JVC Everio GZ-MS100 Camcorder Reviewby Michael PerlmanPublished on May 27, 2008 2:07 PM
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Picture & Manual Control
Automatic Control (4.0)
The JVC Everio GZ-MS100 is an entry-level camcorder, small and inexpensive, and therefore will likely be used in Auto mode more than anything else. The truth is, even most expensive camcorders are limited to point-and-shoot Auto mode shooting as well. So it's crucial that a camcorder perform well without user interface.
In practice, we found the GZ-MS100 to be only moderately proficient. The autofocus is good, though you'll need to be careful not to use the powerful 35x zoom on objects that are too close, as no camcorder can keep that in focus. The auto exposure is more than adequate for most shooting situations. For a tighter control over how the camcorder automatically exposes, the camcorder allows you to choose between Whole Screen and Spot metering. As the name implies, the Whole Screen option looks at the entire shot and automatically corrects for exposure as best it can. The Spot metering creates a small red target in the center of the screen. Whatever appears in the center of this target becomes the point of metering. You can also move that target horizontally left or right, but not up and down.
The auto white balance is not good at all. Typically, the shots are too warm. It looks alright when you're outdoors, but indoor shooting is problematic. Colors in fluorescent lighting look terrible. None of the presets look very good, either.
You'll also find an array of Program AE modes (sometimes called "Scene modes" on other camcorders). Options include Night, Twilight, Portrait, Sports, Snow, and Spotlight.
JVC GZ-MS100 Program AE modes
Overall Manual Control (4.25)
The JVC GZ-MS100 is a decent choice for budget-minded consumers that still want some level of control over image quality. However, we're sorry to report that the new control system - the Laser Touch operation - leaves a lot to be desired. First off, all the controls are "virtual," merely touch-sensitive areas that offer no tactile feedback. It sounds like it could work (it works for Sony touch screens, for the most part) but they just don't feel that good. The layout and operation is frustrating. You have to press too hard and hold too long for the camcorder to recognize your command. You have to scroll in one area and confirm your selection in another area. But to activate the menu, you have to hit a third area. It would have made much more sense to offer the ability to simply tap once on the scroll area to confirm - and thus the system would have worked like any laptop's touchpad. Girls (or guys) with longer nails will experience their own woes when the touch areas won't respond.
As far as manual controls go, the GZ-MS100 has a decent number of offerings, but accessing them is frustrating for all the reasons listed above. Manual focus, exposure (called "brightness"), shutter speed, white balance, and other controls are discussed in the Automatic Controls section. JVC always offers a competitive selection of controls, comparable with Canon and Panasonic, and better than Sony.
Zoom (6.0)
JVC GZ-MS100 zoom toggle
The JVC GZ-MS100 has a thin, loose toggle switch on top for zooming. It feels cheap, but it works well enough. This is good, because camcorders with a 35x zoom will likely see a lot of zoom action. When zooming, a scale appears on the top portion of the screen, along with the actual numerical value of the zoom power. This is very useful if you need to recreate a shot later. It's possible to get a decent crawl from 1x to 3x only. After that, the zoom starts speeding up.
Zoom Power Ratio (35.0)
The JVC GZ-MS100 has an optical zoom of 35x, which is among the most powerful of the year. As far as "YouTube camcorders" go, this is by far the best. The Sony Net Sharing Cam has a 4x optical zoom, and the Flip only has digital zoom. What's even better, the digital image stabilization system on the MS100 actually seems to work well, as long as your hands are stabilized.
The GZ-MS100 also offers a digital zoom, of course, which can be set to 70x or 800x. We always recommend you leave this turned off, as it has a negative effect on image quality. Also, do you really need digital zoom with a 35x optical zoom?
Focus (3.0)
A manual focus option is offered, but it's not easy to use. To engage, enter the menu, then go to the Manual Settings submenu. When activated, two small icons appear on the LCD, roughly a man and a mountain. To actually shift the focus, you'll need to use the Laser Touch operation. It feels imprecise and unreliable for quick adjustments. It's better to either set up your focus before you hit record or let auto focus do its job.
Exposure & Aperture (5.5)
The GZ-MS100 does not offer direct control over the aperture, which might limit its appeal to advanced users. Canon offers Aperture Priority modes on most of its camcorders, and Panasonic offers fully independent aperture and shutter speed. Sony offers no such control.
JVC's offering in this area is a tool called "Brightness," which is just another name for exposure compensation. When activated, a scale appears on the left side of the LCD. The scale has a range of +6 to -6. Using the Laser Touch strip, going up makes it brighter and going down makes it darker. Any changes you make are relative to what the automatic exposure has already made, meaning this is not an absolute scale. As far as access is concerned, the Laser Touch is better for adjusting Brightness than it is in something like Focus, which requires a finer touch.
JVC GZ-MS100 Brightness control
Shutter Speed (6.15)
The G-ZMS100 offers shutter speed control, located in the Manual Control submenu along with most of the other controls. The range is quite good: 1/2, 1/4, 1/8, 1/15, 1/60, 1/100, 1/250, 1/500, 1/1000, 1/2000, and 1/4000. Panasonic and Canon offer a similar range. Sony does not offer manual shutter speed on most of its consumer camcorders. Like the Brightness control, the Laser Touch operation works decently here, although the very path of getting to the shutter speed control - the button sequence that we complained about in the Overall Manual Control section above - is still frustrating.
White Balance (4.75)
The GZ-MS100 offers a Manual (evaluative) white balance setting, as well as presets for Fine, Cloud, and Halogen. This is a sad collection of presets, especially if you plan on doing a lot of indoor shooting. There are no settings for incandescent or fluorescent lighting, which accounts for a lot of the typical shooter's experience. Making a manual white balance is straightforward. Simply scroll to the "MWB" option, then push and hold the OK button. The MWB text blinks on and off for a moment, and you should notice the colors adjust. Learning and getting comfortable with this process is important, because the auto white balance system is not very good.
JVC GZ-MS100 White Balance
Gain (1.0)
There is no manual gain on the JVC Everio GZ-MS100, nor on any JVC consumer camcorder. Panasonic is the only manufacturer to offer manual gain in this price range. However, JVC is unique in offering the ability to turn the auto gain control (AGC) on and off. The factory default is to leave the control, and we strongly recommend leaving it that way.
Other Manual Controls (2.0)
Backlight compensation - This feature compensates for a subject that is too strongly backlit by boosting the overall compensation. It can prove useful in some circumstances, but if you have the option, just tell your subject to kindly take a step to the left.
Tele Macro - The Tele Macro is meant to help with focusing on small objects. We saw no particular benefit from this function.
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