Digital-Camcorder Reviews

Overall not a bad camcorder. The image is sharp and defined with excellent color balance. The A/V analog input allows for transfering old VHS archived tapes to DV format. There is one glaring omission that is inexcusable on a camcorder in this higher price range: there is no input for an external microphone. As a result, you'll not be able to use this camcorder for much else than "home movie" sorts of things. Without the ability to use an external mic, using the GR-DVL915U to effectively do interviews, public access cable TV spots or any other similar application is not going to give good audio results. The current low end Canon camcorders are less expensive than this and they all have an external mic feature. JVC could of had a great camcorder with the GR-DVL915U, but they crippled it with this serious disadvantage.

To be honest, I had set my expectations a bit too high and was somewhat disappointed by the image quality. For instance, I had my eye on a digital camera (for stills) as well as a camcorder. So I thought I'd combine the two in a single purchase. Well, guess what! This little baby offers less than 1 megapixel (Mp), while the cheapest digital camera offers at least 1.3 Mp, with many models offering 3.3 and I've even seen ads offering 5 Mp.
Second (incorrect) expectation was video quality. I used to own a VHS-C and after all the hype I'd heard about about digital, I was expecting perfect video, the same quality you get on, say, the Discovery Channel. Wrong again. Although the quality is an order of magnitude better than my old VHS-C.
So, having said all that why did I rate this camera 4 stars? Because it is a great camera - for the money. Yes you can get camcorders with 1.5 Mp stills, the Sony DCR-TRV30 for example, but they cost... more. Not worth that extra money...
As for the video quality? Like I said - much, MUCH better than the older VHS-C quality I used to have. The colors are great, you can make infinite copies without loss of quality (that's digital for you) and I've been playing with video editing software on the PC and the resulting videos are awesome and fun.
Furthermore, JVC has done a great job on the user interface to set and control its enormous amount of features. They are menu-driven which leaves the camera refreshingly clean of "buttons". This can be a big issue if you have "fat fingers" or are someone who can get lost in too many buttons (check out some of the other camcorders and you'll know what I mean).
So in summary, if you set your expectations right, this is a great camera with solid image quality for its price, is very rich in features and comes at a good price. Four stars in my book.

THis camcorder is by far the best one that I have ever used in my life. It gets a butt load of recomendation from me so you should go out and get one yourself.

This Panasonic DV camcorder is a solid performer and a great value. I've been using it for several months, and it hasn't let me down at all. Battery life is good, picture quality is great, and audio quality is acceptable.

The basic features of this camera are intuitive and easy to use. You can have it out of the box and recording in no time (after you charge the battery). Video quality is high, and playback on the LCD screen is easy and watchable. It comes with nearly every imaginable cable, so you can hook it to whatever you want. However, I highly recommend a firewire (IEEE 1394) card for capturing video to a PC. I've used Pinnacle Studio software flawlessly with this camera, and produced very high quality results.

This camera is chock full of features. To be honest, I haven't used many of them, not yet having learned how. The instruction manual is 102 pages long, and you'll every last page if you're going to exploit all the features of this camera. However, it's not necessary to do so to get your money's worth. One note: still picture quality won't match that of a good regular digital camera, so I wouldn't recommend using it for that purpose, although it comes equipped with an SD card slot that enables the capture of stills.

This is a small, lightweight camera that will just barely fit in your hand. It'll go everywhere without being a burden. It's worked great for me, and I can highly recommend it. Enjoy.

I get this camerea, and it was almost perfect for filming. It doesn't get that high of resoultion for stills, but that's not why i bought it.. The sound quality was one of the setbacks, (you can adjust it to 12 or 14 kbps) , but on 14kbps it still wasn't as good as i expected. It's aslo very quiet.. i found myself talking louder than i normally would to make the voices a little more audible, however it picks up sound like in another room very well. The mic is useful, but you really don't want a mic poking out in a movie. The major setback is that you can only transfer stills and mpegs to your computer through the USB, so you HAVE to have a firewire card on your pc to edit your movies. I was really disappointed that i had to buy a firewire card, but i got one for $28 so it wasn't that big of a deal.
on the flip-side, it's is so small , and sneaking it places is easy, it fitws in my pocket, and i take it everywhere now. The battery charges rather quickly too.

