No More Indoor?
Written: Jul 26 '06 (Updated Aug 01 '06)
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Pros: Excellent outdoor video, 32x optical zoom, has both ez-mode and manual controls
Cons: Awful low-light recording, bad directional pad menu navigation, mostly average overall
The Bottom Line: Better than Sony. This time around, JVC is stuck in the middle whereas Canon and Panasonic have made the top of the budget-priced camcorders.
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| wsmunch's Full Review: JVC GR-D350 Mini DV Camcorder |
The thing about inexpensive electronics is that they're likely to be cheap as well. Regardless of how well you take care of them, there is always that good chance that they will malfunction anyway. Consider extended warranties, so when old products break (JVC GR-D33US) you'll have an option to replace equipment with the least out of pocket.
I was a fan of JVC, but the GR-D350 makes me wonder how well they might keep up with other manufacturers' future models in the budget-camcorder arena. For it's time, the JVC GR-D33US sported the best low-light performance within it's price bracket. One could argue that it competed with digital camcorders up to $150 or so more. Considering the improvements over the past 18 months, the JVC GR-D350 is less of a sure-fire winner as Canon and Panasonic have really stepped up to deliver contenders for consideration.
::: Video & Audio Quality :::
There are two places where people are going to shoot video: indoors and outdoors. The JVC GR-D350 sports the same 1/6" 680k pixel CCD as previous models before it. The outdoor performance is excellent. As long as you have enough light, your video will be sharp with vivid colors; it's on par with the outdoor quality you would expect from Canon. Compared to competing models under $350.00, the GR-D350 seems to have less grain while maintaining a comparable level of brightness and saturation. It's a small nitpick for bright, outdoor shooting, but there is some fine blue noise throughout most of the video which seems to make blues and purples stand out ever so slightly (in a good way). Unfortunately, you don't get the same benefit when you go inside to shoot. After comparing the outdoor video across the board, the GR-D350 was clearly superior overall (keep in mind that the only way to really "see" the video is to view it through a tv or computer). Compared to video taken with my old GR-D33US, the quality has undergone some significant improvement.
Indoor shooting is a different story. Depending on how much light is available (or not), the video quality of the GR-D350 can and will take a sharp decline. The unit has a very effective Automatic Gain Control (AGC) that is on by default. I happened to turn it off once while playing around with the controls and found out HOW necessary that function is. Without the AGC you will have virtually no viewable video; everything is way too dark to the point where it highly questionable whether or not software can correct it to the point of making it passable. With the AGC on, the video is brighter but you notice that blue noise a lot more. While not as bad as noise you'll get from Sony (which is quite shameful), the GR-D350 is beat out by low noise levels of Canon and Panasonic. The color is still pretty decent, once again much better than Sony, but Panasonic and Canon have managed to push their CCD to perform better and present sharper video under low-light conditions. Compared to my previous unit, the GR-D350 excels with more light, but it's definitely doesn't seem as good with less. It was pretty evident once I saved the video to my PC and improved upon the brightness with software. Compared to previous models from the manufacturers, it feels like JVC hasn't done much to do away with outdated technology methods while other manufacturers have been trying to push to the top. Panasonic has been a big name these past couple of years, and it seems they're now paying more attention to their budget camcorders and have edged out JVC's perceived position of past.
Still image quality has not changed. Pressing the snapshot button while recording will save a low-quality photo. The stills aren't much better than what you can acquire from a web cam (640x480 resolution), but they interrupt your video for about two seconds. The GR-D350 does not have a memory card slot, so all still shots will be saved in the tape, which makes it a hassle to deal with if you're into transferring and editing video on your computer. It's definitely recommended to shoot photos with an actual digital camera instead of using the weak still-imager on the camcorder, but if you're insistent on clicking that snapshot button I would recommend to step up to the next model that provides a memory card slot to make it easier to view and print photos.
The GR-D350 provides a "16:9 widescreen" shooting option, but it's not a true widescreen. Be warned that video will only be zoomed in on (or stretched) while having the tops and bottoms cropped. It's a cheap way of achieving a widescreen effect and users are definitely recommended to employ video-editing software for better results. You can't take widescreen still shots.
The audio quality is very acceptable. If you listen to video playback through the speaker built into the GR-D350, you'll hear sounds start to come from a tin can once it crosses what the speaker output can handle. When you play the video and audio through a television or computer, there are only trace hints of distortion as long as it was recorded under typical conditions. The built-in microphone is sensitive enough to pick up faint foot shuffles across the floor in an adjacent room, but not too much to where the sound of the internal machinations becomes prominent. Overall the sound playback is accurate and distinct; I believe it is a definite improvement over the GR-D33US I previously owned.
::: Controls & Handling:::
The controls on the GR-D350 are easy to understand and implement, but the means of navigation is a disaster. Users who are content with keeping the equipment set to Automatic won't have much of a problem; you just point and shoot. Those who wish to explore the Manual Options will have to suffer with the design JVC gave for us to change options and settings. The button to switch between Manual and Automatic modes are on the outside of the unit, right above the LCD screen. The rest of necessary controls are located in the cavity the LCD screen tucks into. The Menu button is flush with the rest of the surface, so it requires a fingernail stab or a firm fingertip press to actually register your intent to access that option. Pressing the Menu button while in Automatic Mode does nothing, so at least JVC alleviated some potential confusion there. Navigation of the Menu options is done via the 4-way touchpad, which is also mostly flush with the rest of the surface. The pad is pretty responsive, but the small size and lack of sensory direction makes changing options tedious. Those adept with touch will find that the layout is clean, easy to read and use. The manual control options are pretty standard for JVC: wipe/fade effects, video effects (sepia, monotone, classic, strobe), automatic exposure (sports, snow, spotlight, twilight), shutter speed, exposure and white balance. Other than that, you mostly get basic setting and display options. If you are looking to learn more about Manual controls, the GR-D350 makes a great unit to learn from. It's interesting (backwards) that Sony provides menu access through the LCD screen, yet does not have the same level of manual control available with the GR-D350, which has a small (though crisp) screen.
