Top quality video at an affordable price
Written: Mar 05 '03 (Updated Mar 05 '03)
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Pros: Very affordable, quality video w/ built-in digital stills and tons of FX...
Cons: You'll need a spare long-life battery with this impressive 3.5" LCD!
The Bottom Line: The JVC GR-DVL720 is an excellent HOME video camera w/ digital stills (WEB use), a HUGE 3.5" LCD (that makes it all worth it) for a price that is right!
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| rolaid01's Full Review: JVC Cybercam GR-DVL720 Mini DV Camcorder |
This was my first Digital Camcorder purchase. I previously owned a 1984 Hitachi shoulder mount S-VHS video camera and decided that it was too old and too heavy.
My wife and I decided to buy the JVC GR-DVL720 to record family home videos. We were looking for a camcorder that would fit into our budget. We did not want to "cheap-out". We definitely wanted a good quality product since we want to preserve precious family moments.
I have worked in the television industry and have had my share of exposure to video equipment. JVC products carry a great reputation for quality, durability, connectivity, compatibility and features.
I admit I am biased. I own a 27" JVC TV (wedding present), a JVC DVD player (present to myself) and now the JVC GR-DVL720 camcorder (present to my wife and kids). I am very happy with all of the equipment compared to one of my brothers, (a Sony loyalist who has spent almost double what I have on my gear).
Here is my opinion of the JVC GR-DVL720:
PERFORMANCE
- Excellent picture quality for 680,000 pixel CCD and 520 lines res (higher priced models will have a megapixel CCD and 530 lines).
- Nice crisp figure definition especially with controlled user motion that is well enhanced by the good picture stabilizer feature, good for chasing around kids at the playground.
- Very smooth zooming (10x optical and a-crazy 700x digital) via a convenient finger control within your grip (standard "right" hand operation only, of course).
- Sensitive yet logical audio mic. Great sound recording at fair distances ( 5m) with good noise reduction: indoors (at a crowded aquarium) and outdoors (at a crowded playground).
- Easy-to-use auto settings and also great functionality while in manual mode (if you're comfortable with it - my personal preference).
- Very colorful, vibrant captures in low light, especially with the on-board lamp (battery drainer) that can be turned on manually or automatically.
- User friendly on-screen-display menus accessible by a scroll wheel/button (like a computer scroll mouse). Straight forward and understandable.
AS A STILL CAMERA
- Nice Snap Shot button within your grip for stills with covenient shutter sound effect (can be turned off).
- Great for taking still for the WEB on 8MB Multi-Media Card - supplied (SD Card compatible and upgradable) at 1024x768 or 640x480 resolutions. I had to tinker a bit to be sure that my settings were good for stills, but I got comfortable quickly.
- MMC or SD Card are also capable of holding limited MPEG movie for WEB use. Great to email motion files to family and friends.
- USB connection (cable included) makes it easy to upload the stills or mpegs to a computer (software included).
- My friends and relatives overseas do love the stills and mpegs that I send to them via email - uploaded directly from the 720 without the need for any type of conversion.
- I personally still prefer my Nikon Coolpix 775 for serious digital stills that I print on my Epson Photo Stylus inkjet - 1024x768 (the 720's highest res still) does not satisfy my print desires of a minimum 1600x1200 res.
FEATURES
- WOW! Best priced whopping 3.5" LCD (battery hog, but SO WHAT!) Great for being sure that you are capturing the video that you ACTUALLY WANT! No squinting necessary. I've shot with a HITACHI VMD865LA Digital8 with a 2.5" LCD and found that I was cropping shots that I hadn't meant to.
- Comes with a veritable cornucopia of effects, transitions and framing options, many of which are combinable and very easily found through the OSD. Comfort level in using these features depends on practice and camera experience.
- "Night Alive" JVC's very low light capture enhancement feature works surprisingly well (i.e. just the light of the candles on a birhtday cake with the on-board light OFF!). Be warned USE THIS FEATURE WITH A TRIPOD and lock-off the shot. "Night Alive" is a digital enhancement and capture capabilities are very sluggish while in motion using this feature.
- On-board light previously explained
- Great connectivity. USB connection for stills and mpegs for uploading to a hard drive (cable and software provided), AV I/O or S-Video out to connect directly to a TV or VCR (cables provided), audio dub input (cable provided), IEEE Firewire capable (get your own wire - you must also have an IEEE Firewire port on your computer to use this feature). IEEE allows you to transfer your video in native DV format (no image degradation) to a computer for editing with a 3rd party sofware package (my preference is Pinnacle Studio 8).
- Full-function remote control that is good for playback while attached to a TV and also allows you to turn the LCD around and use it to control recording from a tripod - say for getting the whole family in the picture while opening presents on Christmas morning.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 471
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Epinions.com ID:
rolaid01
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Location: Vancouver, B.C. Canada
Reviews written: 5
Trusted by: 0 members
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