Customer Reviews

JVC Everio GZ-MG670 80GB HDD Camcorder (Black)

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This is a decent camera for the money. Large HD and easy to use laser-touch controls make using the camera a breeze. BUT--the camera records the video files in a file format called .MOD. This is different from the standard .mwv/.avi/.mov files which are supported by most media players and video editing programs. JVC provides a very sub-par program which allows users to download/manage/edit/convert the files, but because this camera records in this MOD format, users are stuck, forced to use the JVC-provided software. This software is fine for very simple home use--uploading to YouTube or converting to iPod, but if you want to do anymore than that (like use the files in Windows Movie Maker) forget it. They won't work. To get these MOD files into a usable format, there are a few MOD file converters out there, but be prepared to try each to find the one that works for your needs and then shell out additional $ for the software.

My taking the time to discover all this was more of an inconvenience than anything else, but buyers need to be aware of what they are getting with the Everio BEFORE they buy.

The ease of use, and quality for the money CANNOT be disputed..... I have been using this camera for a while now, and all around, it's great.

The software is well rounded and refined, and the features are second to none. I bought this, and have NO regrets whatsoever. Don't be put off because of the movie file extensions, as it is not a problem like the guy in the other review said. If you are not computer literate, then buy the VERY handy dvd burner that is directly compatible with this camera, also made by JVC, which is Everio/hd Share Station Portable DVD Burner, model number CUVD3. Just type that into amazon and search, easy as pie.

overall, a fantastic camcorder, and VERY EASY to use... even I figured it out without the instruction book.

Awesome system, just get it and don't get bogged down in the complications of the other camcorders available....

5 stars, my highest recommendation.

I've had this camera for a about a week now, so far it's exceeded my expectations. Here was few points of criteria for me:
1. Trying to stay around the 300 dollar budget (factoring in the cost of flash cards vs. built in hard drive allowed for a leverage of going over). 80GB = 19 hrs of recording time at the highest level settings, more then enough for vacation, christmas, babies first step and then some! I look at it as a plus, how many people do you know or how many times have you used a tape and re-recorded over some event, accidentally...
2. Good lens, provides good zoom range, plus some sort of stabilization (digital seems to work fine for me), would of preferred optical stabilization though.
3. Low lux, this camcorder, based on the reviews I read, had better then average for standard def video against camcorders at the same price point. Most HD camcorders at this price point performed very poorly.
4. HDMI output, what's not to love about being able to use 1 cable to hook up to the tv?

If you've gotten this far, and done a little research on this camera, then you've read the complaints about movie file format. Well, they work fine in windows 7, plays them fine, right off the camcorder with windows media player, and can be edited by windows movie maker, only issue with it, is that is doesn't read time & date stamps that are associated with each .mod file.


Pros:
small, price, hdmi output, recording time.
Cons:
no mic input, not sold on the laser touch functionality.

I've included a link below for the review site that helped me in my decision.
[...]

This is actually a teen's review. I got this camcorder just over eight months ago and I love it! I'm a hobbyist videoer, so it's wonderful! The battery life is okay(two hours), but I have the biggest one available on order right now.JVC BN-VF823U 2190-mAh Rechargeable Data Battery for JVC MiniDV and Everio Camcorders It's a little pricey, but worth it.
Okay, back to the camcorder. The software is lame. Once you've imported your video into their software you can't use it in any other editing programs. The quality goes way downhill, and it doesn't fill the whole frame. All their software does is edit it and throw it onto a DVD with a VERY simple menu. No titles, no transitions, nothing fun. The only title is on the menu. It also pauses at the end of each video clip, so it doesn't look smooth and polished. Windows Movie Maker works, but as a more serious video hobbyist I use Corel VideoStudio ProX3.Corel VideoStudio Pro X3 JUST MAKE SURE TO IMPORT IT WITH YOUR EDITING SOFTWARE, NOT THE SOFTWARE PROVIDED WITH THE CAMERA!!!!!! Some reviewers say that a drawback is that it records in only .MOD format, but I haven't run into any problems with that. I haven't tried the HDMI output, but it only goes up to 480p. As for the zoom, I never use the Laser Touch zoom, I use the toggle on the top. It has 35x optical zoom, which is VERY nice. (I never use the Dynamic zoom) I like the fact that the lens cover is automatic, and that all you have to do to turn the camcorder on is open the LCD cavity. The Laser Touch is nice. I like it LOTS better than Sony's touch screen. One downside is that the Laser Touch record button makes it seem like you're recording when you're actually not.
The only big stinker (besides the software) on this camcorder is the still photo. They are always grainy. But this is not a digital camera, nor did I buy it for that. A separate digital camera is always better.
In closing, this is a great little camera for recording events, and it's probably the best camcorder you can get without going hd. I use it a lot.
Thanks for reading this review!

