Panasonic Palmcorder Multicam PV-GS31

Recomended-it's only real lack is not having provision for a "remote".(The very similar PVGS34+35 DO)but don't let it go by without a struggle.With a few stand-alone applications aboard it's memory card and some computer access,I think I could go around the world with this as my only doodad....The GS31 even includes it's own led flashlight!
I've used it almost everyday for 6 months-really!City/country,car/boat-and everything still goes like new.I charge my single battery before heading outand no worry..but I avoid using the screen too.
Keep your camera for the "grand vista" or portrait but you could get by very well with this unit.The little 1mp 640x480jpegs it takes through that 26x optical zoom are more useful than I thought A"better"camera without the "x"power gives a crop that's the same orless.You can do a bit better yet by sifting video frames-720x520.
You can't have too much zoom.The digital zoom can be added or not and it's pretty seamless and smooth to run this with one hand.The light weight+stabilisation allows fair to good handheld video anywhere except my cockpit in a chop.The manual features and modes will get anything that the full Auto might miss.
I prefer the viewfinder 75% of the time (there'sa diopter too)but the Screen is ok and even flips to face forward so you can put yourself inthe frame.When handheld to the eye,Zoom and record are easy "one hand"but menus and are more awkward....but I'm glad I avoided touchscreen controls....Foreground Subjects in shade or backlit may want a mode change to "portrait" or manual focus and at full zoom,these may show purple fringing.but no complaint.
You can plug it into TV,or a DVDR for just download via firewire in "real time"as easy-to-edit"DV"(I use "VirtualDub"and";WinDV" freeware).I can't see any quality gain over the DVtape if I capture live to the computer except a teeny bit of motor noise-unlike my old camcorder.
Sound quality is good-I've kept some of the audio separately after cleaning it up a little-there's a "windcut"feature that is almost as good as the bit of hairy material I "glue gun" tack over ALL my mics...Also,a "zoom mic"option ups the gain with the zoom.
Snaps go usb from an SD card aboard using the same cable my olympus c725,HP 320 and motorola V186 do-I'm on a roll!-Only 1 cable for 5 doodads! It's "helloed" by XP as a "MASS Storage DRIVE" card reader/writer(usefulness expands!)but 98 will need some drivers and the panasonic DV codec to do the same.(Panasonic.ca)I'm on dialup,so I can just say the webcam feature looks ok.It needs a driver to go.
I've only played with the nightvision but it's not the military grade some might need...however, at dusk,it's fine.And there's a flashlight aboard to stretch this.
Panasonic allows you to turn their clever features OFF so you can see WHEN they're useful and It remembers what you told it to do too,so you can shut down to save battery.
NIGGLING nuisances:No remote;manual focussing with a joystick-a focussing ring or slide'd be better but results are good;Last, It's hard to get the firewire+usb plugs in the dark little holes with the handstrap in the way-it's just velcro to undo but I don't.
Update:Aug.2007-I am still pleased with this and hold with all the above-runs like new even if it doesn't look it and still with the original battery.I am learning to hold the viewfinder to my right eye so the joystick is easier to use.

I love that the camera's battery does not die out on me like the DVD cam. I dislike the fact that I have to take extra steps to put the videos on DVD.. I bought it becasue the hitatchi dvd cam I had sucked.. it was not worth all the money I spent on it..