JVC GZ-MC100 First Impressions Camcorder Review

by Matt Culler
Published on Sep 29, 2004 8:00 AM



This past September, JVC announced the GZ-MC200 and GZ-MC100 as its new Everio line. Both camcorders exhibit a relative breakthrough in recording media, for consumer video anyway, and shine a proverbial flashlight into the future of convenience and compatibility for digital camera/camcorder hybrids. A closer look into both camcorders may illuminate the subtleties wherein they differ. First, the GZ-MC100….

Video Performance
The quality of the video produced by the GZ-MC100 is still a matter of speculation. We can say that, at the press event releasing this camcorder, the GZ-MC100 and GZ-MC200 were placed side-by-side with the competition, namely the Fisher/Sanyo FVDC1 flash media camcorder and the Panasonic SV-AV100, and performed noticeably better than either of them during playback of prerecorded footage. Needless to say, this was expected; after all, JVC was behind the camera.

The GZ-MC100, like its sibling the GZ-MC200, features a 1/3.6-inch, 2.12 megapixel CCD (that’s 1.23 MP effective for video, 2 MP for stills). Some of the clarity displayed during the press event may be due to JVC’s Megabrid technology, processing video and still signals separately, or the Super Hi-Resolution Lens specifically designed for the camcorder’s 2.12 megapixel CCD performance. It is surprising that the GZ-MC100 and GZ-MC200 perform better than the Fisher FVDC1, as the Fisher has 1/2.7-inch CCD, with approximately 3.2 MP.

But while video performance can only remain a speculative matter at the moment, the truly special characteristic of the JVC GZ-MC100 is its recording media: a 4GB Microdrive card, similar to the hard disks found on iPods, that's the size of a Compact Flashcard. This enables both the GZ-MC100 and GZ-MC200 to take up to 60 minutes of Ultra-fine video at a bit rate of 8.5 Mbps (720x480/60i). Fisher’s FVDC1 only records at a bit rate of 2Mbps (640x480/30P). The GZ-MC100 and GZ-MC200 can also take a remarkable amount of stills to the Microdrive, approximately 5.5 thousand at 1600x1200. These camcorders also record to SD card.

The Front
The Front of the GZ-MC100 is constructed of a black, glossy material. The rounded top edge of the camcorder follows the contour of the lens barrel. Below the lens is the camcorder’s flash, followed by a port cover that protrudes a bit from the front of the camcorder. The cover lifts to reveal the DC input, USB port, A/V/S-Video output, and headphone output.

The Right Side
The right side of the GZ-MC100 is the least populated side of the camcorder, button-wise. It is covered in a glossy silver material, and basically functions as a huge battery port cover, which can slide open to remove the battery.

The Left Side
The left side of the GZ-MC100 contains the camcorder’s LCD, approximately 1.8 inches in diameter. The LCD screen flips up on a hinge on its upper edge and rotates towards the user.

The Top
The top of the GZ-MC100 is curved, as it serves as the upper edge of the lens barrel. The camcorder’s stereo microphone is likewise curved along this edge and consists of ten slates, five on either side of the curve (L and R).

The Back
The back of the GZ-MC100 is where all the action happens. The display and maintenance buttons of “info” and "trash" are located towards the top of the back side, with LEDs for movie mode, photo mode, and audio recording mode, and the appropriate mode selector button to the right. Below these are a record button and the camcorder’s zoom toggle, followed farther down by a navigational compass button that is used to explore the menu system as well as during playback, and controlling the flash, toggling between auto and manual. Below this is the camcorder’s menu button, with the off, recording (video or still or audio), or playback switch directly below it.

Picture & Manual Control
Automatic Control
Marketed for convenience, the GZ-MC100 is tiny, and very much a handheld camcorder. In fact, it is about the size of an electric shaver; it is for this reason that it is very much an automatic control oriented camcorder. Automatic controls for focus, exposure, shutter speed, and white balance are available. Also available are such standard automatically preset settings as Program AE (Sports, Snow, Spotlight) and White balance options of Fine, Cloud, and Halogen.

Overall Manual Control
Overall manual control for the GZ-MC100 is pretty good for a camcorder of its size and style. Decent exposure options exist, and while shutter speed options are a bit sparse, ISO options and white balance options are standard. There is also a self-timer available, as well as a manual focus.

Zoom
The GZ-MC100 features an optical zoom of 10x and a digital zoom of 40x and 220x, a big gain in digital zoom from other competitors. The GZ-MC100’s optical zoom is surprisingly quiet, considering that zoom noise is usually a problem with camcorders this small. The Fisher FVDC1 had a horrible problem with engine noise.

Focus
The GZ-MC100 includes options for manual and automatic focal adjustments. A common problem with camcorders of this size is an inability to properly decide on a proper focus length. This produces the “thinking” problem, especially in low-light situation, as the camcorder struggles to adjust properly. This didn’t seem to happen on the GZ-MC100, which is a great sign.

Exposure
Exposure can be adjusted manually on the GZ-MC100 for video capture and still capture. Adjustments can be made within the window of -6 and +6 for video, and -2 and +2 for stills.

Shutter Speed
Manual shutter speeds are available between the window of ½ - 1/4000 for video and ½ - 1/500 for still photographs.

White Balance
White balance options exist for the GZ-MC100, so the user can properly set the true value of white in any given environment, or to adjust to approximate color temperature in any environment. On the GZ-MC100 the user can manually set the white balance or use one of the preset values for Fine, Cloud, or Halogen environments.

Gain
While there is no manual gain control on the GZ-MC100; there is a Gain up Video sensitivity setting.

ISO Control
The ISO, or sensitivity, of the still camera function on the GZ-MC100 can be manually set at either the 80 or 160 level.

