Performance

Video resolution on the PV-GS320 is enhanced by the use of optical image stabilization (OIS) which helps to reduce blurring caused by hand shake, while virtually eliminating image degradation that can occur with electronic image stabilization.  The PV-GS320 is so small and light at 515 grams (1.13 lbs.) with battery and tape that hand shake becomes a serious issue for all but the most steely-nerved shooter.  Panasonic is the top producer of plasma high definition displays and they are very concerned about the sharpness of video their camcorders produce.  Therefore, they now offer OIS on virtually all their camcorders, making OIS a standard feature.  We think that is an excellent move.  OIS on the PV-GS320 is functional in both the 4:3 and 16:9 video modes as well as in still photo mode.**
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**Low Light Performance
**Panasonic has boosted its low light sensitivity rating for the PV-GS320 to 8 lux.  That means even better low light sensitivity than the PV-GS300.  However, we were unable to substantiate that rating considering the high light levels in the convention hall. Low light testing in the review of the PV-GS300 showed an fair amount of noise, but good color information retention.

 

 

Format

**Compression
**The PV-GS320 records a 25 Mbps interlaced video and audio stream in Digital Video (DV) format to 1/4in. MiniDV tape.  DV uses a 720 x 480 pixel, standard definition frame size in both 4:3 and 16:9 modes. DV has been around longer than any consumer format still in major use, and uses a higher data rate than MPEG-2 and MPEG-4 compressions used in standard definition DVD, HDD, and flash memory camcorders.

**Media
**MiniDV tape is the only recording media used by the PV-GS320 for video.  It also records digital still pictures to SD or SDHC cards.  Panasonic provides no media in the box with the PV-GS320 – a small annoyance that’s still worth mentioning.

**Editing
**Panasonic supplies two rudimentary software editing packages for Windows with the PV-GS320.  MotionDV Studio 5.6J LE is the primary video capture and editing software.  A less complex editing software called Quick Movie Magic 1.0J is also provided for those users that require a little more hand-holding.  Neither of these software packages can take you from DV on tape to MPEG2 on DVD.  If you want to edit the video and make a DVD, you will have to purchase one of the many video editing and DVD authoring applications on the market.  If you own a Mac, you will have to use the iMovie software that comes with the Mac because Panasonic does not provide Mac-compatible software with the camcorder.

Tour

**The Front
**The most prominent aspect of the front of the PV-GS320 is its Leica Dicomar lens.  The lens has a 10X zoom, an aperture of F1.8, and a focal length of 3 to 30mm.  Filters in 37mm diameter mount to the lens hood or directly to the lens barrel with the hood removed.  To the bottom left of the front is the stereo microphone.

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The Right Side

At the front of the right side is the proprietary audio-video jack, which is hidden behind a soft gray rubber cover.  The AV jack provides stereo audio, composite video, and S-video through an included multi-cable.  The 20mm round speaker is located about midway back from the front.  Just behind the speaker is the reset button and to the rear of the reset button is the auto-manual-focus switch.

The Back

At the top left on the back of the PV-GS320 is the 110K pixel electronic color viewfinder.  The viewfinder can be pulled out from the body of the camcorder by about an inch to help clear a larger battery.  It does not tilt, however.  At the top right of the back is the power on-off slider switch.  A 1.7 second quick start feature is also offered via the menu.  Just below the power switch is a button for activating the menu display on the LCD/EVF.  Below the menu button is the mode dial.  Operating modes include video record, tape playback, photo shot, photo shot playback, and PC mode which is used to transfer still pictures from the camcorder to the computer over USB.  In the center of the mode dial is the joystick control for navigating the menus and selecting options.  The joystick control was introduced by Panasonic several years ago and is one of the best methods for navigating through the various operating controls and manual shooting functions that we have seen. Notably, several camcorder manufacturers have since adopted joysticks controls for their own products.  To the left of the mode dial is the record/pause pushbutton.  Both the joystick and record/pause button are well placed for operation using the thumb of the right hand.

