My fiance and searched high and low for a good camera that would fit in our budget. Our inital reason for needing one is to record our wedding, but with kids and whatnot in the future, we wanted a camera that wouldn't be obsolete next week.

We were going back and forth between a Sony SR-42, which is Sony's newest model in HDD, which was $599 at Best Buy, compared to the $499 we paid for the JVC. The Sony supposedly has a better lens, but we couldn't tell. The salesman at Best Buy said that unless you were looking for differences you really wouldn't see them.

The biggest difference we found between the two cameras was the optical zoom. When you were set on a higher zoom, the JVC was able to keep focus better. With the Sony, if you were at a 30x optical zoom and moved the camera everything went blurry and it took some time to re-focus. At the same zoom the JVC didn't do that. That is what really swayed us towards the JVC.

We would have rated the JVC with 5 stars if there had been a port to plug in a microphone or external lighting to the camera. The Sony didn't have that either-you had to buy a more expensive model of either brand in order to get those features.

The software seems to be pretty user-friendly on our XP operating system, but we haven't needed to burn anything (30GB holds a lot of stuff!). Hopefully that will go smoothly.

We've been happy with picture quality so far, and we don't exactly have the latest and greatest in terms of our TV. The functions are pretty easy to use on the camera. We preferred buttons to the touch screen on the Sony. The LCD on the camera is really nice and swivels in just about every direction. The camera is so light you forget you're holding it.

We haven't purchased an SD card for the still-photo portion since we both have digital cameras, but switching back and forth between the still function and video function only requires a flick of the thumb on the on/mode button.

Overall we've very happy with the camera. We went to Best Buy to purchase it and got the warranty, which covers cleanings, and just about any form of damage (including if I drop it, which could very well happen) except loss or theft. Hopefully we'll continue to be happy with our purchase.

We had the camera about 3 weeks now. Recorded my daughter's school musical with it, slightly over an hour long. The white balance seems a little off, but it should be correctable. The direct back-up of these files onto DVD disc fails -- no idea why, because the program and "manuals" are more point and shoot than the camera. (You can examine the user manuals at JVC website to satisfy yourself of this point.) However, the files are backed up by the camera into a deeply buried folder called "My Works" on the computer.

I then used the provided cyberlink software to try to edit out the dead spots. I was able to do something only because I have used Roxio programs. Explanation and documentation of the cyberlink program is generic and minimal. So after I produce the movie, I get the news: TO BURN A DVD DISC, ONE MUST PURCHASE THE UPGRADE!!!! My independent Nero burner program will not recongize the mpg files, and I can only produce a disc readable by Windows media reader, and not a DVD player.

To make a fair comparsion to other cameras, add $100 to the price tag, because in spite of all the talk about making your own movies, you still have to pop out $80 more to do it. The Cyberlink programs looks to be a poor program nor will you get much help to get it working. [...]

I have had this for about a month and have taken a few movies. Some of my family who I don't see all that often. The 16.9 aspect on the camera screen is great and easy to change to regular screen size if that is you preference. It is great to have my home videos in wide screen format and the picture looks good on my 42 inch plasma. Made one dvd so far with out to much hassle. If you play around with the files in the camera you can edit down video before putting in your computer. It allows you to make shorter files from original footage then you just delete the parts you edited and anyway it works great and is pretty user friendly if you are at all computer savvy since screens on camera and controls make sense after a few wrong button pushes. Great size and weight. Can't wait for our vacation to really put this thing through it's paces. You will need an extra battery, bigger is better and a wall charger is very handy especailly if you are traveling. Amazon had best price. Originaly saw at B.J.'s and almost bought but better price and no tax or shipping with Amazon. Had to wait a few days for the free shipping to kick in but I don't mind. Good luck if you decide to go with camera. Alot of features and quality for the money. OH yeah, terrible still pics but that's why you have a digital camera.

There was another product out there from Sony that was constantly compared to this one. I researched for a couple of hours until I finally made my decision of buying this particular camcorder. I have ZERO regrets. This camcorder is simply amazing! For one thing, it has more features (night vision, lights, and uh... cheaper!!!) than the Sony camcorder... only the Sony was over $100 more! And hey, JVC has a pretty good rep, so why not?

If someone is out there struggling on which camcorder to get and you have to choose between this one and a similar product (ala the overcharged Sony Camcorder 30gb HDD w/ no night vision, and so what if it has a touch screen thing? Is it really worth it?), then I would highly suggest you save your time researching now and just get this camcorder. It really is SUPER FANTASTIC! Oh yeah, did I mention the zooming feature is also fantastic? Yes... it certainly is. :) Trust me, this product is really worth it... even for the price of the SONY!!!

