This is quite a remarkable little camcorder.
First of all, i went to purchase the Panasonic NVGS27B camcorder from Argos which was 189.99, but when i got home i noticed it was the NVGS60EB-S.
I don't think theres any difference except maybe an upgraded model number, so just in case you go to buy the NVGS27B, don't worry.
Anyway who cares about the model number, this camcorder is more than what i expected...a lot more!!
Deciding what budget camcorder to buy was just a nightmare and i was strongly pulled to either Sonys HC-27 or their HC-37 model.
Being Sony i would have thought that was an obvious choice, but then i came across some excellent reviews about this Panasonic marvel.
I can truly say this camcorder is awesome and for the small price i paid it was an absolute bargain.
Considering about 4 years ago i paid £1000 for a JVC GR-DX100 DV camcorder which is still a great little machine,
the Panasonic is just as good, IF NOT better in some ways!
The first thing you notice is the LCD display is excellent. The focus is fast and precise, and so far have not experienced any blurring, where for the JVC sometimes it would take a little time focusing on basic light sources or get a bit confused it seemed and just stopped focusing.
The zoom on the Panasonic is outstanding and once you pass the 30x optical range, the image quality is still top notch until you zoom way passed a few 100x range, but for what i use the camcorder for i'm never going to zoom pass the 50x anyway which is still awesome quality.
Indoor shooting in low light in auto mode produced good results (a little grainy at times, but what do you expect when recording in low light) and the outdoor shooting is just superb
The sound is another superb aspect of this camera.
Most reviews I've read concerning other budget camcorders always seem to say the sound was quite poor or average.
That was my main worry about buying a budget camera, but I'm pleased to say the quality of this camcorder is more than average....maybe even better than the JVC!
The stereo sound that i heard when i played back some footage on the PC was a real surprise as the JVC never sounded this good.
You still get the slight hissing sound but considering i used to get that from the JVC plus the tape mechanism sound, this is still a great sounding camcorder.
Also, one more thing is the mic zoom on the camera which even though i haven't used yet, seems interesting still.
Another plus point is the ease of use.
Everything is within thumb reach and the joystick makes menu surfing a dream.
The side tape loading makes life easier also for them quick tape replacing times when your recording from atop a tripod (something i used to hate doing with the JVC).
Quality playback on the PC is another great plus point while using the firewire port.
The weight is light but still a solid feeling camcorder.
Bottom line is if your after a easy to use, point and record camcorder with the added possibility of more professional results then this Panasonic one will not disappoint what so ever.
I'm not an expert on cameras and camcorders, but having experience with an all singing and dancing, expensive (at the time) JVC camcorder and now having purchased this very 'worth your money and more' piece of kit, out of the two....this is my first choice camera to use!