Pros: Attractive, compact, light weight, ease of use, long recording time, no media (tapes/dvds) to buy.
Cons: None at present. Have been very pleased with this unit thus far.
The Bottom Line: Good value for the money, long record time, compact, easy to use, highly portable. Lots of connectivity. attractive and stylish. Remarkable buy.
GaryD's Full Review: JVC Everio GZ-MG155 (30 GB) Camcorder
This Review is Underconstruction, Thank you
REPLACEMENT
The JVC Everio GZ-MG155 was to be a replacement for a Sony Hi 8mm and a JVC miniDV. Nothing is wrong with the other two camcorders except for the size and the need for media.
This was less of a plan purchased then usual. I did have intentions of acquiring a new camcorder but not for another year or so. Then I saw the JVC Everio GZ-MG155 bundled with an extra battery and carrying case. The price was unbelievable for the camcorder alone on sell in my area is several hundred dollars more.
HSN (Home Shopping Network) was running a packaged special on this JVC Everio GZ-MG155 and after some price comparison I just could not let this opportunity pass.
I love the black and silver styling that is attractive and modern, highly contemporary. The stately elegance blends well with my other black and silver equipment. The JVC Everio GZ-MG155 is a nice small size that is light weight and well suited for carrying pretty much everywhere.
The camcorder fits comfortably in the palm of your hand and the palm strap holds it firmly in place. You can turn the unit on and off with just your thumb or switch between video mode and photo mode.
There is not a great deal of ports on the camcorder it self. But this should not be an issue with most individuals, because the docking station sports a number of ports for both analog and digital connectivity.
I have found battery life to be substantial and receive about 90 minutes from a fully charged battery. The JVC Everio GZ-MG155 chapters of files your recordings much like DVD chaptering, this is handy when you are not continuously shooting. It makes locating the appropriate clip fast and easy. You have the option of changing the file name within the JVC Everio GZ-MG155 or you can change the titling prior to shooting. Example: If you are taking a trip to New York you can set the labeling so each file is automatically New York 2007 Trip, and then the camcorder will number in a systematic fashion.
One of the best features of this camcorder is the instant on function, just a few seconds to boot up which is generally less than a second. I enjoy the ready to shoot at a moment’s notice. Capturing those Kodak moments on the fly is what picture taking and video recording is all about. If you have ever missed an important video opportunity because you needed to load the tape, wait for it to settle in and the camcorder to power to a ready state — you too will receive much enjoyment from the instant on functionality.
Over all I have been very pleased with the performance of the JVC Everio GZ-MG155 (30 GB) Camcorder. It's simple to use and there's not a lot of hunting for the functions one wishes to access. For the price range you would be hard pressed to find a better performer. The true 16x9 recording format will bring you current with your newer 16x9 displays and televisions. And if you haven't made the leap just yet — you can set the camcorder to record in the traditional 4x3 format which we have all loved for years.
The small compact size is a godsend to me . . . I do not have the steadiest of hands. My video shooting even with image stabilization on has not always produced the best results for me. That's why I invested in a few tripods. But with this JVC Everio GZ-MG155 (30 GB) Camcorder I can comfortable hold the camera in one hand and steady it with the other — now with image stabilization on my video recordings appear more cinematic.
The manual viewfinder is gone (like on most of the newer cameras) and I find from time to time that I miss that little gem. Don't get me wrong, the Full color LCD screen is a wonder, but there are situations for me anyway that I find the use of a viewfinder extremely helpful. At present though — I would not trade in my JVC Everio GZ-MG155 (30 GB) Camcorder.
The JVC Everio GZ-MG155 (30 GB) Camcorder feels very sturdy and may handle a drop here and there with no issues. I'm not going to intentionally drop mine to find out thought it feels as if it could sustain a short drop.
The lens cover is built-in, sliding the switch up or down you can easily open and close it. No more losing the lens cover — The camcorder itself will remind you to open the lens cover.
Holiday season is here and several sellers are dropping prices or offering packaged deals. This is a good time to pick up the JVC Everio GZ-MG155 and give it a try. Places like QVC, HSN, ShopNBC are offering extended returns until January 31, 2008.
