I recently decided to purchase a video camera and went through hours upon hours of research both on the internet and in stores. In the end, I purchased this camera with the knowledge that while I wouldn't get HD quality, I would get a camera that provided results far superior to what the price tag would suggest.
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br /I've used this camera in a number of situations and will describe a few of them below. However, I have to say first and foremost that the optical zoom on the Panasonic GS80 is ridiculously good. I tried it when I was in the store and zoomed in on the price tag of a product that was easily 20 feet away. I could not only read the price, but also the small product numbers on the store's price display tag. It really is as good as you would think it is when you read, "32x Optical Zoom."
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br /=== Indoors (Low Light) ===
br /The night I purchased the camera, I unpackaged it, charged the battery, and promptly used it to film my friends' band during a nighttime practice. The practice was held in their basement with low lighting and the camera performed admirably. The results definitely had some graininess to them as compared to later videos I took in sunlight or even brighter indoor light, but the grain was also definitely less than my digital point-and-shoot (which I paid twice as much for a couple of years ago) would produce in the same situation. I was surprised by how much color the camera still captured and the sound was great.
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br /=== Indoors (Regular Light) ===
br /We went to a children's museum with our niece and brought the video camera along. All day long, I captured great videos of our niece playing. The "normal" light of the museum was more than adequate and the colors and sharpness of the video were exactly what I would have expected. The microphone did a great job of capturing my niece and very little of the ambient noise inherent in a children's museum.
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br /=== Outdoors (Sunny) ===
br /We went to one of the local farms for National Alpaca Day and had an opportunity to take a lot of footage of the alpacas roaming around outside. Not only were the colors and captures great up close, but I also got a lot of great footage at about a 20x zoom. Also, there were several times when I was recording movement from outside to inside the barn area and the camera recovered quickly when going from the bright light of the outside sun to the low light inside the barn; probably less than a one second recovery time for the picture to clear up.
br /
br /=== College Football Game (Night, Outdoors) ===
br /I smuggled my video camera into a college football game and hoped for the best. I really didn't know what to expect because while I was close to the field (about 15 rows up), I was also in an endzone, meaning the opposite side of the field was 100+ yards away.
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br /I started filming the game and couldn't believe how well the camera reacted. I would start many plays zoomed in on the quarterback and then, when the play started, I would zoom out and follow the play as it developed. Many times, on a passing play, I'd follow the ball and then I'd zoom in again to focus on the receiver and the play after the catch. On every play, the camera zoomed perfectly and the only time I missed a play, it was my fault, not the camera's.
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br /The colors and fast-paced action were captured beautifully and I was flat-out stunned at what the camera could do. On one particular play, I managed to zoom in on the quarterback, even though he was completely on the opposite side of the field. The capture was still crisp and had minimal shake, despite being over 20x zoom.
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br /For the heck of it, during a break in the action, I zoomed all the way to 32x and it was enough to capture just the head of a marching band member who was sitting in the stands beyond the opposite end zone.
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br /To say I was happy with the results would be a huge understatement.
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br /There are, obviously, some downsides to this camera. You can't get a camera for this price tag without having at least a few negatives.
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br /One of the biggest negatives for me is the actual placement of the microphone. I love how well the microphone captures audio, but the particular way I like to hold the camera (with my left hand under the camera, towards the front) often has me putting my left hand index finger over the microphone. I have to remind myself to keep my hand completely under the camera and as long as I remind myself, I'm fine. If I don't, then the audio is obviously muted on playback. I wish they had put the microphone somewhere else so that I didn't have to remember this.
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br /Another negative is that the hookup for the transfer of video to your computer is behind the battery, which means you not only have to remove the battery for the transfer, you also have to plug the camera into an electrical outlet. This wouldn't be TOO bad if the electrical hookup required fewer than three parts (outlet to charger cord, battery charger, charger to camera cord). However, because the electrical hookup DOES require these three parts, it's kind of a pain in the butt.
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br /Still, despite these negatives, I couldn't be overall happier with my purchase. Things like the ease of adjusting camera settings, changing tapes, and quick start-up time are more than enough to make up for the negatives I've outlined. For $300, I got the camera, tapes, and a case and I would do it all over again in a heartbeat.
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br /Lastly, I've used Adobe Premiere Elements to edit my videos and have been ecstatic with the results. I worked up a DVD of my niece's first birthday party and anxiously dropped it into the DVD player that's hooked up to my HDTV. I was expecting "good enough" quality, but what I got surprised both me and my fiancee.
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br /First, thanks to the widescreen format of the camera, the picture filled the HDTV, which was great. And the picture itself was great. On our HDTV, we get both HD channels and "regular" channels. The HD channels are crystal clear, as one would expect, and the "regular" channels are fine. The DVD I had made pretty much fell in-between these two types of channels. So, while the Panasonic GS80 won't produce HD-quality videos, you'll get better than "normal" TV from it and it's hard to ask for much more from amateur home videos off a video camera that's this inexpensive.
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br /If you already own a digital video camera and are looking to make the next step, you might want a bit more than what this camera can offer you. However, if you're looking for a great entry-level digital video camera, you can't go wrong with the Panasonic GS80.
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br /NOTE: If you do not have a Firewire Pci card in your computer (needed to download your movies to your computer), I highly recommend the TRENDnet Usa TFW-H3PI 3PORT Firewire Pci Card Adapter with 6FT Firewire Cable from Amazon. For the price, you can't beat it!

