Smiles...all around the room....Panasonic
Written: Dec 04 '99 (Updated Apr 07 '00)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: EXCEEDS expectations at a fair price
Cons: I only got to borrow it for a couple of days
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| Bonies7's Full Review: Panasonic PV-L559 VHS-C Analog Camcorder |
There is something magical that happens when you get a piece of video equipment that exceeds your expectations. You open the box...and the instructions are surprisingly easy to follow. You turn on the unit...and the buttons are well placed and easy to access when necessary. You hit the record function and the unit records flawlessly... and with great video quality. And you smile...because its working like you hoped it would.
That's the magic of this particular Panasonic Palmcorder...they call it the PalmSight system. First (and foremost) it is lightweight - so very important when you're filming for more than a few seconds. The built in LCD screen is a full color screen with approximately three inches of viewing space and it even tilts up and down a full 180 degrees...perfect when you are trying to shoot over someone who is standing in front of you at a sporting event of your son or daughter.
Secondly...it has a nifty feature they call Digital EIS Stabilization...that allows you to get a good, clear, steady shot when you yourself are moving the camera. If you're anything like me...you have no desire to have a "Blair Witch Project" motion sickness video as the final result of your efforts...and Panasonic has thankfully thought long and hard about how to overcome that common error us laymen make again and again.
This unit also has all the electronic features and labeling bells and whistles that you'd expect from a unit that cost several hundred dollars more. You can title images....add a date and the time effortlessly...and fade to black just like the pros. It even allows you to control the camera with a small hand held remote...perfect when you want to get everyone in the video....including the videographer.
The unit uses the VHS-C format...which records 30 minutes of top quality video on the SP format or 90 minutes on the LP format. The cassette costs around $5 and slips easily into a VHS convertor for instant viewing through a VCR. But the REALLY nice thing is that you can playback the recording instantly on the LCD screen....saving you a ton of time if you want to check your recording without taking the tape out of the system. In fact - you can even hook the unit up to a VCR and make a tape of the tape in the machine. Double prints...so to speak....at the touch of a couple of buttons.
Can you tell I'm a fan of this unit? I am....big time.
Why?
Because it EXCEEDED my expectations...and offers a great price/value ratio. In fact, not only were my subjects smiling in the videos that this camera produced - but I was smiling as well behind the camera.
Its VERY nice to be pleasantly surprised by an electronics unit...which happens way too seldom these days.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
Bonies7
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Member: Jeff Clow
Location: The Lone Star State
Reviews written: 132
Trusted by: 1018 members
About Me:
Father, Husband, Consultant, Photographer, Writer, Conservative, Inquisitive, Texan
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