JVC GZ-MC200 Camcorder Review

by Nick Hyacinthe
Published on Dec 29, 2004 8:00 AM



Cutting edge technology, portability, and elegance are the defining characteristics of the JVC GZ-MC200. The GZ-MC200 is JVC’s first non-tape based recording camcorder – recording video to compact flash cards instead of MiniDV tapes. The JVC GZ-MC200 has a 1/3.6 inch CCD with 2.12 MP gross and includes some new innovations from JVC’s engineers. Its most impressive inclusion is a 4 GB Microdrive card to which it the camcorder records video. At 1.5 inch square, this innovation records 60 minutes of DVD quality video and an insane 5.5 thousand 1600 x 1200 UXGA-size digital stills. The camcorder also records to SD card. When compared to MiniDV hybrid still camcorders, the JVC GZ-MC200 is one of the best out there. The GZ-MC200 falls also into the flash media and non-tape based camcorder category, where it also excels.

Video Performance (6.5)
The JVC GZ-MC200 includes a 1/3.6 inch CCD with 2.12 gross Megapixels, 1.23 effective Megapixels for video, and 2 effective Megapixels for still photos. These are the exact same specs as the GZ-MC100, JVC's other Everio camcorder. Both camcorders also include a new “Super Hi-Resolution Lens” which specifically matches the new CCD. This lens is a 9-group, 11-element piece of glass, and supposedly offers the best picture quality possible. While the GZ-MC200 certainly does perform well in bright light environments, the low light capabilities of the camcorder are not necessarily great.

The GZ-MC200's spectrum at 3000 lux, the equivalent of a bright sunny day, looks very pretty and shows very crisp colors within a very balanced spectrum. Color values are right on; oranges are oranges and blues are blues. The only problem with the 3000 lux image is that there is a bit of washing in the overall spectrum. The washing out of an image at 3000 lux is not uncommon. Colors become better saturated as light levels are decreased a bit. Overall, the video quality at 3000 lux is stellar, especially for a hybrid/flash media camcorder, certainly topping the others offered.

 

The Front (9.0)
The front of the Everio GZ-MC200 sports a silver and black case. Located on the front-right of the GZ-MC200 is the 10x optical zoom lens. The JVC GZ-MC200’s lens swivels about 30 degrees vertically in either direction. Embedded at the top above the lens is the flash. To the left of the lens is the stationary section of the camcorder, which holds the ports. The A/V, DC, and Headphone input ports are handsomely veiled in black.The port cover that conceals these features makes a nice handgrip. A microphone stationed at the front of the Everio GZ-MC200 instead of the top would have made the design ideal, but overall the front of the camera is well designed.

The Left Side (9.0)
The left side of the GZ-MC200 has a rich black finish with silver lettering and highlights. On the left side, you’ll find the power switch lock button (with the mode button in its center) and the mode lamp. The power switch button is round and clad in metallic silver, contrasted with the petite baby-blue lock button at its right. At the top of the left side, just above this cluster of functions, is the mode lamp, indicating whether camcorder, still photography, or audio recording is taking place.


The Back(9.0)
The back of the JVC GZ-MC200 is largely taken up by the 1.8-inch LCD screen. When the lens swivels up, it reveals the SD card slot that is otherwise sheltered by the LCD screen. A variety of functions find refuge on the right side of the viewfinder. The recording start-stop button in metallic silver stands out at the top right corner. The menu button underneath the recording button blends into the black background, and provides access to the camcorder’s menu system. The silver navigation button sits at the bottom right corner of the rear of the GZ-MC200, and acts as a four-way, compass-like selector.

The center of the navigation button when pressed acts as both a navigational tool as well as the play/pause button when in playback mode. Pressing to the left with the navigation button provides access to the flash functions of the camcorder when in recording modes (either camcorder or still camera) and acts as the rewind button when in playback. Pressing upwards allows access to the camcorder’s backlight compensation feature as well as doubling as a secondary reverse button in playback mode. Pressing to the right with the navigational button allows the user to switch between manual and automatic modes of both camcorder or camera modes. It also is the forward button in playback mode. Pressing down on the navigational button when in recording mode brings up the manual control menu on the LCD screen. From here, users can alter the exposure, focus, white balance, shutter speed, preset auto exposure setting, and digital effects.

