Panasonic PV-GS39 MiniDV Camcorder with 30x Optical Zoom

Product Description

The Panasonic PV-GS39 Digital Camcorder combines versatility, ergonomic design, powerful zoom and enhanced PC connection options. It's state-of-the-art digital technology that's also accessible and user-friendly for beginners. The color viewfinder, 2.7" LCD and 30x optical zoom and 1000x digital zoom make it easier than ever to capture all the details. Output your video quickly by t ransferring from your SD card. The simple one-finger navigation with joystick control controls all its advanced functions more easily. It's the easy way to capture life's precious little moments. MagicPix Images Joystick control SD card slot Built-in LED light Dimensions(WxHxD) - 2.717 x 3.229 x 4.725 Weight -. 90 lbs.

Amazon.com Product Description

The Panasonic PV-GS39 MiniDV Camcorder with 30x Optical Zoom combines versatility, ergonomic design, a powerful zoom and enhanced PC connection options. With a new, low-height, compact design featuring a convenient side-load mechanism for inserting and removing tapes, the Panasonic PV GS29 offers the ultimate in point-and-shoot ease. The PV-GS29 includes a DV output (firewire) for easy digital connection to compatible PCs or digital video editing equipment, a 2.7-inch 16:9 LCD display, built-in LED light, and a 30x optical zoom and 1000x digital zoom. The camcorder also allows you to record in wide-screen format and includes a secure digital memory card slot. Joystick control offers users with easy operation and navigation.

Customer Reviews:

Bad investment!.......2007-10-31

I bought this last Christmas for my husband. Here it is, November of the next year, and we still have trouble using it. It is NOT user-friendly! The connections to PC or TV are not easy, and forget that, just shooting movies are a challenge, especially if inside. There's a lighting feature we still haven't figured out, and apparently we have a lemon, as there are 5 blue bands that span across our movies in playback. Sounds like we're not alone...
Also, I can't find any info on the Panasonic website about this model, or it's problems.

Buyer beware!

Cheap and Cheerful until you need it fixed!.......2007-03-19

I bought this camcorder back in August last year right after my vacation, not so smart but I needed a new one just didn't act fast enough. That's the lesson I learned here. Although you have a 1 year Parts warranty you only have 90 day for labor. You wouldn't think that would be bad but guess what, it will cost $200 for labor no matter how large or small the job. I unfortunately didn't test the video output through the television until recently when I discovered it wasn't working. I had never used so I'm guessing that it never worked. I tried to explain this to Panasonic service center but they weren't having it. I paid $299 and I cannot see paying $200 to fix something that didn't work in the first place. The moral of the story is, it's a pretty good little camcorder for the money. Just make sure you test every little feature within the ninety days because you'd be better off buying a new one if it goes wrong after that.

in search of battery.......2007-03-13

I need an extra battery for my PV-GS39. I can't seem to find it anywhere. Can anybody give some info on where to find one.

Panasonic DVs work great........2007-03-12

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

Good for day light shooting.......2007-03-09

The video shot with indoor lighting is very poor.
I used windows xp's default driver to capture pictures off of the video. The captured pictures are blurred.
Microphone is good.
All in all performs best in good light situations.

Amazon.com Review

Celestron's little NexStar 80GT is a popular scope at an attractive price. It features a short 80mm f/5 optical tube assembly, mated to a single-sided swing arm assembly, tripod, and the motorized computer system. The scope also comes with 25 mm (16X) and 10 mm (40X) eyepieces, a red dot finder, star diagonal for easier viewing, and a basic version of The Sky on CD ROM.

The NexStar handset is your user-friendly guide to more than 4,000 celestial objects.

If you think you've seen the optical tube before, you have -- it's the same Chinese-sourced tube sold by other retailers. The optics are decent at low powers, but as you climb in magnification, the fast f/5 focal ratio optics start showing some aberrations -- there's false color (purple halos) around brighter objects, and as you get near 100X, image quality starts to break down. The moral: Take it easy on the magnification, and you'll be OK. Even without pushing it, you can still easily see the rings of Saturn, four moons of Jupiter, and a lot of lunar detail. And aberrrations aside, the little NexStar 80 is a fun low-power rich field telescope. You're going to have a lot of fun looking at the Pleiades, the Double Cluster in Perseus, the Andromeda galaxy, the Orion Nebula, and dozens of other objects.

The telescope's Goto system will be instantly familiar to anyone who's initialized a NexStar (or Meade's similar Autostar system.) If you haven't done this before, the scope needs to be told some basic information: the current time, date, location on the planet, etc. Then you center two known stars to the best of your ability. The scope takes over from there, automatically slewing to the desired object, and keeping it in the field of view as the earth rotates. Mostly it works well, but there are a few minor glitches here and there. The battery pack has a loose connector, which is prone to falling off, forcing you to reinitialize (hint: try attaching the pack to the fork arm itself using velcro.) The computer sometimes takes the "long" way around, strangling itself with its own cord. And the unit's light weight -- only 11 pounds -- won't break your back, but it's so light that any accidental bump (easy to do in the dark) will knock the scope out of alignment, forcing another reinitialization.

The hand held controller contains a wealth of information. The 4,000 object database is probably optimistic for such a small scope (you won't be able to actually see all those objects), but it's a nice touch, and besides, silicon's cheap, right? In fact, one of the fun things you can do with a scope like this on a rainy day is to do a "fake" initialization indoors (yes, even in the daytime.) Then, just start pushing buttons on the controller and read all about the objects in the sky.

