Panasonic PVDC252 MiniDV Ultra Compact Digital Camcorder with 2.5" LCD, SD Slot & Digital Still Capability

Amazon Customer Reviews

(5 out of 5)

Made for Panasonic...by gnomes

At least, that's the initial impression you'll get on seeing this remarkably small digital camcorder. It's just 4 1/2" long, 3 1/2" high and under 3" wide. When you consider that includes room for the tape and is with the LCD display stowed, that doesn't leave room for a whole lot else. This has to be the work of gnomes.

Even those with fairly small hands will be able to firmly hold the unit in just one hand (has to be the right-hand though). There's the usual strap to hold it in place, and the right side of the unit is ribber for extra grip.

First - plugs and sockets. Since it's a Mini-DV camera there's the inevitable Firewire slot - no 4-pin to 6-pin Firewire cable is provided, though, so if you're planning to edit on your (Firewire-equipped) home computer, make sure you pick one up. It's also got a USB socket for downloading still images from any card you might have in the SD Slot. It *does* come with a cable for this, as well as an 8MB card, but SD cards now go up to 512MB in size, so there's plenty of room for expansion there. Still images are restricted to 640x480 though, so the still image capability isn't comparable to even a relatively (inexpensive)digital still camera.

There's also a jack for an external microphone (1/8" mini jack), a multi-purpose jack that can be used for headphones, as an A/V output jack (cable provided) for hooking the camera directly to a TV for playback, or for the tethered clip-on remote control (also provided). Oh, and let's not forget the S-Video output. All of these connectors are hidden behind various covers with the exception of the SD slot, which is only accessible when you've got the LCD display opened.

Next - zoom and focus. The optical zoom is perhaps a little weak at 10X, but unless you've got a very steady hand or plan to use a tripod a lot, this is adequate for most uses. The digital zoom goes up to a ludicrous 700X, although at much past 30X you end up looking at an unidentifiable fuzzy blur, like a dream sequence from a 70s movie. One interesting zoom feature is that the built-in microphone can be made to "zoom" along with the image. Zoom is easily controlled using a slider on top of the camera. Auto-focus works well, but it's easy to switch to manual focus if you need to.

In addition to the customary large, tilt-and-swivel LCD display (2.5" in this case), the PV-DC252 also sports a full color viewfinder (which only operates if the main display is closed). Good for saving battery power.

Ah, yes, batteries. The camera comes provided with an AC adapter for running directly off mains power, and the provided battery claims to last for two hours of continuous use. You can also buy a wide range of larger battery packs, all the way up to a belt pack that'd be more at home in a WWII submarine and that lasts for over 10 hours.

Let's see, what else - electronic image stabilization, low-light level mode, backlit mode, both wired and IR remotes...the list just goes on and on. There are several dozen built-in effects and transitions, but I'd imagine most people buying one of these'll be doing their editing on a computer, so I won't go into them in too much detail. Provided software for PC is by Arcsoft, I've personally been using it with iMovie on my Mac without any difficulties.

Good points - it's tiny, it's sturdy, it's feature-packed, the built-in mic works well (no camera noise), picture quality is excellent and with the exception of the Firewire cable it comes with pretty much everything you'll need to use it.

Weaknesses - 10X optical zoom is a little on the low side, the clicky jog-dial gizmo you use to navigate the on-screen menus can take a little gettting used to (the price you pay for being this compact, I guess), a tendency for colors to become a little washed out in poor lighting (although the camera does have a shoe for adding a light if you need one), but really that's about it. All fairly minor problems and none of them any worse than the flaws that various similarly priced competitors have.

Highly recommended.

(5 out of 5)

Small, [inexpensive], Good

The old programming expression is "Fast, [Inexpensive], and Good: Choose two.". That can be extended to camcorders by changing it to "Small, [inexpensive], and Good: Choose two.".

However, the PVDC252 manages lets you choose all three. It is relatively [inexpensive], quite small, and very good. You can get smaller cameras (but not much), [inexpensive]cameras, and better cameras, but this one is a nice compromise between all three.

Size: It is smaller than my digital camera. Fits perfectly in your palm (hence 'palmcorder'), which makes it very easy to hold steady, unlike many of the smaller models. Despite its small size, the controls are fairly easy to use, with the exception of the 'menu' button, which is awkward to hit one-handed. I'm not quite sure how they manage to fit the minidv tape in there!

Quality: Image quality seems fine. Perhaps a little washed out on cloudy days, but this is not a surprise using any camera. Audio quality is EXCELLENT. Using the built in microphone on a fairly windy day, a person standing several feet away from the camera talking in a soft voice is perfectly audible. There is NO tape mechanism noise, which seems to be problem with other cameras in this price range.

Cost: If you pay more for a camera, you would get either 1) smaller size (not necessarily a good thing, this guy is small enough), or 2) Better image quality. You probably wouldn't notice much difference in image quality, unless you stepped up to one of the 'prosumer' cameras that'll set you back a couple thousand or so.

My only gripes are the somewhat clunky menu system (however, it's not really necessary for day-to-day operation), the slow tape eject mechanism (not so bad considering that they probably need to rearrange space and time to fit the tape in the camera), and the somewhat awkward position of the various plugs, a common problem on all small cameras.

Bottom line: Highly recommended.

(4 out of 5)

very good value

I did quite a bit of research before buying this camera. The online reviews were favorable, and just before buying it, I also noticed that Consumer Reports (CR) had rated its video quality as being very good (in the top 3).

The camera is fairly compact, not as compact as the Canon Eluras or the small Sonys, but it is more comfortable to hold because of its horizontal format.