The Navigational dial is stationed directly underneath the user's thumbs which provides optimum access, though the button's small size may create difficulty for some users.

The Right Side (9.0)
The GZ-MC200 has most of its features and functions on the left side, so its right side is barren. The right side is the stationary part of the camcorder, and the side that provides stability as the lens swivels smoothly. The right side sports black enclosed in silver which covers the battery and the CF/Microdrive card, which can be accessed through the top of the GZ-MC200. Due to the facts that the battery and Microdrive are housed within the right side, and that the user palms the entire right side when handling, the lack of buttons on the right side makes sense and is convenient.

The Top (8.0)
The right side of the GZ-MC200’s top is host to the camcorder’s audio capabilities. On the front is the stereo microphone. On the back is the speaker for the Everio camcorder. Further back at the edge of the camcorder’s head are the information and delete buttons. The left side of the GZ-MC200’s cap is the battery/CF/Microdrive card cover. Housed in the cover is the access switch. This is all enveloped in black rubber. Towards the back end of the camcorder’s cap is the zoom toggle, standing out in silver.The microphone ought to be on the front of the camera, but at least it is towards the front on the top of the camcorder.

 

Picture and Manual Control
Automatic Control (6.5)
The GZ-MC200’s automatic control settings are decently responsive. The zoom and focus make fairly fluid adjustments in different settings and magnifications. The automatic controls on the GZ-MC200 are fairly accurate and smooth. The camcorder has some problems with automatic focus in low light and after swift movements, which is understandable yet unfortunate. Also, automatic adjustments to exposure are quick, which is nice; however, when moving to and from extremely different environments, there is a noticeable lag before the quick adjustment is made.

One negative aspect of the camcorder’s automatic adjustments is that if the user zooms in on an object with focus being adjusted automatically, and the camcorder has problems achieving focus, the camcorder will automatically zoom back to where focus can be achieved. This is true in both manual and automatic modes, as long as focus is adjusted automatically. To prevent such a problem, the user must either use manual focus or constantly hold the zoom toggle forwards.

Overall Manual Control (5.0)
The JVC GZ-MC200 offers a lot of manual control relative to other hybrid camcorders. For instance, the Fisher FVD-C1 includes no manual focus, white balance, or shutter speed. While the JVC GZ-MC200 includes these features, and in an easily accessible way to boot, it doesn’t include as many ISO features (important for still pictures) as the Fisher does.

 

The manual control menu is easily accessible in that the user doesn’t have to go into the camcorder’s menu system to access it. There is a small amount of digging to do, however. To access the GZ-MC200’s manual controls, the camcorder must first be set in manual mode, regardless of whether it is in camcorder or still camera mode. To do this, you must push and hold the navigational button to the right, as noted on the camcorder’s body. Let me emphasize that you need to hold it there for longer than one would expect. Once mastered, this technique is pretty easy, especially when compared to manual control access through a menu system. Once in manual mode, the user can press the navigational button downward to access the manual control menu. I generally really like the manual control method on the Everio.

The manual control menu appears on the LCD screen superimposed on the captured image. This makes making manual adjustments more convenient, as the user can see the adjustments as they are being made, as opposed to selecting them in a menu system and seeing the results upon exit. Adjustment options include: exposure, focus, shutter speed, white balance, auto exposure presets, and digital effects.

Compared to the jog dial systems found on some Panasonics and Canons, this system holds its own. The navigation button is not as thumb-friendly as the jog dial, but the manual control menu is easier to access and navigate.

Zoom (6.5)
The GZ-MC200 comes with a 10x optical zoom, with options for digital zooms of 40x and 200x available within the menu system. The camcorder’s zoom toggle is in convenient reach of the user’s index finger, and compared to other tiny camcorders’ zoom toggles, it’s pretty easy to use. Smooth and varied zoom speeds are possible.

