Home > Consumer Reviews > Panasonic PV-DV601 Digital Camcorder

I have been using this camcorder for the last three months overall am impressed with the features and performance. Most of the websites do not have exact picture- including this one (it has in-built light and 3" LCD screen) Plus points =========== * Very rich set of features (AE functions like low light perform well - great for indoor) * Good collection of external interfaces (Firewire - cable not provided, USB, AV jack, external microphone, serial out?) * Web-quality Digital photo in smart card * Slide in EVF makes it compact * Simple but feature filled IR remote * Reasonably responsive lens * pressure sensitive zoom operated with two fingers reduces strain * Ergonomic feel * Reasonable clear audio pickup without noticeable distortion * Simple software and fast digital image upload using USB Negatives ========= * To turn on light, menu navigation is required, which is not possible while recording - a switch should be provided * Video clip download using USB is painfully slow (should be happy that the option is available as most of the competitors do not have this ;-)) * Lens cover does not accomodate well with filters * Digital photo shoot takes about 7-10 seconds for processing (not sure how others perform) Suggestions =========== * Get an extra 3hr battery as the standard one lasts less than an hour (even less with LCD and constant Zoom usage - typical of such camcorders) Recommendation

============== I spent over a month (part-time, ofcourse!) researching camcorders and i found this particular one to have all the core features i was looking (DV, 20X+ optical, 3"+ LCD, Smartcard, light, USB, Zerolight) with tons of enrichments! So, go for it if your needs are similar!

I just received my PV-DV 601 2 days ago and I'm so far very pleased with what I've seen. It's very compact and light, both a camcorder and digital still camera. You can also take a video and select specific scenes and turn them into still shots. I also like its ability (AV in and out capability) to both export data (ie. view it on TV and tape the information on a VCR for example) as well as import viewed data into it and store it.

You can also hook it up to your computer (it comes with its own software) and do whatever you want to do with it that you can do on a computer.

A great buy for the price I paid for it....

I'll agree with all the positive statements in other reviews--the one day it worked, we were pleased. However when we tried to use the camera the following day, we found the tape transport was not working--the tapes we recorded wouldn't play, and a new tape also wouldn't. It seemed to feed the tape but not take it up.
The difficulty in obtaining service, having to mail it off to Elgin, is a problem...

They really need to improve support for an apparent design problem, and service availability is a big negative.

I love this camcorder. The 20x zoom is unheard of. I got it for Christmas and I absolutely love it. For the money it is hard to beat. Although it is not perfect, it is close. THIS IS THE SAME CAMCORDER AS THE SONY DCR-TRV17. Only it is... cheaper. You will not be disappointed. The picture quality is great. It only weighs 1.5 pounds and with the 3" LCD that is a must for me. Enjoy

I love every feature of this camcorder with the exception of the fact I have Windows XP as my operating system and can't find drivers for it. Does anyone know of any driver updates from Panasonic?