Camcorder News

The sub-$400 range is the lowest range in which a Caminfo select award is given, and includes, usually, the lowest priced, most-stripped down models available from each manufacturer. There are gray areas, such that camcorders considered for this award span, in price, across approximately a one hundred dollar range with margins usually stretching around twenty dollars over. However, this year, two JVCs models rose to the top with their low light performance, becoming clear leaders in this price category.

That said, camcorders considered for this award were the Sony TRV-260, Sony TRV-460, JVC GR-D33, JVC GR-D72, Canon ZR80, Panasonic PV-GS9, Panasonic PV-GS2, Panasonic PV-GS12, Samsung SCD107, Samsung SCD103, and Samsung SCD303.

At similar prices, these camcorders showed similarities as far as specifications go as well as connect-ability and performance as well, and while one could infer from this that camcorder manufactures were generally uniform and consistent in establishing a technology to price ratio, certain patterns of inconsistency, abnormal trends if you will, emerge. JVC tends to offer camcorders with the same features as many upper priced Canons, Panasonics, and Sonys, at a lower price. Conversely, Samsung offers many products substantially less than the average cost, but with either limited features or extremely poor performance.

All in all, most of the camcorders considered here feature the following. A 1/6 inch CCD with 680K gross pixels, usually with 340K effective pixels; with the exception of the two Digital 8 Sonys, the DCR-TRV460 and DCR-TRV260, which include 460K effective pixels. Most of these camcorders have 2.5 inch LCDs with the SCD107 being a notable exception. Manual controls on these machines usually include Focus, White Balance, Exposure, and Shutter Speed, with Exposure and Shutter speed being limited to presets on some camcorders, such as the Samsungs. The Sony camcorders lack white balance control and shutter speed control; giving you the worse control options of anyone in this price group.

Most of these camcorders feature fake 16:9 modes, that are generally worthless, in that they offer a digitally enhanced 16:9 mode which is of lesser quality than the 4:3 video. Most manual control on these camcorders is generally meant to take a seat behind automatic function. This is mainly because manual controls on these small camcorders are usually either buried into the LCD menu system or operated by hard to use buttons. These camcorders are primarily point and shoot camcorders.

Dividing factors for these camcorders include: subtle differences in manual control, accessible ports, support of Analog-to-digital-pass-through, optical zooms, accessory shoes, still media availability, and still resolution. As always, Low light performance, video performance, and handling prove to major dividing forces among seemingly similar camcorders.

This year, performing extremely well for its price, and continuing JVC’s trend of offering great low light performance for little bank, the JVC GR-D33 wins the Caminfo Select Award for Best Camcorder, Sub-$400.

JVC GR-D33

[pgid=2236284]

Read the Full Review of the JVC GR-D33
Read the Quick Review of the JVC-GRD33
The JVC GR-D33 includes a 1/6 inch CCD with 680K gross pixels, standard in this range. Its glass affords a 16x optical zoom with a 700x digital zoom; its manual controls include focus, exposure, white balance, and a limited amount of shutter speed control. Shutter speed is limited to 1/60 and 1/100, with presets available for particular environments as well. Ports available are an A/V out, Firewire, S-Video out, and a USB port. There is no memory card or SD card port, and unfortunately, there is no microphone input and no accessory shoe.

Handling is decent with a depressible jog dial, but the real selling point here is the surprising low light performance. JVC’s 3D Noise Reduction function was newly introduced into this years lower end JVC models. In our tests, this 3D Noise Reduction worked incredibly well, shuttling the low light performance of the JVC to the front of the pack. The important point here is that it produces better colors with more light and less grain that the competitors in its price range.

JVC GR-D72
[pgid=2236285]

Read the Full Review of the JVC GR-D72
Read the Quick Review of the JVC GR-D72
The JVC GR-D72 is armed with a 1/6 inch CCD with 680K gross pixels, identical to the GR-D72. Additionally, it also includes a similar 16x optical zoom and a 700x digital zoom. Manual controls are identical to the JVC GR-D33 and are operated by a jog dial. Because the camcorder includes an analog input, the GR-D72 has the ability to support A/V dubbing and analog to digital pass-through. Ports include a Firewire port, A/V in/out, S-Video in/out, and USB. There is a SD/MM card which can captures stills at 1024 x 768, which are still drastically inferior to any decent digital camera. The JVC –GR-D72 includes no microphone input, or accessory shoe. The difference between the low light and video performance between the JVC GR-D72 and the JVC GR-D33 is nominal, so when you buy a JVC GR-D72, you’re getting a SD card slot, mediocre still capability, and analog to digital pass through capability, for $40. If this seems worth it, maybe the JVC GR-D72 should have won this reward in your book. In ours, the JVC GR-D33 takes the cookie.

Canon ZR80

Read the Full Review of the Canon ZR80
Read the Quick Review of the Canon ZR80
Like both of the above JVCs, the JVC GR-D72 and the JVC GR-D33, the Canon ZR80 features a 1/6 inch CCD with 680K gross pixels. Also, like many Canon camcorders, it features a larger than normal optical zoom; in this case, 18x. There is a 360x digital zoom. Some minor improvements in manual control enable the user of the ZR80 to manually control the focus, exposure, white balance, and the shutter speed of the camcorder. The shutter speed adjustments run from 1/60 to 1/2000th of a second, a wider range than that of the JVC GR-D33. Like the GR-D33, the ZR80 lacks card media for stills, though stills can be taken to tape. The ZR80 does have an analog input, which allows for analog to digital pass through, which the JVC GR-D33 does not; it also has a cold accessory shoe, but lacks a mic input. The main difference between the JVC GR-D33 and the ZR80 is the horrendous low light performance of the ZR80, and the relatively stellar low light performance of the JVC GR-D33. This poor performance is a trend on Canon’s ZR series, unfortunately.