So, in the end, what we have here is a nice telescope that offers good value for the price. No scope in this price range is perfect, of course, but there are few other options in this price range. Meade's ETX70AT is similar to the NexStar 80GT. If you`re looking for more light gathering ability, go with an Orion XT6 or XT8. If you like the NexStar system but want a more serious telescope, consider saving up for Celestron's NexStar 5i. --Ed Ting

Pros:

Light, compact, versatile, and inexpensive
On-board computer makes finding objects a snap
Good at low power

Cons:

Optics only so-so at higher powers
Cords tend to tangle
Relatively small aperture (80 mm)

Customer Reviews:

Very nice telescope.......2003-09-07

Having shopped around, a lot, and keeping it below $$$, this is a great telescope. The red diode star finder makes zero-ing in on objects a snap! Really! What a neet invention. This telescope is too easy to set up. And the computer control works great too. For the $$$, this IS a very nice product. My ONLY suggestion is to also order a stronger eyepiece than what comes with it. The two that come with this scope dont do it justice. Mars looks great, and with a stronger eyepiece, you can see the dark bloches/spots on Mars. It wont be like the big close-ups from the hubble, but you'll enjoy what you see. And the moon is so clear and close up, you will feel like you can take a walk on it. The tripod is ok, a little flimsy but does its job. A happy purchase...

Wow! Too much telescope for beginners.......2003-07-06

Bought this as a gift for hubby. We live with 360 degree view from Sierras to Sacto/Mt. Diablo, etc. but found this too much to figure out. Spent hours with little books that glow to find constellations...much easier than waiting for Celestron 80 to "skew" and then haven't a clue where it is or what it's doing. Mom bought it so will spend precious hours doing a techno. but feels overwhelmed. Suggestions? Classes at JC?

Sharp images, poor magnification.......2003-05-20

I'm a novice as far as telescopes goes. Actually this is my first one. Getting it to work won't take more than 5 minutes (including the unpacking) Assembling it is very straightforward.

For terrestial objects I am very happy with it. I was able to see crisp images of objects more than 20 miles away.

The hand control is also easy to use. It is a battery eater. And be careful, if you leave the battery pack connected, the next day you will realize they are gone.

As far as magnification, I feel a little bit dissapointed. I was able to see Jupiter and 4 of it's moons, also Saturn is visible along it's rings. However the image is so small you'll get a headache after a couple of minutes due to the strain on your eyes. The moon looks great. I was also able to see what I presume was a satellite. It was like a very small lighted dot blinking and moving very fast on the sky for 1 or 2 minutes.

Overall it is a good telescope, but if you are a first timer, don't expect to see the planets as big balloons with all kinds of patterns.

Great Beginner Scope - Some Small Annoyances.......2003-01-12

I've wanted a telescope for years, and finally decided to get one this Christmas. I bought the Celestron Nexstar 80 based on what I deemed as a good compromise between optical capabilities and ease of use. For the most part, I'm very happy with the purchase.

Setup could not be easier. I was ready to rumble in minutes.

Being a pure beginner, I needed the GOTO functions to help get me started. Within five minutes of bringing the scope outside, I was checking out Saturn's rings and scoping out Jupiter. I even managed to find the Orion Nebula. And I had no idea how to find these things without the scope's help. Now, after only a few days, I can find them on my own - which saves lots of battery life.

There are some annoying design problems. As many other reviews have noted, the battery pack is a pain. The connection to the scope slides out far too easily, dumping alignment. Also, the wiring on the battery pack itself is fairly fragile. As soon as you break the scope out of the box, you should Velcro or tape the battery pack to the motorized mount (not the tripod legs). This will save you some disappointment.

I was also disappointed in the readability of the hand controller. As the text scrolls by, it's very difficult to read. Don't fret too much about this, though. After you align it once or twice - you won't need to read the display that often, anyway.

Lastly, while I have found the optics very good, I would recommend purchasing a 6mm and/or 4mm eyepiece right off the bat when you order your scope. The 25mm and 10mm eyepieces that come with the kit are great, but you're going to want more magnification the first time you look at Jupiter, Saturn, etc. And while you're buying an additional eyepiece, grab a moon filter and a solar filter as well. My daughter loves looking at the moon with the telescope, but it's so bright that it destroys your night vision for ten minutes without the filter.

Overall, I'm very happy with the telescope. I have really enjoyed it, and look forward to exploring the night sky for years to come. Who knows, maybe this is the first of more telescopes in my future.

Very Impressive!.......2002-12-28

I ordered the Nexstar 80GT from Amazon and it arrived exactly when promised. I opened the box with child-like excitement. Inside was a high quality, good looking telescope. It was incredibly easy to set up. There are only a few easy steps needed to assemble this telescope. Pop in 8 AA batteries and you are on your way. There are a few methods you can use to align the telescope. I found the two star alignment to work best for me. Once aligned you can choose a "tour" that will show you an incredible list of objects to view. Select one, press one button and the telescope comes alive, moving automatically to the chosen object. Some objects are very easy to see and some need tweaking with different magnifications. The clarity of the optics is impressive and you will gasp at some of the views of the planets and open clusters. Even the Orion Nebula is easily visible with this scope. This is a wonderful starter scope. If you want to have fun and explore the sky purchase this scope, you will not be dissapointed. For the amateur astronomer who just wants to check out what is out there from time to time, this is a great scope to do it with.

Two minor problems surfaced so far. A little more design effort by Celestron would have made this a five star rating.

1) The power cable has a tendancy to slip out from its connection. This causes the scope to lose power, which in turn requires you to realign the scope. You can easily fix this by using some velcro tape.

2) The battery pack is located on the accessory tray. As the telescope turns, the cable can, and will get tangled if you don't keep a close eye on it.

Good luck with your purchase! Clear skies.

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