We were down between the comparable Sony and this one. The guy at Circuit City suggested this one, even though it was $100 cheaper than the Sony. After several uses, this is what we think:
br /Decent video quality. Better than Hi8, not as good as DVD cam.
br /Included software--Don't bother. Copy all .MOD files to computer (using explorer) and rename to .MPG. Then download k-lite codecs from http://www.free-codecs.com/download/K_Lite_Codec_Pack.htm.
br /After extensive use, the unit gets very warm in hand.
br /Is somewhat uncomfortable for large hands.
br /Using the zoom button with large hands can cause the mic to pick up the "click" sound from the button snapping back into place.
br /Low light filming is very good.
br /Don't plan to use the still cam. The resolution is horrible.
br /Battery life is 1hr, 15min.
br /
br /Bottom line, if you are debating over this model or the competition...Save your money and buy this one. Use the extra money to buy a long-life battery.

I really like this camcorder. I have NOT had most of the problems any of the other reviewers have had. Except i agree that the still photo function is not very good but i have a digital 8.0 megapixel compact point and shoot as well as a Nikon digital SLR. The still photo function should not be used for prints but if you just want to take a quick photo for your MySpace page or something similar then it works just fine. Oh and the light for the camera is only good if you are shooting up close at night and the night vision feature leaves allot of tracers.
br /
br /JVC offers a variety of attachable lens, including a telephoto and wide angle lens as wells lens filters. All of which work great. I have no problems editing using the powerdirector and powerproducer software that comes with the camera. Although to use the advanced features you have to purchase the upgrade but the basic model has plenty of easy to use features to make some great videos without upgrading. all of the features in the software and on the camera are very user friendly especially for the novice.
br /
br /I have had no problems shooting great high quality videos that look great on a regular tv as well as my 42 inch LCD TV. I love the fact that you have the option to shoot in 16:9 widescreen or in regular modes (although if you don't have a widescreen tv dont record in widescreen as it will make everything look stretched out) and editing the videos and burning them to a DVD using the Everio software is simple and the DVD's are easily viewed on ANY DVD player with no problems. I recently shot a friends wedding and reception using this camera and the quality and sound was fantastic and they were very pleased. Although i do wish this camera had an external mic input.
br /
br /This is the best camera for the price and i am extremely pleased with it and if your a first time user or just a novice then this is the perfect camera for you, anything more would just be over kill and would leave you with a bunch of features you either don't know how to use or will NEVER use.
br /
br /The in camera functions are so easy to use, you hardly need the instruction manual and with the built in camera modes there is hardly any reason to use the manual settings at all.

This is my first camcorder, but I think this thing is pretty awesome if you want a basic, reasonably priced camcorder. I'd read somewhere that if you format the HDD before you record any videos, that helps in the grainy department. I did that, and haven't had any issues yet as far as the picture goes. It's really clear and sharp. So if you aren't sure if you want to get this because of the "grainy images" complaints, I'd say go for it. It isn't like what they're describing. If you're looking for a camcorder that you want to have around for those moments you want recorded, this one does the job. The user interface is really easy to figure out, and not having to worry about having enough tapes/discs around is great.

The pictures this thing takes aren't too wonderful, as mentioned before. But I didn't buy this to take pictures with. That's what my digital camera is for. I'd say having that feature is good for those times you want to take a picture, but don't have your digital camera on you. The images wouldn't make very good prints, though.

I'll have to agree with a few other reviews about the software. It's... okay, but there are better programs out there. The program that JVC includes does suck up a lot of system resources and seems to lag when I try to playback directly from the camcorder (I blame it on the usb connection, as opposed to firewire). I found that saving them to the computer and playing directly from that gets rid of the lag though. Also, the software is limited in some areas because you can't get certain features without paying for the "deluxe" version of it. But the software is good to have if you don't have anything to convert to mpg, avi, real media, etc.

Overall, I really like this camcorder, and haven't had any issues yet. It's easy to hold, the buttons and joystick make it easy to navigate, and the picture quality is really good, given the price range of this camcorder. Definitely would recommend to anyone who's a first timer, or wants a reasonably priced camcorder.

When I purchased this camera, I thought everything about it was great. But after I recorded some things and wanted to go to my computer and edit them. I quickly found out that getting the files from the camera harddrive to my PC was not as easily as previously described. I had to go to many different hectic processing to get the camera to actually connect to the computer! The choices of how to connect was a horrible idea. Rather doing that, JVC should have had a program to decide what to do.
br /
br /The Everio Camera comes with Cyberlink PowerDirector program, which at first may seem very schnazzy with lots of features and ease-of-use. Don't be fooled! The software on this camera is bogus. The camera records files in .mod format, which can only be read by the CyberLink PowerDirector software, and nothing else. When you try and edit your videos, the PowerDirector has very few features allowing you to actually make a video. When trying to do a special feature available only on the PowerDirector, you must first buy the upgrade for it: even to do the most simple of things!
br /
br /Due to the lack of software editing capabilities, I really hate this camera, because I bought it for the reason that I can edit my videos. When i found out that I cannot edit without going through pains-taking processes, I was very pissed off indeed that JVC is trying to make us spend more money on products in order for this one to work.
br /
br /This camera is great if you have no intentions of editing any video. And the exterior and quality are great. But don't even consider buying this camera if you are looking to Record, Edit, and make DVDs, because it doesn't work!
br /
br /Cheers.