This camera is a wonderful option to someone new to videography and filmaking. It offers basic features, while packing a mighty punch in performance.
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br / Heres the GOOD:
br /1.)GREAT video quality for a camera in this price range
br /2.)Firewire compatible
br /3.)very useful Optical Image Stabalizer(O.I.S.)
br /4.)VERY easy and SIMPLE to use
br /5.)comfortable "one touch" joystick navagation
br /6.)feels sturdy and fits in palm nicely
br /7.)Mini DV tape loads from the TOP of the unit(helps with use of tripod)
br /8.)Crystal clear 2.7 inch LCD screen
br /9.)you don't hear motor noise.(which tends to be a problem with cameras in this price range.)
br /10.)Small design which makes it easy to travel with
br /
br / Heres the BAD:
br /1.) Battery isnt very good..only about 1-2 hours max recordong time with the LCD flipped open(however, compensating for use of the eyepiece will significantly save battery.)
br /2.)At Max zoom O.I.S. isnt 100% effective
br /3.)Removable Lens cap..(they say if you don't remove the cap before powering the camera on, then that will mess up the white balance sensor..although i havent tested that claim)
br /4.)You have to remove the battery to have access to the fireiwre port, thus needing to plug another adapter into the camera to recive power from the wall.
br /5.) Eyepiece does not flip up at an angle, insted it only pulls out about 1/2 inch( also, to use the eyepiece, the LCD has to be closed and it isnt diffucult to lean in too close to the eyepice and accidentally push it back in, which will power off the camera, which tends to get annoying.)
br /6.)Low light performance isnt very impressive( but it still does a decent job.)
br /
br /My Thoughts:
br / This Camcorder is deffinatly something to consider if you are a begginer in filmakking(me), or if you just want something inexpensive to record those speacial moments with. I REALLY like this camera, and right now it goes everywhere with me(almost! lol) and the deisgn is wonderful! At a glance, one would never imagine that this is a "lower end" camera. By "lower end" I simply mean "Entry Level." There really is nothing significantly bad with this camera's performance. I highly reccomend it. But there is one catch for those PC users out there. YOU NEED FIREWIRE!!(if you want to edit your footage) Get a firewire card from Amazon. I bought one here for 23 bucks and it came with a cable!! I saw the same card at best buy for 35$( Cable not included, which runs another 20$-50$!! that's ridiculous!!) So go ahead. For the price of this camera, and all you get, you really cant go wrong.
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This is a camera that is very very easy to use. I was amazed by the colour quality even at a very low light. I took a movie at my nephew's theater play and the contrasts and crispness of the picture are just wonderful. The zoom is also very clear and crisp. Putting it onto my iMovie was also a piece of cake.
br /The only down point is that the still image mode is worthless, but if you need that you should buy the next level up which has a memory card slot.
br /I highly recommend this camera

I compared this camera against the GS85 and the GS320, I found the OIS to be exactly the same on all three models, as is the body, the GS320 at 500 bucks DOES give you a leica lens, it's true. But comparing the picture from these three proved to me that the GS80 gives better blacks and a more colorful image, at 279, its a great deal.
br /Its important to note that all three of these cameras come with firewire as standard, something thats lacking on Camcorders of almost any price range by other manufacturers. Firewire is essential for video editing, make sure that whichever Camcorder has Firewire and not USB!