Sound quality is simply excellent. The only extraneous noise picked up is the zoom motor. I cannot hear the tape transport motor on playback (this is a problem with some of the small Canons and Sonys). Video quality in good light is also very good. Good light includes indoor shots in a reasonably well lit room. In dim lighting, colors fade and the video does become a bit grainy. Otherwise, color fidelity is very good using the automatic white balance.

Image stabilization is very good except when at full zoom, but I understand this is a common phenomenon. CR indicates that other cameras have better stabilization.

I found the best playback option was connected to my TV using an S-video cable. The video looked incredibly good, much better than with the supplied composite video cable.

(5 out of 5)

Best in price range, best size

Pros: size, perceived quality, ease of use, good video ratings, low price.

Cons: Colors seem less vibrant in some conditions, stills not so good for printing.

Overall: A small, yet easy-to-hold and operate camcorder, that takes good video, with a low price. I'm very happy with my decision to buy this model (bought through Amazon.com to get their 30-day return policy).

Video: Consumer Reports rated it high..., Computer Videomaker (Dec. '02) said "...color and contrast were excellent." I thought the colors seemed dull in some situations (as did the reviewer on dvspot). Seemed mostly on somewhat cloudy days. I wondered if the better lens of the DV-PC352 would improve that, but the ... cost difference wasn't worth trying. Friends who had camcorders thought the color was good. They were impressed with the size of the camcorder and its quality.

Sound: Great. Go to dvspot and see what Canon ZR whine sounds like.

Controls: Great, have no complaints, think they did a great job. Like the variable zoom (push lightly and get slow zoom), and the manual settings that very easily let you keep some of them automatic.

Low-light capabilities: I found it good with indoor lighting. Other reviewers seem to think otherwise. Play with the semi-automatic white balance (pick icons for fluorescent, incadescent, etc), low-light mode, and backlight or aperture. Magicpix seems less useful.

Stills: A nice feature for e-mail, but they don't seem to print well on my HP Photosmart printer, which should give decent quality. Maybe I'm missing some setting (or because I haven't tried photo paper). Look great on TV with S-Video output. JPEG size in KB is about equal to a scanned 3x5 photo, scanned at 150dpi. I still like the feature.

Value: Best at its price and size. Maybe the Sony TRV25/27 would be slightly better in some aspects, but at a cost in size and ergonomics/controls. Or maybe the Panasonic 851, which is currently being offered at a very low price. But again, a larger camcorder. Not for me. I really like the smaller size.

Support: Pretty good. Had a problem with USB driver to get stills to my HP computer. Took a while (several phone calls) to get an expert to call back, who gave me some options (wound up using an external ... SD reader/writer). This problem seemed specific to my HP model (he said a BIOS problem, and it seemed he hadn't seen this before).

Size: It's a little brick. I thought it would be smaller from reading about it. But it's still able to be stuffed in a jacket pocket. The optional larger battery doesn't add too much size either (it adds to the back of the camcorder--some camcorders have batteries sticking out the side), yet its better longevity is welcome.

Other considerations: In a couple of years they'll have sub-... camcorders with 4 megapixel capabilities. Or a matchbook-size 4MP still camera for [less]. So why spend an enormous amount now? You can have a small camcorder with great capabilities, see how you use it, and then get a better one in a couple of years if you need it. Maybe you'll want a larger, 3-CCD one, and then this one would be your mini-sized backup. Technology gallops along too quickly to ever be able to buy the end-all camcorder today. For me, this is the perfect size and quality and price (spending more would make me worry more).

(5 out of 5)

Great ultra-compact DvCam

The PVDC252 wasn't really on my list for Christmas as I was eyeing vetical-type Dvcams, specifically the JVC GRDVM76U. Then I happen to see the PVDC252 in an electronics store and it really caught my attention. The 'silver barrelled' lens looked really nice, plus the cold shoe attachment, and of course the price caught my attention. It had everything the JVC had, only that it is in the traditional 'horizontal' design. I played around with the unit and it grew on me quite quick. I did final research and even looked up the Sony MicroMv DCRIP5, but I kept going back to the PVDC252.

A full week before Christmas, I bought the PVDC252 - and I never looked back :-) The dvcam was really good for the price and yes, very compact (length-wise). It came with a lot of goodies (IR remote, wired remote, USB cable, charger/adaptor). Handling of the unit is simple and controls are wel within reach. The video output is quite exceptional and PC connectivity via Firewire is a snap (I used Adobe Premiere to capture my vids to my HD).

Got an additional battery (Lenmar LIP120) as a backup. The main battery works just great too, giving 1hr+ of recording time. The LCD is clear and easy to view, while the viewfinder is also easy to use, despite being quite small. It also has a built-in speaker so you can hear audio while playing back your recorded movies on the unit. Secure Digital slot for taking snapshots - of course don't expect digital cam-quality images - it's still best to leave that to dedicated digital cameras and IMHO, the digital 'photoshot' features in DV camcorders is just an extra convenience, not a replacement for digital still cameras. Nevertheless, the photoshots are decent for email/electronic scrapbook purposes. :-)

The zoom lens works smoothly and can be easily controlled. Audio pickup is very good. The camera feaures a 'zoom mic' too, which allows you to zoom in the audio in the same location you are zooming your view. And the wind cut feature is good to help mask wind noise while recording. And one thing very noticeable (or not noticeable) is that no motor noise gets recorded in (unlike some Canon models).

Conclusion: HIGHLY RECOMMENDED - worth the price! And get a good dvcam bag with it (the Case Logic DVC-30 Camcorder case fits very well, check it out here in Amazon's listing).