I spent hours searching for a camera to fit my budget and to suit my very amateur needs, whilst still working well with my Mac Powerbook. I had read about using 3rd party software to convert the video files but was sceptical. I'm pleased to report I have the camera, have managed to convert the files on my Mac, put them into iDVD and burn them to a DVD with out any hitches and very easily too. I'm happy with the camera - especially as I'm dreadful at reading instructions before playing, so the easy to navigate menu system is a real bonus. The camera does what it says on the tin and is surprisingly small and light. My concern about whether I had done the right thing (between submitting my order on line and me getting to play with the camera) was unwarranted. I'll definitely be ordering a bigger battery as I can't see the 1hr 30mins or so from the standard one ever being enough. The hard-drive storage is great for deleting video from the camera, freeing up space on the go too. Pleased with my new toy!

Purchased the camera after reading a lot of reviews on the net. Having been through three cameras (Sony's and Samsungs) in the last three years from HI8 to MiniDV formats I needed something I could transfer movies faster to my computer for editing.
br /Out of the gate, this camera is small. I have had to get used to the size, especially when toggling the zoom lever on the top. The LCD is nice and bright with extremely intuitive menus. Within a few hours of getting the camera I took some footage and pulled it into my computer with no hassles and it was waaay faster than pulling from a tape.
br /I was intrigued with the "Direct Backup" button on the camera and installed the included software. It took me three times as long to transfer my movies to my computer than just directly copying the MOD files from the USB hard drive under "My Computer" using Windows. The rest of the software is horrible and I ended up uninstalling it.
br /I used the best possible quality and had no issues playing the MOD files in Media Player Classic and importing them into Ulead Videostudio for editing. The MOD files are actually MPEG-2 with VBR and Dolby Digital audio which is NOT propeitary whatsoever. A 40 second clip took 56MB on disk.
br /
br /Bottom line, the camera itself is great. I love how quick it is, both starting up and recording. You will need to play with the White Balance and Brightness in low light. I love this camera.

I recently purchased this item. I was looking around for Hard-drive one for the last one year as I have been using the HI8 tapes one from Sony since 6 years.
My main motive was to spend little but get best quality product. I was inclined to go for Sony peer product as my friend a die-hard-core fan of Sony, recommended it. However, after my last 3 months research this is equally good enough and beats Sony overall (price + quality + sleekness + ease of use + joystick). Only bad part from JVC is their product support and warranty packages. Sony got a great waranty package for little more price to JVC one. JVC service package is really AWEFUL.

I have to say that JVC provided Cybershot software has both good and bad features in it. It is better than what I had from Sony 5 years back. However, Sony might have better one (custom software). It is bit slow as for 25 minute vedio it took 1 hour to get a CD burned via my laptop (Half Gig RAM and good processor).

So, I recommend this to the people who has budget constraints and knows how to handle a camcoder. But if you think warranty support is main concern, go for Sony with at least 200$ additional price!!!

The good:
This camera works very well. The controls are well placed for easy use. Image quality is very good and the battery lasts the time indicated in the documentation. I do miss not having a view finder since sometimes, in strong sun, viewing the LCD screen is difficult.

The bad:
The Cyberlink software provided with the GZMG130 has some issues with Windows Vista (64 bit) and crashes on a routine basis.

The ugly:
This is a bit technical, but like some earlier JVC camcorders, the camera does not properly set the wide screen flag in the mpeg headers. The result is that other software does not always recognize your clips as wide screen. Fortunately, there is software available to correct the problem.

Lightweight and compact, it's great for vacations. The battery life is okay and it's easy to use although some of the controls are not well documented. While I'd give the camera a five-star rating for its price range, the software is a dismal two-star. I find it easier and more convenient to just extract the video files using Windows Explorer and then edit them with Studio 10 by Pinnacle.

The JVC Camcorder is very functional. I used in Hawaii for our Band Review and produced quality video, the only drawback is at night when I need more light to get more visual on events. The light on the camera is only useful for close up. Otherwise the features of the Camcorder is great.

