Customer Reviews
Panasonic PV-GS250 
2006-02-15
Great product. Easy to use. Downloads a breeze with my iMac G5. Low light conditions need a supplementary light source. Great family unit.
Get one while you can! 2006-02-01
This is a gem of a camera. The low light isn't as bad as many say or there must be other cameras out there that do a super job of low light recording. I've recorded a few videos at dusk and overcast days at F11 or above and I did not have any problems. The only problem that I've had is with the zoom (if you call it a problem), it's hard to record and slowly zoom in/out. The zoom usually takes off on you.
Get one while you can- they are dissapearing fast. The new non HD cameras will have less features than this one to lower the MSRP because the HD cameras will list for $1000.
Jeff
good camcorder 
2005-12-29
Bought this camcorder(my 1st) after reading most of the reviews on the net. Quality is great with video other than at low light rating but most of the the consumer camcorder had the same problem anyway), didn't expect to take still with camcorder so didn't care about the 3.1mp. Very easy to use and feels good in my hand. I gave a 4 because I know soon there will be better camcorder in the market at this price range.
Poor picture and color quality and terrible low light performance 
2005-12-22
I purchased this camera in December 2005 to replace my 7 year old Sony Digital 8 camcorder. Unfortunately, everything except size is inferior in the Panasonic compared to the "ancient" Sony. The color is not nearly as sharp, the low light capabilities are laughable and the battery lasts half as long. The sound quality was adequate if not watching playback on the camera itself. The camera's highest volume setting is too low to use if you want to listen while loading video into your computer's editing program.
The Panasonic does have a relatively convenient manual exposure feature many other miniDV camcorders lack. This allows better light control when shooting in auditoriums with spotlights. It uses a toggle to control the exposure and, while it is not as easy as the external thumb wheel on the Sony, it is adequate. Unfortunately, it functions so poorly in low light it wouldn't provide adequate color in an auditorium.
I thought the image stabilization would be a great feature but my video is much shakier with the Panasonic than my old Sony. Maybe it's because the camera is so small it's hard to keep as stable as the larger Sony.
Video editing on a PC is equally easy on the Sony and Panasonic but the Panasonic's poor user manual would make it very difficult for a novice to figure out and your picture quality will be much better with Sony's Digital 8.
If you don't HAVE to record in miniDV format or have a built in 3 megapixel still camera, I'd recommend buying an inexpensive Sony Digital8 for about a third of the price of the GS250.
If you do have to have a miniDV camera and you won't be shooting in bright sunlight, try another brand.
This upper end 3CCD camcorder will now have a home on a closet shelf where it will stay unless I need a very small camera to chase action in a cross country race or similar event on a sunny day. Otherwise, I'll use the old Sony so I can share the video I shoot without being embarrassed about the picture quality.
Great Camera 2005-12-11
Make sure you use the sun filter when shooting outside. I killed my wonderful camera one sunny day when I forgot the sun filter and accidently took a picture of the sky. Now my awesome wonderful camera is dead. And we are so sad.
Excellent camcorder for your everyday use! 2007-09-03
This camcorder has many features to desire and can be used for everyday use in many conditions. This is the second camcorder I've had in this range and am really pleased with it. The only negative thing about it is the low resolution still camera functionality it has at 3.1 MP. Otherwise a great buy with good clarity, saturation, optical zoom and features.
Only worked for about 4 weeks in the last year and a half 
2007-02-08
I was looking forward to using this highly rated camera for taking video of our new son. Unfortunately, the camera tape mechanism went out after the first 4 months and I had to send the camera to Illinois to be repaired, and also to get the tape out of the camera. The camera was out for 6 weeks. The refurbished camera lasted approx. 6 more months, sent it back again and this time it cost me $168 to have it refurbished. Now after a couple of months the camera is showing a white LCD screen and will not function at all.
Time to give up on Panasonic. Their customer service is non-existant and getting the camera repaired again seems like a waste of time.
Best deal for the price! 2006-04-16
I did a lot of research before buying the PV-GS250. Now that I have the camera in my hands I know I made a great choice. Great image quality. Great build quality. The low light problems you read about are not really a big deal. In a noramlly lit room everything is fine.
PV-GS250 Hits a home run with me!!! 2006-03-14
I love my new camera!!! This is my first video camera and there is definitely no buyers remorse here. It is soooo user friendly!I researched many cameras and found this one to be most suitable for my needs. My company was subcontracted to work with another production company and my camera (PV-GS250) was used as a secondary camera for b-roll and it was fabulous. The footage was almost seamless between the two cameras when it was being edited. I'm very happy with my purchase and look forward to using it more and more.
Great camcorder 2006-02-26
This is a great camcorder. The picture is excellent. It has well thought out features. I like the fact that you can also take high resolution still pictures. It is very small and compact. The only thing that could be better is the flash for the still pictures. I often get the glare from the flash in the picture.