To the left of the record/pause button is the battery cavity.  A VSB0494 7.2V 640mAh battery is included with a VW-VBD120-H 7.2V 1150mAh being suggested for longer record times.  The battery cavity is compatible with the current DU series of Panasonic batteries so inexpensive alternatives are already available for a second battery.  Inside the battery cavity are the AC power coaxial jack, the USB 2 high speed, and the IEEE1394 (Firewire) ports.  Note that the battery must be removed and the camcorder placed on AC power in order to transfer video or still photos to the computer.  This arrangement makes using the PV-GS320 inconvenient if you want to shoot directly to computer hard drive using IEEE1394.**

The Left Side**

The most prominent feature on the left side is the 2.7 in., 123K pixel, color LCD panel.  The LCD panel can be rotated around its mounting axis to afford a better view if the camcorder is above or below eye line.

**The Top
**At the top front of the PV-GS320 is the tape transport sliding latch.  When the latch is pushed forward, the tape transport clamshell may be opened to the right to allow a MiniDV tape to be inserted into or removed from the transport mechanism.  At the rear of the top is the zoom slider which is used to control the range and speed of the zoom lens.  The zoom slider is easy to operate with the index finger while holding the camcorder in the right hand.  In comparison to the rocking levers offered, in particular by Sony, the slider lacks some refinement and sensitivity - but its serviceable enough.  Just to the rear of the zoom slider and in front of the power switch is the still photo button.

Auto / Manual Controls

Picture & Manual Control

Automatic Control

Panasonic incorporates complete automatic focusing and exposure controls in the PV-GS320.  Automatic control seemed to function as well as other Panasonic models I have used, which is to say, very well.  Point and shooters will enjoy using this little camcorder, and will produce video that rivals any other DV camcorder on the market in auto mode.

Overall M*anual Control*

For those shooters who want more control over their shooting parameters, the PV-GS320 allows a lot of latitude, a characteristic that Panasonic is well known for.  The user can set exposure through manual iris and shutter adjustments and can manually focus if desired.  All of the manual functions are accessed using the joystick controls and on-screen menus.

*Zoom
*The PV-GS320 has a 3mm to 30mm 10X optical zoom (45.6 to 456mm 35mm equivalent in 4:3 and 46.7 to 467 35mm equivalent in 16:9).  The lens aperture drops from F1.8 to F2.8 as it is zoomed.  The loss in aperture size makes the imaging system less light sensitive as the lens is zoomed in towards the telephoto end of its range.  In addition to the optical zoom, the PV-GS320 is equipped with a digital zoom (a method of enlarging the image electronically).  The digital zoom can be capped at 25x, or set to the full 100x

*Focus
*Focus operations on the PV-GS320 are fully automatic through its entire exposure range.  Focus response is similar to previous Panasonic models, which is to say fast, but lacking subtlety.  Full manual control over focus is provided through the joystick control on the rear of the camcorder.  When manual focus is engaged, icons appear on the LCD/EVF to guide the shooter in setting focus direction.  The PV-GS320 can focus as close as 3.5cm in normal mode and as close as 50cm in telemacro mode.

*Exposure & Aperture
*The iris on the PV-GS320 operates from F1.8 to F16 automatically when light levels are sufficient.  If light levels drop to the point that a fully open iris (F1.8) can no longer maintain exposure, the automatic exposure control on the PV-GS320 adds gain (electronic amplification) to maintain correct image brightness.  The PV-GS320 will add up to 18dB of gain which is equivalent to three f-stops, before image brightness can no longer be maintained.  This is Panasonic's standard interface for exposure and aperture, and it makes sense once you get the hang of it.

Shutter Speed

The PV-GS320 has a shutter range of 1/60-1/8000 seconds in video mode and 1/30-1/3000 seconds in still photo mode.  In automatic exposure mode, the shutter is normally set at 1/60 second.  However, the exposure control can increase the shutter speed automatically to help the iris control exposure in bright light.

White Balance

White balance is a camcorder function that analyzes the amount of red, green and blue light that is required to make a white object appear white when recorded.  White balance is an important function because, without it, objects may take on an unpredictable hue when recorded in lights of different color temperatures such as daylight and incandescent light.  When the PV-GS320 is in automatic mode, white balance is set automatically when the camcorder is first turned on and is then adjusted during recording as light temperatures change.  The user has full manual control over white balance if the automatic white balance cannot adjust for the light temperature in the shot.

