Incredible colors at a very affordable price!

Author's Rating:

Pros: 3CCDs means awesome color! Very affordable. Nice included accessories.

Cons: Poor low light performance. Relatively low-res CCDs (occasional jaggies in video, poor still quality).

The Bottom Line: 
Fantastic video quality in well-lit situations and currently very affordable, this camera is an excellent choice for anyone who simply wants great video without breaking the bank.

Author's Review
Intro

I have been in the market for a mid-range, but high-quality video camera for some time now. The cameras I was looking at the most were the Sony DCR-TRV70 (street price*: $800), the Canon Optura Xi (street price*: $975), the Panasonic PV-DV953 (street price*: $920), and this camera (street price*: $575). Since the DV953 and the Optura Xi were basically the same price and DV953 had basically the same features plus 3 CCDs, that removed the Optura Xi from my list. The TRV70 was more expensive than the GS70 and only had 1CCD, so I wiped that from my list. That left the two Panasonics. The DV953 was tempting (it has optical image stabilization, better manual controls, and 3MP CCDs) but I finally decided that the extra $300 could be better spent elsewhere. So, I bought the GS70 since it's currently so affordable. Here's my review...

Accessories

Upon opening the box you find the typical accessories plus a few nice extras. The expected accessories in addition to the camera are a tiny memory card (for stills and mpeg video), battery, battery charger, USB and composite video cables, manual, and computer software. What's unusual, however, is that the battery is an upgrade over Panasonic's smallest battery (included is the 1360mAh CGA-DU14 which can last up to 4 hours) and the included wired remote/microphone. While not exactly a high quality mic, it's a nice addition. More importantly, however, is sliding zoom control and record/still buttons that are on this remote. This is a great feature when you have the camera on a tripod and you don't want to bump it when using the controls. The zoom also doesn't go as fast as the one on the camera, so you can have smoother zooms when using the remote. Thanks Panasonic! Now, on to the camera itself.

Video Quality

The 3CCD technology used in the GS70 has already been explained in other reviews, so I won't go into detail about it. Basically, it employes a prism that separates the image into its component colors and points the light at three different sensors (CCDs). This allows the camera to capture far more accurate and vivid colors than the lower-end 1CCD camcorders. Prior to the GS70, I was using a Canon Elura 2. I filmed a few colorful objects with that camera and then compared the video to the GS70. It was unbelievable. The 3CCDs made the Elura 2's single chip video look terribly bland and lifeless. In short, I won't be going back to a single CCD camcorder anytime soon. This feature is the GS70's main advantage since other cameras in the same price range by other manufacturers don't have it.

Though it has amazing colors, the GS70 does have relatively low resolution CCDs which results in sometimes noticable jaggies on straight lines. This isn't a huge problem and not a deal breaker, but it is something to keep in mind. Aside from minor jaggies on video, the low resolution CCDs also keep the camera down to one megapixel still images. Honestly, no video cameras take good still pictures, so I don't consider this a negative. Even the Panasonic PV-DV953, which takes 3MP stills, produces worse images than a decent 3MP still digicam would, so don't even pay attention to the still capabilities of a video camera when shopping.

Another weakness in the video of the GS70 is its low light capabilities. In order to make a 3CCD camcorder so affordable and compact, Panasonic had to put small (1/6") sensors in it. The problem with this is that they let less light in than larger sensors would. Therefore, graininess is a common problem with the GS70 when filming poorly-lit scenes (night, dusk, and dim indoor shots). This is probably the biggest drawback that the GS70 has and the main justification I could see for buying one of its competitors. The Sony DCR-TRV70, for example, is a higher-end 1CCD camera with relatively good low-light capabilities.

As with most consumer camcorders, the GS70 has a digital image stabilizer. While this noticably reduces camera shake, especially when zoomed in, it is inferior to the optical image stabilization found on higher-end models (such as the Panasonic PV-DV953 and hte Canon Optura Xi). I'd have to say that the GS70's digital image stabilizer is about average - this aspect of the GS70 is neither a problem nor a major advantage when compared to its competitors.

Finally, don't be swayed by the "Cinema mode" that's listed as a feature. This is not a satisfactory way to shoot wide video because it simply cuts off the top and bottom of the image, resulting in lower resolution video. The higher-end PV-DV953, as well as some other 1CCD camcorders, have an anamorphic wide mode which does not lose quality.

