JVC GZ-MC500 First Impressions Camcorder Review

by Matt Culler
Published on Feb 25, 2005 12:00 PM



The new GZ-MC500 was just released by JVC and breaks some new ground being the smallest three CCD camcorder ever, and being the first, and only, three CCD consumer camcorder to record to tapeless media, namely, a 4GB Microdrive. The nearest competition for the Everio for tapeless recording with 3 CCDs is Panasonic's P2 system costing upwards of $50,000 a camcorder. On top of this, the GZ-MC500 includes some upgrades to the manual control on the other Everios out now. While the camcorder’s low light and video performance has yet to be seen, hopefully it’s good enough to accommodate the nationally advertised value of US$1,799.99, with a street price around $1,600.

Video Performance
The GZ-MC500 is the world’s smallest three CCD camcorder and is armed with three 1/4.5 inch CCDs, each with 1.33MP (1.23MP effective). These specs are pretty impressive for a camcorder of this size and may bode well for JVC this year. The video performance of the other 1 CCD Everios in bright light conditions was good (definitely better than their low light performance), so we're expecting good things for the GZ-MC500 in bright light conditions. Aside from optical performance, the GZ-MC500 also features some new (for the Everios) manual controls that will affect the video captured, namely manual control over shutter speed and aperture. As far as color information and noise, the exact performance of the GZ-MC500 with considerations of both resolution and color will be evaluated in our full review of the camcorder.

The Front
The front of the GZ-MC200 is similar to that of the GZ-MC200 released last fall from JVC, meaning that it is divided into two separate hulls, similar to a catamaran. The right hull is able to rotate within the cradle of the left hull, which is gripped by the hand. The front of the gripped hull features a port cover which reveals the same ports found on the GZ-MC200, namely an A/V output, a headphone output, and the camcorder’s direct current power intake. The front of the right hull is the termination of the camcorder’s lens barrel. This features a built-in lens hood, perhaps the smallest camcorder to have a lens hood ever. I like this setup as much as I like the setup of the GZ-MC200, definitely more enjoyable than the GZ-MC100’s design, easy to hold, perhaps a little too small, but I guess that’s the point.

The Right Side
The right side of the GZ-MC500 is identical to that of the GZ-MC200. It features a black rounded rectangle surrounded by another differently-textured black area. This side is gripped by the hand during recording and is therefore free of buttons.

The Back
The back of the GZ-MC500 features most of its control interface. Seen here is a button configuration very similar, as expected, to that of the GZ-MC200. It features a primary record/capture button located to the upper right, followed southerly by a menu button, and the camcorder’s navigation joystick controller. This controller is used not only to navigate the camcorder’s high-tech menu system (accessed by the menu button) but all the camcorder’s manual control menu system (accessed by holding the joystick in the downward position in any mode aside from “Auto”). Next to all of these controls sits the camcorder’s 1.8” LCD screen. Above the screen are buttons for “INFO” and delete (“trashcan”). I like this design. I did get a chance to fiddle around with both this camcorder and the GZ-MC200–to a lengthy extent–and definitely like the manual control menu’s ability to be accessed not only from outside of the camcorder but also distinctly from the camcorder’s primary menu system. In the case of the GZ-MC200, the manual control menu controlled all of the camcorder’s important manual controls. In the case of the GZ-MC500 on the other hand, this menu only provides options for select manual controls (exposure offset, white balance, and digital effect). While the reader may groan at this news, I assure him or her that the other manual controls of the GZ-MC500 have moved to a more auspicious spot. Namely, the mode dial of the GZ-MC500 has been expanded from the standard–Auto, Manual, Off–of the GZ-MC200, to include alternate shooting modes of Shutter Priority, Aperture Priority, Sun/Snow, Sports, Portrait, and Night mode. While many of these sections look and act like the Program AE presets they resemble (and are), Shutter Priority and Aperture Priority allow the user to easily use the navigational joystick to adjust the shutter speed and iris (actual F Stop readings). Pretty cool.

