JVC Everio Camcorder

November 2005

multipage

Other than the vast amount of recording time, the hard disc makes in-camera editing possible as well. Scenes are available as thumbnails which you can rearrange into playlists or delete from the camera.

Now, to get the video off the camera, you need to either plug it into a PC via a USB cable or jack it to a VCR or DVD recorder via an analog cable. It doesn't feature a Firewire output to connect directly to a component DVD recorder, which is unfortunate as that would make dubbing so much easier. When plugged into a PC (it's also Mac compatible) the Everio registers as an additional drive full of your video files. I used the included CyberLink software to pull together some clips and burn a DVD. The software let me select a thumbnail image for the DVD's menu page and add MP3 clips as background music. If you have any experience with video software, you won't have a problem with this program.

Overall, the Everio is an easy camera to use. Its size makes it perfect for light-packing tourists and the hard drive format is very convenient. I thought the picture was a little noisy compared to some DV cams I've used, but if that's a worry for you then look into the MG40 or MG50 models which record at higher resolutions.

JVC Everio GZ-MG30 Camcorder

$900

30 GB hard drive

Up to 10.5 hours of video

Records in MPEG2 (DVD) format

650K CCD

640X480 still image capture

Easy Scene search

Drop detection

SD card slot

25x optical zoom

Built-in light

www.jvc.com