I Hate Video Cameras... Until Now.
Written: Dec 05 '99
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Product Rating:
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Pros: This camera blew me away... sound & picture quality, amazing editing features, how it fits in my hand, and how lightweight it is!
Cons: I can't keep it? Poop!
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| poseidon's Full Review: Panasonic PV-L559 VHS-C Analog Camcorder |
I was loaned a Panasonic PV-L559 camcorder to do a research and development project for someone. My initial reaction was that I hate video cameras. They are big, they are bulky, they are heavy, and they are a pain in the rump.
To my surprise, when I was presented with the camcorder, this marvel was amazingly small. It is a palmcorder; in other words, it fits in the palm of your hand. It weighs close to nothing. The contours of the camcorder fit my hand (and my assistant's) like a glove. Never did I feel the camcorder was going to fall out of my hand.
All the buttons are very well placed, including wide-angle and zoom buttons. Record/Pause is a simple depression of the button right under the thumb... no way to screw that up!
The Digital EIS Stabilization is also a very well invented feature. One of the reasons I despise cameras in general is my inability to keep the camera steady. Usually my shots are jerky and makes the viewer think I'm filming during a 7.3-magnitude earthquake. However, upon playback, I was shocked to see how smooth the picture was. WOW!
Speaking of playback, there's two ways of doing that. You can play the tape in the camera. It has a flip-out video screen that's about three inches wide and is in full color. The picture is very sharp and clear, and there's no question of details. It is an LCD screen display, similar to what you'd find on a laptop computer.
The second way of playback is to take out a special adapter, which is a VCR tape with a chunk cut out, and place the VHS-C tape inside the missing area. The tape then slides into the VCR at home, and you can play the tape on your TV set. Again, I need to stress this, I am amazed as to the quality of the picture taken.
Another amazing feature is the sound quality. My lovely assistant was in all sorts of places while I was doing my schtick, including inside a car. The microphone picked up my voice almost perfectly, even at a distance from where I was standing. I wasn't yelling, I was talking in a slightly louder than normal voice, and we were filming outside. There was no wind or background noises drowning me out over the tape. I was thoroughly impressed.
The camera comes with a plethora of features, including various editing features that were beyond my needs and desires. I think this camera came with every option known to man... and a lot that this man never knew existed. I'm thinking you could do a low-budget film, credits and all, and submit it to the Cannes Film Festival, and no one would know you filmed it on an inexpensive palmcorder.
I honestly can't think of a single thing wrong with this camera... EXCEPT that I wasn't able to keep it. In a world where electronics are made in the cheapest way possible, this camera stands out in a lonely field, because it seems to be made with quality and care.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
poseidon
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 - Top 200 |
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Member: Jeffrey Schwartz
Location: Sunrise, FL, USA
Reviews written: 511
Trusted by: 1098 members
About Me:
Feel free to contact with me... my Facebook account is located at http://profile.to/jeffschwartz/
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