One problem with the camcorder's zoom is that when in automatic focus mode and zoomed to the lens' fullest extent, if the camcorder cannot achieve focus, due to for example the central area of the frame being slightly dark, the camcorder automatically zooms back to where is can achieve focus. This can obviously be detrimental to anyone trying to zoom in on any object. This problem can be overcome by holding the zoom toggle down. The zoom toggle itself is nice; it is small, like everything else on the camcorder, yet is very smooth and easy to control. Usually with camcorders with small zoom toggles, variant speed zooms and/or smooth zooms are hard to come by, but that's not so here.

In the camcorder's menu system a digital wide angle lens is available (D. Wide). When selected this function digitally extends the lens' range similar to that of a 0.8x Wide angle lens. When the user moves the zoom toggle towards wide angle, he or she will see on the zoom meter that instead of ending at 1x the range extends to .8x. The digital zoom (to 40x or 200x) is unavailable when in D. Wide mode.

Focus (5.0)
Manual adjustments to the focus are available in the manual control menu. You can chose between automatic and manual focus options. If you choose manual, the camcorder leaves the manual control menu and displays a small meter that features a torso and a mountain. Focus can be directed either close up (torso) or far away (mountain) with the navigational button. While a dial of some sort would be more convenient to adjust focus, we can’t expect much more than this on a camcorder this small. The only downside to the manual focus is that, to adjust it, you must leave the manual menu. Just remember to make all other manual adjustments first, and then adjust focus. This feature is over all pretty awesome because the Fisher FVD-C1 does not even offer manual focus. However, adjustments can be kind of cumbersome because of the mode switching required and this is the main reason that the Everio did not get a better manual focus score.

 

 

Exposure (4.5)
Exposure options for manual adjustment on the JVC Everio GZ-MC200 are available in the manual control menu. They include adjustment from -6 to +6 in camcorder mode and from -2 to +2 in still camera mode (increments of .3 are offered in camera mode). Luckily, the camcorder will save the settings made in individual modes. The manual exposure adjustment on the GZ-MC200, while better than most hybrid camcorders, doesn’t offer much control over picture quality, aside from subtleties. The GZ-MC200's manual exposure does not provide significant exposure control, but it is better than the Fisher FVD-C1's.

Shutter Speed (6.0)
Shutter speed settings and adjustments are made through the manual control menu. The settings can be adjusted from ½ to 1/4000 in camcorder mode. The GZ-MC200 provides shutter speed options ranging from ½ to 1/500 in still camera mode. The camcorder saves the setting for each mode, which provides optimal control. The wealth of shutter speed control options provides some compensation for the mediocre exposure options. The Fisher doesn’t even offer shutter speed control options.

White Balance (7.0)
The GZ-MC200 offers several white balance options: Halogen, Cloud, Fine, and Manual white balance. These settings can be accessed through the manual control menu. The user zooms towards an object that he or she wants the GZ-MC200 to read as pure white and holds down the navigational button. The selected button will blink and the camcorder will beep, notifying the user that an adjustment has been made. The GZ-MC200 manual white balance option is admirable because the competition, the Fisher FVD-C1, does not offer this option.

Gain (1.0)
The GZ-MC200 does not allow for any manual gain adjustments in camcorder mode. There is an Auto Up gain function which can be turned on and off in the camcorder’s menu system. In still camera mode, there are two gain levels (80 and 160) that can be selected in the menu system. These are synonymous with ISO settings. Unfortunately the camcorder performs poorly in low light, and the lack of gain control options doesn’t allow the user a means of compensating for the bad low light performance.

Still Performance (9.0)
As a hybrid camcorder, the GZ-MC200 has two modes – one for video recording and one for still recording. Both modes have separate menu systems, though these systems share many features. JVC states that the GZ-MC200 offers superior still quality because of their Megabrid Engine which separates the video and digital still processes. This theoretically solves a common problem in hybrid camcorders because video CCDs are not designed to function like still CCDs - it appears that their chip works based on the outstanding quality of the stills.

Stills on the GZ-MC200 may be captured either to a compact flash card, an SD card, or a 4 GB Microdrive that’s compatible with the Everio line. As a hybrid camcorder, the GZ-MC200 includes some options that aren’t usually available to non-hybrid camcorders in the realm of still imaging. These features include gain (ISO) settings, a continuous shooting option, and a self-timer function (ten and two seconds). Stills can be captured at resolutions of 1600 x 1200 to 640 x 480. There are settings for Standard and Fine. The shear amount of stills one can take on this camera is outstanding, especially at the reasonable still resolution of 1600 x 1200. Unfortunately if the user is recording video he or she must switch out of video mode into still camera mode for a snapshot. It is an awkward transition.

