Good for a Video Newbie (like me)
Written: Aug 14 '03 (Updated Aug 14 '03)
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Pros: Lightweight, easy to operate, audio pick-up is good; it pinch-hits as a digital still camera
Cons: Resolution at maximum digital zoom range is not too good; indoor isn't too good either
The Bottom Line: You have a lot of possibilities with the GR-D90, and a few limitations, but all in all, I like this little camcorder.
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| sejaybird's Full Review: JVC Cybercam GR-D90 Mini DV Digital Camcorder |
This camcorder is my very first foray into the realm of video-anything (I'm a late-blooming techno-geek). Before this, I was more of a SLR-film-camera-geek. I went for Mini DV for a couple of reasons; it's small and lightweight. You won't mind lugging it around. I like the "fits-in-the-palm-of-your-hand" aspect of this little camera, too.
The tapes are about a 5th the size of your average video cassette. On the other hand, blank mini-DV tapes cost about $5.00 a piece, whereas you can buy a four-pack of regular blank VHS tapes for only a little more than that. (The third type, Hi8, is about the same as mini-DV, so I don't feel THAT bad.)
The GR-D90 is easy to use almost from the start -- I'd say "right out of the box", but you have to charge the battery first. That takes about 2 hours. The battery charges while attached to the camera, or you can buy a separate "quick charger" for about $50 (oh yeah -- you're gonna want some optional accessories -- consider this optional-accessory-alert number 1). The battery is Lithium-Ion, which means (according to the experts) it has no residual memory - you can charge and recharge to your heart's content, even without having to wait for the battery to go completely dead, and it won't degrade its ability to hold a full charge (unlike Ni-Cad). The GR-D90 comes equipped with a standard-issue battery that allows about an hour and 40 minutes recording time (less if you use the LCD screen more than the conventional viewfinder). You can also buy (optional-accessory-alert number 2) batteries with recording times that go all the way up to 11 hours, but be warned -- the bigger they are, the more they cost. Shop around. Try eBay. Just expect some sticker shock in the battery department. Expense factor: between $50 and $200.00.
The remote control that comes with this camera makes controlling playback a breeze, and you can even perform a few special effects with it (for on-screen effect only, that is; nothing you do from the remote control actually changes anything on the tape).
The flip-out color LCD monitor is slightly larger than what you'll find on most camcorders of this size, and it's nice to be able to watch playback without having to hook the camera up to your television. However, I have noticed that you shouldn't use the LCD as a gauge of the quality of your recordings. Where something you've shot might not look sharp enough on the LCD, it'll probably look just fine played back on your television screen. On a recent trip to Maine, I shot a lot of outdoor scenes and what I was seeing on the LCD playback caused some anxiety until I got home, and saw that everything was okay.
Another negative thing about the LCD monitor: It's not too good as a viewfinder when shooting outside in bright sunlight. The conventional viewfinder is better for outdoor conditions, and you get the same "on screen" information. Unfortunately, the viewfinder gives a tiny black-and-white view. Of course, there is (optional-accessory-alert number 3) an accessory hood you can get that slips over the LCD monitor to make it usable in bright conditions. Expense factor: approx. $15.
The GR-D90 comes equipped with a standard A/V cable for VERY easy hook-up to your television (unless you have a really old set). It also accepts an "S" video cable, which is one of the things not included (optional-accessory-alert number 4). It also comes with a USB cable so you can attach it to your computer to transfer still images from the camcorder's memory card. Oh yes -- the wonderful little memory card; there are two types you can use with the GR-D90 -- SD or MMC -- each of them are about the size of a postage stamp. Other than capacity, I'm not sure of what the real difference is. An 8MB MultiMediaCard is included, but you can ALWAYS buy one with larger capacity (optional- accessory-alert number 5). Luckily the memory cards are more reasonably priced than the batteries. BUT -- if you don't want to go through the hassle of hooking the camera up to your PC every time you want to transfer images, you can buy (optional- accessory-alert number 6) a USB card reader/writer. These are actually kinda nice; not only can you transfer the images that are on the card -- you can clear them off the card afterward (of course, this can also be done while the card is in the camera). Expense factor: $15.
There are two types of zoom available on this camera: Up to 16X with optical. Anything over 16X is done through digital image processing and in digital-zoom mode, this is where the resolution starts to suffer. Image stabilization gets a little UNstable the higher you go, too, so if you plan on doing a lot of zooming -- you need a tripod (optional- accessory-alert number 7) or at least a monopod, to help steady the camera for those long shots. Expense factor: Whatever your budget can manage.
Finally, to haul all your camcorder-related stuff around, you'll need the ever-popular camera bag (optional-accessory-alert number 8). Expense factor: $15 to ?
As mentioned, you can use this camcorder as a still camera, with the images being stored on the memory card, but it's no substitute for an honest-to-goodness conventional digital still camera. The biggest complaint I have with the still pictures you get is that they are VERY dark (even outdoor shots taken on bright sunny days), so you'll have to open them in a image-editing program such as PictureIt or Photoshop to do a little touching up. You can also capture still images from video, but the problem is the same. On my trip to Maine, I took no still pictures, but after I got home, I captured several fairly decent shots from the video I had recorded. And, they had to be "adjusted".
The owner's manual gives all kinds of instructions on recording effects, manual focus, exposure control, dubbing and editing your recordings, etc., etc., and I won't even attempt to get that in-depth here. Besides, I'm still learning some of this stuff myself.
To see some samples of still images I captured from video recorded during my recent trip to Maine, go here:
http://community.webshots.com/user/faye2k
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 650
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Epinions.com ID:
sejaybird
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Location: The Magic City (Birmingham), AL
Reviews written: 10
Trusted by: 0 members
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