I love the camera for the purpose of recording those unforgettable moments, but when using to take digital photos....it's not so good. The pictures have a very low resolution and when the photos are printed (from both photo center and my home printer) they look like a computer screen picture. Even with the light feature on, they aren't very nice printed.

Why I bought a new tripod: I already own an old garage-sale tripod of some unspecified brand that I've used with my video camera for several years. In retrospect, I took its stability for granted, but it lacked a few of the conviences typically found on current tripods. It folds up nicely, but is heavier to carry than current models, and the camera must be unscrewed from the base plate to remove it from the tripod. Having bought my first high quality digital still camera, I wanted a lighter-to-carry tripod and one that allowed quick removal and replacement of the camera.

Why I chose this one: This unit offered good height, light weight, a "fluid head" for smooth pans with the video camera, a snap-in base plate, and a carry bag - all at a great price.

Why I'm returning this one:

Least reason: The base plate attaches to the camera using a built in plastic tab attached to the screw. While this is a convenient idea, the tab must be folded down flat to get the base to lock onto the tripod. Not so bad until you want to remove the plate - you may need a screwdriver to pry up the tab or risk losing a fingernail. The screw itself does not have slots for a screwdriver.

Most reason: The stability I took for granted in my old tripod is lacking in the new one. Specifically:

1.The legs flex. On a vinyl floor, it was difficult to get a stable stance because the extended legs woud, one-by-one, flex and "dance" across the floor. On less-slick surfaces the feet stayed in place, but there was still movement in the unit.

2.The top pole (that raises with the crank) is shaky when extended. The idea of the "fluid head" for smooth pans seems lost when touching the camera causes considerable wobble in the bar itself. The top pole is better left down. (Yes, I tightend the connections.)

3.The bars of the center brace are attached by loose-fitting rivets. The brace may prevent the unit from collapsing should you need to set the legs at a narrower stance, but it does little to "solidify" the tripod.

Summary: At full height, it was difficult to take even still pictures without movement in the tripod. The setup may look stable, but then you have to touch the camera (unless you have a remote). It's worse with the video camera - I was unable to get a smooth pan in spite of the "fluid head". Stability is better at half-height.

Like the other reviews have stated, this is a great tripod. It is functionally stable in spite of its low price. You get more than you pay for with this item. I recommend it!!

PS - The 70" height is really nice!

Haven't tried it in windy conditions yet but I like that it's lightweight, easy to transport and extends to 70 inches. The extra height extension prevents you from stooping over when shooting videos. Good value, and free shipping (delivered in 5 days to Hawaii - not bad!) from Amazon only makes it better! Highly recommended.

We bought this as an upgrade to our VHS camcorder we got 6 years ago. I wanted to be able to edit our videos in the computer. After my first filming, I quickly learned this camcorder has poor zoom quality (if you zoom in too close it gets fuzzy) and very poor audio as you can hear the motor running on playback. When I wanted to hook the camcorder up to the computer to try to do some editing, I discovered the cable you need to hook the two together is not included. This is an extra $30 purchase. Either put more money into a better quality camcorder or save your money until the better quality lower in price!!

Any comments about poor image quality when zooming in are because the user didn't know that ANY zooming beyond the 20X Optical zoom mark is then converted to a Digital zoom which is a conversion of the maximum Optical zoom (20X) by blowing up the image digitally. This results in a poorer image as ANY DIGITAL ZOOM would gives exactly the same effect. DIGITAL ZOOM IS JUST A GIMICK!!!!<br /> It is like taking a picture and then expanding it 990X in a program like Paint. There are a fixed number of dots in the image and expanding it makes it look worse because they get farther apart.<br /> This is a great little camera for the money. Easy to use. Cheap tapes. Built-in light!! (many have none)

Mommy and Daddy bought me this camera at Best Buy. I love the sounds it makes similar to the E.T. ride with the beeping sounds. I give it a 5 star rating by PG, R and Y.

My wife and I have really enjoyed using this superb digital camcorder. For the price - you can't find any other camcorder that can compare (I did a lot of research before buying).

Because there are a few drawbacks, I can't rate it 5 stars. As I anticipated, the digital still picture quality is only average. Also, the zoom button is not ergonomically placed, so it takes a little practice. Picture quality in low light is not great, but is much better when using the built in light (it just drains the battery faster).