My wife and I have our first child due on July 10th. Time for me to get a camcorder. The MG130 is a great entry level camcorder for us. Takes very nice video, still shots are so so but we have a digital camera for that. Has nice feature set and does what it is supposed to do. Easy to copy from hard drive to dvd. Pretty much plug it in and it does its thing. Burned disc faster than I thought. I would highly recommend for the novice user. Included battery does not allow for long record times at all. You will definitely need to purchase a larger battery. I just bit the bullet and bought the biggest battery Amazon carries for it. Costing me another 100 bucks but as one reviewer said. "You can never have too much power" I am very satisfied with my purchase.

Very good camcorder. Exactly what we were looking for: digital camcorder with a hard-drive rather than DVD. This keeps the camcorder compact. Was concerned whether 30 GB is enough. We use it to tape snippets of our new born son. So far we haven't run out of space on the hard-drive. Also, seem very easy to connect to a PC to transfer file. The only quibble I have with this is the controls and on-screen menu were not intuitive.

Took this on our vacation to Nashville this summer. Takes awesome video but don't buy it for the Still pictures though as it's quality is very poor.
br /
br /You can edit the videos in other programs by renaming them with a ".mpg" file extension.

It is very easy to use this comcorder.Quality of the video is high.There is not problem to copy video or pictures to PC or DVD. MENU is clear even for this who is not an expert.Settings can be changed easy and quickly.
I am very satisfied with this product and recommend very much.

If you aren't computer savvy do NOT buy this camera!
br /This camera boasts the ability to edit video-- YOU CANNOT.
br /The software package that came with this camera FROZE my computer many times. It is VERY buggy. After installing, downloading updates from JVC etc. NOTHING worked. I scrapped the included softare.
br /I now save files from my camera RIGHT to my hard drive on my computer. THEN, I have to use a codec to go from .MOD to a file I can work with, usually WMV. I like to edit movies with my windows movie maker, and you can NOT edit movies and have them look as slick as with a movie editing program. The included software was SCANT, at best. And, I'm used to stilling video and capturing a picture. You can NOT do that with the included software.
br /JVC needs to improve the software, or give up with the .MOD files and have the camcorder at least use files the average person can work with.
br /NOPE, didn't like it. Buggy software and crappy .MOD files.
br /I wanted to return this to amazon, but my return period is over.
br /I'd like to find a NICE affordable hard drive camcorder that doesn't use .MOD files. If anyone knows of any, please let me know!
br /
br /UPDATE: Just talked with the people at JVC They state that this camera is (presumed) use for with VISTA. I let them know I do not have vista, I'm operating XP. They said with VISTA you don't even need the included software. Hummm. I WISH I had known that before I purchased this, I was certain it stated it was XP compat. ANYWAY, I still like the camera VERY MUCH, but hate the software. So, maybe this camera will work for people with VISTA. I don't know...Just what I was told from JVC.

If it was only a camera, I would have given this four stars. However, the vast majority of users will want to download the videos to their computers and this is where the trouble begins.
br /
br /For some bizarre reason, JVC chose to use a .mod extension (which different forums say is an mpeg2 format) for the videos. The result is that none of your video editing software will work on your files. The videos MAY play in Media Player, Real Player and your other players, if you are lucky.
br /
br /Once you decide to actually try and edit the videos, you can't do so with any of the major editors on the market. I consider myself fairly proficient around computers but my attempts at solving this solution have me incredibly frustrated. I
br /
br /Before purchasing an Everio camera, be sure to read the forums about converting .mod to .avi or other formats and you will see an ever-growing list of frustrated users. The thing that adds to the frustration is the fact that some of the posts are a couple years old, meaning JVC has known about the problems customers are having but have done nothing to address the core issue. I just bought my Everio in June 2007 and I was extremely annoyed to see how many people have been having the same problem for so long with no solution being offered by JVC.
br /
br /It is really too bad because this would otherwise be a great buy.
br /
br /

Great little camcorder. Uses a built in 30 GIG hard drive so there are no disks or tapes to mess with. Color seems fine. Low light features works great. DIS is weak though. If you are shooting anything with the zoom feature do yourself a favor and get a tri-pod. The included software takes a bit to get used to but has nice features.
br /Anyway, we like ours.

After struggling with this camera for several hours and several phone calls to JVC customer support and Best Buy customer support, I found out that the JVC GZ-MG130 camcorder is not truly compatible with the iMac. JVC said the problem is that the MG130 does not have a firewire port. You can only hook it up to the iMac via USB and transfer the camera's video MOD file to the iMac. If you try to open it on the iMac, you get an export error message saying "QuickTime couldn't parse it: -2048".
br /
br /So you have to purchase additional video editing software (either capty or pixela) in order to play and edit the video MOD file. Those apps will then convert the file to MPEG-2, which you can burn. iMovie requires MPEG-4, and you would have to buy additional software to convert the JVC file into that format, but I assume it would take several hours to convert an hour of camcorder video this way.
br /
br /Unfortunately, I found all this out too late to return the camcorder. Note that there is nothing in the user manual, JVC's website, or on the product box to tell you about these problems. The salesmen are trained to tell you that the camcorder works with a Mac, which is really a bald-faced lie. When I complained to JVC about that, they refused to accept responsibility and simply apologized for my loss.

