This is what the professional critics say:

“Fast, cheap, and in you’re control the Panasonic PV-GS19 is the best under-$300 (street price) camcorder we’ve seen this year. With an amazing manual control set and video performance nearly identical to its older sibling, the PV-GS35, this is a big winner for the budget-minded consumer.”

This review is two years overdue but I figure its better late than never. I see this camcorder on ebay and craigslist all the time. Many people wonder, “is it really worth the value?”. This camcorder is very affordable and a great entry level camcorder but thats about all it is. I actually did not unbox this for exactly one year from purchase. I bought it for Sylvia for Christmas two years ago and we did not use it until the following Christmas. The low light performance is comparable to a cell phone camera. The battery holds a long charge and audio recording is fair at best. I am pretty unhappy about this camcorder. Low light performance is so important because unless you are out doors, lighting is always going to be an issue. Below is a sample of a video recorded with the PV-GS19