The Left Side
The left side of the GZ-MC500 features some of the other controls of the camcorder including the mode dial, which has gained some weight on the GZ-MC500 as it, basically, controls manual shutter speed and the aperture control. The mode dial is located towards the back of the camcorder, and is of the same design, physically, as the GZ-MC200’s: the mode selector is located in the middle of the dial, with shooting programs, such as Sports, Sun/Snow, etc. radiating around it. Shooting programs include: Automatic, Manual, Night Mode, Sun/Snow, Sports, Portrait, Shutter Speed Priority, and Aperture Priority. Above this dial are three LEDs, one for each mode–Camcorder, Digital Camera, and Voice Recorder. Ahead of the mode dial on the GZ-MC500 is the camcorder’s on/off slider. Highlighted in silver this item allows the user to switch between off, record, and playback options. Below this slider is a focus button and the camcorder’s USB port. When the focus button is pressed, the camcorder’s focus ring is engaged and a meter appears on the LCD screen for the user to gauge the focus.

The Top
The top of the GZ-MC500 features the camcorder’s flash, which pops up when engaged, and the built-in stereo microphone. On the smaller side of the top, the camcorder’s battery and Microdrive media can be accessed using a small slide to open a compartment which houses these devices. Also, towards the back of the camcorder’s top is its zoom toggle a small but easy to use, and smooth, toggle.

Picture and Manual Control
Automatic Control
The GZ-MC500 offers automatic control over all of its features and functions, including shutter speed and iris settings, white balance and focus. All of these automatic defaults can be locked into place in the camcorder’s automatic mode. This mode is denoted by the green icon on the camcorder’s menu dial. Also, automatic defaults for each individual feature are located locally. For instance, automatic exposure compensation is located in the camcorder’s manual control menus screen, along with an automatic white balance setting. Shutter speed and iris controls are automatic unless the camcorder is in Aperture or Shutter priority modes. Unfortunately, I did not get a chance to thoroughly evaluate the quality of the automatic controls on the GZ-MC500, although with a zoom toggle identical to that of the GZ-MC200, the camcorder looks good in that department. Stay tuned for our full review for a thorough consideration of this camcorder’s automatic functions.

Overall Manual Control
The GZ-MC500 offer a lot more in manual control that any of the previous Everios, which makes sense since it is a three CCD camcorder aimed at the prosumer market. I think it is ludicrous to offer a three CCD camcorder without at least manual shutter speed and aperture control (though Sony’s DCR-HC1000 and DCR-PC1000 do exist), and JVC has not let the consumer down here. A focus ring is also a very useful addition to this Everio. My only complaint is a minor one: simultaneous independent adjustment of shutter speed and aperture settings is not available. Instead, the GZ-MC500 offers Aperture Priority and Shutter Priority modes, which allow for manual adjustment of each control, just not at the same time. In the camcorder’s Manual mode, the user can press down on the joystick to access the manual control menu, which features access to white balance, digital effects, and autoexposure offset. If JVC isn't going to offer this feature on the GZ-MC500 (hint hint I doubt the firmware is set yet in the factory) it's going to have a tough time competing with other prosumer 3CCD camcorders by Panasonic.

Zoom
The GZ-MC500 features an identical zoom toggle to that of the GZ-MC200, and it’s pretty good, though small. The toggle itself is a single bar in form, which is raised enough for the user to maintain smooth and various speed zooms. The optical zoom is 10x with digital options of 200x.

Focus
JVC has really improved the focus of the Everio models by adding a focus ring on the GZ-MC500. Other Everio models use the same navigational joystick used to access the camcorder’s menu to move through the focal spectrum. This made adjustment often jerky and imprecise. With the GZ-MC500, the user can press the focus button, located near the ring, to engage it, and rotate the ring to move through the focal spectrum visualized by the same horizontal meter found on the GZ-MC200. The focus ring itself is a bit small for the easiest of adjustments, but this is what we expect from the smallest three CCD camcorder ever.

Exposure
Aperture settings on the GZ-MC500 can be adjusted in Aperture Priority mode only. F-Stops between F1.8 and F32.0 are available. This is an impressive range for any camcorder, and definitely welcome here. As stated earlier, my only complaint is that simultaneous shutter and iris adjustment aren’t available. All options: F1.8, F2.0, F2.8, F4.0, F5.6, F8.0, F11.0, F16.0, F22.0, and F32.0.

