Advantages: Easy to use but with fantastic results.
Disadvantages: Add-ons not available yet as camera is relatively new.

...Having not owned a camcorder before I decided that now was the time jump into the market, I was looking for a resonably priced digital camcorder that would also take still pictures (to kill two birds with one stone so I did not need to buy a seperate digital camera). After looking round on the internet and collating all the technical specifications and prices the best value for money product appeared to the Panasonic NV DS55B, I wanted a good quality mid range digital camcorder, but without going into the upper range which has numerous extra facilities which generally don't really get used. One other criteria was that it was reasonably small and compact. The NV DS55B appeared to fit the bill so off I went and purchased one. The camera came in a very comprehensive package, with all the additional cables you could ever need... Read review

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Advantages: Build quality, reliability, size, performance
Disadvantages: non really, it is what it is for the price, a point and shoot camcorder with brilliant imaging

...I researched this purchase a lot before buying as I wanted the best image quality for the money. I have always been a fan of Panasonics equipment and have about six Panasonic items in the house. All of these purchases have been researched using sites like this and Which magazine. Panasonic always seem to come out best as they did with this camcorder. I liked the size (although they are even smaller now 2 0r 3 years on!) and the flip out lcd screen is kinda cool but I don't use much because it drains the battery that bit faster and I have seen clearer screens on different makes. That is prehaps the only downside to me. It has an easy to use menu system for setting the camcorder up to tour own specific settings like Widescreen mode if you have a widescreen TV. It has Program modes which I suppose would be useful but I tend to keep... Read review

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Advantages: Good quality
Disadvantages: a bit expensive

...I was recently looking for a digital camera, now I have found it, the Panasonic NV-DCF7E is the perfect digital camera. I uses a 8 mb memory card which can be removed and you can insert another one and carry on taking photos. This digital camera simply connects to your pc via a serial interface and all you have to do is upload your photos from the camera onto your hard-drive. The Panasonic NV-DCF7E has a 1..8" TFT LCD monitor which is perfect to view existing photos on your memory card. This camera is fairly small, 118 mm x 66 mm x 52 mm and it is very light, approx. 370 g. There's room for two CompactFlash cards at the same time in the Panasonic NV-DFC7E. The 1.3 megapixel camera can take still pictures.... Read review

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Advantages: Good Average Weight, Very Simple To Use.
Disadvantages: Menus Quite Hard To Navigate.

...to understand. The main two difficulties I found with the camera was navigating the cameras menus and remembering which cables go where when connecting it to the television. When going thorough the menus you use the vertical scrolling wheel that is also be pressed to select. Unless you press it properly you may turn the wheel as well, this can get very annoying indeed! However, overall it is fairly easy to use. I would say that the durability on this camera is very good but to make it like this Panasonic have also had to add weight. However, it is has an average weight, which is good for average time filming. If you do wish to make longer movies, e.g. 15+ minutes, I would recommend buying a tripod. I would say that the Panasonic NV DS29B has a very good range and quality of features for the average Joe. Some of this includes screen effects like... Read review

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Advantages: Small, versatile, relatively easy to use.
Disadvantages: Less computer compatibility for editing, etc. Small buttons.

...Pansonic's NV-DS27 has been released for a while now, and in some countries has been replaced by the DS30 and DS50 cameras. At the Lincoln High School Music Dept., the NV-DS27 has had some very thorough testing. It is one of the two cameras owned by the department, and are used frequently for filming of music concerts, assessments and other events. I was one of the technicians using the camera. The DS27 is a very versatile camera. It has all the features needed for home use, including 400x Digital Zoom, 2.5" Color LCD monitor, zoom mic, 0 lux night shot, image stabilizer, and color viewfinder. It also has digital effects options, as well as being able to take stillshots onto the SD Memory card. It is very compact. Its small size was a drawback for professional use; when needing to use different options quickly, the buttons are very... Read review

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Advantages: Small, useable, light weight
Disadvantages: Lacks some finer points, stills option is useless.

...... Read review

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Advantages: Both a Digital Video and Digital Still Camera with great quality
Disadvantages: It takes you a few sessions to fully understand all features

...We previously owned two analogue camcorders, both Sony. They were good but bulky. So we decided to find a smaller camcorder. We were also looking for a digital still camera. When we found the Panasonic NV DS55B we were in luck! It is compact and comfortable to use. We are not impulse buyers and spent many weeks looking, trying, picking the brains of sales staff, borrowing various camcorders from people to try them out, reading Which magazine reports etc. Welove this camcorder and have been using it for three years now. It came with absolutely everything we needed. All cables for transfer to video, recharger, battery, strap, MMC 4mb storage card, software to upload photos for printing and editing etc. The instruction booklet that comes with it is very clear with pictures to aid you. It has a remote control facility so you can stay seated... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful

Advantages: Both a Digital Video and Digital Still Camera with great quality
Disadvantages: It takes you a few sessions to fully understand all features

...We previously owned two analogue camcorders, both Sony. They were good but bulky. So we decided to find a smaller camcorder. We were also looking for a digital still camera. When we found the Panasonic NV DS55B we were in luck! It is compact and comfortable to use. We are not impulse buyers and spent many weeks looking, trying, picking the brains of sales staff, borrowing various camcorders from people to try them out, reading Which magazine reports etc. We love this camcorder and have been using it for three years now. It came with absolutely everything we needed. All cables for transfer to video, recharger, battery, strap, MMC 4mb storage card, software to upload photos for printing and editing etc. The instruction booklet that comes with it is very clear with pictures to aid you. It has a remote control facility so you can stay... Read review

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Advantages: small, light, easy to use in automatic or manual modes
Disadvantages: none whatsoever, can't fault it

...compensation and manual focus selector are located on buttons within easy reach on the body of the camera. For the true enthusiast there is full manual control over the exposure (iris and shutter speed) and white balance (again conveniently located), although even in automatic (default) mode the camera responds very swiftly to changes in brightness and movement. There are different level of white balance available, fully automatic (which is very accurate), indoor, outdoor and manual, aided by the useful provision of a translucent white lens cap. Panasonic also protect the lens with a clear filter, saving the purchaser about £20. As with most minidv cameras there is a still photoshot facility, although if you are planning to print out your pictures I recommend using the progressive scan mode (selectable by a button on the side) as this delivers top... Read review

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Advantages: Small, Excellent Picture, Easy to use, Good price
Disadvantages: None

...... Read review

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