Panasonic has announced three new MiniDV camcorders for their lineup this year. The Panasonic PV-GS80 is their bottom-end model. It sports a 2.7″ widescreen LCD, 32x optical zoom, and Optical Image Stabilization. Yes, that’s O.I.S. on Panasonic’s lowest model! Going up to the next model adds a couple more features, as one would guess.
The Panasonic PV-GS85 has the same specifications as the GS80, but adds on the capability of recording 3.1 megapixel stills to memory card.
Finally, the Panasonic PV-GS320 nets you 3 CCDs, a Leica lens, and a 10x optical zoom. It will also come bundled with Motion DV Studio and Quick Movie Magic software.
There is no word on sensor sizes at the moment, but the fact that all three models have optical image stabilization will present a huge benefit for zoom happy users. All three camcorders will be available in February. Prices will be $300 for the PV-GS80, $350 for the PV-GS85, and $500 for the PV-GS320.