Shutter Speed
Shutter speed adjustments are available on the GZ-MC500 when in Shutter Speed Priority mode only. Options between 1/2-1/4000 are available as well. I really like the slow shutter speed options here, such a rarity in the camcorder market. But, again, the fact that shutter speed options aren’t available simultaneous with iris adjustment is disappointing.

White Balance
Standard, for Everio anyway, white balance options exist. They include Manual, Auto, Fine, Cloud, and Halogen. These options are located in the relatively convenient location of the camcorder’s manual control menu system, accessible, by pressing down the joystick control.

Gain
There is not manual gain control on the GZ-MC500, though there is an Auto Gain Up function available within the menu system. This is consistent with the options on previous Everios.

Still Performance
The GZ-MC500, like the other Everios, includes a separate mode for still recording. This mode is accessed using the camcorder’s mode dial. Within all shooting scenarios available in video mode are available, including Shutter Priority, Aperture Priority, Manual, Automatic, Twilight, Sports, Snow, and Portrait scenarios. While most of these scenarios are preset, limited automatic modes, it’s nice to have control over aperture and shutter speed during still capture.

Stills can be captured at resolutions of 2560x1920, 2048x1536, 1600x1200, 1280x960, and 640x480. The three CCDs (1.23MP effective on each) of the GZ-MC500, along with a some pixel shifting technology, allow capture at resolutions this size. 2560x1920 capture is certainly far beyond the capability of other Everios and really makes the GZ-MC500 more of a realistic hybrid offering. It will be interesting to see what the “real” resolution of stills taken on this camera is. One of the best things about the still capacity of the GZ-MC500 is the sheer amount of stills available for capture on the camera’s included 4GB Microdrive (approximately 1800 Fine quality JPEGs at 2560x1920. Stills can also be recorded the camcorder’s SD card. Additionally, auto exposure bracketing from 1.3 to -1.3 and real time histogram display are available. A self-timer is available for 2 and 10 seconds, and ISO options of 100 and 200 exist. The camcorder’s 10x optical zoom is reduced to 8x in the digital camera mode.

Playback Mode
Playback modes in all three shooting scenarios (camcorder, digital camera, and voice recording) are available using the switch on the left side of the camcorder. Once set to playback, the camcorder reboots into playback mode depending upon which scenario the use is capturing within. The tapeless Microdrive media makes playback extremely easy to navigation, and much quicker than tape-based playback with all of its rewinding and fast forwarding. Also, moving files from camcorder to computer couldn’t be easier as the Microdrive can be plugged into most compact flash card slots. Navigation of footage is available using the camcorder’s navigational joystick.

Low Light Performance
It was not possible to thoroughly evaluate the low light performance of the GZ-MC500 at JVC’s booth at PMA, and with this camcorder speculation is going to be difficult. As with most three CCD camcorders, we can generally expect good low light performance; however, the other Everio camcorders performed so poorly that we're hesitant to make this claim here. On the brighter side, JVC has included its 3D Noise reduction technology on the GZ-MC500, which, when coupled with the extra color information from the three CCDs, may strike a good balance between image quality and color. But, it was not that the previous Everios suffered tremendous amounts of noise in low light situations, but that they showed very dark, bordering on unintelligible, images in the first place.

LCD/Viewfinder
The GZ-MC500 includes a 1.8” LCD screen, located squarely on the back of the camcorder. As this is a compact camcorder, it lacks an viewfinder. The LCD screen, however, is quality, showing good images with low amounts of solarization. Everio’s new menu system also makes things a bit more pleasant to look at.

Audio
The GZ-MC500 captures 16 bit audio in both camcorder and voice recorder modes. The camcorder's built-in stereo microphone is located on the top of the camcorder body. There is no external microphone jack or accessory shoe. I really hope that JVC comes out with an accessory to allow a microphone input on the Everio, it would be a huge boost, because, with the prosumer market this is targeting it's really tough to want a 3 CCD camcorder and not have a mic input for professional shooting situations or just shooting situations where quality is critical. On the other hand, a case can be made that with a camcorder this small, putting an external microphone on it would totally kill the point.

