JVC Everio GZHD7 3CCD 60GB Hard Disk Drive High Definition Camcorder with 10x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)If you are more than a casual video user or if you have bought a video camera more than twice in the last 10 years I would say that you probably need a high end HD camera to satisfy you. For me, someone who has only owned 1 other video camera in the last 10 years I find this camera to be amazing. I do not shoot professionally and if i did there are many great HD solutions in the 3-6 grand range. Since this is not my business and I do not have money to burn this was the camera that satisfied all my needs. Those needs were: no tapes, large hard drive, HD quality or something far, far better than my old mini DV camera. I also needed to be able to archive the files on my mac which is a dual 800mhz G4 and possibly edit on the mac in imovie. This camera does all of that, and quite easily I might add.

I had no problems installing the codec that came with the camera for quicktime. Once I opened a clip in quicktime it did not play properly, however once I imported it into imovie it worked fine. I edited simple edits, added new audio and was satisfied for what I need. After all, all I will be doing with this is shooting the wife and kids.

JVC recommends A 1.25 Gigahertz G4 or higher, so do not complain about the camera not working smoothly on your mac unless you meet those requirements. They are stated on the GZHD7 box. I suggest the newest mac with 2 gigs of ram at least. In my experience, more RAM makes all the difference in the world. Eventually I plan to get a new mac to be able to handle the footage.

I have a 1080i sony plasma TV. The picture looked great. There was some banding of subtle gradients I shot. It was acceptable to me. Also the banding was not apparent on my mac in imovie. I think because my TV is already 2 years old it is not up to the same standards as the GZHD7 camera and my mac. Bottom line is the camera was producing better images on my mac than on my TV. Now all this is nonsense because I will be using this to mostly shoot video of my family and friends for recreational use. Compared to what my dad shot of us when we were kids and then the sandy grainy video we used in the 90s this camera is AMAZING. The quality is good enough for me and I would also add that any film student on a zero budget could easily get by with this. Like I said earlier, if you have the means and require perfect HD video, spend the few extra grand and go for the gold.

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Product Description:

The JVC Everio GZ-HD7 is a hard-drive based high definition camcorder with a variety of unique features destined to the wet the palette of professionals and enthusiasts alike. The 60GB internal hard drive is capable of recording up to 420 minutes of standard definition footage, as well as being able to shoot up to 1080i.

Equipped with a plethora of controls, the GZ-HD7 performs much like a compact prosumer camera while still being incredibly affordable. The most notable feature on the camera is its ability to shoot ultra-high bandwidth MPEG-2 video for increased quality over traditional HDV.FEATURES

30 Mbps Recording
HDV's variant of MPEG-2 compression has a bit rate of 25 Mbps. The GZ-HD7 records in the same widely popular MPEG-2 format but the similarities end there. The camera increases the video's overall bandwidth to 30 Mbps, which results in less compression and higher image quality.

GigaBrid Engine Advantage
The provided 1/5" CCDs are ideal for both low light and high definition applications. The camera's sophisticated pixel-shifting technology adds fidelity while maintaining higher sensitivity found when using less dense sensors.

60 GB Internal Drive
The 60 GB drive provides extended record times in both standard and high definition formats. Record a staggering 420 minutes of standard definition footage without having to change a tape or pop in a new DVD; simply hit record and you're in business!

Professional-Grade Controls
What truly distances the GZ-HD7 from its competition is the professional feeling of its controls. The camera is designed to give users a maximum amount of manual control without being overly intimidating. Whether it's the manual focus ring of convenient shoe mount, the GZ-HD7 will perform like

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