Manual control in still camera mode is very similar to that in the camcorder mode, though differences occur in the exposure and shutter speed options. The GZ-MC200 has a built-in flash with settings for auto, auto red-eye, on, and slow synchro.

VCR Mode (8.5)
Playback modes exist for video recording mode, still camera mode, and voice recording mode. In the video playback mode, a thumbnail menu screen is shown in the LCD allowing for easy access, similar to a DVD camcorder’s playback mode. Various wipes and fades are available in the menu system.

In camera playback mode, stills are shown on the LCD, and the playlist can be altered. The same digital effects as seen in the video playback mode are available, minus the wipes and fades. Digital Print Order Format (DPOF) options, as well as PictBridge technology, are available for easy printing.

In the voice recording playback mode, the navigational button is used to search through footage. The LCD screen shows audio levels, as it does during capture. The VCR mode is easy to access, and it functions as a hard disk on a computer which makes it aesthetically pleasing.

Low Light Performance (2.0)
Beauty isn’t everything, and that is especially true for the Everio GZ-MC200. Unfortunately, the JVC GZ-MC200's low light performance isn't as great as its looks. The camcorder was put through strenuous testing under different light settings.

At 60 lux, the equivalent of a fairly lit room, the image quality of the GZ-MC200 was dreadful. The color chart was relatively dark. At 60 lux with the gain up there was increase of noise on the captured image, though also an increased visibility. The Fisher FVD-C1 camcorder had more grain on the image, but the colors were richer and had more saturation.

At 15 lux the JVC GZ-MC200 test results did not bode well for potential users. The image turned out dark and almost unusable. The Fisher was extremely grainy but brighter than the GZ-MC200. This improved with the GZ-MC200 gain up feature at 15 lux, but it was still unfortunately outperformed by the Fisher FVD-C1. Gain helps sufficiently in low light but not enough to help it give comfort to the user.

 

LCD/Viewfinder (6.5)
The JVC GZ-MC200 is equipped with a 1.8-inch 130K pixel LCD monitor that occupies much of the rear of the camcorder. This is pretty small when compared to the LCD of a MiniDV camcorder but bear in mind that this is a small camcorder for small people. The camcorder does not provide a viewfinder, which is normal for a camcorder of this size. There simply isn’t any space for a viewfinder, and the addition of one would throw off the stylish design. The LCD, although located on the left side of the camcorder, is attached to the side that does not swivel with the lens. On some camcorders, the LCD solarizes as it is positioned, but because the LCD is on the stable side of the camcorder, such solarization is less frequent.

Audio (6.0)
The top of the GZ-MC200 is home to the stereo microphone and its speaker. The stereo microphone sits at the front of the head of the camcorder. The microphone needs to be at the front for better audio capture. Small speakers are placed near the back of the head of this camcorder, used in playback mode.The headphone in jack at the front of the camcorder can be used to monitor the audio being captured as well as to provide privacy during playback. The GZ-MC200 captures audio when recording video at four modes: Ultra Fine (384 kbps), Fine (684 kbps), Normal (256 kbps), and Economy (128 kbps). The GZ-MC200 also offers a wind cut option through the menu. Fortunately for the user, the JVC GZ-MC200 has a voice-recording mode. The GZ-MC200 linear PCM format captures voice recording at Fine, Standard, and Economy settings. Unfortunately the GZ-MC200 does not offer a microphone in jack, support audio dubbing, or allow the user to manually set audio levels except on the voice recording mode where there are options for high, low, and medium.

 

 

Handling (7.5)
Small and compact (0.77 lbs) are the words best used to describe this camcorder; it takes a little practice to acclimate to the small buttons and fixtures on the GZ-MC200. The zoom is fairly responsive, is located just underneath the user index finger, and is very easy to control and get nice smooth zooms from, even on a small scale. Everything else can be accessed with your thumb. The left side swivels while the right side provides reasonable handgrip and steadiness. The rotating body allows for smoother transitions between high angle and low angle shots by simply rotating the lens barrel. The rotating body also helps during play visualization because it can be tilted towards the user’s face. Also, you can get over obstructing objects, and monitor what is being filmed without much effort.

