JVC With Two MiniDVs for 2008: The GR-D850 and GR-D870

by Michael Perlman

Published on Jan 6, 2008 9:00 AM
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The new JVC GR-D870 MiniDV Camcorder

  
   
January 6, 2008 - Amid a flood of camcorder announcements today at CES, JVC announced their new MiniDV lineup. Like most manufacturers, JVC has reduced their offerings in this category as both high definition and random access media take center stage. MiniDV camcorders now litter the budget market with little innovation. However, JVC may have managed to infuse some life into the category. The GR-D870 ($249.95 MSRP) and GR-D850 ($229.95 MSRP) are both compact and highly affordable camcorders that suit shooters looking for longer record times and reliable, achievable media. New features this year include Dual Recording (simultaneous video and still capture) and Live Slow (slow motion). The MiniDV camcorders have also been altered in appearance to resemble the JVC’s popular Everio line of HDD camcorders.

The GR-D870 and GR-D850 both feature 1/6-inch, 680,000 imagers, 2.7-inch wide LCD screens, and 35x optical zooms. Both camcorders utilize a new onscreen display, and video lights. The MiniDV models use an LCD-mounted joysticks rather than the new “Laser Touch” navigation on the Everio camcorders. They do, however, offer a new “Power-Linked Operation” that allows the camcorder to automatically shift in and out of hibernation mode when the LCD panel is open and closed.


The new JVC GR-D850

The step-up GR-D870 can take stills up to 640 x 480 and features an SD/MMC memory card slot. The GR-D870 is equipped with JVC’s new Dual Recording mode. Dual Recording mode allows shooters to capture stills while in video mode, like Sony’s Dual Record mode.

The GR-D870 also has Live Slow, a new feature for JVC that enables footage to be recorded in slow motion (a quarter of the speed) and paired up with real-time sound. Both camcorders have dedicated Auto/Manual buttons and Data Battery buttons that indicate the remaining recording time. The included battery is expected to record continuously for up to 120 minutes. A new Auto LCD Backlight is designed for easy viewing in bright atmospheres.

The GR-D850 and GR-D870 are expected to ship in January for $229.95 and $249.95, respectively.