JVC Everio GZ-MS100 Camcorder Reviewby Michael PerlmanPublished on May 27, 2008 2:07 PM
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Ease of Use (5.0)
For a camcorder that's cheap, highly portable, and simply designed, the GZ-MS100 (Review, Specs, Recent News, ) is not intuitive compared to its competition. Sony's Easy mode is prized by consumers for its autopilot nature - just press the Record Start/Stop button and you're ready to roll. The GZ-MS100 has two distinct Auto and Manual modes, controlled by the Auto/Manual button in the LCD cavity. When Auto mode is selected, the Manual Settings category becomes extinct. All Manual Controls are adjusted automatically, but all other menu options are still available.
Why is this bogus? Well, for one thing, the laser touch panel takes some getting used to. Unlike a joystick, the laser touch panel requires more multitasking skills because of the numerous buttons spread out across the bottom of the LCD panel. JVC's good old LCD joystick may not have been a looker, but it offered a much faster and effective navigation experience. The laser touch panel is sluggish and requires a patient left thumb. We also found the menu options to be scattered about in no particular order. Manual Settings is located at the top, but all administrative settings (Basic Menu) are all the way at the bottom. There's no logical placement of features in this menu - it's a free-for-all. Panasonic's menu structure could have saved JVC's behind here.
The GZ-MS100's SD card media is one of its strengths. SD cards are simple to use - just pop a card in and begin recording. If you have a card reader, you can just throw the SD card in and drag the files to your computer. There's no annoying DVD finalizing or real-time tape rendering. Solid state is on the rise.
Handling (3.75)
In hand, the GZ-MS100 is a bit of a mixed bag. Here's an ultra portable cam that can fit in a pants pocket--though snugly. One would think that handling would suffer greatly due to the GZ-MS100's diminutive size. However, JVC's ergonomic architecture makes this Internet cam a joy to hold. The right side is carved like a tidal wave of comfort, the Record Start/Stop button falls directly beneath the thumb, and the hand strap is oddly comfortable, despite its cheap construction. So what's all the to-do about? Well, JVC implemented a love-or-hate menu navigation system--the laser touch panel.
JVC GZ-MS100 in hand
Unlike LCD joystick-touting Everios of the past, the GZ-MS100 is equipped with a laser touch panel that runs vertically along the left side of the LCD panel. The laser touch panel is composed of a vertical strip running along the outer edge of the LCD panel. A row of control buttons is located at the bottom of the LCD panel: an "OK" button, three soft buttons, and "Menu." The main issue you'll run into with the laser touch panel is its sluggish nature. It takes some real fine motor skills to hone in on an option from the menu. You'll also have to press the OK button to confirm a selection, rather than just tapping the strip, which is exactly what our fingers wanted to do. Sure, the laser touch panel looks cool, and the GZ-MS100 will sell because of it. But for power shooters, the laser touch will only slow you down.
The JVC GZ-MS100 and the Canon FS11 differ only a little in size
While holding the GZ-MS100, you'll notice how light it is. This cam has portability written all over it. The hand strap does a nice job of ratcheting your hand to the body of the camcorder without the GZ-MS100 flopping to the side. The GZ-MS100 is about half the width of an HDD Everio, so shooters with larger hands will find their fingers reaching the left side of the camcorder. Just shift your hand down further in the strap and this problem will be solved. We could have used a more solid construction for the port covers, which are constructed of flimsy rubberized plastic and are easily yanked out. Overall, the GZ-MS100 handles nicely for its size.
Menu (4.5)
This year, JVC took a departure from a three-part menu system and funneled it down to one big honking menu that includes everything. In the past, standard definition Everios featured a Function, Administrative, and Program AE menu that were easy to access and divvied up tasks nicely. The GZ-MS100 takes all three menus and tosses them into one large cluster of options. All manual controls are located at the top and can be accessed by selecting Manual Setting. A string of random options follows and is bookended by the Basic settings, which is stuffed all the way at the bottom. The Basic settings, which is essentially JVC's Administrative menu, should be its own separate entity. For the average shooter, this all-in-one approach can be intimidating and cumbersome to wade through.
