JVC GZ-HD3 Camcorder Reviewby David KenderPublished on Sep 17, 2007 5:35 PM
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Audio (6.5)
The GZ-HD3’s audio capabilities mirror that of the GZ-HD7’s. Even the microphone placement is identical. The GZ-HD3’s built-in stereo microphone is mounted to the top of the camcorder and records MPEG-1 Layer 2 audio. Unlike the Canon HV20 and Panasonic HDC-SD1, the GZ-HD3 is devoid of any manual audio controls including levels and gain. JVC saddles you with a wind cut feature and that’s it. This is unfortunate. Who can justify dropping $1,300 on a piece of machinery that features audio akin to models hundreds of dollars less? The Canon HV20 and Panasonic HDC-SD1 fall comfortably below that daunting figure and pack a much bigger punch in the audio department.
On the bright side, the GZ-HD3 is equipped with a cold shoe and mic jack. However, there is no headphone jack for sound monitoring. What gives? The Canon HV20 and Panasonic HDC-SD1 both feature headphone jacks. One word encompasses JVC’s audio philosophy on this camcorder: afterthought.
Playback (4.75)
On any Everio, playback is a royal pain. Pressing the dome-shaped play/record button located in the LCD cavity shifts the camcorder into Playback mode. A screen appears with icons representing particular video clips or stills. Up to nine icons can be displayed on one page at a time and can be scrolled through via the joystick. In order to select a clip or still, press the center of the joystick. Pressing info while playing a clip or still will cue a data box that consists of information including file name, date, and time.
Now here’s the deal—the clip begins playing within the entirety of the LCD screen, but no playback control icons are available. How in the world are you supposed to know what you’re controlling? All you get is a tiny status icon in the upper right corner. Once you fiddle around aimlessly for 15 minutes, you’ll find the center of the joystick controls play/pause, right is fast forward, left is rewind, up is previous clip, and down is next clip. The fast forward/rewind function operates in the following speeds: 3x, 5x, 15x, and 60x. Shifting the joystick to the right toggles between speeds. In Photo mode, left and right cycles through images while up and down flips an image vertically or horizontally.
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The JVC GZ-HD3's rear ports include the Firewire, HDMI, and Component-out. |
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Connectivity (9.0)
A bounty of inputs and outputs riddle the GZ-HD3’s compact frame. Up front, beneath the lens, you’ll find a rubberized port cover that swings upward to reveal a mic jack and USB terminal. Now, the GZ-HD3 is also equipped with a hot shoe for mounting an external microphone or battery-powered video light. Due to the placement of the mic input, an elaborate cable route must be devised to evade the field of view of the lens. The GZ-HD7 is not saddled with this problem, for its mic input is intuitively placed on the right side of the camcorder to ensure the least amount of cable clutter.
The back side is where you’ll find a majority of the GZ-HD3’s connections. There are two panels of ports, both sheltered by thin plastic covers. The AV and DC jacks are located within a horizontal strip above the battery. The HDMI-out, Firewire-out, and Component-out terminals are located within a vertical strip along the right side of the battery. As a general rule, connections that are mounted to the right side of a camcorder function optimally because they condone a clutter-free cable environment. The Sony HDR-SR7 is a prime example. In the GZ-HD3’s case, you’ll find cables will joust with the battery and mode dial. Luckily, JVC abstained from utilizing the GZ-HD3’s LCD cavity as a port haven.
You will find an S-Video port in the GZ-HD3’s LCD cavity, through which the camcorder down-converts footage to standard definition. Lastly, an SD/SDHC memory card slot is embedded within the bottom of the GZ-HD3. The card slot is guarded by a hinged plastic door that is rugged enough to withstand a hearty beating. But, you guessed it—you can’t swap a card if the GZ-HD3 is mounted to the tripod due to the slot’s placement. This is not breaking news—take a gander at the rest of the Everio lineup.
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The JVC GZ-HD3's front has a |
The JVC GZ-HD3's top has a |
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