JVC GZ-MG555 Camcorder Reviewby David KenderPublished on Jun 11, 2007 9:00 AM
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Audio (7.0)
The GZ-MG555 records sound via a dual-channel Dolby Digital microphone mounted to the front. JVC made a wise decision not to mount the microphone on the top of a camcorder this pint-sized—we can already palm the little bugger as it is. This way, the microphone is safe from roving fingers set out to muffle and distort recorded audio during shooting. The GZ-MG555 includes a mic jack mounted to the front and cold accessory shoe on top, but no headphone jack, leaving us scratching our heads. The convoluted wire mess you’ll have to deal with in order to connect an external microphone is highly frustrating.
As stated earlier, mic and headphone jacks should be joined at the hip. JVC should take notes on the blueprints of Sony’s new AVCHD HDR-SR7, which migrates most of its ports to the right side of the camcorder, including a separate port cover housing both a mic and headphone jack together. The SR7 also has a hot shoe, and although it’s a proprietary Sony hot shoe, you don’t have to rely on a battery-powered external microphone. That’s the way it should be, JVC—minus the Sony-only accessories.
The GZ-MG555 offers a windscreen feature that pretty much amounts to…nothing. In this price range, consumer camcorders are not expected to churn out golden audio, and a windscreen is not going to serve as a magical audio elixir. Most camcorders at this level feature a 5.1 channel Dolby Digital microphone, so don’t be surprised if the GZ-MG555’s recorded audio is subpar to say the least.
Playback (3.25)
Playback on the GZ-MG555 is annoying, to say the least. On most camcorders, there is a small playback submenu on the LCD screen or playback strip located on the LCD panel. That’s not the case here—it’s a bit of a free-for-all. We’ll get to that in a minute. In video mode, when the playback button in the LCD cavity is pressed, a screen with icons representing video clips appears. Up to nine icons can fit within the screen at a time. In order to select a clip, press the center of the joystick. The clip begins playing, but you won’t see any playback controls anywhere. In this case, you must blindly use the joystick—center is pause, down skips to the next clip, up, starts the clip from the beginning, left rewinds, and right fast-forwards. The navigation is choppy, and you must rely on your memory to deal with the silliness of this playback structure.
The playback screen: Each video clip is a thumbnail
Pressing the function button cues a menu screen with the following options: delete, protect, edited copy, change event registry, effect, wipe/fader, playback playlist, edit playlist, playback MPG file, and playback normal file. Pressing the menu button brings up the same administrative menu found in record mode. The index button toggles between the main icon menu and also brings you to a page that allows you to search clips by date and a page that allows you to group clips by a particular event.
Playing back still images is relatively the same, aside from a few minor tweaks. This time, pressing the center of the joystick begins a slideshow, right selects the next image, left selects the previous image, and up and down rotate the image 90 degrees to the right or left. When the info button is pressed while viewing an image, the image’s file name, folder, date/time taken, size, quality, and protect settings are displayed. Pressing the info button a second time brings up a histogram and shutter speed, aperture, and ISO information. The function menu is comprised of the following: delete, protect, copy, move, DPOF, and effect (sepia and monotone) settings.
Connectivity (7.25)
Unlike most camcorders, the GZ-MG555 does not contain any ports on either the right or left side. In a way, this helps reduce cable clutter while handling the camcorder. What it really comes down to is that on a camcorder this small, the pickins’ are slim. In front is a cheap plastic cover housing the USB terminal and mic jack. If you plan on using an external microphone, be prepared to weave an elaborate cable route in order to keep the field of view safe from a wandering wire. In back you’ll find the A/V out and DC jacks, sheltered by the same grade plastic cover. You can actually pull these out by sneezing on them. The covers pop right back in, but we wouldn’t recommend it. Underneath the GZ-MG555 is an SD card slot which is secured by a sturdy plastic hinged door. Now we’re talking. But then you have to take the camcorder off a tripod in order to swap cards. It’s not logical, but we’ll give JVC the benefit of the doubt, based on the GZ-MG555’s miniature frame.
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The AV and power ports are located in the back. |
The mic jack and USB are in the front |
The GZ-MG555 also comes with a docking station that includes the following terminals, jacks, and inputs: S-Video, A/V, DC, Firewire, and USB. Now we’re talking.
Now it’s time to take a trip back to the Hi8 years—the GZ-MG555 includes an analog input option. In the general settings menu screen, you can choose to turn the A/V out jack into an old school analog jack. Between the classic program AE dial, S-Video jack, and analog capabilities, the GZ-MG555 is looking like a retro hero in a modern age. Having an analog input means you can record directly from a TV to the camcorder, so start digging up those old home movies. Most manufacturers, like Sony, have abandoned this option entirely. JVC is holding a up lighter to the grunge rock decade.
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The JVC GZ-MG555 in its docking station |
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