The JVC GR-DA30 is one of those camcorders that doesn’t fall into the low nor middle class. You will see that it has simple functions and design, but also has some advanced features like NightAlive, along with the 3 Dimension noise reduction. This is perfect for all of us, because we are free to focus on capturing the moment instead of thinking about navigation through the screens. The 2.4″ V Slide LCD moves up and down, allowing you to see what you are filming with the JVC GR-DA30 – no matter what angle you choose to shoot from.

The JVC GR-DA30 also has a fantastic 30x optical zoom and VGA still photos. This camcorder is built with a 680K, 1/6″ CCD, which is considered a standard within this price range. We must say that those 680K pixels offer 340K effective pixels on JVC GR-DA30.

You will be able to find it at low prices now, and I am sure many budget-conscious buyers will acquire JVC GR-DA30. You can pick one up immediately from BestBuy.com or from Amazon.com. Of course, there are plenty of great choices on Ebay.com for this beautiful camcorder, JVC GR-DA30.

Tags: camcorder, minidv, review

Panasonic PV GS80 camcorder might not seem flashy, but it delivers the punch. Cheap camcorders play an important part of every camcorder line and Panasonic PV GS80 is just one of them. It’s an affordable camcorder that anyone can pick up for a few hundred dollars. Since the main selling point of this camcorder is price it lacks features found standard on higher-end models, which is natural. Among Panasonic camcorders, the PV-GS80 sits as the runt of the litter.

It’s simple design makes it look almost indistinguishable from the rest of the MiniDV camcorders. Thanks to the camcorder’s simple controls, you can record and play videos without touching menu system. If you want to handle the menus, you can navigate the Panasonic PV GS80 settings with a joystick set into the mode dial. There aren’t plenty video settings but it is also unlikely anyone would need to delve into the menus often.

Most affordable MiniDV camcorders offer few features but PV GS80 packs a punch. His 680,000-pixel sensor effectively records 340,000 pixels at 4:3 and 460,000 pixels at 16:9 wide-screen which is awesome. The camcorder is not really something at recording higher-resolution wide-screen video and not simply cropping its 4:3 video since both aspect ratios use small, low-resolution sensor. The GS80 has a 32X zoom lens with optical image stabilization, but he doesn’t use a Leica-branded lens. Panasonic usually prides itself in its use of Leica lenses in most of its digital imaging products. So it is not strange that GS80′s unbranded lens secures its place at the bottom of Panasonic’s camcorder offer.

As a budget camcorder, GS80 actually produces nice videos. Colors look neutral and accurate while footage is clean and free of grain. But dont watch the movies on HD TV, it will not look too good. The Panasonic PV GS80 failed at recording low-light videos. If you know you’ll always have plenty of light, it’s ok, but consider spending about $40 more for another model to get a better night videos.

Panasonic PV GS80 is a cool budget camcorder but you could get a better camera for the same price. Try Canon ZR850 if PV GS80 camcorder doesn’t suit you well.

Tags: camcorder, camera, panasonic