Review : Panasonic AG-DVC30 Camcorder

The Panasonic AG-DVC30 strikes, at least according to me, the perfect balance between a professional camcorder and a consumer based, easy to use, but not as complex comcorder. The Panasonic AG-DVC30 is not as highly priced as the entry-level professional camcorders, and is just a hair lower than them as far the features and configuration is concerned. At the same time, the Panasonic AG-DVC30 is better than and offers more than just about any basic consumer camera out there. In fact, I would go as far as to say that the Panasonic AG-DVC30 gives the best value for its cost compared to any other three chip DV camcorder available today, and is an excellent choice for someone who knows how to make good use of all the features available..

Even though the Panasonic AG-DVC30 is a really small camcorder (especially with its handle removed), and with it's black color can look like a very unsophisticated machine, it is actually one of the most affordable, and the most powerful camcorders around. However, the small size does cause some problems. Since there isn't enough space to put all the buttons and accesses to features on the camera itself, many of them have to accessed through the menu only. That can often be time consuming, especially when you have to assign different functions to the same controls. For example, there is a single ring around the camera lens which can be assigned to control the zoom, the focus and the iris, and there is a wheel at the back which can be used to adjust the volume of the headphones, the audio level, the iris, the shutter and more.

Even though the Panasonic AG-DVC30 has three customizable buttons that can be programmed to help switch from one setting to the next without wasting too much time to help overcome the problem, the manual controls are still very time-consuming, and sometimes even feel awkward, like a game where you have to run back and forth over the same area over and over.

The Panasonic AG-DVC30 offers 16X zoom, which is good, but not the best available, and has three ¼ inch 380,000 pixel CCDs. The zoom of the Panasonic AG-DVC30 also has optical stabilization to make it easier to take far off images and capture video without the shaking. However, something that is nearly unbeatable with the Panasonic AG-DVC30 is the aazing number of professional features it provides - true SMPTE color bars, synchro scan to reduce flicker with computer screen shots, zebra stripes that are customizable, amd two different 16x9 modes - letterboxed and squeezed.

Unlike most other camcorders the Panasonic AG-DVC30 doesn't fail when it comes to images either. It has a vast range of settings that can be accessed to take as many pictures as you want, in four very distinct looks. These features are very easy to access as well, and it doesn't take long at all to configure the camera at all. While the Panasonic AG-DVC30 still doesn't offer high resolution image capture, it still offers some really good options like the infrared Super Night mode that lets you shoot monochrome shots in the dark, and also has some cool effects.

All in all, the Panasonic AG-DVC30 is one of the best camcorders to get, especially if you're looking for something a step up from the average run of the mill camcorder, but are not ready to take on the fully loaded professional cameras yet. The Panasonic AG-DVC30 weighs in at 2.4 pounds which is really good for a camera that has as many features as it does, and the price is really competitive as well. The only two things that the Panasonic AG-DVC30 could have improved upon are the micrphone that picks up many unwanted sounds, and the battery life (which can be replaced with a better one). Other than that, the Panasonic AG-DVC30 is one of the best available today.