Panasonic Palmcoder Multicam PV-GS400 Manual, Product Snapshot

PRODUCT SNAPSHOT 
 
Highs:   Fantastic recording quality; high-performance 
integrated still camera; excellent manual controls; big screen. 
Lows:   Voluminous but low quality manual lacks 
needed depth; camcorder’s external casing easily scratched. 
In Brief:  There’s no valid reason not to make the  
Panasonic PV-GS400 your next combo camcorder-camera. 
Rating: 
 (out of 5 stars) 
For More Info: www.panasonic.com.  Now available in 
stores and online.  Suggested Retail Price: $1,499.  (Commonly 
available for several hundred dollars less.)                               
 
Grand Slam Results,  
Low-Ball Price  
 
Panasonic’s PV-GS400 delivers professional-quality 
video performance at a cost easy for camcorder  
enthusiasts to bear. 
 
By Tyson Heyn 
  Ever since the first camcorders debuted in the early 
1980s, a chasm has existed between the quality found in  
professional– and consumer-grade video cameras.  And we’re 
not talking about a sandbox-sized chasm—this is on the scope 
of the grand canyon. 
  One of the core reasons there has been such a  
disparity between video cameras that cost pros as much as a 
new car and consumer-oriented models which are priced less 
than a home computer lies in the technology used to capture  
video images. 
  While mass-market camcorders have relied upon a  
single chip (“CCD”) to record the entire picture to tape, pros 
have instead opted for much pricier video cameras that use  
3 CCDs to capture all of the fidelity and richness of an image.    
While one versus three CCDs may not sound like a big deal, it 
makes a huge difference when it comes to taping 30 frames of 
video per second. 
 
Panasonic Breaks the 3CCD Barrier 
  Panasonic, a top manufacturer  of both  
professional– and consumer-grade video cameras, has of 
course long been aware of this.  Thanks to the ongoing march 
of technological progress, 
the company has now 
been able to marry  
ultra high-end 3CCD  
technology with  
consumer-friendly  
features into a package 
that can be easily  
welcomed into nearly any 
video enthusiast’s budget. 
  The PV-GS400’s video quality easily exceeds any  
consumer’s expectations: colors are rich and sharp while  
definition and resolution are at the high end of the spectrum.  
Outdoors, the sky retains a deep blueness rather than washing 
out into a drab whiteness as usually found on consumer  
camcorders.  Indoors, the manually adjustable white balance 
feature helps retain color warmth and vibrance.  Low light  
performance is very good overall; note that a light is $70 extra. 
  We are also impressed with the hands-on feel of the 
camera.  Weighing less than two pounds, this camcorder can 
be characterized as a mighty midget since if it were any 
smaller or lighter, it would most likely be characterized as  
unwieldy.  Nonetheless, the PV-GS400 is still able to pack in a 
huge 3½” external LCD monitor and color viewfinder. 
Manual or Automatic: Your Choice 
  Another upside to Panasonic’s PV-GS400 is the range 
of manual controls available to the user at his or her 
discretion.  Typically, consumer camcorders are built to be 
dummy-proof, meaning that focus, exposure settings, and a 
myriad of other functions are beyond the user’s control. 
  Panasonic offers a compromise more typically found 
on those professional-grade video cameras running in the 
$10,000+ range.  You can rely on the PV-GS400 to handle all 
of the picture imaging automatically, choose to manage all of 
functionality yourself, or strike a buffet-style balance by  
picking and choosing the features you want to control. 
 
Bonus: Integrated High-End Digital Camera  
  If the video quality weren’t enough, the icing on the 
cake is the PV-GS400’s integrated 4-megapixel digital camera.  
This is high enough resolution to allow for 8”x10” prints that 
rival the quality of film-based cameras.  An embedded flash 
pops up automatically when low light situations are at hand.   
  An SD memory card stores the still camera’s images, 
which can be downloaded directly from the camcorder to a PC.  
Expect to store around 400 photos at a time on a 512 Mbyte 
memory card, which can be found at retailers for around $100. 
 
Final Word: High-End Performance & Top Value 
  Panasonic’s PV-GS400 carries a suggested retail price 
of $1,499 but can be found ‘on the street’ for considerably 
less.  Given the camcorder’s arsenal of features, ease of use, 
and versatility, it’s practically a crime to store your family’s 
once-in-a-lifetime memories on anything less. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Copyright © 2004 LACP LLC. All Rights Reserved. Reprinted from Consumer Commentary with permission. 

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