This camcorder handles acceptably well for it size. In extended use the Everio's body gets hot, which might create discomfort for some. It cools down within minutes but this is still an annoyance. There is a slight motor noise when zooming and when the camcorder is automatically adjusting focus; this is minimal, and is certainly not as bad as the Fisher FVD-C1’s motor noise. These minor annoyances detract only slightly from the GZ-MC200's main strength: portability.

Ports (7.0)
The GZ-MC200 has three connectors sheltered underneath a black cover at the front right side of the camcorder. The camcorder provides an A/V, S-Video, headphone jack, and DC input. On the left side of the camcorder, there is a USB connector. It does not include a FireWire port and it requires the included headphone adapter to be used with the headphone port.

 

Other Features (7.5)
D. Wide D Wide mode allows the user to go past the 10x optical zoom range to widen the image by 0.08, providing a wider field of view. You can't operate digital zoom if the camcorder is in D wide mode; both are administered through the menu.

DIS Digital Image Stabilization adjusts the image for any unstable camcorder shakes and jerks. Digital Image Stabilization can be accessed though the menu.

Digital Effects Sepia, BW Monotone, Classic Film, and Strobe are the digital effects provided to the user.

Gain Up Although manual gain control is not offered, the GZ-MC200 provides a gain-up feature that will brighten the image. Be advised that this will affect the overall quality of the image by adding noise. Though with this camcorder it doesn’t add too much, and helps a little to improve this camcorder’s extremely poor low light performance.

Voice Recording Mode There is a voice-recording mode accessible through the mode dial on the left side of the camcorder. In this mode, audio can be recorded at qualities of Fine, Standard, and Economy, with a maximum recording time of 34 hours and 43 minutes on the 4GB Microdrive.

Widescreen Mode/16:9 There is no widescreen mode on the GZ-MC200.

Comparisons
The GZ-MC200 is an innovative flash media camcorder, and also offers great still performance in the still hybrid area. At barely over a grand this camcorder offers optimum style, features, and manual controls for it price. It sibling model, the JVC GZ-MC100, also squeezes underneath the $1000 dollar price and it is equally matched in features and technological wonders. The GZ-MC100 has yet to be examined under low light settings. At this time we are not aware of its performance in low light. We do know that the only difference we can so far see between the GZ-MC100 and GZ-MC200, besides the price, are the camcorder’s dimensions. The GZ-MC100 lacks the GZ-MC200’s rotating body; it is slimmer, but longer, resembling an electric shaver.

Fisher FVC-C1 The Fisher FVD-C1 is another ultralight and compact camcorder that operates as a photo/video hybrid camera. The FVS-C1 is priced at $700. It captures 30 minutes of DVD-like motion imagery at 30 fps on a supplied 512MB card. Everything is recorded onto an SD card. The GZ-MC200 provides a lot more options and gadgets to the user, including many manual controls that the Fisher lacks, such as manual white balance and manual shutter speed. The Fisher lacks the improved bit rate of the Everio line.

Under the low light test the Fisher outperformed the GZ-MC200. The image and colors had more life and saturation, though both looked pretty terrible. By comparison though the Fisher doesn’t not offer manual controls and is much more of a toy camcorder than the JVC Everio. The lack of manual white balance control was evident in the low light test, but the image was crisper than that of the JVC GZ-MC200. It should be mentioned that the Fisher has a lot of motor noise, and while the GZ-MC200 has some noise as well, the Fisher has a significantly greater amount. In small camcorders like this, motor noise is understandable, but on the Fisher FVD-C100 it more than noticeable and less acceptable. The JVC GZ-MC200, however, does get warm after extensive use and can create some uneasiness. The Everio is unquestionably a better buy, it's a much more better camcorder with better control, handling, and a better value.

