10 Camcorder Roundup : JVC Everio GZ-MS100
6. JVC Everio GZ-MS100
Straight to YouTube
The outside of the GZ-MS100 is covered in stickers proclaiming one of its main new features--the ability to upload video clips straight onto YouTube.
For this to work, though, you first need to install the Cybrerlink software, which only works with Windows, and configure it with the details of your account.
Once you plug in the camera, it looks for clips shorter than ten minutes long and automatically uploads them to YouTube.
With the Everio GZ-MS100, JVC has a simple, entry-level camcorder, that records directly onto flash memory.
The target audience is users who want to shoot short clips quickly and upload them to sites like YouTube to share with their friends.
Handling
The GZ-MS100 is a small, pocket-size camcorder, even though it isn't as tiny as the Panasonic SW20.
At times it feels a little too lightweight, but it's certainly portable, and the interface is kept very simple. A single scroll wheel is joined by two buttons: one to start and stop video recording, and one to take still photos.
To access the other commands, you first need to flip open the LCD display, which is controlled using a new 'Laser Touch' interface, a vertical bar that you slide your finger up and down, a little like the scroll wheel on an iPod. Unfortunately, though, you can't 'click' by tapping on the bar, but instead have to use a separate OK button.
The most popular feature of the interface is likely to be the One Touch mode, which allows you to record a video that's ready for immediate export to DVD or YouTube, but there's also a range of manual settings that you can program, too.
The screen itself is very bright, but with only 112 000 pixels, it struggle to capture all the detail in complex scenes.
In terms of timing, you'll need to wait around four seconds to switch it on, which is perfectly acceptable for a camcorder that's there to capture key moments, after which you'll enjoy a battery life of up to two hours.
Unfortunately, the autofocus can be a little hesitant, especially in low light or when zooming in and out, but the fact that you can zoom during recording at all gives the GZ-MS100 a solid advantage of the majority of compact digital cameras, most of which can also record video but not with zoom.
You can enlarge the image up to 35x using the optical zoom, but the digital image stabilization isn't always up to the job so you might struggle to make the most of all of this power.
Video Quality
A small 1/6'' sensor wouldn't be expected to produce astonishing results, but our test videos were just about presentable.
The automatic features work well, but the 800,000 pixels offered by the sensor can't capture much detail. Some shades seem a little too saturated but are generally satisfactory.
In low light, there's a lot of noise on each frame which really affects image quality. Photo mode is just as disappointing and produced some very mediocre shots.
These days, it's perfectly reasonable to compare high-end digital compact cameras--a handful of which can now film in HD.
| JVC Everio GZ-MS100 | |
|---|---|
| Pluses | Minuses |
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The JCC GZ-MS100 is a pretty average camcorder that shows a lot of room for improvement, but don't even think about using it for still shots. Plenty of digital compact cameras offer better quality images and more functionality.
- JVC Everio GZ-MS100 SD...
It's a troubling trend that nearly all consumer/prosumer camcorders are ditching the EVF in favor of the LCD, which is useless outdoors. I really liked the Canons, given their feature set and quality, but the lack of EVF was killer (the only model with EVF was the HG21, and that was impossible to find), and so I got a Sony SR12 instead. Great features are useless if you can't see what you're filming, unless you're doing all your work indoors.
I am only part way through the article, but I have to say that comparing the Vado (about $100) with even the Canon DC210 (about $400) just doesn't wash. If you had at least mentioned the price disparity, it might have been acceptable, but the Vado isn't aimed at the same market. Plus, the VADO HD is available, yet the article says, "but we're still waiting for the HD version of the Vado."
For me, this weakens the journalism and therefore weakens the reviews in general. It makes me wonder, did you really do due diligence in the review. Maybe your article lead time is too long, but that's where an editor can add notes, like, The Vado HD was released just after this review was completed.
Just my two cents worth.
I'll stick with my Canon HG10, EVF , 40GB HD, hotshoe, Mic input, perfect HD image....None of these compare.
At first I thought this was an old article that had slipt through RSS a second time, but no it was recent.
The reason is because I would not know for any reason to still review the Panasonic HDC-SD1. It's multiple generations old and you might be hard pressed to even find it. The four generations younger HDC-SD9 would be a lot better candidate even if it is not the latest generation, but it is still a reference with regards to value for money.
I haven't red it entirely, buy giving a '+' for a microphone (7.Panasonic HDC-SD1) is (imho) a joke. You can give a minus for no-audio recording, but giving a plus for a microphone is just too much!
2) You give a minus to Sony HDR-UX3 for lacking Image Stabilisation, and how about Sony HDR-SR11E - does it have IS or doesn't? JVC GZ-HD40 for example got a minus for medicore IS ...
I'd rewrite this article ... to some exent ..
I like digital camcorder very much , this unit looks very nice , how much it is?
Panasonic HDC-SD1 is too old. There were SD5, SD9, and now SD100. The last one is a way better than SD9. So, what is the need to review HDC-SD1?