JVC GRDVL720U MiniDV Digital Camcorder with 3.5" LCD and 8MB SD Memory Card

by JVC

Product Details

Product Manual [2.99mb PDF]

• Shipping Weight: 4 pounds
• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B00005YWDU
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #31,477 in Camera & Photo (See Top 100 in Camera & Photo)
• Discontinued by manufacturer: Yes
• Date first available at Amazon.com: September 4, 1973

Product Description

Amazon.com Product Description

The GR-DVL720U provides plenty of features for the video hobbyist, including a 10x optical zoom, digital image stabilization, and IEEE 1394 compatible outputs. Plus, you get a digital still mode that records 1,024 x 768 images onto an included 8 MB MultiMediaCard.

Lens
Breaking the mold that most other digital camcorders fall in, the GR-DVL720U has a very bright f1.8 lens, which should help with a dilemma common to many digital camcorders: poor low-light performance. While not useful at the highest levels, the optical zoom is augmented by a 700x digital zoom, which can supply that little bit extra you might need in some circumstances. Paired with the zoom is a digital image stabilizer, which will help eliminate much of the shakiness associated with high zoom levels.

Shooting Functions
The GR-DVL720U provides some camera functions, which can be quite useful if you spend the time to learn to use them. The camera gives you manual control over focus, exposure, and white balance, all of which affect the way your image is recorded. The manual focus and white-balance modes are perhaps the most exciting, as you can use them to create depth-of-field effects, and the white balance will allow you to light a room without investing in expensive lighting gear. In addition, JVC added in a number of digital wipes and fades, as well as a black fader.

Output Options
If you want to play your footage on television, the 720U provides two connection methods: S-video and standard RCA-style AV connectors. S-video provides the better video resolution, but you'll still need to use the AV cable for audio, as S-video doesn't carry an audio signal. If your object is to edit your movies on a computer, the camera also comes equipped with an IEEE 1394 compliant port for shuttling video back and forth. It's a four-pin connector, and most computers with IEEE 1394 ports have six-pin connectors, so make sure you pick up the correct cable (JVC doesn't provide one).

Digital Still Mode
Like many digital camcorders, the GR-DVL720U provides a digital still mode, and stores the resulting images onto an included 8 MB MultiMediaCard. You can also use SD cards. The images aren't very high resolution and are generally good only for posting on the Web, or e-mailing to friends. To get the photos to your computer, the 720U utilizes a built-in USB port, and comes with the cable and software to accomplish the transfer.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars What a deal!!, January 18, 2003

By 

Martin Hengst (Newhall, CA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: JVC GRDVL720U MiniDV Digital Camcorder with 3.5" LCD and 8MB SD Memory Card (Electronics)

I got this Camcorder on a Goldbox deal and after all was said and done it was hundreds less than any other store! The camcorder is great I had to purchase a firewire adapter for my computer but it was worth the additional investment. I upgraded to Windows XP Plus! digital edition and found video editing was simple and the camcorder was completely compatible. The battery that it comes with does not last very long (about an hour without the light on). I invested ...and purchased a longer life battery. The still photo function was easy to use but the quality was less that 1 megapixel. Overall a great camcorder!!!

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Easy to Use, Compact, and Good Quality, December 25, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: JVC GRDVL720U MiniDV Digital Camcorder with 3.5" LCD and 8MB SD Memory Card (Electronics)

This camera is one of the easist to use out there...allowing me to get the perfect picture at a moments notice. The features are perfect...just what is neccesary, but not overwhelming. I like the still shot option, which I use a lot more than I thought I would. Video quality is clear and crisp, however, the color is not quite as bright compared to some other models.

Overall, this camera is an excellent value for the price. I weould recommend it for getting all those wonderful personal memories on film.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Great Camcorder, bad night vision, September 15, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: JVC GRDVL720U MiniDV Digital Camcorder with 3.5" LCD and 8MB SD Memory Card (Electronics)

I've had this camcorder for a two years now. Gotta say that it works very well. It has good focus even when you're at max zoom, but when you're zoomed in that much, you need to put the camcorder on a tripod, otherwise the recording will be very shaky.

The one feature that I don't like about the camcorder is the Night Alive technology for shooting during nightime. You get a golden/yellow picture and things get really blurry as the target moves. It's really annoying and I NEVER use it. So if you're looking for a camcorder that will give you great night time recording, don't get this one. Get something with an infrared emitter, it will let you shoot good video even with NO light present.