However, having stated the only drawbacks that we have found, this is an excellent quality camcorder for the price. The sound and picture are clearly superb to VHS and Hi8. It is easy to use and we have still not uncovered all of its many features. Great product JVC!

I'm definitely a video amateur, but I dig this camera. It's small, lightweight and comfortable to hold. I haven't used it for extended periods of time, but the battery life seems acceptable compared to other models in this price range.

The digital effects are pretty cheesy, but there are some that are kind of neat. I'm a big sepia-tone fan. I plan to do editing on a computer, so these seem like useless gimmicks that I'll never use, as I'll do coloring and fading in a powerful environment.

It comes with a serial cable hookup for your computer, which is cool because every PC has a serial cable and not cool because serial is stupid slow. There is an optional USB cable (woo) and a DV (FireWire) cable (woo hoo!).

The stabilizer and the night shot are both pretty lame. In fact, I'd say useless. They make everything choppy. I just bought a tripod ($20 Ambico) so that should solve at least one of those problems. This also has a light which is sweet and two microphones set up in a nice little stereo pair.

Things I wish this had: microphone in (I have a pair of sweet mics for my MD recorder), color viewfinder (I've seen quit a few that skimp on this feature too), still camera mode (this has a cheap knockoff of still pictures, also pretty much worthless).

Basically, if you just want to make movies of your cats and maybe a dirty flick or two, this is a good buy.

I'm definitely a video amateur, but I dig this camera. It's small, lightweight and comfortable to hold. I haven't used it for extended periods of time, but the battery life seems acceptable compared to other models in this price range.

The digital effects are pretty cheesy, but there are some that are kind of neat. I'm a big sepia-tone fan. I plan to do editing on a computer, so these seem like useless gimmicks that I'll never use, as I'll do coloring and fading in a powerful environment.

It comes with a serial cable hookup for your computer, which is cool because every PC has a serial cable and not cool because serial is stupid slow. There is an optional USB cable (woo) and a DV (FireWire) cable (woo hoo!).

The stabilizer and the night shot are both pretty lame. In fact, I'd say useless. They make everything choppy. I just bought a tripod... so that should solve at least one of those problems. This also has a light which is sweet and two microphones set up in a nice little stereo pair.

Things I wish this had: microphone in (I have a pair of sweet mics for my MD recorder), color viewfinder (I've seen quit a few that skimp on this feature too), still camera mode (this has a cheap knockoff of still pictures, also pretty much worthless).

Basically, if you just want to make movies of your cats and maybe a dirty flick or two, this is a good buy.

I had been using a 2-chip Hi8 camcorder for years, but my baby finally conked out. This machine was a godsend! Image quality almost as good, the ability to playback my old Hi8 tapes, and the digital recording and firewire output to my computer has completely changed the way I shoot, edit, and present my videos.

The only thing I could think of that I would want is a 3-chip version of The Little Camcorder that Could.

Whether you're an old hand, or just getting into video, you need to check out Sony's Digital8 system. The tape stock is a lot cheaper then Mini DV, plus you can still play back your 8mm/Hi8 tapes on it.

I liked all the features though indor pictures were alittle bad....but you can allways eit them on your PC.

The DCR-TR7000 is a great camcorder if you can find it at a resonable price. The DCR-TR7000 has all the features of the higher priced Sony Camcorders minus one option - the view window. Personally, I find the windows to be of little use unless you are viewing what you taped but you still need headphones to listen to the audio.

Of particular interest on these Sony Digital 8 are Steadyshot (works very well), Nightshot (can see subjects in 0 light via infrared light emitted from front of camera), the ability to send the digital data (via iLink (IEEE1394, Firewire)) to your computer and autofocus/exposure.

I bought this bag to hold a Sony DCTRV103 handycam. It has two velcro-fastened, padded dividers inside, but the camera takes up the entire space, so I have no use for them. I also carry the camera's power adaptor and AC cable, it's remote control, a couple of tapes, a 12-foot extension cord, and a handheld audio cassette recorder with is power adaptor. All this puts some strain on the bag's stitching, and it even did some small damage to the outer pocket zipper. All in all, it's a good bag, but its probably meant more for the DV-type camcorders, because they are a somewhat smaller than the Sony Handicam Hi8 series. Just make sure that everything you think you might need to carry for a shoot will fit comfortably, meaning without scratching or having to force zippers closed.

