This camcorder is awesome!! I take it everywhere- the convenience of one 'tool' for video and photos. With the 1 Mega pixel, the photos are truly photo quality 4 x 6's. Plus, it has the 'Date stamp,' which you can disable, but I like it. I haven't tested larger photos yet but if you're looking for photo quality larger pics- 5x7 or more, get a digital camera with 2 or more pixels. While the size is ultra-small (fits in a fanny pack), you really need to hold the camera still for the best clarity- moreso than my Olympus 35mm camera. Pictures and video are very easy to download to the PC, too. All needed software and cables included. Another convenient feature about this camcorder is that you can take a still photo right in the middle of a video recording, and it transfers over to the memory card. Batteries are alittle high from JCV ($$$$) for 90min- 2 1/2 hour), but you can find them brand new on ... for as little as $$$. I bought 2 there and they work great. The Canon 45 has the most optical zoom (17x compared to this one's 10x), but otherwise it has far less than this one, including about 1/2 a megapixel versus JVC's Mega pixel. This camera has the most features for the money compared to others of this caliber, even Sony.

This camcorder is awesome!! I take it everywhere- the convenience of one 'tool' for video and photos. With the 1 Mega pixel, the photos are truly photo quality 4 x 6's. Plus, it has the 'Date stamp,' which you can disable, but I like it. I haven't tested larger photos yet but if you're looking for photo quality larger pics- 5x7 or more, get a digital camera with 2 or more pixels. While the size is ultra-small (fits in a fanny pack), you really need to hold the camera still for the best clarity- moreso than my Olympus 35mm camera. Pictures and video are very easy to download to the PC, too. All needed software and cables included. Another convenient feature about this camcorder is that you can take a still photo right in the middle of a video recording, and it transfers over to the memory card. Batteries are alittle high from JCV ($$$$) for 90min- 2 1/2 hour), but you can find them brand new on ... for as little as $$$. I bought 2 there and they work great. The Canon 45 has the most optical zoom (17x compared to this one's 10x), but otherwise it has far less than this one, including about 1/2 a megapixel versus JVC's Mega pixel. This camera has the most features for the money compared to others of this caliber, even Sony.

This camcorder is awesome!! I take it everywhere- the convenience of one 'tool' for video and photos. With the 1 Mega pixel, the photos are truly photo quality 4 x 6's. Plus, it has the 'Date stamp,' which you can disable, but I like it. I haven't tested larger photos yet but if you're looking for photo quality larger pics- 5x7 or more, get a digital camera with 2 or more pixels. While the size is ultra-small (fits in a fanny pack), you really need to hold the camera still for the best clarity- moreso than my Olympus 35mm camera. Pictures and video are very easy to download to the PC, too. All needed software and cables included. Another convenient feature about this camcorder is that you can take a still photo right in the middle of a video recording, and it transfers over to the memory card. Batteries are alittle high from JCV ($$$$) for 90min- 2 1/2 hour), but you can find them brand new on ... for as little as $$$. I bought 2 there and they work great. The Canon 45 has the most optical zoom (17x compared to this one's 10x), but otherwise it has far less than this one, including about 1/2 a megapixel versus JVC's Mega pixel. This camera has the most features for the money compared to others of this caliber, even Sony.

This camcorder has passed my test, very successfully. I give it very high marks and is well worth the price! I brought it for my Philppine vacation and...boy, did I make the best of it! pI played around with all the feautes, ended up using what suited me best, e.g., widescreen format (awesome), night owl (so,so, need to keep camera still), framed photo capturing, fade to black inbetween shots (great feature-makes your shots seem professionally filmed), and wind reduction, are along the others I learned to use and have adapted. Being able to switch from video mode to memory mode (for taking digital stills) has never been easier. It takes a few seconds to adjust but its quick enough. What I would do is capture some events in video and wish to also capture it in digital stills so that I can develop it. Just a small switch allows me to do this.pThe functions/features may seem complicated at first, but like anything else, you got to "grind" the info at hand and get use to it. Hey, its the only camcorder on my trip, so I had to make the best of it! The only disadvantages it has that I found, but easily tolerated, is the image focusing. The camcorder sometimes has trouble auto-focusing when it can't seem to find its target or focal point. Its also hard to take sharp dark video and image shots when the "Night Owl" is set. Its required that you keep the camcorder still as best possible, or else it will come out blurry. As you'll find out, its hard to keep a camera very still! But in the brightest of days, especially found in the Philippines, the outcome of pictures and video, is impressively sharp. Outstanding, digital quality video!pOverall, the advantages very much outweigh the disadvantages unanimously! Its very stylish, would just place it in my pocket and ready to shoot whenever. Its got a full load of features that are very much necessary and impressive, allowing a professional outcome. Most important of all, the camcorder produces great quality digital video!! Can't say much about the digital 1.02 Mpx, but its good enough for a camcorder. The emphasis of this review is pretty much its digital quality video, it is quite impressive!pI've personlly returned to this site to make this review because I feel that I owe it to other fellow customers of how much I appreciated this camcorder. I do own one and will not return it, unless in need of repair, of course.