Recording Format
The JVC Everio GZ-MG155 (30 GB) Camcorder uses the mpeg-2 compression scheme to record onto a 1.8 inche hard drive. There are four recording selections to select from:
I’ve owned the JVC Everio GZ-MG155 (30 GB) Camcorder for over a couple of months now and the ‘Fine’ setting has been more then adequate for my general purpose needs. In an attempt to transfer 8mm film to the JVC Everio GZ-MG155 (30 GB) Camcorder hard drive I also used the ‘Ultra’ setting which I highly recommend when recording special moments like graduations, weddings and anniversaries.
What I like best about recording directly to a hard drive is there are no hassles with tapes and disks. Nothing extra to buy or store. And unlike recording to DVD media there is no finalizing or discovering the disk has became a coaster.
The image quality is very nice in the fine or ultra fine modes. I have not used the extended recording modes and likely will not in the future.
It would be better if the recordings were not compress at all but the mpg2 formt is the same compression scheme as used with DVD technology. Therefore, no additional compression is used when burning to a DVD disk.
Recording System
NTSC HDD Size 30 GB is massive and should be more then sufficent real estate for average and advance recording needs. The auto file allocation makes short recordings quick and easy to access. In addition, you can perform some editing within the camcorder itself such as: rename files, dividing files into smaller units.
Optical Zoom
32x opitical zoom is outstanding. My old Sony had a max of 10X magnification. But I always felt it was to limiting in most situations. With the increased magnification on the JVC Everio GZ-MG155 I have more then enough power to capture those special moments.
Image Stabilizer
• Digital Image Stabilizer is very good at performing its function. Optical Image Stabilizers are much better though given the price range of the JVC Everio GZ-MG155 (30 GB) Camcorder there are no complaints here. Should you have a really shaky hand do lean toward a video camera with optical image stabilization.
Night Alive
• Night Alive can not touch the Sony zero lux Night Shooting mode. Sony is far and away superior in this area. However, JVC Night Alive feature is very good in what it does do and that is provide a color footage with minimal lighting. Not the familiar ghostly green coloring provided by Night Shooting.
Should you require night shooting in almost total darkness this is not the camera for you. Because some lighting is required to record video you will be happy with. For night shooting I recommend Sony camcorders, but for night shooting in color which needs some lighting JVC Everio GZ-MG155 (30 GB) camcorder performs well.
Audio Format
• AC-3 (2 Channels)
Memory Card Type
• SD Card (optional, supports up to 4GB)
• SDHC Card (optional, supports up to 4GB)
It is undocumented in the JVC manual but this model is stated on their web site to support secure digital high capacity (SDHC) cards too. I have not yet attempted to use one of these cards because I’m finding it quite difficult to find a 4GB SDHC with class 6 specifications in my local area. Once I have had an opportunity to acquire one and try it I’ll pass the information along during a review update.
2008 UPDATE
Though the manual states the JVC Everio GZ-MG155 (30 GB) Camcorder can use a standard SD (secure digital card) up to 4GBs I ran across information on the JVC website that implied this model of their camcorder line also supported the new standard SDHC or secure digital high capacity. It's true! Therefore, I took this knowledge on a quest seeking out the new SDHC cards. If it would support a SD of up to 4GBs then it shouldn't have any difficulty utilizing a 4GB SDHC card.
Living in a rural area technology can be a tad difficult to obtain. I searched several web sites and finally purchased an SDHC card from HSN.com. But I didn't opt for the 4GB SDHC class 6 card as planed. Instead, I elected to take a little risk and bought a Transcend 8 GB (8 GB) (TS8GSDHC6). There were two reasons for this decision: One] The 8GB SDHC class 6 card was $37 less then a 4GB card. Two] In the past many of my "e" devices have stated a maximum limit of a memory card it would support; yet, the electronic equipment would recognize and accept larger memory amounts.
JVC being one of the leading manufactures I felt my risk was minimal and I had HSN.com's 30 Return Policy.
