JVC Everio GZ-VX700 Camcorder Review

Low Light Sensitivity

We knew the JVC VX700 was equipped with a fast lens (f/1.2), but, in all honesty, we didn't expect the camcorder to do this well in our low light sensitivity test. The VX700 needed just 13 lux of light to illuminate our test chart properly—and that's when we used a bit of zoom to frame up the chart. Without zoom, the camcorder needed just 4 lux of light to reach the same levels, which is a very impressive performance for a camcorder in the VX700's price range. More on how we test low light sensitivity.

With its strong performance in this test, the JVC VX700 exceeded our expectations in low light sensitivity. It also outperformed the competition in its price range, as well as besting its more-expensive sibling model, the JVC GX1 by a significant margin. The Canon HF R21 put up similar numbers in this test, but the VX700 had a slightly better sensitivity score overall. If you're looking to capture "bright" images in low light, the VX700 appears to be a good choice in the mid-range camcorder market.

Low Light Noise

In low light, the VX700 averaged 1.36% noise in its video image. This isn't among the best noise scores we've seen, but it certainly respectable for a camcorder of the VX700's class. Among the camcorders we compared it to, the VX700 had less noise than the JVC GX1 and the Canon HF R21. The Panasonic V500M did better, however, and many high-end camcorders and video-capable DSLRs do extremely well in this test (and perform far better than the JVC VX700). Still, this is a positive performance for a mid-range model like the VX700. More on how we test low light noise.

Looking at the crops above we can make a judgement about the VX700's sharpness capabilities in low light as well. The camcorder certainly does not capture the same level of detail as the JVC GX1, but its image is clearer than that of the Panasonic HC-V500M and much brighter than the Canon HF R21 camcorder.

Low Light Color

The GZ-VX700's worst low light performance came in our color accuracy test, where the camcorder put up a color error of 5.88—a number that is worse than all three camcorders we compared it to. Even though this is a middling score, there are two pieces of good news: this color error is actually a tiny bit better than the VX700's bright light color accuracy, and the camcorder was able to retain strong, vivid colors in low light despite the poor color accuracy. The saturation level remained at a high 90.6%, which isn't much lower than the camcorder managed in bright light. More on how we test low light color.