Customer Reviews
Died after 3 months! 
2006-09-24
This was my second camcorder- after a Canon that lasted 2 years but developed motor noise. This Panasonic literally suddenly died after only 3 MONTHS ( well, 3 months and a week- thereby a week too late for the warranty and a "too bad, so sad" response from panasonic!). I had used it to film a wedding- it had terrible indoor quality and poor sound quality and obviously had a short pathetic lifespan. Do not buy this camera!
Very good basic camcorder 
2006-08-18
This is Panasonic's entry-level camcorder, but it's packed with useful features, like good image quality, 12 lux sensitivity, and a whopping 30x optical zoom. I think it's perfect for casual travel videography as well as for shooting entries to the "America's Funniest Video" show. It's fairly easy to use and the build quality is solid.
A good optional accessory to get is a spare battery. You never know if the battery might run out at the most inopportune time, so be sure to pick up a backup one. Given the recent Dell recall of 4.1 million laptops due to battery fire, you should get a genuine Panasonic LiIon battery designd specifically for this model. Don't put your life or your loved one's at risk.
The reviewer named "Hung" got it totally wrong (or was just plain lying). The GS29 does come with IEEE1394 Firewire (aka i.Link) so you can download your videos quickly to your PC; if your PC doesn't already have an IEEE1394 port, you can get a PCI IEEE1394 card for $30 or less. You can use Windows Movie Maker, included with Windows ME and XP, to edit your videos and export them to CDs or DVDs.
Be careful! 
2006-08-04
I want to warn you that in the product descritpion saying
"The PV-GS29 includes a DV output (firewire) for easy digital connection to compatible PCs or digital video editing equipmen" is not true. The camcorder doesn't come with the firewire port, you need to buy it!!!
Very good 2006-07-06
You won't go wrong with a Panasonic DV. I've had a few models. I have several of this model for my business. They're rock solid reliable, nice and small for portability, and the quality of the recording is very good.
Excellent beginner's camera 2006-06-24
Just got this so I'm not an expert yet. First impressions:
-Easy to use, did not have to read the manual (only the first pages as not to mess up the battery).
-Very good quality in low light environments.
-Because it's very compact in size, fits in the palm of your hand, and it's lightweight.
-Good zoom (30x) which lets you film from afar.
Quality of the film: very good, although since it's my first camcorder I do not have comparison parameters.
Battery: My only gripe so far is that the battery does not last long, but it charges very quickly so what I'll do is just buy a second one to have in my pocket just in case.
Interface: It does not have a USB connection but a FireWire port so I'm downloading directly to my computer. Another option I explored was connecting it to my Samsung DVR-120 DVD Recorder, where I downloaded my film and burned it directly to a DVD-R.
It has other options which I'm not familiar yet. As I get to use them I will update my review.
I recommend it to any beginner or folks who need a quick solver for those birthday parties and road trips. I suppose it does not compare to those high-end 3CCD devices, but I didn't expect it to be more than it is: a great first camcorder.