To start things off, this camera is great! I know that there are a lot of people that are giving it bad reviews for one apparent reason: the file format of the videos not being readable. I have a SOLUTION: go to this link: [...]. From there, there is another link to a file renaming program that is FREE. By file renaming, I mean changing the extension on the video files. MOD is the extension of the video files on the Everio. They're actually MPEG2 files, but with the MOD extension. The file renamer allows you to change the MOD to MPG, so your computer will recognize the format. I know this sounds complicated, but TRUST ME, it's not. And it will save many, many customers lots of money! Now, past that, this camcorder is simply amazing. The quality of sound and video is 5 star quality. I plan on owning this thing for years to come!

If you buy this video camera , you have to add another 100 bucks to buy a software for making DVD, otherwise you would be turned out like my situation: take quite many hours of video but no solution to transfer to DVD. The attached software has bug, I tried several times to make movie, it just wasted my DVDs.

I'm very pleased with this camera. The only drawback is the use of a proprietary file format for the videos it produces (*.MOD), although it appears the files can be renamed to .MPG so that Media Player and other software recognize the files. Other than that video quality and ease of use is great.

Have used the camera for a couple of weeks now. Works very well even in low light. Battery lasts a long time. Camera has easy controls.

I have never owned or really even used a camcorder before. I decided to purchase one because I am currently expecting my first child and all our family live abroad, so I wanted a camera to upload video on the internet. After reading around I decided that I wanted a hard Drive camera because I would want to upload all my video onto the computer and didn't want to deal with the limits of DVD etc. So after reading many reviews and evaluating cost I decided that this was the camera I am was going to try. I thought the price was very reasonable and since receiving the camera a lot quicker than expected I have not yet been disappointed. I have found it easy to use and I have been able to upload video onto my computer and allow family to access it. I have not used it for long periods of time as yet and feel that when I need to I will have to buy a better battery but for the money I paid I am very happy. It is small and compact camera. After scanning through the instruction book I quickly managed to start my videoing. As for quality I am happy with it. I am sure you can get a lot better. But for those quick family movies I am totally satisfied. I would recommend this camera to anyone looking for an easy to use camera without a huge price tag.

This is my first digital camcorder, and so far I'm pretty happy with it. From what I've read about other JVC GZ-MG series camcorders, this one is very similar. HOWEVER, one significant difference is the threading on the lens collar is apparently smaller than other Everio camcorders. Most apparently use 37mm filters, but this one uses 30.5mm diameter threadings. I think the batteries that work with this camcorder are different than others as well. I ordered the camera as part of a "kit" that came with filters and a high capacity battery for Everio camcorders. When I found they didn't fit, I called customer service and had to convince them to try it themselves before they believed me that the filters didn't fit. Also, JVC still has not seen the light with regard to Apple Macintosh - which is amazing since everyone knows how much video editing is done on Macs, and Macs are often marketed for video editing. Come on, JVC, GET WITH THE PROGRAM!! In the meantime, with the help of some third party software products which can be easily found with an internet search (keywords: JVC Everio Mac), you can convert the .mod filesthe camera produces into other formats that can be worked with on a Mac with iMovie.

I bought this camcorder recently after reading the above comments. It is great. It has rich easy to use features, the zoom is phenomenal. Sound quality is crisp. The night mode is decent. The remote control is well equipped. It also has a shoulder strap. The widescreen display is fantastic. There is also a standard mode without the widescreen for people who dont want widescreen recording. There is also an unmentioned feature in this camcorder. You can record on widescreen format and watch the playback in standard mode if you have a regular TV.Lens cover is superb. The buttons are soft and easy reach. Hand strap is comfortable. Image stabilizer is better then I expected. I could zoom in a very far object at night mode on a clear night with good detail. Something my telescope could not. The standard battery works longer then i expected. Very good feature and I have yet to discover more. I need a tripod for my nature shooting. Auto focus is nice except shooting far away objects in the dark. Charger and accessories are nice. I just installed the software and I have nothing to fuss about. My Win XP Pro with the software cd in the PC and the camcorder attached to it with USB, installation was a breeze. It asked me for Playback on PC or Backup or other options. I just wanted to backup the videos. Overall a great camcorder, easy to use, fantastic video output, rich colors and great feature. I made a mistake of buying in a local store and I found out later that it was much cheaper here in Amazon. So shop around.

