WHAT I WAS LOOKING FOR:
I bought this camera mainly because it was one of the most compact miniDV cameras on the market. It isn't probably as fancy looking as some of the other models, but any mathematician or scientist will tell you that boxy shapes maximise the internal volume while minimising the external dimensions. I.e. this camera isn't tall and thin like the sony cameras, and it doesn't have any lenses and viewfinders that stick out and waste space like the canons.

I will be travelling around the world with this video camera, and all my stuff IS going to fit in a small 23 litre daypack. Sure, there are smaller cameras out there, but I wasn't keen on having one of vertical-styled microMV cameras, and the DVD cameras are relatively expensive and bulky (and I have read enough reviews about people who lost their entire footage when they finalised the disc - if that ever happened to me I would become enraged). Also, I found thath the 3CCD cameras on the market had a much shorter battery life compared to single CCD cameras. So all things/features considered, I chose this model...

This is my first video camera, but I have taken probably about 3000 photos with my SLR film camera, so I'm hoping some of the same skills come in handy.

I have used the camera for about 4 days. It has taken about three days to absorb all of the features, by reading through the manual with the camera on my lap. I'm sure the features are overwhelming for most people, but I urge you to study the manual to get the most out of it. At least know what all the symbols mean, as they can be very handy, for example: the time remaining on the tape, and generally knowing what modes and options you have selected. Probably the best way to learn how to use all the features is to pick it up and start playing with it... then go through the manual and see what you missed! That way you don't need to read how to do the easy stuff, which is tedious! The manual has lots of information, and I didn't find the menu system confusing as others have said.

WHAT YOU GET IN THE BOX:
- Video camera!
- Cradle type charger + battery
- Remote control
- Stick style "remote" (mainly for audio dubbing)
- AV cables
- S-video cable
- USB connection kit --- USB cable & USB driver & SD viewer --- this only downloads the pictures and videos from the SD card, so you will need a firewire card AND video editing software for capturing what's on the tape to your computer
- Shoulder strap
- Head cleaning tape + lens cap + cleaning cloth

TECHNO-JARGAIN:
~ You can shooting low-resolution movies straight onto the SD card- for e-mailing, and sharing on the internet. A 512Mb card will hold well over 1 or 2 hours of footage @ 320x200 pixels
~ You can copy both stills and video from a tape to the SD card (but you get better results by recording either straight to the card).
~ You can take snapshots to the SD card while simultaneously recording to the tape.
~ You can shoot progressive snapshots onto the SD card.
~ The camera can be used as a webcam.

LCD & VIEWFINDER:
~ When the LCD panel is flipped around 180 degrees (facing forward), the image inverts itself automatically! You can also select the recording to appear as a mirror...
~ The LCD panel also flips back more than 90° to something like 120°. This really helps you to access the menu buttons underneath, and I couldn't live without this feature!
~ Power LCD function... pressing this makes the LCD even brighter.
~ The viewfinder extends out from the camera... it took me 2 days to figure this out.
~ For 0 lux shooting, the LCD becomes a white panel which supplies light. It works okay for distances up to about a metre. (2-3 feet)
~ It has an electronic image stabiliser which works well to some extent.

SPECIAL EFFECTS:
~ The colour nightshot function really brightens things up, albeit with a "time-lapse" sort of style.
~ You can manually set the shutter speed, exposure and/or focus... although it's probably easier to use auto focus mode.
~ You can have the option of having a time-lapse or stroboscopic modes. There are also mirror, stretch, slim, pixellate and multi-picture modes, although honestly, I don't find them to be useful.
~ Has mix & fade effects... learn how to use these... they are easy enough. But the wipe mode is too slow.
~ You can record with either B&W, negative, sepia or solarised effects.
~ You can focus as close as 4cm from the lens!! (<2")
~ "Tele macro" mode

OTHER STUFF:
~ The palm grip belt can be unclipped and worn as a hand loop strap around your wrist, like a bracelet.
~ The red recording light on the front can be turned off.
~ All the sounds can be turned off, even the fake SLR shutter sound when taking still shots.
~ Quick start feature, although this sucks battery juice. While on the subject, the playback and recording menus use more power than the SD card menus, even when not playing or recording, as I can hear sounds coming from the unit. ;-)
~ The AC adapter works between 110-240V AC.

NOT SO GOOD:
~ You can't charge the battery at the same time as using the camera under mains power.
~ You can't use the "still advance" function during playback without using the remote control.