Handling
The GZ-MC500 handles okay; its greatest strengths are its greatest weaknesses. Its small size is definitely the over-riding gimmick in play on these Everios, and the fact that the camcorder has three CCDs makes the new Everio very impressive for its portability. But as the camcorders small size makes carrying easy, it can make recording difficult. The camcorder has no heft which might make recording a bit less stable than heavier camcorders. The camcorder does have a neat rotating body which helps angular shots, but focusing using the focus ring can be a little difficult as the ring is so small. This is not to say that the handling on the GZ-MC500 is any worse than on the other Everios. Especially, compared to the GZ-MC200, the GZ-MC500 handles very similarly and in many ways better. The focus ring on the GZ-MC500 is better than the GZ-MC200’s joystick method. As much as the GZ-MC500 works to bridge the gap between three CCD camcorder and compact camcorders, it suffers from the rough reconciliation between compact size and the “big camcorder features” such as the focus ring. I’d say, in the GZ-MC500’s defense, that such rough reconciliations are inevitable when a technology is ground-breaking.

Jacks, Ports, and Plugs
The GZ-MC300 features a number of ports consistent not only with previous Everio modes but also with ports necessary on a compact hybrid camcorder. Though there is no microphone input, accessory shoe, or S-Video port; a High-Speed USB 2.0 port, an A/V output, and headphone port are all available. Every port but the USB port are located on the left side of the camcorder’s front; the USB located on the left side.

Other Features
D. Wide This function allow the user the to set a wider angle for the camera’s optics. With this feature set “on” the optical zoom can retract to .8x (rather than 1x) Wind Cut This feature cuts some frequencies from the audio signal to reduce unwanted wind noise during recording.

Digital Effects Some digital effects are available within the camcorder’s manual control menu system (strobe, classic film, monotone (b/w), sepia). Sepia, Monotone, and Strobe are available during playback, while Sepia and Monotone are available during playback.

Playback Scene Transitions Some digitally effected transitions are available to bridge clips in playback mode. They include: white fader, black fader, monotone fader, corner wipe, window wipe, slide wipe, door wipe, scroll wipe, and shutter wipe.

Voice Recording Mode Audio recording is available in this mode at Fine, Standard, and Economy qualities. WAV files are saved to the camcorder’s media for up to 34 hrs. 43 min. at Economy quality.

Pictbridge and DPOF Capability The GZ-MC500 is compatible with both of these formats, making printing certain images directly from the camcorder very easy, so long as you’ve got the right printer.

Widescreen Mode A digitally squeezed 16:9 mode is available on the GZ-MC500, accessible within the camcorder’s menu system.

Conclusion
The GZ-MC500 is definitely an exciting camcorder as it fills the slot of the smallest three CCD camcorder as well as it breaks ground as the world’s first three CCD camcorder to use tapeless media. Aside from these accomplishments, the GS-MC500 also offers many upgrades from last fall Everios, namely enhanced manual controls and better still performance. The GZ-MC500’s impressive still resolution is definitely a plus and pushes the camcorder’s classification as a hybrid camcorder into a bit more of a realistic realm.

We areinterested to see how the GZ-MC500 performs in low light conditions. Certainly its three CCDs will help out with color quality and its 3D Noise Reduction with noise, but last falls Everios really suffered in this category, which adds a certain amount of skepticism. We really really want the low light performance on the GZ-MC500 to be at least decent, becuase it would make this such an awsome camcorder if it was.

I am both disappointed and impressed with the GZ-MC500’s external design. It reconciles the compact camcorder form of the GZ-MC200 with the big-time features of most three CCD camcorders. While the product of this reconciliation is a ground-breaking camcorder, it also forces the GZ-MC500 into an awkward place. The focus ring seems a bit out of place, as does the lens hood.

The pricing on the GZ-MC500, street around $1,500 to $1,600 is going to raise a few eyebrows. It is not cheap. Especially considering the prices of other MiniDV 3 CCD models which arguably offer more features and more control. However, the small size / anticipated video quality of this thing is really hard to forget. It seems that the market for this camcorder might be "the consumer camcorder for pro users." That is, JVC might have come up with a camcorder that combines the small factor that everyone wants for their "family cam" with high quality video (and hopfeully high quality low light) delivered by 3 CCDs. I guess we'll have to wait and see how it does in our testing lab!