I purchased this camera last week and must say it's the best camcorder I've ever owned.
br /
br /I've videotaped family events, church services, and special programs.
br /
br /The software was easy to upload and easy to navigate. It also works well with Windows Movie Maker for adding titles/credits and editing.
br /
br /At this point I have found nothing negative about this camera. Even my Dad finds it easy to operate and he's technology challenged.
br /

It is good price, and the movie is ok.
br /But the photo it takes is too bad.
br /I can't believe that the photo it takes is worse then I take by my cell phone!

We bought this camera with high hopes of convenience. The camera itself we like however the software is problematic. I even went to the website for the software to see if others had the same erros when burning and they did but the tech didnt seem to have a clue or care. I would not buy it until they change the program,

As a camcorder it has many benefits, including easiness in using, and holding as it is very small (the size of the hand). Also the 30Gb of memory is fantastic as you don't have to worry about how much time you are spending on recording. I think that 7H are more then enough for 1 day and maybe even for 2 days. Also, 34X optical zoom is very greate and with a very good quality.On the other side being digital recording doesn't mean that the quality is very good. For example, when I focus my camera on one object, it is very good quality, whereas the sorrounding might be turbid. This is more evident when I record at night. Also, the camera which is inlcuded in this camcorder, can't be used for anything, as the quality is very bad.
br /After all, as a camera it is very comfortable to handle, easy to use, and good quality. In short, it is worth it for the price offered. Enjoy

The GZMG130 is a great camcorder.
br /Unfortunately it's incompatible with MAC / iMovie.
br /There is third party software available for the MAC which is painful to use.
br /Do your homework; The GZMG255 is a few bucks more, has FireWire, delivers mega pixel movies and a better choice for MAC / iMovie users.
br /It would be nice if JVC and/or Apple would "step up to the plate" and address the issue.
br /
br /

I am attracted by this camcorder like many other guys by the hard disk drive function. I have used it almost 10 days and admit it is good. The camera of this machine is just so so,so don't hope it can be substituted as a camera.It can record the real world satisfactorily. yes there is some delay,when you displace the camcorder fast. when there are at the same time a shadow and a place under sunshine in the eye of camcorder, the camcorder will be puzzled for a while.
br /So if you have excellent requirements,you will be disappointed. For normal users, It is good enough.

This small Camcorder is the best piece of technology I have used lately. Very easy to use and great quality in movie and pictures.

This is my first camcorder, and I like it a lot. The style and the weight excellent. I only made a few movies and I very happy with the quality. It is easy to use and easy to transfer the movies to the computer or watch them on the tv.
br /I recomend it to any one who is a first time camcorder buyer.

I just bought the JVC Everio GZMG130 yesterday. I had some hesitation because of the difficulty some were having using their own video editing software. I used Nero 8 (specifically Nero Vision) and had no difficulty at all with the .mod files. The files were a little tricky to find but once I found them they were imported and read by Nero 8 without any problems. So far I'm very happy with the camera.

This is a nice, easy to use camcorder. Love the physical size and movie picture quality. I found the menu features to be very intuitive. The still feature is useless, given this unit is around 1 mega pixel. Unless your in a rush I would wait until the 2-3 meg cams, which are now around $750+, come down in price. You'll probably end up with better movie quality and usauble still shots.

I did quite a bit of research before purchasing a video camera. My final decision was between the jvc everio and the sony handycam. After reading reviews and consider the price, we decided on the jvc. I am disappointed in the video quality during playback on our computer. The video looks great on the small display window on the camera so it was quite a shock to upload the videos and see how grainy it looked. We even switched the mode to record in the highest image quality and I am still not impressed.
br /The camera is easy to use and very small. It is useless for still photos but that is why we have a digital camera. We haven't had any issues with the battery either. We bought an extra just in case but havne't had to use it yet.
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br /Pros: small, easy to use, easy to playback and delete on camera
br /cons: video quality not the best, still photos are horrible

Very pleased. I don't care much for the software that came along with it. Not very intuitive and required me to start over multiple times (very time consuming to start over) because of a simple error. But the camera performed well.

I'm a first time camcorder owner, and find the GZMG130 very user friendly. The harddrive feature w/o the need to change media is absolutely convinient. Highly recommended.

Camera arrived with all it's accessories and in great condition. Video quality is great, and plenty of storage for hours of video at an affordable price.

