Panasonic PVDC352 MiniDV Ultra Compact Digital Camcorder with 2.5" LCD, SD Slot, MPEG4 & Digital Still Capability

With an ultra-compact design that weighs a little over a pound, the Panasonic PV-DC352 is a feature-filled camcorder that can easily be toted around on vacations and to special events. It features a large, 2.5-inch LCD screen, 10x optical zoom, remote control, and digital still capability with a Secure Digital (SD) memory slot.

Lens
The PV-DC352 features a high-quality lens developed by world-renowned lens maker Leica AG, which captures crisp detail and true-to-life color. The lens features a 1.3 megapixel CCD, which converts optical data into digital information, letting you capture crisp, high-resolution images.

With an optical zoom power of 10x, the PV-DC352 also has a digital zoom, which works by electronically enhancing the optical image, that can magnify the picture up to 700 times. The digital image stabilization system keeps the picture steady and solid throughout zooms and camera shakes.

Digital Stills and MPEG Video
You can store your digital stills directly on tape or on the included 16 MB Secure Digital memory card using the camcorder's memory slot. The camcorder can be switched into a mode called progressive photo shoot, so that images captured will not have the jagged lines of interlaced video and come out clear and undistorted. The digital stills are in JPEG format and have a resolution of either 640 x 480 or 1,280 x 960 pixels.

Videos are recorded in high-quality, high-compression MPEG4 format, making it simple to transfer them from your SD card to a PC to save, edit, e-mail, or post on the Internet.

You can save video and still photography on the included, removable Secure Digital card. You can also record conversations or personal messages with the built-in microphone, and then save them to the SD card.

Inputs and Outputs
The PV-DC352 comes with the standard DV IEEE1394 port (also known as FireWire) for a super-fast, no-loss connection to a PC or other DV machines. You can also connect to your PC via a USB connection. S-video and RCA connections allow direct viewing on a television or VHS dubbing.

MiniDV Format
MiniDV digital technology delivers clear, sharp video with up to 500 lines of horizontal resolution--far superior to the 240 lines of resolution offered by 8mm camcorders. You'll also get minimal color noise interference for a more stable picture.

Using Pulse Code Modulation technology (PCM), Panasonic's MiniDV camcorders provide pristine sound. Choose 12-bit or 16-bit audio recording mode.

16-bit audio includes one set of stereo audio tracks to produce CD-quality sound.
12-bit audio uses two sets of audio tracks, so you can easily add background music or commentary to your videos while maintaining the existing soundtrack.

This is all delivered on a cassette that's 1/12 the size of a standard VHS tape. A MiniDV tape offers digital recording time of two full hours--20 times the capacity of a CD.

1 Good intermediate DV Cam
This is my second camcorder in 3 years. Panasonic includes many features inside this DVcam with a very cheap price. Compared to a similarly configured SONY DVcam, this Panasonic wins hands down. You can save up to $300! The videos are sharp, the rotating flash works wonders and often I had to explain to my curious friends about the flash as they were fascinated with the design. The still pictures are very clear and the best thing is that you can take night shots in color! SONY can't do that! Definitely a good buy.

2 1st choice after lots of research!
I purchased this camera in August 2002 and have used it extensively for the last two months. Fantastic! About me...I own a digital camera and this is my first digital video camera so I needed to do the research to spend the $. You can read the tech info here and the tech reviews at other sites (zdnet.com, bizrate.com, etc.) so I'll keep my review simple:

PROS:
- Compared to several sony dv cameras it has better/more responsive zoom, much better focus, and better/sharper/clearer LCD
- JVC and Cannon reviews left a lot to be desired and hands-on Sony didn't compare although they are a little smaller
- Very comfortable to hold/use -- buttons are well-placed and easy to understand
- Very simple to hook up to TV or computer to review (I recently got windows XP and it works like a dream using firewire *must purchase separate* and the associated software)
- Battery that comes with camera has lasted w/o fail...ran out of tape first!
- MPEG capability is great and all you do is hook up to computer, download and email...super easy
- Still shots recorded on tape do record about 5 sec of sound then camera continues filming

CONS:
- Instruction manual is easy to use for basic camera operation but was no help in advising on downloading to computer

You will find lots of reviews on the 252 but 352 is better resolution, comes with a flash, and a few other extras (compare closely).

I suggest getting a UV filter for lens to protect it (352 comes w/Leica Dicomar lens) a nice camera bag to protect your investment, a firewire to download, and if you don't use windows XP & aren't computer savvy, research hooking up & downloading...my desktop has windows 98 and I (novice) couldn't get it to work (too many periphials etc I think).

Last 2 suggestions...1)buy online and shop around b/c there are cheaper prices out there (I challenged Amazon on their price today b/c I got it much cheaper so watch their price the next few days); and 2) go to an electronic store first to touch/feel/examine the hardware before you buy...many online stores (esp w/cheaper prices) have a shorter return period.

Thanks for reading!