I have other camcorders, but this one is my favorite.
br /Panasonic PV-GS80 is very easy to use, light weight and produces an amazing crisp movies and still pictures.
br /In my opinion, this is the best camcorder with these superb features, for this price.
br /Even using Panasonic PV-GS80 in the dark, produced very satisfactory results.
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br /It has a powerful optical zoom. The audio is amazing especially the audio zoom.
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br /The other features that impressed me are:
br /- Superior Optical Image Stabilizer(O.I.S.)
br /- Very quite camera, you hardly hear any noise.
br /- Small smooth design and light weight, perfect to take it any where.
br /- Amazing 2.7 inch LCD screen.
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br /
br /However, as with most camcorders, the battery life is usually not enough in some situations. It is essential to get an extra battery to be safe.
br /
br /I strongly recommend Panasonic PV-GS80 MiniDV Camcorder.
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I had previously purchased a JVC GRD770, for qualities pretty much similar to this Panasonic, except in a couple of areas.
br /The JVC had better close-focus ability, with its tele-macro setting, and some of the controls for manually over-riding the auto settings seemed easier to get to and implement.
br /That said, I found the ever-present motor noise of the JVC too intrusive for any kind of decent amateur nature filming... which led me to look for this PV-GS80. NO motor humming at all and so far as I can tell, equally good video quality, even in low light.
br /Another advantage: the Optical Image Stabilization, which is superior to the electronic stabilization of the JVC and others. I do get smoother hand-held video with this one, as opposed to the jerkiness of the digitally stabilized solution.
br /My main personal gripe about most ALL consumer level video cameras even into the near $1K range is the lack of a microphone jack to allow external microphone usage. Even the cheapest old VHS units had That! Sheesh!
br /Oh, and one More little gripe: While having to remove the battery from the unit for access to the firewire port doesn't bother me All that much, as it forces AC powering during video transfer, forestalling failure due to power loss, but why -oh Why?- can't the battery be recharging in the charger/AC unit simultaneous to powering the camera? Having to charge the battery separately just means it takes twice as long to offload/recharge and get back to shooting. The only solution is to Buy a Second recharging/AC unit.

I wanted a new camcorder but didn't have a lot of money to spend. After significant research, I chose this one. I'm pretty happy with the choice. This camera has some really good features - especially for this price range - and some not so hot ones. I'll do a "cons" and "pros" list.
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br /Cons:
br /~ The detachable lens cap. Though it's attached with a permanent strap so you can't lose it, it dangles, blew around in the wind and clipped the camcorder (making clicking noises on the video track) and occasionally swung in front of the lens. I plan to fix this pretty simply with a few pieces of velcro.
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br /~ Low-light filming - non-existent. Even indoors with 'normal' lighting, at night, forget it.
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br /~ I had problems pushing in the joystick to access the menu when I was holding the camcorder in "filming" position, with my hand through the strap. I had no problems actually using the joystick once activiated, and no problems activating the menu if I took my hand out of the strap and pushed it directly dead center. Since I never saw any other reviewer mention this, it may very well be because I have short, stubby fingers. I did find this annoying, initially, although after filming hours of footage on a vacation, it became mostly a non-issue as I never found occasion to access the menu while actually filming.
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br /Pros:
br /~ exceptional video quality, on my computer and TV anyway. I don't have high definition TV, so this may or may not make a difference. But on my regular TV, the video quality was amazing ... it looked like "real" TV to me, like a documentary or something. I was extremely impressed with the color, clarity, sharpness, and overall quality of the video - in daylight, outdoors.
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br /~ everyone has dissed the quality of the still pictures. However, I found the couple of still pictures I took to be very good quality and extremely clear - BUT, effectively useless, as they were embedded in my video clips, and I have yet to find any way to extract them as an actual picture. The instruction manual says nothing at all about this. If I can ever figure out how to do this, though, the quality looked good in my video editing software.
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br /~ several useful scene modes and functions - backlight compensation, fade, etc. Nothing fancy, but nice solid useful stuff.
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br /~ the OIS and zoom are amazing. At the ocean I saw a shrimp boat so far out we could barely tell it was a boat. I was able to zoom in so close I could read the name on the boat ("Miss Darlene") and the video was as steady and clear as if I was only 50' away, and using a tripod (which I was not). Really great.
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br /~ Option of filming in widescreen - very nice
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br /~ Small, compact, lightweight; comfortable to hold; simple - the lack of excessive options is actually a bonus to me, I don't want to miss the moment while fiddling with 9,000 options - I want to point and shoot, and do my fancy stuff in my video editing software. In this case, simple is nice, and effective.
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br /~ Firewire download ... nice. I found a firewire cable through Amazon for only $6. And it works perfectly. Shop a little.
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br /Overall, here's the deal: if you can't spend more than $250 or so, and mostly plan to use it for simple family events (vacations, reunions, kids playing outside, etc.), this camera may have slightly limited features, but takes incredible video in good light, and has a good effective array of simple effects and settings. That's why I say "good bang for the buck." However, if you're getting a little more serious about taking creative video, you think you might ever want to film in low light situations, and / or you can up your budget by $100 or more, there are probably better camcorders available.
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br /If this is your price range, though, go for it - I don't think you'll regret it. I haven't - the amazing quality of the video has outweighed most of the cons I've experienced with this camcorder. For my budget at this time, despite the cons I've mentioned, I'm actually very happy with this camcorder.

