Panasonic PV-GS320

Clear, crisp video – especially outdoors – makes the Panasonic PV-GS320 a reviewer favorite. Experts and users both praise the Panasonic's excellent image stabilizer, which limits hand shake. The PV-GS320 records to miniDV tapes, an older format that is inexpensive and allows for fine-tuned editing, but which does have its drawbacks -- such as the slow, tedious process of transferring video from the tapes to a computer. Although it offers much finer manual control than mini-models like the Pure Digital Flip Mino (*est. $150), the PV-GS320 lacks some useful features that are common in its price range. There is no microphone jack, for example, and users say the built-in microphone can produce garbled sound if people don't speak directly into it. There is no focus ring, and testers dislike the joystick Panasonic has substituted for manual focusing. Despite its lack of features, the Panasonic PV-GS320 is still one of the more expensive standard-definition camcorders on the market.

CamcorderInfo.com's review of the Panasonic PV-GS320 is extremely thorough and lengthy, and the site's ratings chart ranks it alongside dozens of high-definition and standard-definition camcorders. Consumer Reports offers similarly thorough tests and rankings, but its individual write-up on the Panasonic PV-GS320 is brief, and only subscribers can read the report. Reviews at CNet and Macworld don't directly compare the Panasonic PV-GS320 with other camcorders, but the reviews are thoughtful and critical, and they include numeric ratings. User reviews at Amazon.com are a good place to find out how the Panasonic PV-GS320 performs in real life.