Still Performance
The still camera side of the GZ-MC100 displays some options which distinguish it from the common malaise of the hybrid camcorder market. The GZ-MC100 takes digital stills at a maximum resolution of 1600x1200, which isn’t all that impressive when you consider that the Fisher FVDC1 takes stills at 2048x1536. What is amazing is that on the GZ-MC100’s 4GB Microdrive, 5,500 still photos can be stored. Perhaps these camcorders’ new Super Hi-Resolution Lens can aid this resolution. We’ll see. Camera folks, if you’re looking to shoot more pictures than video, buy a digital camera; this thing is a hybrid and should not be expected to shoot super stills with excellent manual control. Still shutter speed options include adjustments from ½ - 1/500 with ISO settings of 80 and 160. There is a self-timer for 2 and 10 sec.

Low Light Performance
At this point, talk of low-light performance and quality is merely speculative. However, some points can be discussed without treating the truth too loosely. At the JVC press event, the GZ-MC100 looked good in the face of the competition. The camcorder’s CCD is only 1/3.6 inches, while the Fisher FVDC1’s is 1/2.6 inches. This seems like a big difference, but as we saw with the Fisher, bigger doesn’t always mean better. That speculation coupled with JVC’s noise reduction technology and Megabrid technology bodes well for the Everio line.

LCD/Viewfinder
The JVC GZ-MC100 includes a 1.8-inch LCD screen and no viewfinder.

Audio
The GZ-MC100’s stereo microphone is located on the top of the camcorder. Along with movie and photo mode, a third mode is available on the GZ-MC100 -- the Voice Recording Mode. In this mode, .wav files can be recorded with 16 bit 48kHz PCM sampling at up to 1.5 Mbps, and at three different quality settings (Fine, Standard, Eco)–5hrs. 47 mins in Fine mode, 34hrs. 43min in Eco mode (8kHz sampling, 256kbps).

There is a Wind Cut function to minimize wind noise in the stereo microphone.

Handling
These things are small. And I mean small. The GZ-MC100 is 41x103x71mm (1&11/16 x 4&1/16 x 2&13/16 inches). The press release says it is the size of an electric shaver; well, those vary. Let’s just say it can fit in your front pocket without being noticeable if you’re wearing a sport coat. Alternately, it can fit in one of those tiny little purses some women seem to adore. As far as operability goes, the GZ-MC100 is geared towards one-handed use, while the GZ-MC200 is more for two-handed use. The zoom toggle is tiny, but so is everything else. And really, here, you’re paying for how tiny everything is. Good secret-agent camcorder, and doesn’t look like a taser, as the Fisher FVDC1 does. I'm not sure if that's a good or bad thing.

Ports
Under the front port cover on the GZ-MC100 are the USB port, AV/S-Video port, a DC input, and a headphone output. The camcorder’s Microdrive slot is located underneath the camcorder and is accompanied by an SD card port, in case you had some of that media left over from your first secret-agent camcorder.

Other features
CyberLink DVD Software is used to make and watch full-length DVD movies.

PowerProducer used to save and author video clips in any order to DVD.

PowerDVD this progam plays back video clips and DVDs with AC 3 audio.

Digital Effects of Sepia and Black and White are available when recording and Strobe is included with the others during playback.

Playback Scene Transitions of White Fader, Black Fader, Black & White Fader, Corner Wipe, Window Wipe, Slide Wipe, Door Wipe, Scroll Wipe, and Shutter Wipe are available.

Comparisons
Fisher FVDC1
One of the other smaller, non-tape media hybrid camcorders on the market, the Fisher FVDC1 also goes under the Sanyo name in Japan. The Fisher FVDC1 includes a bigger CCD and a better still resolution than the GZ-MC100 at 1/2.7 inches and 2,048x1536 respectively. The Fisher's video performance is lacking in quality, and it will be interesting to see how these two camcorders compare to each other. The Fisher also does not include manual shutter speed or white balance of all things (though many white balance options are available), which is of utmost importance. The Fisher records to SD card. The GZ-MC100 also has nearly double the optical zoom and ten times the digital zoom power of the Fisher and without all the motor noise. The GZ-MC100 is nearly $300 more expensive than this Fisher.

Panasonic SV-AV100
This camcorder almost bridges the gap between the Fisher and the new JVCs. It includes the white balance and shutter options that the Fisher lacks, while it records on SD card, and has an optical zoom of 10x, the same as the GZ-MC100. Its 1/6-inch CCD produces better video than the Fisher, which is a good sign for the GZ-MC100, in its hopes of competing with the Sanyo/Fisher. The SV-AV100 is less sleek than the Fisher, and certainly less capable, as is the Fisher, than either of then new JVCs. The GZ-MC100 is nearly $400 more expensive than this Panasonic.

JVC GZ-MC200
The GZ-MC100 and the GZ-MC200 share tons in common. Nearly all of their specifications are identical except for weight and dimensions, which is not surprising, as their body designs are completely different. The GZ-MC200 is around 40g heavier than the GZ-MC100, which is a nominal difference when it comes down to it. The biggest difference in body design is the fact that the GZ-MC200 has a rotating body and is more of a two-handed camcorder design. It also costs $100 more than the GZ-MC100.

Conclusion
The GZ-MC100 is definitely a breakthrough camcorder as far as recording medium and size are concerned. While its video performance and low-light performance have yet to be discerned and evaluated completely, the GZ-MC100 looks like a formidable opponent in the face the competition. Perhaps Panasonic, Fisher, and JVC execs should have a taser war in space once that whole thing happens.

But, seriously folks, the recording media on the GZ-MC100, namely the 4 GB Microdrive, will probably have some place in the future of camcorders. How this media will compare to HDV tape has yet to be seen, but it does offer some great compatibility options, and a tremendous amount of still photos.