The Panasonic SV-AV100 is an impressive spy compact camcorder similarly priced with the Fisher FVD-C1. And like the Fisher, neither camcorder is appropriate for real camcorder use. The Panasonic records up to an hour of MPEG4 Video in Super Fine Mode. MPEG4 is suitable for email and the web. The SV-AV100 offers a high quality MPEG2 video, also. For a camcorder of its small dimensions, its 2.5 LCD screen is impressive. The LCD screen rotates 130 degrees which is very helpful to the user in transitioning between shots. We have yet to test the SV-AV100.

Price determines and necessity will determine which camcorder appeals to the user, but the JVC GZ-MC200 provides a lot of options and features for its 0.77 lb frame, and certainly takes the cake as the best flash-based or CF card-based camcorder out there today.

Who It's For
Point-and-Shooters (9.0) This camcorder will delight point-and-shooters. It will attract attention for its portability and on-the-go compatibility. The automatic features are fairly responsive, and the camcorder is light and relatively comfortable to handle. The one drawback is that the metallic silver body of this camcorder gets warm after extensive handling. Once engaged the camera takes seven seconds to start recording which can be an aggravation for parents wanting to capture their child’s unpredictable foibles and achievements.

Budget Consumers (2.0) The JVC GZ-MC200 is not for intended for a budget-minded consumer. It is priced at $1,020, putting this stylish and powerful machine above the desired price range.

Still Photo/Video Camera Hybrid (9.0) This camcorder is a top-notch still/video camera hybrid. It provides great control in both video and still camera modes. While its low light performance isn’t as good as the FVD-C1’s, the GZ-MC200 is a good hybrid for other reasons.

Gadget Freaks (8.5) The JVC GZ-MC200 camcorder will be attractive to gadget freaks. The camcorder’s size, ability to rotate, Microdrive technology, and improved menu graphics make it a superior gadget-camcorder, aside from just being a crazy-cool hybrid cam.

Manual Control Freaks (4.5) Manual control freaks will enjoy this camcorder, as it provides adequate controls throughout its three capture modes. For a camcorder in this price range, it has very respectable manual control options.

Pros/Serious Hobbyist (2.0) Though it has many admirable qualities, the GZ-MC200 is not recommended for pros or serious hobbyists. It is expensive and does not offer the features needed by a serious hobbyist.

Conclusion
The JVC GZ-MC200 is a light and portable camcorder. This is a camcorder for the fashion conscious because of its uniquely small and sleek design. The left side swivels vertically, making shot transition easier, while the right side is firm and steady. It's features are even more impressive than its Hollywood spy frame. The most salient new feature is that this camcorder can capture media separately on a 4GB Microdrive card (included!) SD card. The inclusion of the Microdrive on the JVC is new to the industry and definitely the best new media for hybrid camcorders. The GZ-MC200 has a 1/3.6 inch CCD with 2.12 MP and can record more photographs than the user will ever need, up to an hour of MPEG2 DVD quality video, and 34 hours and 43 minutes of voice recording. The voice recording function of the camcorder gives this hybrid camcorder another layer of versatility.

 

The GZ-MC200 handles admirably well. You can easily access various camera functions. Most features are directly underneath the user’s index finger and thumb. One can travel from one manual control setting to the next fluidly. The JVC GZ-MC200 provides a lot of manual control options for a camcorder of it size. The automatic control on the camcorder is swift and precise, although in an extreme change in lighting environment and situation the response time lags a bit.

Unfortunately, everything has its drawbacks, and this camcorder is no different. The Everio GZ-MC200 doesn’t perform well in low light. The images are dark and the colors are less saturated than the other camcorders in its range. The camcorder gets warm after extensive use, which cause handling problems. The camcorder takes up to seven seconds to start recording which an especially long delay for parents and the straight point-and-shoot user. While the user can capture up to 5.5 thousand digital still images it does not allow you the convenience of capturing stills while in video mode. It is a hassle to switch back and fourth from mode to mode.

The GZ-MC200 has wonderful features and has pushed its medium further into a new realm. Despite the drawbacks the GZ-MC200 offers the user optimum control and innovation for it price and dimensions. This camcorder definitely performs. In some areas it outshines the competition, but there are still a few kinks in the chic armor of the GZ-MC200. Overall the Everio is a great camcorder if you're looking for something small that can also shoot seriously because of its manual controls, handling, and media, the amazing new 4GB Microdrive.