I had a sony dcr trv250, that really never worked, bad stuff, low quality.
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br /This camera is simple and robust.
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br /May have purchased the GS85 for some small features, but this does a very nice job for the money.
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br /I agree with " T. Hockman "flimaker2380" " in the :
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br /Cons
br /1. Don't like to remove the battery and plug to the ac every time i want do transfer video to the pc, but, so far this is the worst thing i met .
br /2. Low light performance is not that good though i do not do that much .
br /3. Battery life is short, so i'm going to buy a longer life one.
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br /Pros
br /1 .Love not to hear the motor noise !!!!
br /2. Simple to use
br /3. very good video quality
br /4. nice lcd
br /5. compact
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This MiniDV Camcorder is truly an amazing product. The optical image stabilization is incredibly effective, and produces a very smooth picture when zooming in, and panning. I am a prosumer user of video equipment,and am accustomed to the bells and whistles when they are needed. This camcorder functions extremely well as a "Grab and Go" product. Just two basic settings, Play, and Record, and some mighty fine special features to boot. I do wish that this Panasonic had both an external Mic, and Headphone jack, but that's the "Pro" side of me talking, and I am very comfortable doing without when using the PV-GS80. Way to Go Panasonic!!

I agree with most of the reviews here. The camera is very good for the money, and the OIS is quite amazing.
br /Two annoyances that started getting to me after a while:
br /- Startup time: it takes 3 to 4 seconds for the camera to be ready to shoot when you turn it on. I know, it's not that long, but many times I have found it made me miss part of the action.
br /- The white balance takes a while to adjust (1-2 seconds after the camera is ready to shoot). So if you start shooting as soon as the camera is ready, you'll see the color balance change dramatically after a few seconds.
br /
br /It's slightly annoying that you have to use the AC adapter to transfer your videos to the PC, and that you can't charge the battery while you do that! There's probably a good technical reason for that, but from the user's point of view, it's just silly!
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br /All in all, I'm satisfied with the camcorder though.

This is my first camcorder so I dont have anything to compare it with. But overall I am very happy with this product. Allthough I knew in outdoor lighting budget camcorders will do well, the indoor lighting performance in this is surprisingly more than what I expected. I have just started using it with auto settings. The only annoying thing is the lens cap. The manual says to always remove the cap before switching on for the auto gain to work properly. But since the cap needs manual intervention, I sometimes forget to remove and switch on. But I will get used to the routine. Not a big deal. The OIS is wonderful. The zoom is great and quiet. There is no tape motor noise like in some other brands. Wonderful product for this price. Item arrived much faster than expected. Thanks Amazon.

My husband and I wanted to get a camcorder and decided to do some research. After checking with several different review websites and speaking with our media friends, we found that the camcorders with taping capabilities had more options than disc recording. We determined that the Panasonic PV-GS80 was the best deal! Thanks goodness we were right. Together we are having fun with this little guy! It will help us to create memories of our loved one's! It was very simple to read and learn. Not very heavy on the wrists at all! We are not professionals yet, but hope to soon be! This camcorder does take great still pictures and the effects are great! We will next try to connect it to our television. Panasonic is highly recommended by everyone we meet and its product longevity is known to be great! We opted on Sony and JVS because of their non-stop price wars and low-quality products! They were once two of the best companies to buy from but now trying to save money the products they sell are not as good! Panasonic has done it with this camcorder!
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br /If looking for something inexpensive, please consider this camcorder! It was priced in between the range we looked into. Also, a person does not have to be a novice camcorder user! We wanted it for enjoyment and it has proven its use! Our only pet peeve is that it did not come with any tapes or a camcorder bag! We had difficulty getting them via a third-party purchase! Amazon came to the rescue and reimbursed us for our troubles! However, we did purchase them at Wal-Mart for a reasonable price! One other recommendation, get the camcorder bag! The price is still very reasonable and adding the extra costs did not exceed our total price of roughly $300.00. What a Deal! Thanks Amazon! Thanks Panasonic! Thanks again for the wonderful memories!!!
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br /God Bless and Good Luck To You All!!! :)
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This little camcorder is perfect for me, a frequent traveller and grandmother. It's easy to download to my Mac computer, iMovie. I like having a tape as a back up because hard drives can fail and the digital record may be lost. The feeling in my hand seems comfortable. The camera is easy to operate, almost intuitive, and I have never before owned a camcorder. It takes great shots inside at sports events and in my living room. Outdoor shots are good as well.

