Smallest video camera (JVC GR-DVX9)

Member Name: robert_p

Product:	JVC GR-DVX9
Date:	18/05/02 (1683 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Small & Light, Good quality video, Firewire link

Disadvantages: Cannot record back to camera on Firewire, No lens cap!

OK, the title may not be that snappy, but that is what this camcorder once was!

I had intended to buy the replacement model, but the shop had sold out and only had this model in stock.

The knowledgable salesman proved that it had the same specification as the replacement model, but was slightly larger and had no lens cap.

I really wanted the newer model.....until he said that I could have it for £700!

The later model retailed at more than £1000, so I decided that the saving of more than £300 would buy a pretty good case, a few tapes and a few drinks on our honeymoon!

I won't bore you with details, you can read about that on their Web site. What I will say is that we used the camera at our wedding, on our honeymoon and on many occasions since.

The picture quality is great, sound quality also (especially in 12-bit mode). The 'Progressive Scan' option let me take some very nice video clips which converted to good quality stills. The CCD is 800,000 Pixels, so that digital still images (which are saved to a SmartMedia card) are not of the same quality that a decent Digital Camera could take, but for 800x600 images, it's fine.

The flash could do with being abit more powerful, however that probably aids battery life, which managed to get most of our wedding ceremony (I'm talking a Catholic ceremony here...no shotgun wedding!).

The base unit has a multitude of interface options. The serial connector is very slow....eventually I bought a Firewire card for the PC and this tranforms the use of the camera! Talk about speedy...you can watch your video's on the PC and transfer still images faster than you blink.

The unit is light enough that my wife (and I!) could use it without getting arm ache at any time, however the lens did get the occansional fingerprint on it.

Summing up, this was a cracking buy that is more suited to daytime video/stills than nighttime video o
r still shots.

Summary: