JVC GR-D395 Camcorder Review

The GR-D395 ($370 MSRP) is the second from the top in a line of four very similar JVC camcorders, all starting with the prefix “GR-D39….” Each has a few features that one-up the model prior. This camcorder’s prime feature is a very large 3-hour battery. While that may sound great, the size creates some handling issues, such as nullifying the viewfinder. The GR-D396 ($380 MSRP) is exactly the same camcorder, but comes with two 90-minute batteries. From the outset, this seems like a smarter buy – the handling issues disappear and if one battery is damaged, you have another as backup. But do either of these camcorder’s merit justify purchase over the myriad of entry-level MiniDV camcorders? Find out inside.