Panasonic NV-GS180

Panasonic's NV-GS150 performed excellently in our Labs test in Shopper April 2006. Its successor, the NV-GS180, has a few differences but is £150 cheaper.

The Panasonic NV-GS180 doesn't seem like a huge step forward from its NV-GS150 predecessor; it's a touch shorter and lighter, and misses the flash and integrated lens cap, but otherwise offers very similar features. Nonetheless, assuming street prices...

Mic and headphone jacks, top loading tape mechanism, Image quality

No built in lens cap, no built in flash

This camera has performed very satisfactorily and its mini-DV format provides good data for movie-editing software

Unable to mute sound during recording. Supplied software not satisfactory for movie editing

easy use

better with larger battery

Excellent image and colour reproduction. FAst startup and easy navigation through the menus

None to speak of as yet.

good picture quality and value for money, compact, light weight. very easy to use. multi-purpose use; still camera is good quality and DV-OUT is useful for editing and webcam.

the battery doesn't last very long, but there is an option of using longer lasting one. at times we wish there were a DV-IN.

Easy to use

not had long enough to find these apart from the editing software that comes with it seems very poor.

Very quick to pick up basic operation, more advanced options are there if you want them.

Low light performance is not quite as good as I'd hoped.