JVC GR-D93 Camcorder Reviewby Mark BassettPublished on Apr 28, 2004 12:00 AM 
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JVC recently launched the flagship MiniDV non-matchbook, or celebrity style camcorder, the GR-D93. The GR-D93 is the most expensive out of the GR line of camcorders which also includes the GR-D33 and the GR-D72. The GR-D93 has a MSRP of $699.99, but also integrates all of the other two camcorders functionality with a ¼ inch 1.33 Mega Pixel CCD. This a big step up from the GR-D33 which is a modestly price camcorder, and a bigger step up from the GR-D72 which is almost as expensive, since both of these other camcorders share the same 1/6th inch 680k CCD, zoom power to 16x, a built in LED, and a 2.5 inch LCD.
Video Performance (7.0)
In the Caminfo tests of JVC GR-D93 and its 1/4 inch 1.33 Mega Pixel CCD, in automatic mode at 3000 lux, colors captured by the processor are bright and nicely saturated. However, the GR-D93 does lean toward the blue end of the color spectrum. The GR-D93 CCD and 3D noise reductions separate and render colors well in bright light. Examining the chroma-key from left to right, then top to bottom, the yellows are accurate without that darker look seen in the GR-D72 and the GR-D33. The reds are a little on the washed out side, but the tiles between the reds and the magentas are crisp and clear. The purple looks terrific and of course the blues are top-notch, deep, full, and distinct. The greens look much better than on the GR-D33 and the GR-D72--not over mixed with blue. The GR-D93 has the JVC 3D noise reduction, and this advent is a contributing force to minimized visual feedback, and a distinct image with accurate color representation.
The Front (8.5)
At the top on the front of the JVC GR-D93 is a 30mm lens, which comes out from the camcorder, it has a two tone stainless steel band that is ribbed as though it were a focus ring. The top of the lens protrudes from the body of the camcorder while the bottom is flush with a shiny light blue swath of plastic. Marked on a threaded black circle made of stainless steel and used to add on lens accessories is 1="3.8~38" F1.8 30.5, JVC Video Lens, 16x optical zoom/AF 1.5mm. Under the lowest edge of the lens is a rounded rectangular infrared sensor that is the eye of the processor and used to gauge light metering: it measures 2mm wide and 1.5mm high. In between the lens and the light metering sensor is the lettering MEGA PIXEL embossed into the GR-D93 body. 1mm below the sensor is a white JVC logo. On the right hand side of the sensor on the MiniDV casing is white lettering which says 700x digital zoom. 1.5mm under this lettering is a built in two bulb LED covered with an opaque plastic oval. Barely .2mm below the LED is internal microphone which is covered by a perforated dark gray plastic panel. Under the microphone, embossed in the camcorder body are L and R and Stereo.
The Right Side (7.0)
On the right side of the GR-D93, which is the MiniDV Side, is the plastic hand strap which reads JVC in white letters. On top of this strap, nearest to the back of the camcorder where the battery clicks into place, is the GR-D93 mode selector. The silver circular plastic selector has a small square protruding to the left, which is flush with the circle. To the right of the selector, there is dark gray plastic lettering which reads DIGITAL VIDEO CAMCORDER. The mode selector has four options indicated in white lettering M, A, OFF (Charge), and play. On top of the mode selector there's white lettering that reads Power/Charge.
The Back (7.0)
On the back of the top of the GR-D93 is a viewfinder measuring 3.3mm wide by 3mm high. However, the actual size of the glass of the viewfinder is 1.5mm by 1.5 mm, and the rest is a hard plastic eye cup. On the left of the viewfinder is white lettering on a slightly raised plastic circle which reads M menu/volume, and - then a c-shaped line, and +. The center of the crescent line has an upside down triangle that points to M Menu/Volume. Under the viewfinder, on the far right hand side of the back, is a silver vertical hook for an included shoulder strap. To the left of the shoulder strap hook is where the battery port is and it measures 5.5mm by 3.5mm. On the left of the battery port is the oblong recording button which sticks .25mm out from the GR-D93.
The Left Side (6.0)
The left side of GR-D93 has a three tone color scheme. The front, where the ribbed stainless steel lens band is, has a shiny light blue color, and the majority of the body is silver. Also, there is a swath of dark blue running from where the viewfinder is to the base where the DC power port is located. The swath starts halfway down the lens casing and curves along the LCD opening. Next to the ribbed stainless steel of the lens in silver lettering are the words Mega Pixel. In the dark blue area, are the words MiniDV. Below the lens casing phrases, is the 2.5 inch LCD panel, which measures 7.5mm long by 5.5mm high. The LCD panel has three stickers running left to right. They read 1.33Mega pixel, 3-D noise reduction, Auto Illumi Light and clear LCD monitor.
On the left of the LCD, in the dark blue swath is a silver button with white lettering under it reading Light, and this button is this manual LED power. 2.5mm below the button are the AV in/out port and the DC power port. The actual screen size of the LCD when open is 5mm by 4mm. Along the body of the GR-D93, beneath the LCD, is an assortment of buttons and ports, with a speaker about the size of a quarter. Looking left to right, then top to bottom, there is a stop button, rewind (night shot), play/pause, fast forward (backlight), SVideo input, a blue switch for recording to video or SD card, an info button, an index button, then in a inlayed section are the Firewire output and the USB output. Below the features buttons on the left side is where the quarter sized speaker is, and left of that is a sticker that contains warning information in English and French. Below the warning sticker is the hinged gray plastic panel that has lettering that reads memory card. The panel can pivot up to input memory cards, which are inserted vertically.
The Top (7.0)
The top of the GR-D93 is divided into a left and right side. The left side has no features, but does contain the words auto light on a stainless steel panel. The left side colored with three reflective tones, the front including the ribbed lens, is light blue, the middle is silver, and the back is dark blue. Part of the viewfinder is also seen in dark gray. The right side is where the MiniDV casing is and is it also dark gray. Halfway along the right side, after a group of three horizontal finger grip ridges, there is a zoom toggle. This toggle protrudes .5mm out of the body of the GR-D93 with an angle of approximately 75 degrees east of perpendicular. The toggle also has a ribbed surface, like the finger grips, and a spring loaded action for left right movement. This movement is gauged by the letters W (widescreen) and T (telephoto), and the total distance is 1.5mm. 1mm behind the zoom toggle, nearer the battery, is a button indicated in white lettering for electronic snapshots, and it is the electronic shutter. Along side of this electronic shutter button is a square button that is both the blank search and manual focus engager. All the way at the back on the right side of the GR-D93 is the dial that is also spring loaded, and often referred to as the depressible jog dial. This dial is approximately 1mm long, and barely sticks out from the surface. It can be rotated either left or right, and when it is the dial clicks through gradient points that represent a variety of options depending on which feature you're adjusting. Anywhere on the spectrum of gradients the dial can be depressed to choose the setting or make a menu selection.
Picture & Manual Control
Automatic Control (6.5)
The GR-D93 can be set into automatic function by putting the menu selector described in the back section into A or automatic mode. In automatic mode the GR-D93 makes all adjustments to optimize video or still images. This includes adjusting focus, exposure, white balance, gain, and aperture or shutter speed. On the GR-D93 it also controls the LED light source which turns on in lower light. This function doesn't adjust zoom, but does optimize the image when the zoom is activated. What Automatic does not adjust is whether the images are recorded to MiniDV or to Memory Card, and when shooting stills it doesn't delineate what resolution of still you are shooting. The GR-D93 can also be set to manual mode by putting the menu selector in M or manual mode.
Overall Manual Control (4.0)
Making manual adjustments with the GR-D93 requires the use of a combination of external buttons and LCD controls, but first and foremost the camcorder must be in M or manual mode to make any of these adjustments. To make changes to manual focus, the button mentioned in the top section, the blank search or focus button, must be pushed then you can use the jog dial to adjust the focus of the image. When making focus changes there are a pair of fonts that have a person and a mountain and a bar between them. If you are close to the person then you are focusing close, if you are close to the mountain then you are focusing far. The rest of the manual features are accessed through the LCD menu. To reach the LCD menu you push in the jog dial, and then scroll to the appropriate sub menu. The second sub menu is program AE, or aperture, and this has settings and a series of pre-sets. The third sub menu is manual or automatic exposure. The fourth sub menu is white balance. The other manual feature on the exterior of the GR-D93 is the button for the included LED light source. These manual control details are outlined below.
Zoom (7.5)
The GR-D93 has a 10x optical zoom, and the GR-D93 is capable of 700x digital zoom. There is a numerical read out on the LCD and viewfinder that lets the user know how much zoom, from 1x to 700x, they are utilizing. Although to use any zoom above 10x users must configure that setting within the LCD menu. The GR-D93 comes defaulted at 40x zoom, which is 30x digital and 10x optical. The raised zoom toggle mentioned in the top section, is used to adjust the zoom with several rates of speed. The zoom speeds are controlled by the user and by the GR-D93's processor. The processor slows down the fast zooms just before the maximum or the minimum zoom amount is achieved. This can also be controlled manually by moving your finger with a little or a lot of pressure, as a rule of thumb, or index finger, the less pressure the better the results, always. Too much pressure and the zoom is wild, and the results are generally weird and make your audience uncomfortable. Communicate your image with a gentle touch and the audience will certainly appreciate your genteel movements. The processor automatically adapts the newly zoomed image somewhat quickly, and unlike the GR-D72 or the GR-D33 you can achieve extreme close-ups. The zoom on the GR-D93 is top notch, despite only being 10x, the toggle works well with multiple zoom speeds and is in a good position for ease of use. Additionally, being able to macro zoom is a plus.
Focus (3.0)
To use the manual focus on the GR-D93, you need to be in manual mode and activate it by pressing the blank tape search button next to the electronic shutter. When you've turned on the manual focus you can adjust the focal point with the depressible jog dial. There is a visual key font that indicates whether the image needs adjustment because you're focusing too far away or too close. There is a lag in picture clarity as the processor renders the new point of focus, so to make the most of the manual focus system, go slow, like the zoom system. Remember that you only need one finger to activate and use manual focus on the GR-D93. The focus is a strong element of the GR-D93, as the functionality is within the reach of one index finger and can be adjusted without much effort.
Exposure (Aperture) (4.5)
To activate the manual exposure on the GR-D93 you must be in manual mode and go to the proper sub menu in the LCD. Then once the system is activated, adjustments to the level of exposure are altered with the jog dial. There is a plus minus number font that tells you whether you are lowering the exposure or increasing the amount of light that gets to the CCD. But the picture is worth a thousand words, and if you feel your picture is too dark, then beef up the amount of light- and if it's too light decrease the amount of light that hits the illuminant points on the CCD. If it were a 35-millimeter camera, then this would be the amount of light that emulsifies the film. There is a built-in light source on the GR-D93 and because it isn't full light, your exposure will need to be frequently adjusted.
Shutter Speed (3.0)
The GR-D93 has two shutter speed options and a number of presets like sun, sand, surf, night, etc. The only two options are 1/60th or 1/100th, and are for low light scenarios, because they keep the shutter open for almost a full second. Better have a steady hand because that is a long time. To activate the manual shutter speeds you need to be in M mode or manual, and choose the option in the correct LCD sub menu.
White Balance (7.0)
The GR-D93 has the standard white balance settings: Indoor, Outdoor, Manual, and Automatic. This is standard and there are very few options because setting manual white balance is even easier than focusing. All you need to do is put the camcorder in M or manual mode and then scroll to the correct LCD sub menu then point the GR-D93 at a white surface and engage the jog dial. Bingo your image is white balanced. This should be repeated at each new lighting configuration.
Gain (0.0)
No gain control on the JVC GR-D93. Many of you have brought up the fact that there is a gain option in a sub menu. That is true, but it is by no means a gain control. Ironically in the demo models on display at CES, there was more gain control on the GR-D93, the gain was part of the exposure sub menu. This was removed on these models, and may be present on the JVC Celebrity camcorders, which are soon to be released.