The camcorder works well and is priced very reasonably. I bought it to replace my aging JVC 520, which is much heavier and larger than this GS80. Love the widescreen recoding feature, although I had to use some hacks with my DVD authoring software to get a widescreen DVD (not a problem of the camcorder, but my DVD software).
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br /The only complains are about audio noise. Sometimes you can still hear the motor noise in the recording. The camcorder also picks up wind noise quite easily. I bought and ebayed a Canon for the motor noise reason. This one is still acceptable, hence the 4 star rating.

This is an excellent video camera if you're a poor student like me, who needs a good video camera for student projects.
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br /It has it's limitations. For example, you are forced to use the AC adapter in order to transfer video from the camera onto your PC. Another thing is that it's not quite as good in low-lighting conditions, but this is fine because most of my films have dramatic lighting anyway. Either way, the video quality is pretty dang good. It's obviously not HD, but it's great for my school films. There are some other annoyances, but they are so minor that they're not even worth mentioning.
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br /Overall, this is a great balance between price and quality. Highly recommended.

First the good. It's solid, built really well. If it weren't for the lack of buttons/controls on this thing you'd think it was a more expensive camera. I like the "square" design much better than the vertical design of some consumer cams. The inclusion of a cold shoe is a nice idea, but what can you really use here other than a cheapo light. If you need a cheapo light you can just buy a GS85 instead. REAL easy to use. Turn it on, decide if you want to shoot widescreen or oldschool style (pick widescreen, it's just the way of things).
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br /The major problem for me was... the colors weren't always on point. I mean, it looked decent, they just weren't accurate. When filming in my well lit kitchen, my blue wall looked grey. I understand this is a budget cam, and for some people that'll be no big deal, but for me I couldn't live with it.
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br /Also, it fits really strangely in the hand. You really need to have a FIRM grip on the top of the cam with your fingers, if you let go, the thing will flop right down due to the location of the handstrap. All in all, I wanted a better camera for what I wanted to do (short films, etc.)
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br /Again, I must say that If i was going to get a point and shooter or recommend one to someone, I'd tell them to get a panasonic for sure. I liked the build, I liked the design, I liked the joystick, and I like the zoom control. The eyepiece even pulls out on this which can be useful. Sometimes when framing a scene, looking thru the eyepiece rather than the viewfinder helps your creative mind do it's thing.
br /
br /I ended up returning this, as I felt I "outgrew" it in about a week. But perhaps my needs were just out of reach for this camera.

I got it for my son based primarily on price. I think a camera with an SD memory card woukd have made things much more convenient.