I used this case for the Canon Pro70 digital camera. It held the camera, the flash unit, the CF card reader, and battery charger very comfortably. At one point I was also carrying a USB hub, but not anymore. The bag went with me everywhere, it was sturdy, and protected my camera well. I've been all over the country with it and it has held up well.

everything is nice,except the most important feature: challenge with exporting movies from the camcoder to the computer. Pentium 4 processor is highly recommended and it seems that all the files (no matter what quality you choose, refer to the manual) are at MPEG1 compression which practically renders them UNUSABLE! It takes cca 250MB of memory per one minute at normal quality! Everything else is impressive (don't get upset about the manuals and support, it could be better).

I purchased this camera not to long ago so I'm still new to it. Video is pretty good and adjusts to light well. Optical zoom (10x) is nice, but digital does degrade video as with all cameras. I'm happy with still pictures and found out I had set resolution to the third highest level. I will be even happier to see the ones I take on highest level. I bought a few extra memory cards so I can continue taking pictures. 16mb that comes with camera is nice to begin with, but some space is taken up with special effects (sounds). As with most cameras, I'll be checking into extra battery. S-video in and out can be a nice feature seeing I'll be putting home video onto dvd or cvd. Viewer screen is nice size for reviewing and showing pictures or video. Loaded with features that I haven't had a chance to use yet, and you can put camera into total manual and manual focus for videoing far away with other things moving in front where autofocus would be trying to compensate. Onscreen controls are easy to use. DV port to sony laptop took some time to get to work, but heard of alot of people having problems with this with other cameras and computers. Happy so far.

I don't want to talk about good points for this camcorder here. I just want to point out some weakness.
1. still picture qulity is poor, much poor than you expected.
2. night alive mode is absolutely useless. this camcorder doesn't use infrared tech like most other camcorder using for night mode, instead it slow shooting speed so that it makes video pirture very blurring.
3. this cam is not cheap.
So if you want to spend [money] to buy digital camcorder, I don't recommend this one.

I bought this camcorder (Not From Amazon. I bought it cheaper) and it's my first camcorder. What a camcorder it is!

1. It's incredibly small. You can palm this camcorder easily.

2. It's light. You can carry it around in your pocket, without it weighing you down.

3. The ease of use is brilliant. You don't even have to look through the user manuals, because it's so simple to use. The buttons are places perfectly, so it's not difficult to press.

4. The "Extra Features/Special Effects" on this camcorder is very nice. You can shoot in widescreen (Which I love), have different type of faders (For instance, fade in black), you can shoot in different lighting that it will adjust automatically for you, you can also edit your footage as well.

5. You can use this camcorder as a digital camera as well. It comes with an 8mb memory card, but the quality of the still photos isn't top notch. They are a good "Email" quality, but nothing worthy of printing out. This is very typical on MiniDV camcorders with the "Still Photo" feature.

6. The video quality is quite good on this camcorder. The 10x optical zoom looks very good, and the sound is good as well. The mic is on top of the camcorder, so it does pick up a lot of noise sometimes, but when you do mean to talk while it's recording...it picks it up very nicely.

7. The "Night Alive" feature isn't that great. It's actually very useless. You're suppose to use it for when you're shooting in very dark enviroments, but when you use it, the shutter speed is so slow, it's very difficult to shoot, and the quality isn't that grand, if you ask me. So, don't bother using this feature and shooting in pitch black.

Overall...I had this MiniDV camcorder for about a week now, and it's great. I love the size and shape of it. It's very simple to use, my dog can even use it. Also, if you have a Mac (Like me), it works very well with iMovie. (You're going to have to buy a firewire cable though).

I have had this device for about a year now and I have been happy, for the most part, with it's performance. Everybody wants to know what it is and so forth. It's so small and mobile, makes for easy travel. On top of that it is surprisingly very durable. The only drawbacks I'd like to note for you are the zoom is not very powerful and the pics when taken in zoom function are not crisp. Additionally the software that is needed to run the product through my computer is nothing to brag about. Actually it slows the rest of the computer down so much at times it will lock my system up. Overall I do recommend to all the purchase of this model and for the price it's a fair deal.

I bought this for my boyfriend about a year ago and he absolutely loves this thing. He brings it everywhere he goes. Everyone is always asking what it is & think it's the coolest thing around. The battery lasts long and it's been working good for over a year with no problems. It's a gadget guys' dream.