After a week of heavy use while travelling in difficult lighting conditions and varied temps (0 - 40 deg C), indoors and out, shooting action, I still love this camera. Great pictures with honest color and no jaggies, fast reaction to subject moving in and out of shadow/sunlight, good sound, and easy to use even with gloves on. Battery life is short from monitor but recharges fast/easily with inverter in car and changes fast on fly. Spares are lightweight and fit handily in tiny belt-sized camera bag, so I still vote for convenience factor (I carried 2 spares). Downloads to hard-drive a snap. Menus easy to work and intuitive, and the blank search feature a plus to prevent broken timecode. Major improvements from previous top-of-line Sony. Purse-size will make it a constant companion, so no photo-ops missed. Highly recommended.

In looking out for camcorders, often the first to come to mind is Sony and Canon. I have looked at those products and they are good. I decided on JVC because comparatively I found JVC video capture to be better, slightly cheaper(considering features) and the promotion offer (incl Pinnacle Studio DV). It is also chocked full of features.JVC was also easier to hold compare with similar Sony Video camera. It has a longer vertical body and allows one to grip it better. This JVC camcorder is *fantastic*. The pluses:1. Light package2. Full of features (mine came with Pinnacle System DV. Great video capture and edit system. Got mine up and running very quicky)3. Easy to use4. Able to take shots in the dark in *color* unlike green with Sony (note that the side effect is that video has strobe effect and hence should be used for snapshots only)5. Has infra red full feature remote control6. Ability to do quite a bit of video editing on the camcorder.7. Great digital stills snapshots8. Good and brillant colorThe minuses:1. Build seems delicate - probably due to the very light body shell and size. 2. Unable to take full motion video in dark. Its meant to take color stills in the dark.In summary, I would highly recommend this camcorder.

This camera is great while recording in bright light scence. The video quality is amazing. When I play it on my Sony WEGA TV, the color blue, green and red is so vivid. It looks just like DVD at all!! I am really satisfied about this. But unfortually when you use it in a low light condition, indeed, like previous reviews said, the color just washed out, the forcus can't stop changing. I really don't get it why a bright len like this (F1.8) has such poor performance in low light.br There are several more constraints I want to mention. The email (mpeg4) quality is really .... Even in a bright daylight outdoor condition, the email clip looks almost black and white. It's totally unacceptable. Further more, if you want to use its still image funtion. You had better buy another one. The still image quality is so poor. It looks like the camcorder just capture it from its video mode. I hope that you can understand what I said. I believe it just a function to "simulate" the digital still camera. I guess this is why its shutter speed is only available in 1/250, 1/60, 1/30. I am so glad that I didn't buy another bigger memory card, because I will never use it from now on. Turely, the still image function is really nothing but junk at all. As for battery, 700 mah is just not enough, you can use it to record around 40 mins with LCD on. Another backup battery is necessary or you can buy the car charger. It will take about half hour to fully recharge it. Or you can buy the 1400mah one but it's too expensive. (Other third party battery is much cheaper but poor quality)br Conclusion:br Best "video" camcorder I have ever seen. Execellent video quality in bright light. It is so small, campact and light weight. I can even put it in my canon powershot s30 digital camera carrying case. If you don't plan to use it as digital still camera, then go for it. Definitely worth it. Right now I am quite happy with the combination with JVC DVP7U and Canon S30. I can get great video and photo picture from them

This is one of the best mini-dv camcorders available today. I liked the MPEG-4 email clips that it can do at a press of a button. Send full motion video through the internet without the megabytes. Video quality is very clear although it is very much light dependent. Still pictures can be better but for a camcorder this size, it is very very good. I would still recommend a digital still camera for serious still pictures. Overall I am very happy with the camera and will recommend it to anyone looking for a small digital camcorder!

Having put two years and about 50 hours on the camera, I must say it has done remarkably well. The zoom got a mind of its own about 8 hours ago (zoom-ins do not stay they, they zoom back out slowly and automatically). It has held up well otherwise. Interface with Mac OS9's FINAL CUT PRO was flawless. With Mac OSX (10.3.9) and I-Movie, not as responsive.
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br /This is my third JVC camcorder and they've all done really well, considering I use the camera about three times as much as a "frequent" user would. It's size is nice for carrying in the same bag as a still camera (i.e. Canon S50) as the stills really suck on this camera, you gotta have a real camera with you at all times.
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br /I also recommend ALWAYS using a tape media instead of CD/DVD formats! Tapes are not light reactive (before and after usage) and can recover from high heat exposure better. They are also MUCH cheaper per minute.