There are certainly many camcorders in the market with way better quality/features. However, I give it 4/5 because it fulfils my expectations for the price I paid. I bought it also in the thanks giving sale from Bestbuy online for 157$ total. Comparing the price, no other camcorder is a match for it., even at the current amazon price.
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br /It is very compact, has high zoom, excellent color, low noise with many other features yet to explore. Only flaw is it's night vision is not very good like Sony. Still gives fair quality. I give it 4 instead of 5 because I don't like the joy stick control very much, though not a very deal I would be more happy to have conventional buttons.
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br /I see some folks are upset with the computer connectivity issue. I was very cautious with that and did a little research on it. Tape camcorders need an IEEE firewire port to transfer VDO in a computer equipped with firewire connection. As simple as that. If your computer doesn't have a IEEE connector then need to buy a card/wire; Amazon sells that within 20/30$ range. My Dell notebook has an IEEE link unexplored for the past 2.5 years. Now I connected the camcorder and all of my previous VDOs were transferred like magic! How easy it is! For the guys who'll return it and will buy PS-85 model, be careful, the same thing will happen. USB cable is only for transferring still pictures, NOT VDO.
br /
br /I'm very happy with Panasonic. I purchased their FZ-27S that was another pot of gold. Panasonic produces quality products in low prices that have all or more features than their expensive competitors like Sony or Canon.
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One of the things that stood out for me for this camcorder was how easy it was to adjust the Iris, shutter speed and white balance while shooting. Unlike some other camcorders that have you go into menus and sub menus just to adjust for these things, this camera allows you to easily navigate a tiny little circular menu on the bottom right of the screen that allows to quickly adjust the iris, shutter speed, white balance, manual focus, Black light compensation, soft skin mode, record check point, "magicpix" mode and blank search.
br /
br /Its very convenient as you can see right away to the changes you make while adjusting certain settings.
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br /Some samples I made. :)
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br /[...]
br /Panasonic PV-GS80 MiniDV Camcorder with 32x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom
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I have been using this Camcorder for more than 4 months now and all I say is that it was worth the money.
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br /PV-GS80 features Optical image stabilization, 32x optical zoom, 2.7" wide LCD, one-touch navigation and joystick control, and high-speed shutter all in all a nice Camcorder.
br /
br /PROS:
br /
br /(+) Very Good Picture quality, Colors are well balanced and records in full digital glory.
br /(+) Excellent Optical Image Stabilization paired with 32x Optical Zoom makes this device well worth the money
br /(+) For people who have Widescreen TV True 460,000 pixels at 16:9 wide-screen mode makes this camcorder's recording well worth the money.
br /
br /CONS:
br /
br /(-) Battery needs to be removed in order to access the DV Link Interface to transfer DV tape to PC or DVD recorder with IEEE interface.
br /(-) Battery charger stops charging the battery when Camcorder is plugged in - This is a biggest flaw in this design.
br /
br /Suggested to have a spare battery as using the LCD for extended periods of time can drain the battery quickly. You can however use the Color View Finder to gain some battery life.
br /
br /Overall, It is decent product, nice construction, with excellent price value.
br /
br /If you are looking for a cheap MiniDV camcorder this is sure to be the winner in the price range.

Amazon's description says that the GS-80 has a web cam function -- but I just got mine today and after reading the manual I see that the instructions for using the camcorder as a web camera are for PV-GS85 ONLY! Am I missing something here, or is Amazon advertising some false information about this camera?

This was the best gift I could have ever gotten my husband. We recently had our 1st child he was dying for a camcorder to capture all the "1st moments". As soon as he opened his gift it was turned on immediately he got great footage of Baby's 1st Christmas. I don't think he's put it down yet. It goes every where with us he even leaves it close to the bed just in case anything cute happens while he's relaxing. This camera is so easy to use the quality of the video is wonderful. Highly recommend to anyone looking for a great camcorder that's easy to use affordable.

The Panasonic PV-GS80 is a good low end Camcorder, But it's big brother PV-GS85 is a much better buy. You can take pic's and save them on a SD card, It has more features than the 80. Don't buy the 80, buy the 85

I purchased the GS80 about year ago. I find that the unique joystick makes controlling the camera's settings and playback a snap. The fold out view screen has very good picture quality. Same goes for the view finder, which is handy for me since I prefer using the view finder more than the fold out screen to save battery life.
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br /The resultant video quality is very good. Colors are very natural and almost film like. Also the image stabilization feature is very effective. I shot some video on very bumpy roads. Yet the footage held rock steady. Combine the image stabilization with proper shooting techniques and one will get the steadiness of a professional cameraman.
br /
br /There are only two cons I fond with this camera. One of them is short battery life. So if you like to shoot allot of video footage like I do, swap out the stock battery with a 4 hour battery and keep the stock battery as a back up. Also one has to remove the battery from the camera to expose the DV port which makes things a bit inconvenient esp. if one must download video to a laptop while on the go and no nearly AC outlets are available.
br /
br /Overall I find the GS80 to be money well spent. The image quality is quite good and controls are very intuitive. Thus I would recommend this camera to budget minded individuals that want ease of use and a helping hand at achieving good video results.
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br /Sadly, my GS80 was stolen along with my Sony Cybershot. However, I will buy this camera again once my homeowners insurance sends me reimbursement.

I ordered this as a gift for my wife and read as many reviews as the next person before i bought it. I must say that the majority of the reviews given on amazon are pretty accurate. The image quality was great for the average user filming a kids b-day party, day at the park, etc. The price fits it just right for this product. Here's the thing though, it uses tapes. Each one has the capacity of one hour and three tapes cost around twelve bucks. Do the math and depending on how much you plan on using this, you might want to consider a camcorder with a Hard drive (internal memory, no tapes). It's simple really and i found it to be more convienient. However with the price of the Panasonic its hard to resist, but i eventually returned it and replaced it with the Sony DCR-SR42. Check it out, i'm glad i went ahead and spent the extra money. It has great quality and a touch screen which comes in handy! Good luck
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this camera was easy to use once I read the manual. You can take still shots with the picture button. The zoom will let you read a small typed letter from across the room. It is really accurate. Size is a lot more compact than my old vhs camera. I am still not sure how to transfer to computer. Does not come with cable. This is not a bad buy for price and quality of picture if you don't want to spend a bunch and still get a digital camera with image stability.

