 I recieved a VHS-C camcorder for Christmas and was ... Strengths: Least expensive miniDV camcorder I could find, good picture, light weight, east to use, tape eject on the side instead of on the bottom so you don't have to take it off the tripod to change tapes
Weaknesses: NO PC CONNECTION CABLES INCLUDED, no memory card for digital still pictures
Summary: I recieved a VHS-C camcorder for Christmas and was not happy with the picture quality or the length of recording time per tape (30 min). I wanted to upgrade for not very much money and was lucky to find this camera for $290. I went back and forth between this PV-DV53 and the JVC GR-D30, which is similar in price. After reading reviews on camcorderinfo.com, I decided to buy the Panasonic because of it's low light performance.
After using the camera for 10 days, I have been pleased with its performance. It has a good picture and some nice features for the price. It is definately a big improvement over the VHS-C in picture quality (250 lines of resolution vs. 525 lines).
What I don't like: This camera doesn't have a memory card, so the dgital still pictures that you take are recorded to the tape. You then need special software and a cable to convert them to usable digital pictures. THESE ARE NOT INCLUDED WITH THE CAMERA. This is not a good camcorder if you want a 2 in 1 for digital stills.
The Firewire cable to connect the camcorder to your PC for video editing is also NOT INCLUDED. This was a bummer for me.
Overall, I am happy with this camcorder. There are a few quirks (such as the digital still capability), but the quality for the price is good. I wish that they would have included the Firewire cable though!
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