MiniDV : making bedroom productions possible.. (JVC GR-DVL367)

Member Name: JavaSkunk

Product:	JVC GR-DVL367
Date:	12/07/03 (233 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: good quality picture, decent audio from in built mic, good value for money

Disadvantages: no ext.mic inputs, bottom loading hinders tripod use, not quite as good as a 3CCD

[ Camera in review is the 357, identical in most ways to the 367 but not listed here ]

The new range of MiniDV cameras that are available on the market are allowing home users to not just make home footage that will please the family, but also productions that challenge those that would've cost thousands to make only a few years ago.

The digital transition allows the user to hook the camera up to a normal home PC via firewire (a very fast digital connection) and edit all the footage on a number of packages, making the output a lot more professional than what was originally shot.

But what about the camera itself? Whilst not being a "professional" level 3CCD cam, the opitcs from the 800,000px lens are still colourful, vibrant and accurate enough to give the user the feeling that what they think they've filmed IS what is going on to tape. Altho the side of the camera proudly boasts 300x Digital Zoom, anyone with sense will automatically ignore this, as optical is the ONLY way to go, being incredible hard to keep any camera still (without tripod) at the full length of 10x. The two main record modes on the camera allow you to change between a fully automatic mode, and a manual mode. Even from day one of owning the camera, I've been comfortable on manual, even tho this is the first time i've owned a camcorder of any sort! JVC's menus and controls (done via a rotating dial at the top of the camera) are easily understood and navigated, and setting up effects and fades is simple, and diagrams help you understand what you're doing.

The camera allows shooting in three modes : 4x3 (standard fullscreen) 4x3 letterboxed (same with black bars to allow a cinema feel) and a squeeze mode (a 'real' 16x9 widescreen) its been written elsewhere that true 16x9 on consumer cameras is not the real deal it pretends to be, but with the moments i've used it, the quality seemed good enough to me. I mainly concentr
ate on filming in pure 4x3 then editing my footage later on to how I feel like it.

A criticism others have had over this camera is its sound quality, but after filming in front of a 10,000watt amplifier rig, and then hearing the bass perfectly reproduced on my TV setup without any distortion.. I can only praise this little cam for having such great sound surpressants. A problem tho, is a lack of any sort of Ext. mic addon, which would've been welcome.

Another strong point is the lamp below the camera. Whilst it helps drain the battery (standard battery lasts approx 1hour with LCD on, 2hours with LCD off) considerably, its perfect at lighting nearby objects even in low lighting. And if you have very little movements, the light amplification offered by the night vision is very different to sony's infrared "green screen" look we've all see before, and offers a high quality colourful reproduction, even if this is ruined by any fast motion.

Other features include DV IN (essential for editing purposes, and not always features on every camera) and a snapshot mode. Its not going to replace a digital camera, but having a separate memory card for simple shots can be very useful indeed.

Overall, the camera is great for those who wish to get started in DV, but who can't quite afford a 3CCD model (generally £1500 and higher). The quality is excellent outside, and can be tweaked manually when indoors to look a lot better than you'd imagine. Bottom loading cameras aren't ideal if you're using a tripod, as you have to remove them each time you wish to replace a tape, but the weight of the camera is comfortable in my hand, and the anti-shake mode strong enough for me to not really mind. Recommended.

Summary: