JVC GR-D33 Camcorder Review

by Mark Bassett
Published on Apr 23, 2004 12:00 AM



The first and most budget minded model in JVC's low end consumer camcorder 2004 line is the $349 GR-D33 (Review, Specs, $329.94). JVC's GR-D33 includes a1/6th inch 680k CCD, zoom power to 16x, built in LED, and a 2.5 inch LCD. The most impressive feature of this camcorder however isn't found in a stat, it's the GR-D33's outstanding low light performance which really sets the camcorder apart from it's competitors .

Video Performance (6.5)
Well, after putting the GR-D33 through the paces in the Camcorderinfo labs, it would appear that the camcorder isn't a let down. The colors reproduced at 3000 LUX are bright and nicely saturated. While suffering slightly from a case of the blues, overall the GR-D33 has nice separation with little bleed in the more subtle shades, and as a result will accurately represent the color intricacies of those gaudy golf sweaters. For the price the colors are on par with the HC40, and the GR-D33 is the least pricey in the JVC line. The accurate color representation could be attributed to JVC's 3D noise reduction feature, which is designed to minimize visual feedback, and thereby capture a more distinct image with accurate color representation without bleed. It would appear as though that is the case with the GR-D33, with one small exception, and that is in the greens. Perhaps because, like the Sony, the GR-D33 like blue tones the separation in the greens isn't as precise as in other color ranges in our spectrum. Overall, the GR-D33 performed very well.

The Front (8.5)
The top of the front of the JVC GR-D33 has a 30mm lens where as Sony's HC's have a 25mm lens. This 30mm Video Lens has a 16x optical zoom, surprisingly the low end of the JVC line has the same powerful zoom as one model up, the GR-D72 (Review, Specs, $207.95). A 16x optical zoom isn't shabby at all, in fact, craftsmanship aside, the GR-D33 is almost on par with the low-end Canon ZR which has an 18x optical zoom. Below the lens is the infrared sensor for light metering, and left of the sensor, is a two-bulb LED light and a two channel microphone that records in 12 or 16 bit sound. While the LED is a nice touch, it isn't by any means a substitute for an accessory spot light, and unfortunately that isn't an option with the GR-D33, as JVC doesn't have an accessory shoe on the top of the camcorder. That also means the internal microphone will have to suffice.

The Right Side (8.5)
The GR-D33 has a bottom loading MiniDV cassette mechanism, and the MiniDV tape is housed beneath a dark gray plastic panel that makes up the majority of the right side. Running from front to back on the right side of the GR-D33 is a pleather palm-strap. This is, as stated in no uncertain terms in the first impression review , a disappointment. One of the most important aspects of a camcorder is how snuggly it rests in your palm. The strap doesn't give you that secure feeling that makes the camcorder an extension of your hand, it flops around even when tightened down .

A silver locking mode selector at the back of the camcorder has four settings: manual, automatic, off, and playback. The automatic option is similar to the Sony's EasyMode, in that it limits manual control functions and is an effort to appeal to newbie users who could be confused by the significant amount of manual control options of the GR-D33.

The Back (8.0)
The battery occupies most of the back of the GR-D33. Above the battery is a static color viewfinder that doesn't have any vertical rotation abilities. The record switch is positioned lengthwise along the ride side of the camcorder. Above the record button and to the left of the viewfinder is the gauge for the depressible jog dial. This is the major control feature for LCD navigation, manual adjustments, and volume.

The Left Side (8.0)
The left side of GR-D33 is home to the 2.5 inch LCD screen. Because of the overall size reduction there isn't enough room for a bigger LCD, but this one has nice representation of image. Open the LCD to find the playback switches stop, rewind, play, and fast forward tucked inside. The rewind button doubles as night shot. Beneath these switches is a quarter sized speaker and some of the video ports. At the back of the GR-D33 outside of the LCD are the AV in/out input, the DC power cable, and the two-bulb LED button.

The Top (7.0)
The most noticeable absence on the top of the GR-D33 is the lack of an accessory port. Perhaps the built in LED and microphone means no need for external options but for the more serious hobbyist, that just isn't going to do it. While these are nice add-ons, they're not substitutes for the accuracy of an external microphone, or a true spot light. On the back of the right side are the raised zoom, electronic shutter for taking still pictures to tape, and the depressible jog dial.

Picture & Manual Control
Automatic Control (6.5)
The GR-D33 processor produces adequate results in auto. The GR-D33 seems to respond well to adjustments in the scene setup, however the camcorder doesn't offer anything special with regards to ease of use or auto control features. It's tough to get a high score in the automatic control section because of the outstanding ease of use and automatic control features included on Sony's consumer line camcorders including the spot metering and spot focus features.

Overall Manual Control (4.0)
Manual control is a weak-point on all of JVC's camcorders, from the GR-D33 up. Manual functions are adjusted using hidden menu's and the system is just not intutivie, probably the world overall manual control system of any manufacturer. It's really too bad because JVC hands you a great image, and it would be great if they also handed you the control to make that great image even better.