MORE INFORMATION:
* The auto white balance doesn't always give the most faithful colour reproductions... I achieved better results by changing to the programmed A.E. modes. Especially indoors at night, change to manual mode, select "low light" for the programmed AE mode & "indoor lighting" for the white balance. This makes the colours appear vibrant and true to life... I was extremely pleased with the quality of the results!

* Don't forget to load the audio codec which is included on the installation CD (bottom right option). Otherwise, you won't be able to view the videos on the SD card, or you'll end up hunting around for the appropriate codec on the internet for over half an hour like I did.

* While the stills are only 640x480 resolution, this is adequate for internet usage, such as email and selling things on Ebay. I was quite impressed with the quality of the still shots, but the CCD does get a bit overwhelmed when the contrast is too high (the brightest regions sometimes wash out). It all depends where you are standing in relation to the light source. Regardless, the quality was good enough for what I want. When I want ultra-good photos, I'll use my trusty SLR film camera. (BTW some types of slide film are equivalent to 45megapixels!!!). Prior to this, when I wanted to sell something or send a quick photo to someone over the internet, I had to develop film.

NOTE: This review applies to the Panasonic NV-GS55, which is the PAL equivalent of the PV-GS55 NTSC compatible video recorder.

BOTTOM LINE: This is a terrific little camera, it has many features that I need, hardly any that I won't use, and they are all intuitively placed. I reckon it's a good compromise between size & quality. I have read other reviews of this camera; all I can say is there must be some extremely fussy & insatiable cameramen out there, especially in terms of low-light performance. Every still photographer knows you can't have your cake and eat it when it comes to low light situations.

I hope this review was very helpful to you... don't forget to vote as I'm trying to become a top 5000 reviewer!

I bought this item used after a lot of research, and it was a bit of a gamble. After all, there's not a lot of info on it, as it seemed that it probably was only around for a year, and it was not an expensive camera at the time, but a somewhat budget 1-ccd camcorder.

It has exceeded all of my expectations.

First of all, I was worried about tape noise. I had a Sharp DV camcorder and the tape noise on the recordings was obnoxious. I almost bought a new Elura 100 or a new Optura 50, but I was put off by reviews which said that their tape noise was somewhat "to be expected on any DV camera." Well, this Panasonic has zero tape noise.

Second, I was worried about indoor lighting. I use the camcorder mainly for indoor recording: family get togethers around the dining room table or family shots in the house, and also filming in a ballroom dance studio during lessons with the lights turned down. I rate the indoor performance EXCELLENT. I have no complaints about family filming indoors. In fact, the camera has a handy button right next to the LCD which says "Backlight" (not some icon!) and if you press it, it boosts the gain (I think), which is handy in the studio when the performer goes in front of the windows, totally backlighting them. This leaves me wondering what all the talk of indoor lighting on 1 ccd cameras is all about --are people talking about filming a scene lit only by 1 60-watt bulb? In such cases, I'd expect graininess.

Third, I was concerned that the camera's technology would be surpassed by the last two years of camcorder development. I don't see how. When I tested the newer Panasonics and Canons at a local retailer, I couldn't see any difference, except that the newer models seemed a bit grainier and less intuitive in the interface. The one thing I have sacrificed by buying this camcorder instead of a newer one is widescreen recording. What I have gained, however, is a/d passthrough (and I've been amazed how often I've been using that, to record old vcr tapes through the camcorder to the computer -- works perfectly and the way to do it is just to remove the tape and leave it hooked up to the computer while you plug the vcr in) and a "hot" microphone shoe. For me, this is well worth it, as I actually use these. Also, the camcorder is as compact as the newer ones, and I love the way it fits around your hand.

Battery life is only so-so, with the standard battery lasting around 50 minutes. That said, the extended battery, available here on Amazon from a variety of manufacturers very cheaply, lasts for hours, so for a very modest extra expense, this issue has been eliminated for me.

Finally, I was worried it might not work as a webcamera. Just the opposite. Whether I have it plugged in using a USB cable OR using a firewire cable, it pops right up (without any discs needed) in WinXP as DV Camera and you can immediately view yourself on screen and even record LIVE in WindowsMovieMaker or cam in Messenger. For Skype, it did not work as a webcam initially, and I had to download a free utility called SplitCam and then it worked flawlessly in Skype.