Panasonic PV-GS9

Read the Full Review of the Panasonic PV-GS9
Read the Quick Review of the Panasonic PV-GS9
Like the JVC GR-D33, the Panasonic PV-GS9 houses a 1/6 inch, 680K pixel gross, CCD. The PV-GS9 beats the GR-D33 for optical zooms with its 20x optical zoom. The main turnoff with the PV-GS9 is not only in poor inclusion of ports and still media, but its grainy images. While in many ways healthy competition to the GR-D33, the PV-GS9’s images in low light were too noisy, with the JVC’s noise reduction technology winning in the straits. The Panasonic PV-GS9 does include an impressive array of manual control, offering manual gain and a better shutter speed function than the two JVC models. It does lack an analog input (say goodbye to analog to digital pass-through), includes no mic input, or accessory shoe.

 

Panasonic PV-GS12
Read the Full Review of the Panasonic PV-GS12
Read the Quick Review of the Panasonic PV-GS12
The Panasonic PV-GS12 is the splitting image of its less-advanced sibling, the PV-GS9. With same imager, zooms, and manual control, the PV-GS12 and PV-GS9 share much. The biggest difference between these two camcorders is the PV-GS12’s inclusion of an SD card slot to capture stills digitally at 640x480, and a USB port to transfer those stills. There are still no analog inputs on the PV-GS12, similar to the JVC GR-D33. There is no microphone input or accessory shoe; though there is a headphone jack.

Read the Full Review of the Samsung SCD103
Read the Quick Review of Samsung SCD103
The Samsung SCD103 represents the lowest of Samsung’s contenders for this award. Samsung camcorders, this year, were notoriously low priced and poor performing. At least, they’re consistent.

This Samsung includes the same 1/6 inch CCD with 680K pixels. Its 18x optical zoom is significant, but not too much higher than the JVCs. The 900x digital zoom looks impressive, but remember, it’s digital, not optical, just pixel enlargement. The SCD103 includes a wealth of manual control, similar to the PV-GS9, but the white balance function as well as the navigation function on the camcorder both perform horribly. Also, the lack of an analog input, prevents both analog to digital pass through as well as A/V dubbing. There is a memory stick to record still media at 640 x 480, a setting worse than the JVC GR-D72. Unlike the JVC GR-D33, the SCD103 does include an external microphone input, but there is no accessory shoe. The main source of this Samsung’s poor score is its horrendously noisy low light performance and equally bad video performance. This camcorder feels cheap.

Samsung SCD303
Read the Full Review of the Samsung SCD303
Read the Quick Review of the Samsung SCD303
The SCD303 is exactly the same, spec-wise, as the above Samsung, the SCD103, except for few minor upgrades. Video and Low light performance remains identical and uniformly horrible, between these two camcorders, sharing the same chip. The SCD303 features a different lens, offering a 20x optical zoom, with the same manual control functions, still media, and ports as the SCD103. It scores slightly higher because of its zoom and its value. It also includes an accessory shoe, with a smaller body design.

Review of Read the Full the Samsung SCD107
Read the Quick Review of the Samsung SCD107
While the Samsung SCD107 adds some amenities to the SCD103/SCD303 design, such as a 3.5 inch LCD, its low light performance is the worse of all, marred by noise, blur, and haze. It’s image in bright light does look better; the 3.5 inch LCD helps with visualization considerably. Otherwise, it is virtually identical to the SCD103. It has the same video light as the SCD103, which the SCD303 does not have.

All in all, these Samsungs may be cheap, but they’re cheap for a reason. Their low light performances pail in comparison to the competition, and other features are minimal.

Read the Full Review of the Sony DCR-TRV260 or Sony DCR-TRV460
Read the Quick Review of the Sony DCR-TRV260 or Sony DCR-TRV460
Sony’s cheapest MiniDV camcorders do not even fall below $400, and, as follows, the only offering Sony has are Digital 8 camcorders. Both camcorders include 1/6 inch CCDs with only 460K gross pixels, as opposed to the JVC GR-D33’s 680K. Both camcorders feature 20x optical zooms, substantially greater than the JVC GR-D33. The lack of anything more than shutter speed presets and the complete lack of white balance, however, makes these Sony’s seem less desirable. Between the two camcorders there is no microphone input or accessory shoe. Over the DCR-TRV260, the DCR-TRV460 has a Memory Stick for recording still photos (640x480), as well as an S-Video input, A/V input, to be coupled with reciprocal outputs. This allows the TRV460 to support analog to digital pass through. Both camcorders showed mediocre video and low light performance, and while these guys are a good value, not only is their format dying, but they are outperformed.

When one takes into consideration the above comparisons, it seems clear that, not only does the JVC GR-D33 excel in low light performance, but it also offers jack and port capability for attaching your camcorder to other devices. Our biggest complaint with the GR-D33 is that it has no microphone input for attaching an external microphone, however, none of the camcorders by the major manufacturers in this price category have an input. Good work JVC!

Sony DCR-TRV260 and Sony DCR-TRV460

Samsung SCD107

Samsung SCD103