The majority of manual control on the JVC GR-D33, is accessed through the LCD menu, and controlled with a depressible jog dial perfectly positioned at back of the top of the MiniDV cassette mechanism housing. This dial is right where it should be, and as a result can be used while holding the camcorder for shooting. The device changes focus, exposure, shutter speed, and white balance. If the designers at JVC made the dial a little more like the zoom toggle they'd have themselves a real winner.

Zoom (7.5)
At one of the lowest price points in the range, the JVC GR-D33 has one of the strongest optical zooms. At 16x optical the GR-D33 is only two power steps below Canon's ZR80MC which clocks in at 18x optical. Most of the other camcorders in this price range, including the Sony's, have 10x optical zoom. The zoom toggle is well designed, and nestled in easy reach of the index finger. It allows for three different variable speed zooms.

Focus (2.0)
If you want manual focus on the GR-D33 you must use the depressible jog dial. While the location of the dial does allow for one handed adjustments when the camcorder is in the shooting position, the dial is small. The problem is that the jog dial is just not accessible enough for a feature as important as manual focus control. After zoom control, you're going to need to use the focus control the most, and it should be on a focus ring or very well placed buttons, hiding it in a menu screen with a small jog dial to access it is a poor design decision on JVC's part.

Exposure (Aperture) (3.5)
Manual exposure on the GR-D33 can be altered through the LCD menu with the depressible dial. The control is accessed through the same method as the focus control, and thus suffers from the same inaccessibility problems. Exposure control on the GR-D33 is not easy to use, and is frankly worse than the touch screen offered by the Sony models, which in itself is pretty bad.

Shutter Speed (5.0)
On the GR-D72US shutter speed is also in LCD menu. Speed steps start at 1/50th up to 1,000th of a second. Just like the focus and the exposure, the shutter speed being hidden in the menu is a big problem. However, relativelyt speaking, the shutter speed control isn't terrible. This is about average for camcorders in this price range. The Sony has no manual shutter speed control, while the Canon's shutter speed is controlled through the menu. The Panasonic's shutter speed is slightly better with more accessible buttons.

White Balance (7.0)
The GR-D33 has the standard white balance settings: Indoor, Outdoor, Manual, and Automatic, which are accessed through the jog dial menu system. Of course we would like a dedicated button (after we get one for focus, one for exposure and one for shutter speed), but this is not that different from the level of control offered on similarly priced camcorders.

Gain (0.0)
The JVC GR-D33 does not include manual gain control.

Still Performance (3.5)
The JVC GR-D33 does not include any media jacks for recording stills to an external media card. The camcorder can however record 640 x 480 pixel resolution stills to tape, however these are next to useless.

VCR Mode (6.0)
I'm not entirely thrilled with the VCR mode on the GR-D33. It's not that the rewind, fast forward, play, and stop buttons don't do their job, it's just that they don't do it exceptionally well. This is primarily because on the GR-D72US's these buttons are located beneath the LCD menu, and not only are they small, users must open the LCD for playback. I'm thinking about integration into desktop editing platform, or playback on a television and an open LCD and a tucked away series of buttons could be a source of mild frustration.

Low Light Performance (4.7)
The GR-D33 has a fairly small 1/6th inch 680K pixel CCD. However, surprisingly enough this little CCD pulled some weight when it came to the low light testing facilities. With the calibrated lux rating set at 60 lux, think one incandescent light bulb, the GR-D33 sure did put on a performance. The colors are actually colors! From blues to reds to yellows and greens, each brick on the chart is readily perceptible and distinct. in the 15lux test the GR-D33 performed better than in the field, there is still the clarity of image but there is also color representation that was not apparent in the field. This is a nice surprise. Notice that the only real bleed in the color is between the greens and the yellows, the same place that was found at 60lux. Again when the camcorder likes a certain color then the image defaults when in doubt, so with preference for blues, the mix gets similar when yellow and green are concerned. There is a little grain, but comparably, the GR-D33 does a much better job in low light than the Sony DCR-HC20 (Review, Specs, $255), DCR-TRV260 (Review, Specs, $543.27), or the Canon ZR80.

LCD / Viewfinder (5.0)
The GR-D33 has a 2.5 in color LCD screen, that does a decent job with picture representation, but when in the menu, the fonts are large and crowd the small space. The LCD angles every which way, but the color viewfinder is completely stationary. The LCD is pretty sharp like I mentioned earlier.

Audio (2.0)
The GR-D33 has a built in stereo microphone with 16 and 12bit for laying tracks. The on-camcorder microphone doesn't perform particularily well, however the on-camera microphones on most camcorders don't perform very well. The biggest problem on the GR-D33 is it'total lack of audio options. We concentrate much more on audio options than on-camcorder microphones. The GR-D33 though doesn't include a microphone in jack or an accessory shoe. You are stuck using the on-camcorder microphone, a fatal flaw if audio is of any importance to you.

