Panasonic PVDV203 MiniDV Compact Camcorder with 2.5" LCD and 8MB SD card
by Panasonic

List Price: $599.99
Our Price: $229.00
You Save: $370.99 (62%)
Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
Category: Digital Camera
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Digital Photo Product Details

• MiniDV camcorder with 10x optical and 700x digital zoom with electronic image stabilization
• 680K pixel resolution
• 2.5-inch color, swivel LCD, color viewfinder, cinema mode
• Saves digital stills to SD memory card; 8 MB card included
• Connects to PCs and Macs via Firewire (IEEE1394); USB transfer for stills

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Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of Panasonic PVDV203 MiniDV Compact Camcorder with 2.5" LCD and 8MB SD card

Customer Review: Family camcorder... I'm happy!
Summary: 5 Stars

I am not a photographer or videographer, just a father of a two month old baby boy who wants to record special events. So far, I am very happy with this camcorder. I can't compare this camera's performance to the Sony or JVC in real world experience, but I can't see how they could be any better. Interior recording, even in low light, plays back very nicely - even on a 52" projection TV which highlights imperfections. The recording was comparable to a DVD movie!

The MagicPix low-light recording feature is not very useful in my opinion. The framerate is slowed down so much and there is a LOT of motion blur. My friend has a Sony Digital8 camera with Nightshot and that is a far superior low light recording capability. However, I don't plan on shooting many scenes in complete darkness so this is a moot point.

After two weeks of ownership, the only thing that annoys me about this product is that the battery must be remvoed from the camera to use the AC adapter. If you plug the camera into the battery charger while the battery is charging, it will stop charging the battery until the camera is unplugged.

In a nutshell, as a family man wanting to record special events, this camera is awesome. The Electronic Image Stabilization feature will let you record anything without all the wibble-wobble and is HIGHLY effective compared to the other brands. The images are sharp and colors crisp. I'm extremely pleased!

Description of Panasonic PVDV203 MiniDV Compact Camcorder with 2.5" LCD and 8MB SD card

Optics
The PV-DV203 offers a 680K pixel CCD providing crisp, sharp pictures. Shooting from far distances is no problem with the PV-DV203's 10x optical zoom and 700x digital zoom. With Panasonic's introduction of Dual D-EIS (digital electronic image stabilization), you can use this same technology in both the record and playback modes to remove additional jitter from previously recorded video.

Digital Stills and MPEG4 Video
The still mode is capable of capturing crystal-clear still images comparable to the best digital still cameras. Image quality ranges from 640 x 480 up to 1280 x 960 (through pixel interpolation). The images are stored onto the available Secure Digital (SD) memory card in JPEG format. You can also record MPEG4 video, which uses a higher compression setting and is great for posting to a Web site or e-mailing to friends and family.

Still images and MPEG4 video are stored on the included 8 MB Secure Digital (SD) memory card, and can be transferred to your PC via USB connectivity (compatible with both USB 1.1 and 2.0).

Web Cam Capability
The PV-DV203 is equipped with a built-in Web Camera that gives you the ability to send live video to family and friends over the Internet. You can even set up the PV-DV73 as a simple home monitoring or a videoconferencing tool. Microsoft Windows Messenger or Windows NetMeeting is required for both sender and receiver. Also requires Windows XP, Windows Me, Windows 98SE or Windows 2000 Professional preinstalled PC with USB port. Both computers must be equipped to make a direct dial-up connection. Driver software and USB cable are included.

More Features
The cinema mode enables you to record video in wide screen mode, giving you a 16:9 aspect ratio that's the same as a movie screen. When played back on a television the result is dramatic looking cinema-like movies at home.

The picture-in-picture feature allows you to insert a previously taken digital still image into the video you're recording. The still image is taken using the PhotoShot digital still feature and appears on the right side of the video you're recording. The video and miniaturized still shot then appear together during playback

Other features include:

• 2.5-inch tiltable LCD screen.
• Electronic Image Stabilazation to correct camera shaking, giving you smooth and stable pictures.

Inputs and Outputs
The PV-DV203 comes with the standard DV IEEE 1394 port (also known as FireWire; Panasonic refers to this connection as iLink) for a super-fast, lossless connection to a PC or other DV machines.

MiniDV Format
MiniDV is the preferred format for .9personal and broadcast-quality video, highly regarded for its high audio and image quality. MiniDV delivers a 20 percent clearer picture than analog camcorder formats. This is all delivered on a cassette that's 1/12th the size of a standard VHS tape. A MiniDV tape offers digital recording time of 2 full hours--20 times the capacity of a CD. You'll also get minimal color noise interference for a more stable picture.

Size and Contents
The camcorder measures 3.5 x 2.6 x 4.9 inches and weighs 16 ounces. This package includes the PV-DV203 camcorder, 8 MB Secure Digital memory card, AC adapter, battery pack, shoulder strap, A/V cable (mini-3 RCA), serial cable, remote control, and lens cap.

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