I think this video camera is very good if you are looking for a relatively inexpensive camera with good picture quality. It is easy to use light weight and has a great zoom.

This is my first video camera and I am happy with it. I bought it because of the band name combined with price and reviews. It isn't the best, from what I understand, but it does everything I need it to do. Don't expect to go make a movie with it but it will capture your important moments just fine.
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br /I am thinking about upgrading to an external mic but I can't seem to find the right one for the right price. So for now, it does just fine.

My major is film and have a super low bugget and cannot afford a canon XL or anything like that right this minute and i need something quickly. this little guy is amazing. If you want something with good quality and has a smaller price range, this baby is it. I am IN LOVE with the O.I.S. my teacher at my college thought I was using a tripod!!! it even has manual focus and I like that, some camcorders don't have that and I use manual a lot. I was very astonished by it's color! it is fantastic I was filimg the 4th of july and what can I say I took some film of the bonfire, great, and some of the fireworks, fantastic. Filming in the dark with the night feature on it was okay, (put a light on it with feature and it's 2x better) I seen better with the night feature but then again with the price it's definately impressive also. The zoom is awesome with its 16x optical. The audio is surpreme especially the audio zoom. what I like about it is the auto-focus is not as sensitive as others which bugs others including myself. Oh and it is the most quiet tape playing camera i have ever heard while being an amatuer pro, can't hardly hear anything unless you REW/FF of course. I use a macintosh and it still works just as good as windows as far as putting it on the computer. I'm glad it has firewire because to me anyway it's better quality when you sync it with the computer. the only bad thing I don't like about it is the battery life which is about 2-3 hours and thats about it. the firewire port is behind the battery (not complaining about that one, but it's kinda weird). Oh, and it does mess up your white balance if you don't take off your lens cap first before you turn it on so watch out for that, but thats not a downside cuz technically your suppose to do that for all cameras. Other than that, this is a excellent budget camera. I highly recommend getting this one. If the GS85 is $20 or more than this one get this one, the other one IS NOT worth it, plus this one has better color that the GS85 (I tested) get it if your on a low budget and want somethin super impressive. Good for first timers with cameras or semi-pros!!! you wont regret it!!! 5 SOLID STARS!

Excellent camcorder. The only thing I would do different is spend the little more it would take to go up to the PV-GS85.

Check the videos on my other reviews to see the quality for yourself.
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br /There's no record light in the front, no remote, and no touch screen. But I still like it better than the Sony DCR-HC42 that gradually became completely non-functional and is waiting to go in for repair.
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br /I like not having to use a docking station - the Sony is awkward, built backwards and has letters engraved in the gray plastic - almost impossible to read unless the station is out in the middle of the desk and in good lighting. Also Not really built for good access if you're doing it by feel and an awkward view of the connector. The off switch is backwards, but it doesn't seem to do anything anyway. Maybe other docking stations are better, but in this comparison, none is better.
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br /The downside, if it is one, is that you have to remove the battery to recharge it and to connect the camera to the computer. The only problem I have is forgetting to unplug the power supply-to-camera cord from the power supply after I'm done uploading the footage. The battery only recharges if the camera cable is unplugged from the power supply, which also serves as the battery charger. It follows that you can't recharge the battery at the same time you're uploading to the computer.
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br /The Panasonic joystick is more convenient than the touchscreen and the menus are easier to get to and manipulate.
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br /I'm a little leery about the fact you're supposed to take off the lens cover before you power it on so it can adjust for lighting conditions. What does this mean when you move from one lighting condition to another?Not a critical issue for me, but maybe for others.

I gave this as a gift and they are extreemly pleased with it. Odering was easy and it arrived in a very timely manner. Everything was perfect. Would recomend ordering this item to everyone.

great camera for backup and even to use as a second camera at weddings or events. the quality is there even if it's too small to use as a main camera.

We purchased this camera for our Daughter and her husband for Christmas last year because we were expecting our first grandchild in January. It has continued to please them and the ease of use and picture quality is great!

This is a great little camera. We bought it a week before we left for a road trip. It is really easy to use. It's light and small, and takes a good picture. We used it both in the car and outside in the wind. It picks up voices really well and doesn't get a lot of road or wind noise. It has a good zoom and the LCD screen is really helpful. We travel a lot and are really glad we got this camera!!!

