Best Camcorders - LP Recording Speed, 3 to 5 CCD Quantity, 5 to 7 in. Depth

'pricier than the competition'

'gigantic battery'

'Unbelievably poor battery placement'

'>.'

'No video light.'

'a cheap, lame hand strap'

'there's no built-in assist light for recording in dimly lit settings'

'Panasonic's MagicPix mode enhances indoor and low-light footage, making video more viewable, but since it slows the shutter speed, it also makes your video quite choppy in dim lighting.'

'The zoom switch, however, is the worst control on the camera and is difficult to manipulate with any finesse.'

'LCD is average'

'no built-in flash'

'The PV-GS320's hand strap is hung so low that the camcorder flops to the side of the palm of the hand at an awkward angle.'

'Another questionable design decision puts the FireWire and USB ports for transferring video to your PC under the battery.'

'Another questionable design decision puts the FireWire and USB ports for transferring video to your Mac under the battery.'

'Joystick control doesn't slide through manual options, instead requiring.'

'It's a little bulkier than some other models, at 5.3 inches long and just under 3 pounds'

'Some manual controls are a little awkward to access.'

'The zoom switch, however, is the worst control on the camera and is difficult to manipulate with any finesse'

'Also present are relatively useless buttons for battery info'

'It's great that Sony is including a full set of manual controls, but they become virtually impossible to use when they are shoved into the ease of use badlands that is Sony's touch screen.'