JVC Everio GZ-MG670 Camcorder Review

Color & Noise Performance Summary
• Some of the best color accuracy we've seen in a consumer camcorder • Colors are bright and vivid without being oversaturated • Omnipresent noise, but of a very fine grain and without discoloration
	Product Tour	(Page 3 of 17)	Motion & Resolution Performance

Color (13.73)

The JVC GZ-MG670 produced an excellent image in our bright light color testing, producing vivid colors without the aid of additional color controls or settings. Consumer camcorders are often guilty of oversaturation, which can result in poor color accuracy, but the MG670 passed our test with flying colors (pun intended). According to Imatest, the color error was an impressive 2.55 and the saturation level 86.54%. These results are on par with the Canon XL H1A, a high-end prosumer camcorder and are among the best we've seen so far in a consumer camcorder. (More on how we test color.)

Note: CCI is using a new color error formula this year for our new 2009-2010 rubric, so the numbers won't match up with the results from most camcorders we reviewed over the past two years. The new system uses the CIEDE2000 formula, which is the most accurate equation for determining color error, and will be in place on all our reviews as of 2009. The color error for the three comparison models below has been recalculated using the new formula.

Color Accuracy Performance
Color Chart with Error Chart to the right
The JVC GZ-MG670 produced a color error of 2.55 and a saturation level of 86.54% in our bright light color testing.  (The map on the right is a diagram of the color error. The length and direction of each line indicates how the camcorder processed each particular color.)

JVC GZ-MG670 Color
Auto	100% Crop

Since consumer camcorders don't tend to offer a large variety of color modes, we compared the color under automatic settings to three other similar models: last year's JVC GZ-MG330, the Panasonic SDR-H60, and the Sony DCR-SR85. Of the three, last year's JVC fared the best, with a low color error of just 2.35. The Panasonic came in at 5.09, while the Sony's color error was 5.40. These scores are in line with the images as seen by the naked eye (below). The Panasonic has less vivid colors, while the Sony is darker and skewed in the greens and blues.

Note: Since the JVC GZ-MG670 is our first consumer camcorder to be reviewed this year, comparison models have been drawn from 2007 models. In the coming weeks, we will have more 2009 camcorders to compare to the MG670.

JVC GZ-MG670 Color Comparisons
JVC GZ-MG670	JVC GZ-MG330
Panasonic SDR-H60	Sony DCR-SR85

In detailed side-by-side comparisons, you can really see the difference between the JVC models and similar camcorders from Panasonic and Sony. While the newer MG670 results in a darker image, both models from JVC output an impressively clear field of color. The Panasonic and Sony models have splotches of discoloration that mar the color accuracy.

	Close-Up Color Comparisons
	Ideal	JVC GZ-MG670	JVC GZ-MG330	Panasonic SDR-H60	Sony DCR-SR85
Red
	Ideal	JVC GZ-MG670	JVC GZ-MG330	Panasonic SDR-H60	Sony DCR-SR85
Green
	Ideal	JVC GZ-MG670	JVC GZ-MG330	Panasonic SDR-H60	Sony DCR-SR85
Blue
	Ideal	JVC GZ-MG670	JVC GZ-MG330	Panasonic SDR-H60	Sony DCR-SR85
Skin Tone 1			No data available	No data available	No data available
	Ideal	JVC GZ-MG670	JVC GZ-MG330	Panasonic SDR-H60	Sony DCR-SR85
Skin Tone 2			No data available	No data available	No data available

Color Performance Scores

* Scores for these models were recalculated using the new 2009-2010 rubric.

Noise (9.40)

The JVC GZ-MG670 had relatively low noise levels—especially for a standard definition consumer camcorder. Like most consumer camcorders, there are no manual noise reduction settings and no gain controls, so our tests are based exclusively on the products' built-in processing. (More on how we test noise.)

Though we haven't yet run any other camcorders through our new noise tests, we can compare the results to the naked eye. The MG670, which produced a noise level of 0.6375%, has a relatively clear picture that is marred mostly by a sheen of fine noise. Last year's JVC GZ-MG330 seems to have less of the fine noise, but has more disruption in areas of the finest detail. The Panasonic SDR-H60 and Sony DCR-SR85—both models from 2008—have more coarse noise. The Sony, in particular, also has discoloration in the noise, which likely impacted the camcorder's color accuracy.

Noise Comparisons
JVC GZ-MG670 100% Crop	JVC GZ-MG330 100% Crop	Panasonic SDR-H60 100% Crop	Sony DCR-SR85 100% Crop