For a manufacturer of today's increasingly tiny digital camcorders, the biggest design challenge is to pack the immense number of features now available on even the lowest-priced models into a compact product while keeping the features easy to find and easy to use. With the entry-level PV-DV51, Panasonic succeeds at this task beyond all reasonable expectations.
Compared to the quality of the footage, ergonomics and features may sound like secondary considerations when discussing a camcorder. But quite frankly, virtually any digital camcorder will capture images superior to those of analog formats like VHS-C and Hi8. The PV-DV51 is no exception. Not only does this inexpensive Panasonic produce better images than many other entry-level DV models I've tried, but the untutored naked eye would be hard-pressed to tell the difference between footage shot with this camcorder and models three times the price, which means the vacation videophile will be well satisfied.
The PV-DV51 hides its abilities inside a rather traditional and uncluttered exterior. The DV51 isn't cute or fancy; it looks like most other camcorders, if a bit smaller and a bit lighter. But the DV51 makes up for its lack of styling with ergonomic excellence. Frequently used buttons such as the VCR/power/camcorder thumb switch, the zoom toggle, fade, menu, manual control and electronic image stabilization buttons, as well as the playback transport controls (play, rewind, fast forward, pause) are all logically and conveniently arrayed. The on-screen menu list is only six choices deep, and all the varying suboptions are outlined in the instruction booklet, which makes locating even the most obscure feature or option relatively easy.
Power handling also is excellent. The small lithium-ion battery takes only an hour to charge for about an hour's worth of shooting (90 minutes if you use the black-and-white viewfinder rather than the LCD), about average for DV models. The camcorder also is equipped with a FireWire jack for connection to a PC, an A/V mini-jack (cable included), and an S-video output (cable not included) for connection to a TV or VCR. Like most of Panasonic's digital camcorders, the DV51 offers an 18x optical/300x digital zoom lens.
So why is this model so inexpensive? On the technical side, the PV-DV51 offers just 640 x 480 pixel resolution when shooting digital stills. More expensive models offer more than a million pixels of resolution in still mode. In addition, stills are stored directly onto the tape, while other camcorder models have the option to store these images on a dedicated memory card. The other cost savings come from the small 2.5-inch LCD screen and monochrome viewfinder; shooting for lengthy periods makes you realize why you might want to spend more for a unit with a 3- or 3.5-inch screen.
Despite these minor limitations, the PV-DV51 is an excellent choice for the weekend video warrior seeking a simple, easy-to-use, feature-packed, low-cost camcorder that produces great pictures. --Stewart Wolpin
Product Description:
The PV-DV51 is a Digital Video camcorder that offers precise image quality and color accuracy. The superior quality of digital video resulting from higher horizontal resolution yielding sharper picture detail and component color sampling preserves more color information than analog.PV-DV521 delivers 12 / 16-bit audio, 16 bit offers one set of stereo tracks and achieves the same quality as CD, while the 12 bit mode creates two sets of stereo tracks, audio dub is possible when recorded in 12 bit mode. Panasonic invented the Digital EIS to compensate the unintentional hand and camcorder movement to stabilize your recordings. You can use the Dual D-EIS technology even in the playback mode to remove the jitter from previously recorded video. PhotoShot Built in Digital Still Camera allows you to use your digital camcorder as a digital still camera by capturing six seconds of stills with audio in VGA (640 x 480) resolution onto the mini DV cassette. Using the industry standard IEEE-1394 PC interface, you can connect the digital camcorder to a compatible computer for advanced editing. Also allowing you to produce duplicate copies of your recordings without any loss in picture quality with similarly equipped camcorders or VCR's. Equipped with an optical zoom that magnifies the image up to 18x by increasing the focal length of the lens, the zoom acts like a telescope to produce close up shots with extraordinary clarity, and with the 300x digital zoom you will be able to bring the objects up to 300x closer by electronically magnifying the images. 2.5" LCD Color Monitor provides excellent viewing clarity in full vivid colors, rotates 270 degrees allowing you to hold the camcorder at many different angles. A built-in speaker allows playback with sound.
Panasonic PVDV51 MiniDV Digital Camcorder