I can not tell you how many memories this camcorder has ruined for our family. First of all, don't bother trying to tape anything indoors. It is very dark. There is a very lame, little light that you can turn on, which does nothing. I found a way to switch the mode to "fine" which gives you more light, but it will not record.
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br /Then it has this annoying auto focus mode that won't turn off. So my camcorder will be in a tripod taping something and it goes in and out of focus the whole time (meanwhile the subject is not moving and neither is the camera, so why does it do that?) UGH!
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br /I can go on and on...bottom line? Don't waste your money! It is not very user-friendly at all and the quality is not great.
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The camera overall seems to be constructed well, controls are in logical places, and is a solid performer. There are some issues with total overall pitcure capture quality (a bit more artifacting and pixilation than I expected) and it would be nice to simple directly plug into USB and transfer instead of having to go through the motions of setting up the PC connectivity through the camera first.
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br /It's a great device for the price. Just wish it had a little more "oomph".

I love using mine for taking video go my buddys and myself riding our fourwheelers, snowmobiles and all the other fun stuff we do.
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br /Its also nice to be able to take still pictures with the same camera. Although it is hard at first to take still pictures one handed without them being blurry.
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br /All in all it is an excellent choice and the software included is easy to use.

Hmm,I already have 3 month JVC Everio 130 .And i thing is perfect Cam for Everyone !I don't understand why so many owners of Everio keep trying to convert /or change/ the MOD format extension..??? I recomend more easy and more fast way...just use (not so expensive) Ulead Video10+ editing program.Ulead it's veri comfort with MOD format extension...and have one of the best editing and burning futures on the market.For playing direct MOD format videos (from Works folder)I use Win Media player Clasic 6-its freeware download from Internet and it has All need it codecs ready inside(even that fatall JVC-MOD.......

I thing JVC is great ....

DO NOT BUY THIS EVERIO GZ-MG330 camcorder it you are a MAC user. Its a piece of junk when it comes to its software, and really in this day and age thats what really matters. Its files are incompatible with MAC programs, read Quicktime, iMovie. This is something identified for over 2 years in websites such as "Gadget Review"--wish I had seen it before I made the purchase. Do not take anyone's word that this or other models are compatible with MAC programs. Demand a demonstration before purchase. Its absolutely nuts that you need to go through multiple programs (all at a purchase) in order to download your video files. Note that the JVC website provides no information on reconciling the incompatibility.

I started with the GZMG130, but the still camera is worthless and the resolution is 640x480. The 255 has 2.0 Megapixel and a flash and firewire built in. Just plug it in and iMovie imports the clips right in. Plug into USB and iPhoto opens right up.

Have really put it through its paces yet. But had purchased it so that I didn't have to deal with tapes which is a common thought. I've had a previous JVC product not from amazon but purchased locally. Used it for years. It was a miniDV camcorder. Still works however wanted to be able to record nonstop without the worry of the tape running out. Not sure about battery consumtion yet as mentioned by other reviews. But if more than one is carried it shouldn't be a problem. The usb provides a direct link into the computer to which windows media player, etc. Picks up the recorded media pretty quickly and allows viewing of recorded media. Which is a nice feature. Unlike tapes where one would have to record to VHS first... Overall I like it thus far...

I purchased this camera to shoot all of the events that are worth remembering. I researched for 4 months before actually making a purchase. This camera gave me far more than i could have possibly expected after all i had read on it. No. The software isn't top notch but what do you expect its free. Thanks to JVC for another great camera.

It's a very simple to use camcorder. It's easy to transfer the records to the computer or to burn a DVD.
I think that is good to have a spare battery, because the original one has low cappacity.
The Data Battery allows to check the remaining battery live, it's a usefull feature.
I love its size, it's realy a small camcorder.

Great camera-easy to use. I got this for my parents as a gift and they are able to record, take photos, upload photos without any problems. Quality of video is great. Quality of photos is not a s clear as a my digital camera, but still a nice feature to have.
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This is the worst waste of money ever! We've had it for a year, and are still unable to burn a dvd that wont skip, or freeze up! You can not edit you video with out purchasing the software, and the software is a joke!!! Your forced to only use this software, and you can't even delete parts out from your segments you have to split the segment where you want to delete, and then trim the beginning of the next segment to remove unwanted video! I spent six hours trying to edit a dvd because the software runs so slow, and at the end it told me I had to purchase the software if I wanted to burn the dvd! I WILL NEVER PURCHASE JVC AGAIN!!!!

