JVC GZ-MG670 is a new midrange digital camcorder recording video in standard definition and with a bunch of manual controls for semi-professionals.
JVC GZ-MG670 pros:
+ Very good video recording capability
+ Good battery life
+ Built-in 80 Gb hard disc
+ Worth to buy and use
+ Very portable
+ No media required for recording
JVC GZ-MG670 cons:
- Poor still features
- Inconvenient manual focus
Introduction:
The JVC GZ-MG670 is a very solid performer in almost all respects: it has one of the best color reproduction systems in this range of consumer camcorders, built-in 80 GB HDD, plenty of manual controls which are extremely easy to master even for amateurs and what is the most important: very good video recording performance.
The design:
JVC GZ-MG670 is a very compact. It measures only 2.13 in. x 4.5 in. x 2.69 in. and weighs 0.68 lb. and thus extremely pocketable camcorder. It is made of black, high quality plastic. On the front of JVC GZ-MG670 you will find the lens and built-in stereo microphone. On the right side of the camcorder you can see the USB port, AV output and the flimsy hand strap. At the back there is the DC power port along with the record start/stop button and the battery pack. The left side of JVC GZ-MG670 houses the 2.7-inch LCD screen and an HDD access indicator light together with Power/charge indicator light. At the top of the camcorder you will see the smallish Zoom control toggle and the still photo shutter button. The bottom of JVC GZ-MG670 features the microSD card slot, tripod mount and the battery release button.
Performance:
The JVC GZ-MG670 records video using the MPEG-2 codec and you can choose from four different quality options: Ultra Fine (8.5 Mbps), Fine (5.5 Mbps), Normal (4.2 Mbps) and Economy. The highest resolution that you can record at is 720 x 480, so in the Super Fine quality you can record quite long movies onto the built-in 80 Gb hard disc. However, if that should be not enough for you there is always the option of expanding the available memory thanks to the microSD memory card slot. The JVC GZ-MG670 has a 35x optical zoom, 40x dynamic zoom and up to 800x digital zoom which makes it easy to record even the most remote subjects.
The battery life of JVC GZ-MG670 is quite good and reaches over two hours which considering its 2.7 LCD display is a really good result. One of the biggest disadvantages on the JVC GZ-MG670 camcorder is the inconvenient manual focus which is so annoying that i can only recommend using the auto focus at all times.
Video recording quality:
As I mentioned in the introduction, the JVC GZ-MG670 is a standard definition camcorder which might be a quite sensible idea since the high definition is something you can do without and the high-definition camcorders are a lot more pricy. The overall performance of JVC GZ-MG670 is more than satisfactory as the color reproduction is very good, noise levels are kept under control and the JVC GZ-MG670 offers very good motion control. Also both the low light sensitivity and the video resolution are more than satisfactory of a standard definition camcorder. The JVC camcorder produces vibrant colors also in low lighting conditions at the same time keeping acceptable noise levels.
Still features:
Just like with the very good video recording features the JVC GZ-MG670 does a quite decent job with the still features, but as it can take photos with the maximum resolution of 832 x 624 it is hardly usable. Even the majority of the latest mobile phones can take photos in higher resolution making JVC GZ-MG670 not the best photographic tool.
Menus / ease of use:
The JVC GZ-MG670 is a very easy camcorder to use so even amateurs who have not had any experience with such devices so far should have no trouble using this camcorder. The menu structure is straightforward so after just a few minutes with the camcorder you will be ready to shoot your videos and achieve great results.
Selected JVC GZ-MG670 features and specifications:
Recording Format
HDD
HDD Size 80 GB
Memory Still Resolution 0.31 Megapixels
Optical Zoom
35x
Weight 0.68 lb.
CCD
Sensor Quantity
1
Sensor Size 1/6″
Number of Pixels
800K pixels
Image Sensor Type CCD
LCD / Viewfinder
Display Type
With LCD Panel
LCD Panel Size
2.7 in.
Lens
Optical Zoom
35x
Digital Zoom
800x
Filter Diameter 30.5 mm
Audio
Audio Format
5.1 Surround Sound
Memory Photography
Memory Card Type
MicroSD • Built-In Memory • SDHC Card
Digital Still Shot Mode
With Still Shot Capability
Memory Still Resolution 0.31 Megapixels
Max Still Image Siz
640 x 480
MPEG Movie Mode
With MPEG Movie Mode
Interfaces
Output Interfaces Composite (Video) • Audio (RCA) • USB • HDMI
Input Interfaces Composite (Video) • Audio (RCA)
Other recently reviewed camcorders:
Samsung HMX-H105, Canon DC330, Panasonic SDR-H60, Sony HDR-CX12, Canon Vixia HF11, Samsung SC-HMX20.