JVC Japan announced three new interesting camcorders just last week, but the fresh Everio model the company unveiled today in Tokyo is actually even cooler. JVC says their Everio GZ-HD620 [JP] is the lightest and smallest HD camcorder with a built-in HDD around. And as the device weighs just 270g and is sized at 53mm×63mm×115mm, this isn’t hard to believe.
As you can see on the picture above, the camcorder is really tiny. JVC made sure the device is worth considering spec-wise, too: 1,920×1,080 resolution, AVCHD, Dolby Digital 2ch audio, 120GB HDD, 1/4.1”, 3.32MP CMOS sensor, 30x optical zoom, 200x digital zoom, microSD/SDHC slot, USB port, HDMI port, 2.7-inch LCD screen, and easy YouTube uploading function.
The camcorder will hit Japanese stores starting next week with a price tag of $1,240 (in silver, black and red). As JVC sells their Everios outside this country, too, you can expect the GZ-HD620 to be available in the US and Europe pretty soon as well.
Posted by othertech on Wednesday, 2 December, 2009
It’s been a long time we heard about JVC updating their Everio brand of camcorders (back in July to be more exact). But the company today announced a total of three new models for the Japanese market. Expect all of these to go on sale outside this country sooner or later.
The GZ-MG980 [JP, pictured above] is the most powerful of the three new Everio devices. It features 10.7MP with 1.6″ CCD sensor, produces 720×480 resolution, and comes with an 80GB HDD, an SD/SDHC slot, 39x optical zoom (F1.8〜4.3), a USB port and a 2.7 LCD screen. Japanese street price: $690.
The GZ-MS230 [JP] basically has the same specs, but it features just 8GB of internal memory (price: $515).
And the GZ-MS210 [JP] just has two SD/SDHC slots but no internal memory. But sized at just 52×110×62mm and weighing only 230g (battery included), it’s the smallest version (price: $460).
Victor JVC started selling the new Everios today. The company hasn’t said anything yet about its international sales plans.
What is the Everio X GZ-X900? Is it a pocket camcorder like a Flip? Is it a fully-fledged video camera? Is it a YouTube-uploading device? Is it a hybrid of all of these – and more?
This new Everio is basically a compact video camera that records at full 1920×1080 1080i resolution at 24Mbps in its highest setting. It can take 9-megapixel still images and records directly to an SD/SDHC memory card. It weights 300 grams (.66 pounds) and has a 2.8-inch color screen.
So you want to record at 1080i, eh? Well you’d better have a huge SDHC card because the max you can record is three hours on a 32GB model. A 4GB one can hold 20 minutes at UXP resolution and 2 hours at EP resolution (1920×1080i @ 5Mbps).
This brings us to the question: do we as a species need to record at 1080i? No. We do not. There are precious few ways to use this full HD content except for direct TV playback but, god bless us, we’ll die trying.
The camera is fairly idiot proof and small enough to fit in a pocket or purse. It is about as big as two Flip HD cameras laid end-to-end. The styling pays homage to leather and brushed steel and Konica Minolta lens hides deep inside the case and offers shake reduction and 5X zoom. Interestingly you can actually watch the lens go absolutely nuts inside the camera when you look into the hole to the lens assembly.
In terms of image quality you’re going to see quite a range. The camera really fails in low light. The pictures are grainy and the video is grainier. However, in bright light or sunlight you get amazingly crisp video and images. This is a large trade off and something party-goers may want to consider.
This is a real image taken in partial sunlight. This image is indicative of what you’ll get in anything but full light.
Another interesting feature is the “High Speed Recording” mode which records at 600, 200, and 120fps. This, in essence, allows you to create slow-motion movies. Again, we fall into the low-light trap. This sample footage was taken directly under a desk lamp.
The camera uses JVC’s Laser Touch menu system which consists of a side slider and a set of buttons under the screen. This is not a touchscreen device.
It also records using JVC’s dreaded MTS format. This format should import seamlessly into iMovie and other movie-making software but it requires a bit of conversion.
Then there are few other problems. The device has no mic input, a fairly important addition to something that could presumably take high quality video. This thing is halfway between a high end camera and a toy yet JVC seems to keep nudging towards the latter.
I recorded this video review with the Everio X and the original footage was quite sharp. However, after enough fiddling it became exactly what you see here: YouTube junk. Although we recorded at high quality we learn the real problem with cameras like these – they’re a bit head of their time.
How much would you pay for what is essentially a compact camera that records in HD? $399? $599? Try $999.
Bottom Line
Overall I like the Everio line and am impressed with the amount of power stuffed into such a small package. However I’d be hard pressed to recommend this camera over something like the Kodak Zi6/Zi8 or even any of JVC’s superior HD-based cameras. This is an interesting experiment and if you can overlook the limited storage space and seemingly odd low-light recording issues this may be a contender. For everyone else, I’d look elsewhere.
Victor JVC Japan announced [JP] a new full HD camcorder from their Everio series today, the Everio GZ-HM400. The device features a 10.3MP CMOS sensor, 10x optical zoom, 32GB of built-in storage, a 2.8-inch flip-out LCD screen, SD/SDHC support, a YouTube and iTunes upload function, a USB port and an HDMI interface.
Buyers will be able to store around three hours of full HD footage in the camera (at 24fps) but can also use SD/SDHC cards (up to 32GB). The Everio can also shoot pictures in 9MP resolution. It weighs 485g (including the battery).
Victor JVC plans to start selling the new camcorder in Japan at the beginning of next month in black and silver (price: $1,100). The company hasn’t said yet when the device will hit stores outside Japan.
JVC's Everio MS120 is a decent standard-def camcorder with expandable memory up to 64GB.
There are plenty of devices for capturing video these days, including cell phones, laptops, and digital cameras. But, for the time being at least, you’ll get the best results from a dedicated camcorder. Of course those aren’t all created equal either.
The biggest decision you’ll have to make before starting your search is whether to go standard definition or high definition. Standard-def camcorders are a cost-effective way to get good video for Web sharing sites and for viewing on standard-definition TVs, and it’s less demanding for playback and editing on computers.
However, you can get a good HD camcorder at a price only $100-$200 more than some SD camcorders. Obviously you may not have that extra cash, but if you’re looking toward integrating your movies into a future high-def home theater experience, you’ll want to think long and hard before buying a standard-definition camcorder.
Not sure where you fall? Visit our camcorder buying guide so you know what features you’ll need to avoid making a disappointing purchase. If you already know what you want from a camcorder, here are some tips for further refining your choices to get the best possible deal.