Gain

The PV-GS320 employs electronic amplification (gain) to increase the brightness of the recorded image when light levels drop below the ability of the iris to maintain correct exposure.  Since the iris cannot open wider than F1.8, when light levels drop to the point that would call for the iris to open further, the PV-GS320 begins to electronically amplify the image brightness.  Gain is added in 1dB steps with each 6dB of gain being equivalent to one f-stop.  Gain may be added automatically up to 18dB, which is equivalent to three f-stops.  The user also has the capability of manually adjusting the gain when the operating mode is set to manual.  In manual control, gain is adjusted using the joystick with each 1dB step requiring a joystick move.  So, increasing gain to the maximum of 18dB requires 18 moves of the joystick.

*Other Manual Controls *

The PV-GS320 does not feature any additional manual controls**

Still Features

**Still Features            
**The PV-GS320 records still pictures at resolutions up to 3.1 megapixels in size.  In 4:3 mode, the camcorder can take still images of 2048 × 1512, 1600 × 1200, 1280 × 960 and 640 × 480 pixels.  In 16:9 mode, the camcorder can take still images sized at 2048 × 1152, 1280 × 720, and 640 × 360.  Still pictures of 1280 x 960 and 1280 x 720 may be taken to the SDHC card while simultaneously shooting video.

Handling and Use

**Ease of Use
**Automatic controls on the PV-GS320 make it very easy for point and shooters to use.  When a user feels more adventurous, the manual functions are easily accessed using the menus and joystick navigation.  Optical image stabilization virtually eliminates handshake while maintaining image quality.

Handling

The PV-GS320 is a compact, light camcorder that sits easily in a small hand.  The normal operating controls such as zoom, photoshot, record/pause and joystick are easily accessed.  Panasonic's manual control interface is not as approachable as those offered by some manufacturers, in particular Sony, with its practically idiot-proof touch screen interface.  However, Panasonic camcorders like the PV-GS320 offer infinitely more image control to the practiced user.

Menu

The menu system is logically arranged into a series of pages.  The location of the user in menus with multiple pages is indicated by a page number out of the total number of pages.  For example, if a user was on page 2 of a set of 4 pages, the location is indicated by 2/4.  Selection of options works either by moving the joystick to highlight the option icon or by pushing in on the joystick.

LCD and Viewfinder

The LCD is very bright with saturated colors.  Although the LCD is 16:9 in aspect ratio, 4:3 video may be displayed through pillarboxing (black bars on the left and right).  I found both the LCD and EVF displays to be very sharp and easy to see.

Audio / Playback / Connectivity

Audio

Stereo audio is recorded in either 12 or 16 bit resolutions at a 48 KHz sample rate.  Panasonic internal microphones are quite sensitive and have good dynamic range.  There is no control over the automatic gain control (AGC) or microphone level.

Playback

Video may be played back directly to a television using the provided audio-video multi-cable over either composite or S-video connections.  Stereo audio is also available on the multi-cable. The joystick double-functions as the playback controls.

Connectivity

The PV-GS320 has a range of ports that includes USB 2 high speed, IEEE1394, and analog audio-video.  However, using the USB and IEEE1394 ports requires removing the battery and powering the camcorder from the AC supply.  There are no ports for an external microphone input or headphones.

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Other Features

Other Features

Panasonic provides a low light, color recording mode called MagicPix that improves the sensitivity of the PV-GS320 in very low light.  It comes with a price, however, because it uses a shutter speed as low as 1/4 second.  At shutter speeds this low, any motion becomes a blur.  Therefore MagicPix mode should only be used for very still scenes.

Comparisons / Conclusion

**Conclusion
**It comes as no surprise that Panasonic has reduced its 3CCD MiniDV camcorder line to one model.  High definition is the future and Panasonic makes no excuses about investing its efforts in high quality HD.  Also, the workflow associated with videotape is a real-time process.  Transferring video from tape to a computer for editing requires the same amount of time as the recording did originally.  DVD, SD, and hard disk drive storage offer random access to recorded clips on-camera,  and rapid transfer of the video from the media to computer. Standard definition DV still out-performs DVD video, but market trends indicate that DV's lifespan is reaching its end. 

So, the PV-GS320 is among the last vestiges of old DV tape technology.  Panasonic saved most of the prosumer features for its new technology camcorders.  If you buy the PV-GS320, you will get a no-frills, 3CCD, point and shoot MiniDV tape camcorder.  Buyers looking for this type of camcorder will get top DV quality at a bargain basement price.**

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Specs/Ratings

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