Well, the JVC everio devoured the Transcend 8 GB (8 GB) (TS8GSDHC6) like it was top sirloin. It sees all 8 GBs and allows me an approximate 2 hours of video recording directly to the SDHC card.
• USB Cable
• A/V Cable
• Cradle/Docking Station
• AC Power Adapter
• Battery
• Remote Control
• Strap
Special Purchase Included Accessories
Quantity = One Each
• Extra One Hour Battery
• JVC Camcorder Case
PRODUCT SPECIFICATIONS
SYSTEM GZ-MG155
Format SD-VIDEO Entertainment Video Recorder Profile: Video: MPEG-2-PS/Audio: Dolby Digital AC3, Still: JPEG
Storage Media 1.8" Hard Disk Drive (Embedded), SD Memory Card
Internal Hard Disk Drive Capacity 30GB
CAMERA GZ-MG155
CCD 1/6"
No. of CCD Pixels 1.07M
Effective Pixels for Capture
Moving images 690k-pixel
Still images 1 Megapixel
Lens
Super Hi-Resolution Lens Yes
Zoom Ratio Optical 32x
Zoom Ratio Digital (max.) 800x
Focal Length (mm) 2.5 - 80.0 (still: 2.9 - 80.0)
F Stop F1.8 - F4.5
Filter Diameter (mm) 30.5
Video Image Stabilization Yes
Full Range AF/Manual Focus Yes/Yes
Full-Auto/Manual White Balance Yes/Yes
RECORDER GZ-MG155
MPEG-2 Video Recording Yes
JPEG Still Shooting Yes
Video Recording Modes (Variable Bit Rate) ULTRA FINE (8.5Mbps)/FINE (5.5Mbps)/NORM (4.2Mbps)/ECO (1.5Mbps)
Video Recording Time (max.) 7hr 10min (ULTRA FINE)/37hr 30min (ECO)
Still Image Sizes 1152x864/640x480
No. of Still Images (max.) 9999
Gigabrid Engine Yes
3-Dimension Noise Reduction (3D NR) Yes
INTERFACES GZ-MG155
SD Memory Card Slot Yes (SDHC Compatible)
USB 2.0/1.1 Yes
USB Mass Storage Class Yes
USB 2.0 High-Speed Data Transfer to PC Yes
AV Input/Output Yes/Yes
DC In Yes
Everio Dock
DV (i.Link) Out Yes
S Terminal Yes (In/Out)
AV Terminal Yes (In/Out)
USB 2.0 Yes (In/Out)
LCD/SCREEN GZ-MG155
Clear LCD Monitor 2.7" wide, 112k-pixel
Stick Control on LCD Yes
FUNCTIONS GZ-MG155
Visual Program AE Yes
Program AE
Selection Stick Control
Modes Twilight/Sports/Snow/Spotlight
Auto Button Yes
16:9 Wide Mode Yes (Full Resolution)
Auto Illumi. Light Yes
Data Battery Yes
INDEX/DATA Button on LCD Yes
User-Friendly Graphical User Interface Yes
Thumbnail Picture Yes
Icon Playlist/Event Pre-registration Yes
Play List Editing Yes
In-Camera File Editing (Partial Delete) Yes
Quick Restart Yes
Power-Linked Operation Yes
Multi-Language On-Screen 7 Languages (Eng./Fre./Spa./Por./Jap./Kor./Chi. [Traditional])
Self-Timer Yes (2sec/10sec)
Direct DVD Button Yes
Direct Backup Button Yes
Direct DVD Creation with SHARE STATION Yes
PictBridge/DPOF Yes/Yes
Sliding Lens Cover Yes
GENERAL GZ-MG155
Power Consumption Approx. 3.2W
Approx. Weight 0.73lbs/0.83lbs
Dimensions (WxHxL) 2-5/8" x 2-13/16" x 4-3/8"
PROVIDED ACCESSORIES GZ-MG155
AC Adapter Yes
Battery Pack Yes (BN-VF808)
AV Cable Yes
USB Cable Yes
Remote Control Yes
Everio Dock Yes
Software
CyberLink DVD Solution (Win) Yes
Digital Photo Navigator (Win) Yes
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