JVC GZ-MG505 Camcorder Review

Ease of Use (7.0)
The JVC GZ-MG505 is among the easier camcorders on the market to use, something it shares with all the Everios. There are two elements that make it a winner in this category. The first is HDD, which is inherently easy to use. There is no media to lose, and much less chance of damaging it (given the wrap-around protection of the camcorder body and a few built-in protections). When you need to access the data, just plug in the USB cable.

The second element that makes this an easy to use camcorder is the menu, which is more straightforward and navigable than most. The categories and organization are clear, and moving through them with the joystick is easy. Simple menu animations in the administrative menu help you process the your reading a little faster. The separate manual control menu is scaled down in order to appear onscreen with the image you’re shooting so you can see changes right away.

Great ease of use all around. The score was bumped up significantly in this section from last year due to a change in the Everio design. Last year the camcorders relied on a difficult four-way touch pad that was too small to really use effectively. This year, the switch to a joystick on the side of the LCD panel was a big improvement.

Handling (4.5)
JVC has done an admirable job in designing the GZ-MG505 in a way that takes advantage of its extensive feature set, its HDD recording media, and its relatively small size. One of this camcorder’s big assets in terms of handling is the replacement of last year’s four-way touchpad with the screen-mounted joystick. We were initially skeptical of the on-screen location for the camcorder’s primary control, in part because we’re accustomed to seeing them on the camcorder body. When we actually started using this year’s Everios, we found JVC’s onscreen joystick to be surprisingly convenient. When shooting hand-held with a small camcorder, most users use adopt a two-handed grip some of the time, with their right hand in the hand strap and their left hand on the open LCD panel to help with stabilization. When shooting in this way, the joystick is ideally situated for navigating through on-screen options.

The GZ-MG505 is not as small as its step-down Everio cousins, but its added heft makes it a more comfortable camcorder to hold for users with large hands. While ultra-compact models are appealing in their portability – and the GZ-MG77 can be slipped into a pocket – they suffer from a scaled-down interface. This Everio is heavy for its size, due to the onboard HDD, but it has a feel that we find more natural than many camcorders on the consumer market.

The GZ-MG505 also has a Battery Info feature, unique to JVC (though Sony’s battery check option on the DCR-SR100 comes close). When the camcorder is powered down, pressing and holding the Battery Info button brings up a display that provides a precise gauge of battery life in terms of recording time. Most camcorders include a battery life display that’s no better than the four-bar indicator found on cellphones. The one drawback to the implementation of Battery Info is that you can only engage it when the camcorder is powered down. We’d like JVC to make this option available while actively recording video.

Portability (9.0)
When assessing a camcorder’s portability, it is best seen both in terms of absolute portability and in terms of what it offers. GZ-MG505 falls in the middle of the road for consumer camcorder portability, measuring 74mm x 73mm x 125mm (2.91” x 2.87” x 4.92”), and weighing in at 450g (1.1 lb) with lens hood. To put that into perspective, the GZ-MG77 body is about 75% as large as the GZ-MG505, and can be slipped easily into a large pocket. This camcorder can’t manage that rare feat, but it should easily fit any day pack or handbag. The fact that you won’t need to lug any recording media with you is an added bonus with an HDD camcorder, unless you elect to carry some SD cards for added recording time or flexibility. Finally, the power adaptor is much smaller than the large brick most camcorders ship with, thanks in part to the fact that battery charging happens on-camcorder.

LCD/Viewfinder (5.5)
Like its step-down GZ-MG77, the JVC GZ-MG505 only has an LCD display, so shooters who like to have the option of using an EVF (electronic color viewfinder) will be disappointed. Although LCD’s are more user-friendly, an EVF uses less power and can prolong battery life during a shoot. EVF’s are also useful in brightly lit environments that make LCD displays difficult to read, like full sunlight, or places where a big glowing screen is undesirable. The supplied widescreen LCD screen measures 2.7” with a resolution of 112K pixels, opens to 90 degrees from the camcorder body, and can be rotated through 270 degrees for multiple viewing angles.

Battery Life (5.4)
We tested the battery life of the JVC GZ-MG505 for its endurance during continuous shooting. It was, in fact, a poor showing. Perhaps it can perform better in smaller bursts, but during an uninterrupted shot, it lasted only 54 minutes and 27 seconds – less than 1 hour. Few camcorders have so short a life, except for the next step down GZ-MG77, which was even shorter.