This is my first Camcorder and it works great. Very easy to use and works with my iMac.

I wasn't sure the amplified antenna would live up to its description but it is great. I am about 30 miles south of Seattle, WA and used to use simple rabbit ears for reception. I could pull in all the local channels, some clearer than others, but only two of the HDTV stations. With the Terk I am receiving all the local analog channels crystal clear as well as several analog channels I did not previously receive. I am also getting all the HD stations associated with the local channels. An excellent investment.

I've never owned a camcorder before and I don't know to much about this kind of thing but so far I like it. The picture is very clear, and its easy to use. It's a very simple camcorder. The battery doesn't last to long and the firewire is inconviently placed behind the battery so you have to take the battery off (a power cord is provided though). The night mode is basically garbage. You can't see anything. The picture mode is pretty bad too. For the money, it provides a very clear picture and is very easy to use.

The camcorder was easy to use and seems to produce a good quality picture. This model does have have USB capability which means that transfering the videos to a computer is a more complex process. The camcorder is user friendly and easy to use.

Sure it's no HD camcorder, but it's cheep and does a good job. I like the design and it's very acessable. I'd reccomend it for the average person who plans on casual home video stuff.

I've just bought this camcorder for my Disney vacation and it was simply great. Very easy to use, ideal for starters. Weight size takes the camcorder anywhere. Price quality, I think it's a very good choice.

The camera takes great pictures but as stated above...IT IS NOT IMMEDIATELY PC COMPATIBLE. There is NO FIREWIRE CABLE INCLUDED...and if you try to pick one up at Circuit City it is another 20-50 bucks...so check out the GS85...I am getting my cable for 5.00 off ebay and will amend my review when I see if it works....

I got this to use as a deck, no way would I intend to use something this stripped down as a main camera. But as far as cheap cameras go it isn't that bad. No real features (such as manual settings, night shot, shoot-to-card/real photo mode). If you're looking for RCA-in (the ability to plug a DVD player, VCR or other device through it to capture non-digital to you computer) it doesn't have that either. Nor does it have a mic jack. Doesn't have any in-camera effects (truth is unless you're a live VJ those really aren't too useful anyway). All I'm really saying is that it handles the limited job I'm asking it to do very well.

I purchased this camera yesterday and will be returning it tomorrow. The PV-GS85 will connect by USB cable but the PV-GS80 will not. I failed to check what I thought would be an obvious minimum feature. Shouldn't a digital camcorder connect to the computer for file transfer. An A/V cable was the only connectivity.
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br /This hot day after Thanksgiving score ended up being not so hot.
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If you read the advertisment it claims that it will connect to your computer. It doesn't. will be returning it.

The price is cheap but it is limited in what a person wants in a camera. Not light features, does not take still pictures, can't down load to a PC. This camera has limited features. Buy a digital camera that has the same features as most camcorder. Thats what I did and saved money plus have way more features than this camcorder did!!!!

The wide screen playback was disappointing on the Panasonic PV-GS80 Mini DV Camcorder. The sides of the screen looked distorted. Other features worked well. Good zoom, but still returned unit.

The camcorder itself is fine; but there are a few things I wish i would have known... First of all, there is no light in this model. You can get a light and a card drive on the next model up... You will also need a fire wire cable to transfer the video to a DVD... This does not work on Laptops unless you have a DVD burner in you laptop. You don't need a firewire to transfer video to a VHS tape, you can use the DV cable (i think thats what its called)... Another thing you should know is that they don't make the BIG VHS tape, where you would put the little tape in... If that makes any sence. I guess its called the tape converter... They don't even make those!!! I wish I would have known that! Poor lighting on the camera...you're better off saving a little more money and getting a better quality camera...
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br /Good luck!

Hooray! Looks like I made a good purchase and actually worth me getting up at 4 am on Black Friday to freeze in a LONG line at Best Buy, lol. I am encouraged by the good reviews this camera is getting. And to top it off, I got the VERY LAST ONE...sigh, it was simply meant to be.

I bought this for my parents, so that they would have something to record sailing trips and grandkids. They have only used it for one trip, but my dad is tickled with it. So far, so good.

I discovered a week after sending the package that the recipient moved and I was not sure where the camera was. I contacted the seller via the feedback option and they contacted me within a couple of hours. Not only did they help me find the package, they even offered to send it to the new address without further trouble.
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br /I promise to have the recipient write a review on the actual camera but if you're hesitant about buying from this seller - don't - they're great!