels). You can also record MPEG4 video, which uses a higher compression setting and is great for posting to a Web site or e-mailing to friends and family.

Still images and MPEG4 video are stored on the included 8 MB Secure Digital (SD) memory card, and can be transferred to your PC via USB connectivity (compatible with both USB 1.1 and 2.0).

More Features
The camcorder also doubles as a Web cam when connected via USB to your PC. The picture-in-picture feature allows you to insert a previously taken digital still image into the video that is being recorded, to enhance the aesthetics of the final cut of the video.

The cinema mode enables you to record video in wide screen mode, giving you a 16:9 aspect ratio that's the same as a movie screen. When played back on a television the result is dramatic looking cinema-like movies at home.

Other features include:

• 2.5-inch tiltable LCD screen.
• External microphone jacks allow for professional sound recording.
• Remote control features include playback with special effects, zoom, and slow motion.
• S-Video in/out; analog in.

Inputs and Outputs
The PVGS70 comes with the standard DV IEEE 1394 port (also known as FireWire; Panasonic refers to this connection as iLink) for a super-fast, lossless connection to a PC or other DV machines.

MiniDV Format
MiniDV is the preferred format for personal and broadcast-quality video, highly regarded for its high audio and image quality. With 540 lines of horizontal resolution and minimum color noise, MiniDV delivers a 20 percent clearer picture than analog camcorder formats. This is all delivered on a cassette that's 1/12th the size of a standard VHS tape. A MiniDV tape offers digital recording time of 2 full hours--20 times the capacity of a CD.

Contents
This package includes the PVGS70 camcorder, 8 MB SD memory card, AC adapter, battery pack, shoulder strap, A/V cable, USB cable, wireless remote control, wired remote control, lens cap, and software.

Customer Reviews

Almost a Perfect Ten but...
I got this camera from [store] and had to return it for reasons explained below.
Pros: Incredibly small for a 3CCD, it almost fits in your pocket. Excellent color reproduction. Great price. Long life on the battery included.
Cons: There is only one problem with this model but it is a huge defect and basically a deal breaker, the image stabilizer does not work at all. In fact Panasonic should delete that feature from their specs because it is totally misleading. A tiny sized camera requires a better stabilizer. Oh, I know what you are thinking: "I have a rock steady hand...perhaps I can handle this camera" but think again, I am a professional cameraman with very steady hands and this camera is useless w/o a tripod. You absolutely can not walk while videotaping (as I often do while traveling). Hand held zooming is shaky and unusable. Videotaping handheld even using the wideangle will always render too many blurred scenes which you will have to edit painstakingly later. The only place this camera would work is inside a Studio and using a professional tripod. The good news is that the sister model, the 3CCD Panasonic PV-DV953, has an "optical stabilizer" which is supposed to be better but it will cost you twice as much! Still at $$$$ it is still a decent price if you compare it with the older 3CCD camcorders ($$$$ and up). Best advice I can give you is to wait until the unit price drops and to try it before you buy it. Bring a blank DV tape to your favorite store and test everything, including the stabilizer. (Oh, yes, and don't bother reading Consumer Reviews that bestow all 5 stars to any product here, you might as well read an ad from the manufacturer, it will be more accurate and just as bias) :-)

3CCDs + 1MP stills + price = excellent value!
at a list price of less than a thousand bucks and a street price of under eight hundred, the panasonic pv-gs70 is an incredible value. there is no other 3CCD camcorder in the market today that will come close to the gs70's price point. i compared this with the sony pc-105 and trv-33 and in my opinion, the panasonic pv-gs70 comes out on top. here's why:

pros:
- the video quality is amazing. color reproduction is amazing - having 3CCDs definitely make a difference here.
- although not the smallest camcorder out there, the design is compact and the this camcorder weighs just a shade over 1 lb.
- 1 MP still capability. for still pics, no camcorder will beat a decent digital camera but it's nice to know that in a pinch, you can use your camcorder to capture stills.
- miniDV media is widely supported.
- great connectivity options: firewire, USB, S-video, headphone, mic input, etc.
- leica dicomar lens.
- magic pix function - allows video capture even for very low light situations (just don't expect quality footage).
- built in pop-up flash for taking photos.
- ability to record mpeg videos directly to SD card.
- the built-in mic zooms to your target in coordination with the lens.
- top-loading cassette mechanism - this is very convenient as it means that you don't have to remove the camcorder from the tripod when it's time to load a new tape.
- the price. 3CCDs at this price point is just a huge bargain.

cons:
- the accessory shoe is not a hot shoe; this means that while you can get a third party video light, the camcorder will have absolutely zero interaction with the light. contrast this with sony, which has some video lights that will even adjust light intensity automatically depending on inputs from the camcorder. with the gs70, this is not possible.
- very limited accessory list from panasonic.
- it would have been nice to get a bigger 3.5" LCD.
- no built in video light but you can get third party lights. oddly enough, when i emailed panasonic about an optional video light, they responded that they don't make video lights for this camcorder. very strange.
- you could do better on the still photo department. for example, sony's trv80, trv70, and panasonic's pv-dv953 have 2MP+ capability but those camcorders are bigger, heavier, and cost more.
- image stabilization is electronic. it would have been nice if an optical system was used.
- the included 16MB SD card is barely adequate. be prepared to shell out more money for more memory.

this would be my perfect camcorder if it had a 3.5" lcd and at least a 2 megapixel still capability. but that's the tradeoff if you want a miniDV camcorder at this price point while having 3CCDs as well as all the other features this camcorder has.

if you're looking for a camcorder first and not a camcorder/still camera combo (which i don't recommend anyway), the panasonic pv-gs70 should be on your short list. video quality is unmatched by any 1CCD camcorder and definitely not at this price point. enjoy!

Nice, but...
Nice camera for all of the above stated reasons. One serious flaw for a highly portable camera, DURABILITY. This camera can not tolerate humid / moist environments. I was overseas and used the camera sporadically. Some of the environs were misty weather (NOT raining). Upon returning state-side, I discovered the camera was dead. Panasonic repair returned the camera as a total loss, stating that there was water damage to the mainboard, which was irreparable. A total loss, NOT COVERED by warranty on a camera that is otherwise in immaculate condition and 80 days old. A tech person at Panasonic confided that all that needs to occur is a drop of condensation to form on a ribbon cable. If it does, it will track down the ribbon cable to the board and kill it. They did offer to give me a new camera at a price that was more expensive than what I paid for it (at Beach Camera).

Other commentors have complained of problems after minor drops of the camera. For a highly portable camera, this really isn't acceptable.