Panasonic PVDV910 MiniDV Digital Palmcorder Camcorder

The Panasonic PV-DV910 isn't much bigger than a point-and-shoot still camera, yet it packs plenty of punch when it comes to recording. It uses the MiniDV format, which gives you over 380 lines of horizontal resolution and lets you download and edit video on your PC (although you do have to purchase a 1394-compliant video capture card separately).

The Panasonic PV-DV910 was a pleasure to use. Once we got the hang of the menu wheel, utilizing the host of advanced features was a snap. We particularly enjoyed the wide range of digital effects, from strobe-like recording and negative, sepia, or solarized effects to the multiple fade-in/fade-out options. The Panasonic PV-DV910 also takes still shots--up to 750 on a tape--along with a portion of audio. This is a great feature if you have a video capture card and don't want to buy an additional still digital camera.

The 3-inch color LCD viewfinder was big, bright, and clear. It swivels a complete 180 degrees, allowing you to tape yourself or let your subjects see themselves as you record. The Panasonic PV-DV910's 18x optical zoom gave us sharp, clear close-ups, and its amazing 300x digital zoom let us in on extremely far-away action--just be aware that video detail decreases with high digital magnification. We found the PV-DV910's electronic image stabilization helpful in events with fast action or when we were mobile ourselves.

One of the Panasonic PV-DV910's best features is its ability to dub audio onto a prerecorded tape. In addition to being able to replace the original soundtrack with new audio, you can also layer a new soundtrack on top of the old one--a great feature for adding background music or commentary. We also found the Panasonic PV-DV910's included light useful for shooting at night or in dimly lit areas.

Overall, the Panasonic PV-DV910 was both easy to use and offered a great range of fun and useful features.

Pros:

• High-quality digital video and audio
• Large, bright LCD screen
• High-powered optical and digital zooms
• Two-track audio dubbing

Cons:

• More expensive than most nondigital camcorders