Handling (6.5)
This is a key area: if your camcorder isn't a pleasure to hold then something is wrong. The JVC's GR-D33 is somewhat awkward in hand. This is the result of a poorly designed palm-strap that causes the GR-D33 to wobble when shooting with one hand. It's balanced nicely, and lightweight, but when in hand the camcorder just doesn't feel substantial. Why JVC didn't spring for a quality strap or re-configure the contact points to cross diagonally over the back of the hand is something that eludes me. Port placement is on target and even though the some of the key jacks are underneath the LCD, namely Firewire, they do not stand in the way of functionality. The VCR playback buttons are on the small side and hidden away beneath the LCD, and the depressible jog dial is also small. However, the placement of the jog dial allows for one handed alteration of manual settings while in shooting position; this includes activating or deactivating the LED light. The zoom toggle for the sizable 16x optical zoom is a winner, it's a little on the loose side but works nicely. The camcorder is way too small for a three inch LCD, and the viewfinder is another one of the non-movers, although from looking at some of our readers' recent posts, I suspect that few readers use the feature any longer. Am I on track here? Do chime in and let us know.

Ports (6.0)
The assortment of jacks on the GR-D33 include: a Mini AV in / out, which is also the headphone jack, an SVideo In/Out, and a Firewire port. As camcorder realestate is ever shrinking, the ports are, for the most part, well placed and out of the way, accessible when needed. However the GR-D33 looses points for not including a microphone in jack.

Other Features (6.0)
16:9 widescreen mode If you count digital enhancement, then the GR-D33 has squeezed 16:9 wide screen capabilities. This widescreen mode utilizes all the pixels of the image and is a neat add-on.

Webcam There is a Firewire but no included software, those in the know will be able to rig up the GR-D33 to the PC or Mac, if you must, with a slew of gratis software options on the web.

Analog to Digital Pass Through There is no Analog to Digital Pass Through on the JVC GR-D33.

Comparisons
The GR-D33, has a 1/6 inch 680k CCD that manages to do the trick in low-light and performed very well in the video quality evaluation. The 16x optical zoom is one of the most powerful in the industry and JVC has. Canon's low end model, the ZR80, has the same CCD and a comparable optical zoom for about $50 more, but it just doesn't capture video nearly as well as the JVC GR-D33. The differences in quality become even more appartent in low light. The ZR80 is more comfortable to hold in hand than the JVC and has playback buttons on the exterior and also has the premier Canon lens, as well as better manual control, the ZR looses out in the most important category: Overall Video Performance.

Sony's DCR-HC20 carries a higher price tag and as result has a lot more nifty gadgets and design attractiveness, but it doesn't have the video chops. JVC beats out Sony in the low-light and video performance tests. This is a coup for JVC, as last year Sony had the number one spot. Another option from Sony in this price range is the Digital8 TRV460 (Review, Specs, $299.99), which incorporates many of the same features as the HC20, including a lack luster performance in video and low-light, and minimal optical zoom. The advantage the DCR-HC20 and the DCR-TRV460 (Review, Specs, $299.99) offers however is greater ease of use with their touch screen LCD screen.

Who's it For
Point and Shooter's
Not the most sophisticated point and shooter on the block, but the GR-D33 is an option primarily because of its decent video performance and low light skills.
Budget Consumers
Yes, the GR-D33 is a budget minded consumer first choice, at around $50 less than the competition it boasts a 1/6th inch 680k CCD, 16x optical zoom and a two-bulb LED.
Still Photo / Video Camera Hybrid
Yeah well, here's the rub: If you want a digital camera buy a digital camera. The GR-D33 shoots stills to tape at 640x480.
Gadget Freaks
Not much in the way of gadgets here, the GR-D33 LED is the only real gadget on this camcorder.
Manual Control Freaks
Yes there are manual controls; no they aren't too easy to use. The GR-D33 is a point and shooter with the opportunity to adjust picture, but not too much opportunity, and the depressible jog dial is small.
Pro's/ Serious Hobbyists
If you're shooting B-Roll during the day, and you have Voice Over or music to lay over the audio, then you've got yourself a camcorder that won't tire out the shoulder.

Conclusion
The JVC GR-D33 doesn't disappoint. The GR-D33 is essentially a point and shoot camcorder designed to be functional within a large range of shooting variable conditions. Problems only arise with regards to manual control when you want to adjust your images. The CCD isn't massive, but the optical zoom is, and very few camcorder manufactures will let you out of the store, wallet in tact, with a kicking zoom and decent video and low light . Unfortunately, there are no external microphone capabilities and the strap is loose fitting, that and the manual functionality is on the small side-the depressible jog dial could be improved. It's in a good location for working on adjustments on the fly, but it's still an area for R and D to analyze for future refinement. If audio is important, than the lack of options should be a deal killer.

All in all, the GR-D33 is a great camcorder for the budget consumer who wants the important, more expensive, options for less. You can't get this good low light performance in any camcorder for $350, let alone any camcorder under $600. This is a great buy if you can go with great low light, but no options to adjust the picture or your audio signal. JVC should be applauded for bringing higher end quality to their consumer models, we just need the functionality and control to take that to the next step.