JVC GZ-MG77 Camcorder Review

The Front (8.35)
The JVC GZ-MG77 is a very compact camcorder, and the front makes this immediately apparent. The most prominent feature is the JVC Video Lens. While it looks like the lenses on the MG77’s step-down models, the JVC GZ-MG37 and MG27, the 30.5mm filter diameter f1.2-f2.0 Bright Lens is the among this camcorder’s major upgrades. Directly below the lens is the onboard stereo microphone, and to the left of the lens and mic is a flash. The flash is set flat against the camcorder’s body, and the lens barrel protrudes a bit beyond it, which could result in nose shadows: the shadow cast by the lens barrel could appear in images captured using the flash. It won’t impact most photos, but users should be aware of this potential drawback.

The Right Side (9.0)
The right side of the GZ-MG77 is where users are reminded of the diminutive size of this camcorder. As an HDD device, this model has no hatch for media here, and the sole feature of the right side is the hand strap which, at first glance, seems oversized. In reality, it’s a conventional sized and nicely padded strap that happens to be on a very small camcorder. For users with larger hands like myself, this could lead to some strain while handling the GZ-MG77. Users with smaller hands, however, will probably find the camcorder a pleasure to hold and use. The DC port is also located on the right side, near the top rear edge of the camcorder. Its plastic port cover is affixed to the camcorder body by plastic connectors, which allow it to be swing out of the way when the port is in use.

The Back (6.0)
There is no viewfinder on the GZ-MG77, which is probably the most noteworthy aspect of the rear. The battery takes up most of the camcorder’s back end, and extends from the bottom edge to a few centimeters from the top. Just above the battery, where one usually finds a viewfinder, is a cover that conceals the AV and USP ports. This cover shares the design of the DC port cover: a simple plastic hatch connected to the camcorder body by plastic connectors. It looks to be a durable port cover, though it can be tricky to open. Along the right hand side, well-placed for a small thumb, is the record on/off button, which doubles as the shutter button for stills. There are no other features on the back of the GZ-MG77, giving it a Spartan appearance.

The Left Side (8.5)
The left side of the JVC GZ-MG77 is where all the action takes place – most of the camcorder’s controls are located either in the LCD cavity or on the LCD itself. While cramming all of the controls on this side is unorthodox, it seems to be a practical way of addressing the camcorder’s very small profile, which leaves little room for button placement. While locating the major interface features on the left side is not as convenient as distributing them around the camcorder’s body, it seems to be a reasonable trade-off given the compact size of the device. The widescreen LCD screen measures 2.7”, opens to 90 degrees from the camcorder’s body, and rotates through 270 degrees to allow multiple viewing angles. The screen also can be folded LCD-out into the LCD cavity for monitoring from the left side.

On the outer edge of the LCD panel is one of the more interesting features of the GZ-MG77 - a small but effective joystick for maneuvering through playback and menus. This joystick is very small, and is another feature that users with large hands may find hard to use. Below the joystick is a tiny button that displays the remaining capacity of the HDD (press once), and battery life (press twice). The battery life meter, in particular, is excellent, providing a to-the-minute readout that is far better than the typical battery bar display found on most consumer camcorders.

Inside the LCD cavity, users will find a stack of buttons with the small blue Video/Still mode switch on top. Underneath that is a quartet of buttons: the Flash/Info button, the Auto/Manual mode selector button, the Delete button for file management, and the Menu button. Just to the left of the buttons is a standard S-Video port, rounding out a hat trick of video output options along with the AV and USB ports. Just above the S-Video port is a tiny reset button, used to return the camcorder to factory settings, and to the left of the port is the onboard speaker.

The Top (7.5)
Due to the small size of the GZ-MG77, the top functions largely as the camcorder’s grip, due to the fact that an average-sized hand wraps nearly to the left side of the camcorder. Once again, users with large hands may find this cramping, while users with small hands will likely appreciate the palm-friendly feel. The camcorder’s zoom toggle is located well for index finger access, and is a small, thin rocker that is light to the touch. Directly to the left of the zoom toggle is the Power on-off/Playback/Record mode switch, and three mode indicator lights for Power Off/Charge, HDD access, and Auto.

The Bottom (unscored)
The underside of the JVC GZ-MG77 is worth a mention because the SD memory card slot is on the camcorder’s bottom face. It’s not an ideal location: it is out of sight, and it prevents swapping cards while the camcorder is not tripod-mounted. A greater liability is the battery release, which is also located on the camcorder’s base and inaccessible when the GZ-MG77is tripod-mounted.