Don't be cheap, buy a Sony!
Written: Aug 08 '03
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Pros: inexpensive, excellent outdoor video, battery life
Cons: grainy indoor video, useless features,
The Bottom Line: Useless features and grainy indoor video quality, avoid this camcorder.
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| freeburne's Full Review: JVC Cybercam GR-D30 Mini DV Digital Camcorder |
The JVC GR-D30 is one of the least expensive mini-dv camcorders on the market (Samsung and Panasonic are similar in price). The appeal of owning a "digital camcorder" for $300 was the main drive for selecting the JVC GR-D30. I concluded that $300 dollars was a small price to pay for digital sound and video quality.
Like most first time camcorder buyers I scoured the internet and message boards searching for reviews and opinions on mini-dv camcorders. The websites I most frequently used were:
www.camcorderinfo.com (very helpful site with message boards)
www.amazon.com (offers customer review of products, only somewhat helpful)
I was impressed with the JVC GR-D30 camcorder specs. I don’t know much about the specs, but in comparison with other similarly priced mini-dv models, the JVC GR-D30 seemed to be a step above the rest. Apparently for $300 a 680,000-Pixel CCD is good for the money. And of course, my favorite spec is the infamous "520 lines of resolution." This was my chance to capture DVD quality video in my own home!
Knowing the JVC GR-D30 did not do well in low light conditions I turned on every light in my house assuming there would be enough light to allow me to capture the finest video I had ever seen. I was so disappointed to see the video quality didn’t even compare to my 10 year old vhs camcorder. I studied the user manual to ascertain which setting I could adjust in order to obtain a better quality indoor image. I tried every setting and adjustment possible (white balance, gain, backlight, night alive, manual adjustments, etc.) None of these adjustments produced a better image.
The "night alive" feature which is used to help in low light situations cleared up some of the grainy image, but using this feature slows the shutter speed down and creates a strobe like effect on the video. The images are unbearable to watch and produce migraines for looking at them. The backlight feature is used to lighten the whole subject area, but it did not seem to make much of a difference.
Other undesirable features of the JVC GR-D30 is the lack of an accessory shoe for a light or a microphone jack. Excessive close zooming produces a grainy image, and the zoom noise is extremely loud and can be heard on the audio. The awkward shape of the JVC GR-D30 makes it hard to hold onto for long periods of time. My wife and I both agreed it was difficult to hold onto.
The camcorder package does not include an S video cable. It is important to note the use of a S video cable would help the image projection from the camcorder to the television. When viewing the video I was using an A/V cable.
The controls are awkward to use. The primary function key is a wheel on the top back of the camcorder. The index finger gets a good workout, and I found myself accidentally hitting the photo and zoom buttons while trying to navigate the menus.
The JVC GR-D30 did perform well outside in partly cloudy to sunny conditions. The images produced outside where sharp and perfectly clear. The original stock battery that is supplied with the camcorder lasts well over 1 hour. The battery life is superior to other camcorder stock batteries.
The image stabilization is adequate when the zoom is not in use.
I cannot recommend that anyone buy this camera and expect outstanding video quality. The audio quality is similar to other models I have tested. You will be disappointed with the indoor video quality, but the outdoor video quality is superb.
HINT!!…If you are just starting to research mini-dv cameras you should know that most analog media camcorders which use vhs-c, 8mm, Hi8, etc., produce better quality images in low light situations that cheaper mini-dv models. If you are not going to spend around $500-$600 for a Sony mini-dv camcorder (TRV-19 is a excellent choice) then I would suggest buying a Hi8 camcorder or waiting for better quality, inexpensive mini-dv camcorder.
Recommended:
No
Amount Paid (US$): 339
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Epinions.com ID:
freeburne
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Location: Lexington, Kentucky, USA
Reviews written: 12
Trusted by: 0 members
About Me:
Registered Nurse, hobbies include, basketball, soccer, gardening, paintball, guitar, chess, and eating!
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