In recording mode, the directional pad has functions for focus, LCD backlight, nightshot and quick review. In play mode the directional pad is used for VCR controls. Once again, the nature of the directional pad does not facilitate changes unless you're staring directly at it. Other than that, the rest of the control layout is self explanatory. The power switch is comfortably located to where your thumb would be while handling the GR-D350, and the choices of Record, Off and Play are easy to select. The zoom switch (also used to adjust the volume), while small, is responsive and smooth to use. The GR-D350 has the highest zoom offered for it's class. The 32x optical zoom is very powerful, especially if you choose to couple it with the 800x digital zoom. Honestly, the 32x is enough and it will keep your video from looking pixelated by excessive zooming with the digital. Unfortunately, the stabilization of the camcorder is average, so only the steadiest of hands will be effective with the full zoom potential. It's rather disappointing to find an inclusion of greater zoom without the added benefit of advanced stabilization (but then again this is budget-range). The zoom speed is also average; Canon and (sometimes) Panasonic seem to zoom in and out faster than what the GR-D350 can do.
The LCD screen is very bright and colorful. You get 270 degrees of rotation about the x-axis, but you only have about 30 degrees of viewing. You'll pretty much have to view the LCD straight on to make effective use of it. The viewfinder is full color as well, but it DOES NOT work in conjunction with the open LCD screen and it only works when it's extended. The benefits of using the viewfinder would be increased battery life, but at the cost of low recording flexibility and the fact your nose is 1/4" away from the camcorder's battery. If you like using the viewfinder, you'll hate it if you're one who wants to modify options since the Menu and controls are located underneath the LCD.
The GR-D350 is both slimmer and shorter than my previous GR-D33US, but it's still fatter than Sony and Canon models. Regardless, I can definitely say that the GR-D350 is much more comfortable to hold than most of JVC's previous models, but there is still much room for improvement. The handstrap is still a little weird; my hand doesn't feel quite as snug as when I am holding other camcorders on display. From the strap on up, everything feels pretty good and comfortable. From the strap on down, especially where my palm touches against the bottom corner of the GR-D350, it doesn't feel that great to hold. Maybe part of me is just being too picky OR maybe I'm just being very honest with JVC when I say, "IT SUCKS", because there are plenty of other camcorders out there which feel great in hand.
Tripod users will cringe to find that the GR-D350 sports the bottom-loading tape style. If you are using a tripod and wish to swap to a fresh tape, you must: first detach the camcorder from the tripod, insert the new tape, and then replace the unit on the tripod. While it's a definite hassle, it's something to be dealt with unless one would jump to a higher price bracket for top-loading digital camcorders.
::: Connectivity :::
Standard and simple, the GR-D350 offers 4-pin firewire port, A/V port and one to plug the power adapter to. The A/V connection (cable included) allow users to hook the camcorder up to a TV, DVD player, VHS player or any type of player/recorder with A/V input. Recording the video directly to DVD is probably the fastest and easiest method to save tape information. The firewire port allows the video to be transferred to a computer, which then allows greater editing and storage options. Most software these days will automatically recognize a video device through the firewire port. While the transfer and saving of video can take up to 4+ hours per tape (depending on the speed and capacity of the computer), it creates a future ease of editing and sharing the video. While digital, these camcorders still use a magnetic tape which is prone to multiple forms of damage; you can never replace old video so might as well take the time to make secure copies. I recommend Adobe Premiere.
Charging the battery doesn't take that long at all. A full battery will give you almost two tapes worth of video (using the LCD, I'm not a viewfinder kinda person) and it takes less than that to charge. This is approximate, since I never sat and timed it, but it was definitely within the time it takes to watch a movie.
::: Summary :::
The GR-D350 is neither a step back or step forward for JVC, though the price-point for the power keeps it in the running. Even though the unit has outstanding outdoor recording quality on par with Canon, there has been little improvement with regards to the rest of what it has to offer for under $350. The physical handling has gone through some minor changes, but not in any significant way that really stands out. The navigation is definitely outdated. Where Sony has implemented LCD touch-screens and Panasonic and Canon have started to use a hat-switch, JVC is sticking with the tried and true that acts only as an additional strike when it comes to deciding between brands.
If you're looking for a budget camcorder with great optical zoom, outstanding outdoor (or very well lit) performance, a nice selection of manual controls but is still easy to use, then the JVC GR-D350 should be one to check out. Despite the disappointing low-light quality, it still outperforms comparable Sony camcorders on virtually every count. Even though the Canon and Panasonic models are stronger in every area that the GR-D350 has weakness, this can still be a great buy (not quite well-rounded, but almost) depending on what you really expect out of a digital video recording device.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 329.99
Recommended for: Budget Buyers - Best Values to Fit the Budget
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