Love this camcorder!! Took this on my wedding cruise and the videos are great and the zoom is unbelievable!!! Battery life was very good also, although I did take a spare battery with me but I never used it. It is very easy to use and not hard at all to figure out all of the functions.

We bought the camera to replace our 10-year old Panasonic PV-L50 VHS camcorder. I tested a display model at a local Best Buy and was amazed at the clarity of the pciture when I zoomed to maximum and was able to read clearly a small sign (letters between 1/2-inch and 1-inch high) about 60 feet at the end of the aisle). The display model was the last one available, so I passed on it there, and bought it through Amazon.

The JVC is light and easy to hold. The "record" button is easily accessible without being too close that you can accidentally hit it.

Before buying, I read reviews about JVC cameras and was somewhat concerned about ease of editing film clips. The reviews made it seem a complex process. I'm a novice with digital camcorders, so this was my biggest fear. As it turns out, once I became familiar with Windows Movie Maker, there was nothing to fear. If you're unfamiliar with Windows Movie Maker (it came with my Windows Vista), be prepared to spend an hour or two to get familiar with that program - editing a couple of clips, splicing them together with the storyboard feature, and successfully saving it to a CD or hard drive.

Look at getting the DB Roth deluxe accessory kit for tripods, carrying case, long-lasting battery, and other useful acessories.

The recorder is very small, has good optics, and is easy to use. The total record time is fantastic. The laser menu is also easy to manipulate. The software supplied for downloading to a PC is easy to use and mostly self-explanatory. The negatives thus far are that it has an auto shutoff feature after 5 minutes making the camera useless for recording long-term slow acting events. I have found no way to shut off this "feature". The manual supplied with the recorder is very limited. I have not figured out how to use a PC to directly record a DVD from the recorder. Also, I have not yet found a way to pause the camera while recording and later resume recording using the same file. If recording is stopped, then a new file is begun when it is started again. There is no eyepiece so in bright outdoor light, it is hard to view what is being recorded.

I love this camera. It is easy to use. Download to a disc or computer is simple (I have windows 7). playback on TV is very easy. The only thing I would recommend would be to have an extra charged battery on hand. You get about an hour and a half of charged time. If you can plug your camera in to an outlet to video, even better.
The quality of video is great too.

I was sold this camera at Target as an "HD" video camera. Come to find out that it only upconverts in HD. This didn't bother me as much as the extremely poor quality playback on both HD (through rca cables) and non HD TV's. Since most of my videos are shot indoors, lighting is an issue. The play back was yellowed even in a well lit room. I had a Sony handycam that used a miniDV that looked ten times better, especially indoors. It does have a light, but it is one LED light, which does nothing. For the money, I expected better image quality and light sensors. I spent hours adjusting (or trying) the camera to improve the indoor lighting issue, but no improvement. It gets three stars due to the large hard drive, which is a nice feature. It went back to the store after two days.

We just bought this in preparation for our first child. It seemed like the best option to share high quality videos with our family members with really nice LCD/Plasma TVs with blu ray players, as well as those who just recently bought a DVD player for their tube TV.

We've only had it for one day, but the laser touch controls have been really intuitive, and the options and controls while filming are adequate for home movies. I was concerned about porting the movies to a computer, and then to a DVD, as the software has had some pretty negative comments. However, I was able to take a 10 minute recording, and within 20 minutes, pop a burned DVD into our home DVD player, and watch it using only the software provided. I was really happy with the quality.

As a computer programmer, I can tell they took a lot of shortcuts, and didn't spend the necessary time or money to make the software really user friendly. I was able to navigate through it easily enough, so don't let the software scare you away.

As an alternative, a little research showed that simply changing the movie extension from .mod to .avi or .mpg will allow you to use more quality editing software. If you're not super concerned about video quality (like for online videos, like youtube or google videos) and you really just want to edit or splice things together, I've had luck with Microsoft Movie Maker. Just rename the file to xxx.mpg and then make sure in the tools->options->advanced tab->video properties section, Video format is NTSC, and aspect ratio is 16:9. There are some free .MOD conversion tools out there as well.

The battery that came with it didn't seem to last too long, and additional batteries and chargers are pretty spendy. That may be standard in the camcorder world, so I can't really fault JVC.

Overall, I am very pleased I bought this camcorder. I think it is one of the best standard definition models out there, and the up-conversion to HD gives us the option of showing videos to our friends who refuse to watch anything unless it is in HD.