GREAT COMPACT MINI DV CAMCORDER 
2007-06-25
I WANTED A NEW CAMCORDER. I DO LIKE THE VHS-C VERSIONS, BUT THE QUALITY IS NOT AS GOOD AS A HI8 FROM SONY WHICH I HAVE. I DID NOT WANT TO SPEND ALOT OF MONEY. I KNOW A NEW CAMCORDER WOULD BE TOO EXPENSIVE. I FIGURED, IF I CAN FIND A USED, BUT IN VERY GOOD CONDITION WITH A GOOD PRICE, I WOULD BUY IT. AFTER LOOKING AROUND ON AMAZON, I FOUND THIS GREAT LITTLE CAMCORDER. I WAS SO SURPRISED HOW SMALL AND COMPACT IT WAS, WITH FEATURES OF A VHS-C AND A HI8. IT USES MINI DIGITAL TAPES WITH A 90 MINUTE RECORDING TIME. IT HAS A BUILT IN LIGHT, LARGE LCD SCREEN, A JOYSTICK TYPE OF CONTROL, WHICH IS VERY EASY TO USE. YOU CAN PLAYBACK ON YOUR TV WITH THE RCA CABLES, OR USE A PC WHICH I SEE IT CAN DO, BUT I'M NOT REALLY INTERESTED IN DOING THAT, CAUSE I USE MY DIGITAL CAMERA. IN FACT, YOU CAN TAKE PICTURES ON THE CAMERA MODE. YOU HAVE TO PRESS IT LIGHTLY, CAUSE IF YOU DON'T, YOU CAN GET MORE THAN ONE PICTURE OF THE SAME THING. YOU CAN ACTUALLY HEAR THE SHUTTER WHEN YOU ARE TAKING THE PICTURE. THE ZOOM AND VOLUME CONTROLS ARE ONE IN THE SAME. WHEN YOU PLAYBACK WHAT YOU RECORD. ZOOM FOR RECORDING, VOLUME WHEN USING PLAYBACK. IT SAYS STEREO ON THE LOWER FRONT OF THE CAMCORDER. THE BATTERY LASTS A LONG TIME, BUT YOU ALWAYS NEED ANOTHER ONE, WHICH I ORDERED FROM AMAZON. IT COMES WITH A BATTERY CHARGER LIKE A VHS-C, SO YOU CAN USE THE CAMERA, WHILE CHARGING ANOTHER. IT FITS RIGHT IN THE PALM OF YOUR HAND, AND THE CONTROLS ARE GOOD FOR A RIGHT HANDED PERSON, IF YOUR A SOUTHPAW, YOU ARE GOING TO HAVE PROBLEMS, I KNOW, CAUSE MY SISTER IS A LEFTIE AND IT RUNS IN THE FAMILY. IF YOUR RIGHTHANDED LIKE ME YOU SHOULD HAVE NO PROBLEM. THE ONLY THING I DID NOT LIKE WAS, THE PLAYBACK IS NOT AS CLEAR AS A HI8, AND YOU HAVE TO MOVE THE CAMERA SLOWLY, CAUSE IT GETS BLURRY. ONE GREAT PLUS IS THE VIEWFINDER IS IN COLOUR WHEN THE LCD DOOR IS CLOSED. I HAVE NEVER SEEN THAT BEFORE, IT'S VERY HELPFUL. OF COURSE, IF YOU WANT A BETTER PICTURE QUALITY, YOU NEED A MORE EXPENSIVE MODEL, OR A HI8 WHICH I FIND HAS THE BEST QUALITY WHEN IT COMES TO USING TAPE CAMCORDERS. IF YOUR GOING ON A TRIP, IT'S FANTASTIC. YOU DON'T HAVE TO CARRY AROUND THE OLD-FASHIONED CAMCORDERS, WITH EXTRA TAPES AND LARGE BATTERIES. EVEN THE BATTERY IS VERY SMALL, BUT DOES NOT LACK QUALITY. THE CAMERA IS SMALL, THE TAPES AND EXTRA BATTERY ARE SMALL, HOW CAN YOU LOSE.... I'M GIVING IT A 4 RATING FOR THE BLURRY PICURE YOU CAN GET IF YOU ARE MOVING AROUND TOO FAST WHILE RECORDING. I HAVE YET TO RECORD OUTSIDE CAUSE I JUST GOT IT. LOOKING FORWARD TO THAT. I HOPE THIS HELPS. THANK YOU.
Very nice camcorder 2007-05-05
This is very nicely built, simple features, takes still pics as well.
As long as your not a professional filmer that needs HD, go for it.
Video & sound quality is great.
Great Camcorder For A Great Price 2007-05-03
I bought this camcorder recently and am very happy with it. It is very easy to use and has good recording quality. The low light indoors isn't great but no camcorders in this price range are. I've used it several times and it works fine. I recommend this and the price is unreal.
Poor Resolution 2006-12-31
I like the camara and the zoom was good. I returned it because I was very disappointed with the resolution. In todays world, I expected better.
Panasonic PV-GS29 MiniDV Camcorder with 30x Optical Zoom 2006-11-09
Very small and easy to carry. Neat on the zoom, a bit hazy on the image stabilization but overall a good buy for the buck.