JVC's new laser touch panel is not very intuitive and difficult to operate. You'll have to hone in on a precise stroke pattern just to shift from one option to the next without rifling past your intended choice. The touch buttons are somewhat responsive, but not entirely reliable. The ease of use factor delivered by the LCD Joystick is long gone with the introduction of the laser touch panel.
To access the Menu, press the menu button. You can scroll through options using the laser touch panel and select an option by pressing the OK button. Three unmarked buttons control random functions that are contextual to the menu. The Menu contains the following options:
| Video Menu |
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| Manual Setting | Adjust Brightness, Focus, White Balance, Shutter Speed, Photometry Area, Effect, Tele Macro |
| Backlight Compensation | Off, On |
| Light | Off, On |
| Program AE | Off, Night, Twilight, Portrait, Sports, Snow, Spotlight |
| Register Event | N/A |
| Video Quality | Ultra Fine, Fine, Normal, Economy |
| Gain Up | Off, On |
| Select Aspect Ratio | 16:9, 4:3 |
| Zoom | 35x, 70x, 800x |
| DIS | Off, On |
| Wind Cut | Off, On |
| Basic Settings | Quick Restart, Monitor Bright, Monitor Backlight, Date Display Style, Language, Demo Mode, Operation Sound, Select TV Type, Auto Power Off, Display on TV, Factory Preset, Clock Adjust, Video No. Reset, Image No. Reset, Format SD Card, |
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| JVC GZ-MS100 Manual Settings Submenu | JVC GZ-MS100 Basic Settings Submenu |
Portability (8.25)
The GZ-MS100 will delight proud fanny pack owners across the globe - this cam is highly portable. Measuring a petite 54 x 68 x 111mm (2 3/16 x 2 11/16 x 4 3/8 inches), and tipping the scale at a mere 270 grams (0.60 pounds), the GZ-MS100 can fit inside a small purse or large pants pocket. SDHC cards are among the smallest form of camcorder media available in the camcorder world, taking up about as much space as a postage stamp. The GZ-MS100's tiny design will also treat your arm to a stress-free day. As far as endurance goes, you'll have to spring for another battery or two and a high-capacity SDHC card. A pair of 2GB SD cards would do the trick, as well.
JVC GZ-MS100's LCD screen
LCD and Viewfinder (3.0)
The GZ-MS100 is equipped with a 2.7-inch color LCD screen that flips out 90 degrees from the body of the camcorder and rotates up to 270 degrees. The centerpiece here is JVC's new laser touch panel and touch-sensitive operation buttons. But, we've ranted about the new laser touch panel far too much in this review, so we'll spare you. You can adjust the brightness of the LCD screen by selecting Monitor Bright. A vertical scale appears along the left side of the LCD screen, controlled by the laser touch panel. You can shift up to brighten the LCD screen and down to darken it. Do not use this feature if you plan on manually adjusting the Exposure - the LCD screen will give a false representation of how bright or dark the image actually is. You can also set Monitor Backlight to Auto, Standard, or Brighter. Your best bet is not to use any of those options and stick with Manual adjustment.
The GZ-MS100 is devoid of a viewfinder.
Battery Life (14.9)
We tested the efficiency of the GZ-MS100's BN-VF808U rechargeable battery pack by recording continuously in Manual mode with DIS disabled and the LCD screen flipped out. Video was recorded at the highest quality setting to a 4GB SDHC card. When the card ran out of space, the external power was plugged in and the card was erased.
When all was said and done, the GZ-MS100's battery pack lasted a hefty 149 minutes and 26 seconds (2 hours, 29 minutes, and 26 seconds). This is an outstanding performance for such a little pack.
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