I absolutely am ready to throw this thing against the wall!!!! JVC "Customer Svc" isn't very helpful, for one. It's taken me approximately 12 hours straight trying to create a dvd, today alone. The Everio software sucks to the core! It freezes my computer up, doesn't do what it says it will do, and I'm stuck with memories that I can't store onto dvds. The worst and most frustrating part is how slow it is! It's as though when I choose to do something like simply choose a movie to add to my dvd, the software has to think about it and then decides that it'll let me go on, only to find out that after I've spent a half-hour choosing the maximum 50 movies that it will allow (total waste of my dvd that can hold a lot more than that), it'll go through it's thinking process and stop, completely freeze up everything! Just great!It's literally taken me all day to try to do this. I'm so mad because I could have been spending quality time with my family or doing something more important than to waste days on end on this dumb thing!!!! I'll have to try Nero or something else, but I thought that this thing was supposed to be state-of-the-art, considering how much a lot of the reviews out there claimed it to be. Only good thing is that the 34x optical zoom is nice. As for the other features, I'd have to say that this camcorder needs major improvements. Even the little light on it is terrible. When you watch the movie back, it looks as though someone is shining a pen light on the subject, useless, I might add.
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br /I hope there's something better out there, in the meantime, I'm stuck with a user-unfriendly camcorder.

The camera is great, but the main purpose of it is to import it to a computer. They claim its Mac compatible, but you have to buy hundreds of dollars of additional HORRIBLE software to get it to work. Their "mac friendly" claim is a lie and misleading. I was thinking plug in, imovie, happy. Thats what the salesman led me to believe too (because they claim its mac compatible). I'm taking it back tomorrow. PC USERS: Have fun. MAC USERS: Run while you can.

I worked as a sub-contractor for this co. last year. Worked at some big retailers. Really seemed like a good deal. Bought one for my son only to find that its Mpeg 2 movies only are very hard and cumbersome to convert to something that Final Cut or Creative Suite (movie editing software for intermediate and advanced movie produciton) can use. Really friends, its just not what you want if you want a HDD camera. Go with dvd or tape camera's if you only have $400 to spend. I am currently regretting this purchase.

This camera is very good for its price. It is easy to use. I like it!

This little camera packs a lot of bang for the buck. Compact and user friendly. Worth every penny!

I had this camera for about 5 days. I tried to work with it, I really did. But it's just awful. The only good thing about it is the design. But I prefer functionality over design any day.
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br /1. The video quality is horrible. Videos look great when viewed on the camera's LCD screen. However, when you transfer them to your computer or post them online, the result is terrible.
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br /2. Poor lighting.
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br /3. The .mod format this camera records in is a bit difficult to work with. Yeah, it's MPEG-2, but simply changing file extension does not work. I changed the extension to .mpg and the video wouldn't open in Sony Vegas. It wouldn't play in Zoom Player or Windows Media Player either. I had to actually convert the video to get any use out of it at all.
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br /4. Like most people have said, the software that comes with the Everio is useless. I uninstalled it after the second day.
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br /I read a lot of good reviews before purchasing this camera. People were either lying or didn't know a thing about good quality. When I had the actual product in my hand, I was thoroughly disappointed.
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br /I traded it in for a Sony Handycam.
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This is a great camera. Having the hard drive and the easy hook-up to the pc makes it really simple to create DVDs, and the DVDs look great.

I ordered this product with the understanding that it was new (as advertised). The next day, I received an apology stating that the item was refurbished and Ritz Camera offered a $20 voucher for future purchases, or the option to cancel the order. I opted to cancel the order. The next day, I was informed the item had already shipped, and that I would have to deny the package so it would be returned for reimbursement. When I called customer service to discuss their error, I got someone who seemed to be reading from a script and unable to answer simple questions. Then I was told that I would have to wait 7-10 days after they received the camera before I saw a refund. The refund process did not start until I called to remind them that they owed me money. Eight days later, I received my refund, but without the shipping costs. I was dumbfounded that I was being charged for their mistake. After multiple contacts, I received an automated message stating that I would also be refunded the shipping costs, which took another 7 days. In total, this error took nearly a month to resolve and would not have been corrected at all had I not hassled customer service and sent multiple emails in hopes that it would reach someone who could give me more information than what I found on their website's package tracking page. I had a horrible experience and should not have had to fight to get refunded for a mistake that was not on my behalf.

WE BOUGHT THIS ITEM ABOUT A MONTH AGO. AFTER A LOT OF RESEARCH WE SETTLED ON THIS ONE. THE PICTURE QUALITY ON THE LCD SCREEN IS NOT GOOD. WE HAD AN OLDER DV CAMCORDER THAT WAS MUCH BETTER. WE HAVENT TRIED TO PLAY ANY VIDEOS ON THE TV OR COMPUTER TO KNOW IF THE PICTURE QUALITY IS ANY BETTER.
br /ON A BETTER NOTE THE CAMCORDER IS EASY TO USE AND LIGHTWEIGHT. IT HAS MANY COOL FEATURES AND SPECIAL EFFECTS YOU CAN USE.
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The saleman at BestBuy assured me that the camera was compatible with iMovie software on our Mac computer, but my experience, and what I have read since on the web tells me that is simply not true. I will probably return the camera. Bummer.