Panasonic NV-GS27 / NV-GS27EB Mini-DV Camcorder Review
A Panasonic NV-GS27 Digital Camcorder has recently been acquired. It took about 4 years to get round to replacing my Sony
CCD-TR60E 8mm camcorder, which died tragically with noise lines all over the recordings. I bought the Sony to record the joys of fatherhood
12 years ago and, although it was OK at the time, its demise made me rethink the Sony Superbrand image. Determined not to have
another Sony gadget, I set to work with a £250 budget intent on avoiding extended warranty scams and getting good value for
my hard earned wad.
How Much Did It Cost Me? Not more than £190 yer honour. An RRP of £249.99 sounded very reasonable but extensive online probing secured one for sixty quid less. (I've now discovered it's available for a mere £161 from Pixmania, but am dealing well with my rage, and looking forward to early release for good behaviour).
What's In The Box? 1x NV-GS27 Camera; 1x CGR-DU06 Battery; 1x Battery charging DC power adapter and cables; 1x AV cable to connect camera to TV/Video/DVD device (with compatible socket); instructions and warranty documentation. That's the lot.
What's NOT In The Box? No Mini-DV tape, no USB lead, no editing software, no bag.
So, Can You Download To A PC For Editing? - Oh yes, but Panasonic don't want to tell you how to do this. The
manual in my box was for the NV-GS27 / NV-GS27 and wastes no time in making you think that you should have coughed up
£329.99 for the next model up (NV-GS37) with video editing software.
The NV-GS27 is Panasonic's entry level digital camcorder and can't be connected by its USB socket to a PC for editing, whilst
the GS-NV37 can. The NV-GS27 USB socket seems to only be of use for Webcam applications. However, you
can connect the little beauty to your PC via an IEEE1934 Fire Wire cable (board and cable £12 from
Ebuyer quick find code 78455). The camera is
auto detected by Windows XP and added as an external drive. Also, if you've got Windows XP SP2 loaded, Windows Movie Maker is a
Microsoft freebie lurking on your system. With the NV-GS27 in "Play" mode it can be remotely controlled by Windows Movie
Maker to locate and download the footage of your choice, titles added and movies created.
So, unless you're desperate for USB2 editing, an LED light on the front and a Remote Control (the only differences I'm aware of between
the NV-GS27 and the NV-GS37) you can pocket a tidy sum.
What's So Good About The NV-GS27 Then? A 30x optical zoom for starters. In my experience digital zoom is a dead loss, what's needed is optical zoom and the Panasonic has plenty of it. Also, it's very well made, very light (less than 500g fully loaded according my kitchen scales), very small and great looking. It's extremely simply to use, with everything under the command of your right thumb. The kids have taken to it like bees to that bloke in the Guinness Book of Record's bee beard.
Conclusions - I'm very pleased with this little gadget. The crystal clear images from this compact, easy to use digital camcorder are much much better than the Sony 8mm it replaced. Panasonic have excelled themselves here. It's an ideal unit, not just for the "entry level" user, but also for those who don't want to throw money away on extras they simply don't need.
Useful Links
Panasonic NV-GS27 Digital Camcorder Instruction Manual - (PDF format)
Pixmania - (NV-GS27 available to buy online for £161.00)
Ebuyer PCI FireWire Card and Cable - (no s/w) quick find code 78455
Panasonic UK Website
Digital-e - UK supplier of Mini-DV tapes. Excellent service, very low prices.
Panasonic NV-GS27 mini-DV Digital Camcorder Highlights *
30x Optical Zoom
2.5 inch LCD Monitor
Pure Colour engine
36mm Wide Angle
USB 2.0
Panasonic NV-GS27 mini-DV Digital Camcorder Product Description *
Mini DV Camcorder with the world's most powerful optical 30x zoom, 2.5 " LCD and 36mm Wide Angle.
For even higher picture quality, the NVGS27B has 30x Optical Zoom magnification. The GS27 fits comfortably and securely in one
hand. This lens is not only the most powerful zoom offered in a home-use digital video camera, it also features low distortion.
And because the zoom is optical, it captures both moving and still pictures with exquisite beauty.
The Pure Colour Engine LSI converts the CCD output signal from a complementary colour signal into RGB signal
(containing the three primary colours in light) at an early stage and extracts the low-frequency luminance component from the
RGB signal. The luminance signal is then generated in the same way as in TV broadcasting. Advanced 3D Frame Noise Reduction also
gives you better results when shooting with low illumination because it improves colour noise-reduction performance by 30% compared
with conventional systems. This innovative LSI achieves truly superb colour reproduction.
Panasonic has taken great care in listening to comments of users when designing the new range of camcorders, and has added a wide
range of functions and improvements that provide outstanding ease of use:
One Touch Navigation & Joystick Control. All Panasonic video cameras are now equipped with Joystick control,
which lets you operate all basic functions easily with one hand. Additionally, icons representing the functions that are used most
during playback or shooting are displayed as icons on the LCD monitor. You can handle a number of operations quickly and easily,
without even taking your eye off the subject.
Easy ON/OFF. This simple but useful function automatically switches the power on when the very first pre-shooting
operations, such as opening the LCD or pulling EVF, are performed. Conversely, this function automatically switches the power off
when operations for finishing shooting are performed, such as closing the LCD or storing EVF.
Panasonic NV-GS27 mini-DV Digital Camcorder Technical Specifications *
Power Supply - DC7.2/7.9V
Power Consumption - 2.5W(EVF) 3.1W(LCD)
Weight (w/o Battery) - 410g
Dimensions (W x H x D) - 86 x 69 x 120mm
Image Sensor (Total) - 1/6 inch CCD (800k pixel Total)
Image Sensor (Moving Picture/Still Picture) - Moving Picture -400k effective
F Value - F1.8 (Wide)/F3.9(Tele)
Optical Zoom - 30x Variable Speed Zoom
Focal Length - 1.90?57.0mm
Filter Diameter - 30.5mm
35mm Film - 35.7---1072mm
Lens Brand - Panasonic
Minimum Illumination - 2Lux (Colour Night View)
Focus - AF/Manual
White Balance - Auto/Indoor/Outdoor/White Set (with IR Sensor)
High Speed Shutter - 1/50---1/8000sec. (Moving Picture)
Iris - Auto/Manual
Programme AE - Sports/Portrait/Low Light/Spot Light/Surf & Snow
Backlight Compensation - Yes
EVF - 0.33 inch B/W (67 k pixels)
Monitor - 2.5 inch LCD (105k pixels)
Microphone - Stereo Zoom Mic, Wind Noise Reduction
Date Recording - Auto Date (in Data Code)
Fade in/out - Black/White
Rec. Review - Yes
Image Stabilizer - SIS
Digital Zoom - 30x---50x (Super Digital Zoom 30x---1000x)
Quick Start - 1.7sec (approx)
WEB Camera Function - Motion JPEG 320x240 approx.6fps
Format - DVC
Recording Mode - SP/LP
Playback Mode - SP/LP
Variable Speed Search - Max. 20x Speed
Audio Recording System - PCM 12 bit 4 ch/16 bit 2 ch
Counter - Time Code
Tape Remaining Indication - Yes
DV Input/Output (IEEE1394) - Out
AC Adaptor - Yes(1 Battery Charge Type)
Battery Pack - Lithium/Ion
Lens Cap - Yes
* info hoovered off the Panasonic Website.