Design

I can't complain about the GS70's ergonomics. While it's not small enough to fit in a pocket or small fanny pack, it's certainly not bulky and is about as small as you could expect a 3CCD camera to get. The controls (except perhaps for the menu navigator) are easy to reach and comfortably placed. The zoom slider is a bit on the "jumpy" side (can be easy to zoom too fast), but I've certainly seen worse. The LCD is 2.5" (a size to be expected on a camera this size) and is clear and crisp. The color viewfinder is alright - not terribly high-resolution, but it gets the job done. One very nice higher-end feature of the GS70 is its manual focus ring around the lens. Many consumer camcorders utilize the menu navigator wheel for this, so it's nice to see that Panasonic went for the far more convenient and precise focus wheel. Finally, the tape is top-loading (unlike on quite a few competitors) so you can change tapes while mounted on a tripod.

Note on Newer 3CCD Panasonic Models

As you probably know, Panasonic recently released two new 3CCD camcorders. The lower-end option is the PV-GS120 (currently about $700) and the higher-end one is the PV-GS200 (currently about $1000). These were announced shortly before I bought the GS70, so I looked into them before buying. The GS120 is a downgraded version of the GS70 (lacks flash for stills, wired remote, and manual focus ring) which costs more than the GS70 can currently be purchased for. The GS200 is an upgraded version of the GS70 (CCDs are double the resolution of the GS70 and GS120 and can take 2.3MP stills...this however might mean slightly worse performance in low light). Its cost is significantly higher than the GS70's (it's actually currently more expensive than the PV-DV953 which is a far better camera). So, I wasn't impressed with either new Panasonic model and went with the GS70 as I had been planning.

Conclusion

The Panasonic PV-GS70 is a great camera - plain and simple. The video quality is unsurpassed by any camera in its price range (aside from Panasonic's new PV-GS120 model) and it has enough extra features to give it an edge regardless. Yet it may not be for everyone. If you do a lot of shooting in dim light you'd better go with something like the Sony DCR-TRV70 which has better low-light performance (though worse colors in well-lit situations and is more expensive). And if you are willing to spend a few hundred dollars more, the Panasonic PV-DV953 is a very affordable prosumer 3CCD camcorder with lots of high-end features (though its larger than the GS70 and might have slightly worse low-light performance). Aside from these two categories of buyers, however, I would highly recommend the GS70 to anyone who wants brilliant video quality for a very affordable price. I will be taking it to Italy and can't wait to capture stunning footage of stunning scenery!

Accessory Recommendation

The battery that comes with the GS70 (CGA-DU14, 1360mAh) is great and should last long enough for most scenarios. However, if you're planning to have a full day of shooting, I'd recommend getting another battery. The smaller option (CGA-DU07, 680mAh) will last half the time and is probably not worth getting unless size is an important issue (though compared to the camera itself the difference in battery size won't make much difference). The larger option (CGA-DU21, 2040mAh) is probably larger than you'll need in most cases and is physically quite bulky. So, I'd suggest getting another DU14 if you think you need another battery at all (two DU14 should last about 8 hours if you leave the large LCD closed). Also, you may want to check ebay.com for 3rd party batteries. I don't know if they will perform as well long-term, but I bought a 3rd party equivalent of the DU14 and it's working fine so far.

In addition, I'd recommend buying some lens filters. A kit with a UV, Polarizing, and Florescent filter can be had on ebay for $20-$25 and it's probably a good idea to at least get the UV filter. The UV filter protects your camera's optics long-term from the sun, and also serves to protect the lens surface from dirt (it's far better to scratch a $10 filter than your $600 camera!). The Polarizing filter seems to do a good job of minimizing glare on water surfaces, etc. And the florescent filter adds a bit of warmth to video shot under florescent lighting. The filter size you'll need for the GS70 is 37mm. Also, from my experience shopping online, all of the $20-range filters on ebay seem to be basically the same thing, though they go by many different names.

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*street prices listed in review are as of 3/04, are approximate and are based on the purchase price at online merchants known to be reputable such as buydig.com (where I bought my GS70) and BHPhotoVideo.com (where I've also purchased before).