JVC GZ-MG37 Camcorder Review

Ease of Use (7.0)
In addition to portability, ease of use is one of the top features of this camcorder. It’s not just that the manual controls are easy to maneuver through, and have a simpler layout than Panasonic and Sony. It’s the fact that HDD camcorders are simple to use by definition. There is no tape of DVD to change, lose, or mislabel. There is no mechanism to open, increasing chances of breakage or dust entering the body. HDD camcorders are entirely self-contained. When you want to record, hit record. When you want to obtain the footage, either connect it to a computer via the USB cable, or to the new JVC DVD burner, designed especially for the Everio camcorders.

Everything about this camcorder seems to be designed for ease of use. When you put the camcorder in auto mode, you have access to even fewer features than a Sony. This is a sort of idiot-proofing that many users will appreciate. The battery info feature tells you exactly how much battery time and recording capacity you have left. The auto mode takes over all image quality concerns.

The major problems occur after shooting. If you’re interested in editing, MPEG2 files are not the way to go. We go into more detail in the Compression section below, but in short, they present a number of issues. Also, archiving footage is a problem. When you record on a tape or DVD, the physical remnant is still there. You work from the permanent archive. But is this hard drive is damaged, you could lose everything. Sure, you can burn them directly to DVD with the Everio Share Station CU-VD10, but at an extra cost of $200.

Handling (4.5)
The GZ-MG37 handles well for an ultra-compact camcorder. Last year’s G series had a poorly designed four-way touchpad that was too small to handle well. This year the control has been replaced with a joystick. Also, this control has moved from the LCD cavity to the outer edge of the LCD panel, keeping up with a trend the Canon has chosen as well. The outcome is a control that is easier to handle in all regards.

Ultra compacts camcorders are not everybody’s ideal design. Folks used to larger body, or prosumer designs, will balk at the way their index finger completely overshoots the zoom toggle. Also, the body on our test model has a tendency to make a squeaking sound when we grip the top, something that will end up on your audio track.

An animated graphic above shows the administrative menu.

Last year’s models had a tendency to heat up, but the MG37 did not exhibit the same problem. The battery info button, carried over from last year, is an extremely useful tool, giving you the exact battery time and recording capacity, in minutes, remaining.

There was one very peculiar and frustrating problem that might affect handling. It seems that if the camcorder is left alone to record for more than five minutes at a time without any manual control engaged, it will automatically shut off. This is no simple battery saving device, a common feature which will shut off a camcorder in stand-by. In this case, even if the camcorder is recording, it will completely shut down and stop recording. This quality will curtail certain kinds of shooting, including anything where you need a long, steady, uninterrupted shot.

Portability (9.5)
The MG37 is undeniably portable. In fact, this is one of the top reasons to purchase this camcorder. It’s slim, short, and completely self-contained – no tapes, no DVDs, no memory cards. Of course, this sort of portability has its drawbacks. If the camcorder is lost, stolen, or damaged, and you haven’t downloaded your footage, it’s all gone. This is a relatively unlikely scenario (if you’re diligent with your downloading or DVD converting), so it’s hard to knock the G-series in the portability category.  

LCD/Viewfinder (5.5)
The JVC GZ-MG37 only has an 2.7" LCD, so consumers who rely upon and need an electronic color viewfinder should look elsewhere. When well designed, an electronic color viewfinder can be a valuable asset; when the cam is low on power the switch from LCD to viewfinder will lessen battery consumption and allow for longer periods of shooting. Another advantage of an included viewfinder comes when shooting in lighting situations that aren’t conducive to using an LCD, such as under harsh sunlight that causes solarization, or places where a low profile is essential and a bright glowing LCD is unwanted.

Battery Life (8.3)
The included BN-VF707 battery was tested for endurance. It seems that that the battery test would have been quite easy for the MG37. With 7 straight hours of recording capacity for the highest quality video, we should have been able to simply hit record and stop the clock when the battery ran out. Instead, our efforts were frustrated by the camcorders insistence that a manual control be engaged every five minutes, or it would automatically shut off.

This runs contrary to our testing standards, where we put a camcorder in constant record and run the battery down, with no manual controls engaged. In order to accommodate this quirk, we simply set the zoom to 1x and tapped the zoom toggle to the left every few minutes. This registered as a “manual control” with the camcorder, but did not actually change the zoom and tax the battery.

In total, the battery lasted 82 minutes and 57 seconds (1 hour, 22 minutes, and 57 seconds). This is slightly below average, but rather poor when considering that of the seven hours of HQ capacity, you’ll only have enough time to capture a fraction of that.