Still Performance (6.5)
The GR-D93 has one significant upgrade from the GR-D73 and that is the increase in CCD size and the inclusion of 1.33 Mega Pixel(s). Still resolution on the GR-D93 is a maximum 1,600 by 1,200. That is much larger than the of capacity of stills to tape or SD Card on the GR-D73 at a resolution of 1,024x768 or at volume at the low 640x480 resolution. The GR-D93 has four resolution settings. The settings include the aforementioned 1,600x1,200, 1,280x960, 1,024x768, and 640x480. The actual number of stills you can shoot correlates to the size of the card and the resolution of stills. Still pictures can be transferred to PC/Mac or shown on a television screen by attaching the GR-D93 with AV, SVideo, Firewire, or USB. Most monitors are set up at 1,280x960, so that's like wallpaper (unless you have a decent video card). Most televisions are 800x600. Other attributes that can be adjusted when it comes to stills are applying a border or filling the entire screen, and these are adjusted from within the LCD menu. All other points of manual control are the same as when shooting and adjusting video recording. Also, you can use the included remote control (wireless) to shoot stills.
VCR Mode (5.0)
The GR-D93's VCR or playback mode is only accessible by setting the selector switch to playback and opening the LCD to use the correct button. All of the buttons for playback are hidden beneath the LCD, except the blank search which searches for the blank spot on a MiniDV tape and is also the manual focus engagement button. The buttons are kind of small and very close to one another. You can watch the video you recorded or the stills you snapped in playback mode on the LCD, in the viewfinder, on an external media monitor. This can be done by hooking the GR-D93 to the viewing unit with S-Video, AV, or Firewire. Another aspect of the playback mode is when your watch the stills on tape or on SD Card. You can scroll through the stills you've shot or look at an index of the pictures by pushing the index button on the interior panel behind the LCD. This is not the best location as it is difficult with the buttons so close to one another, and you can't inlay the LCD for viewing you must have it open in the perpendicular position. In addition, if you are using an external source you have to deal with cables in close proximity to the function buttons. Luckily, on the GR-D93 there is a remote.
Low Light Performance (4.8)
The GR-D93 has a 1/4th inch 1.33 Mega Pixel CCD, with the slowest shutter speed at 1/60th of a second. The lighting environment was set to 60 lux and the GR-D93 was put in automatic mode and the LED was shut off. Video was captured for several seconds, and looking at those images it is evident that the GR-D93 accurately replicated a full spectrum of colors, including blues to reds to yellows and greens, and each tile on the chroma-key has distinct color representation. The image is not as good as it was at 3000 lux, but the difference isn't that significant either. The main issue is a diminished amount of vibrancy and the subtle grain. However, each tile remains clearly discernable and distinct, with the minor exception in the subtle greens and yellows.
Looking left to right, then top to bottom, the yellow loses some intensity and takes on a drabber tone than at 3000 lux. The reds look nearly the same with some more grain than found at 3000 lux. There's little bleed between true red and magenta and pink which is terrific. The purple tile still looks great with a little grain, and the blues just look fantastic, nearly no grain at all. The green doesn't look as good with some bleed between shade, a lack of vibrancy and evident grain.
Moving the light settings down to 15lux the GR-D93, like all consumer camcorders, struggles to replicate accurate color. At these settings, grain, or noise, is evident, but it's to be expected. Ironically the yellow tile, the one that looked dull at the other light settings, is the most clear at 15lux. The reds tend to blur into the purples and the purple turns to black where the blue tile used to be. The blue to green tiles aren't that bad, and the light blue tile is one of the most accurate colors on the chroma-key. The grain however, isn't much different from the 60lux light setting, which is impressive as image quality on Canon and Sony models in this price range drops considerably between 60 lux and 15 lux. Oddly, there is much more grain on the GR-D93 than there is on the cheaper, GR-D33. The more confusing part of all this is that the GR-D93 has a larger, 1/4 in. CCD while the GR-D33 has a smaller 1/6 in. CCD. The GR-D93 performs comparable to the GR-D72, and it still beats the Sony DCR-HC20 (Review, Specs, $255) and the Canon ZR90 (Review, Specs, $229).
LCD/ Viewfinder (5.0)
The GR-D93 has a 2.5 inch LCD, with a super clear function to make images crisper. The image when the lighting isn't great is on the blue side, but very clear. The LCD tends to fill up with fonts and symbols quickly when in M or manual mode. The LCD menu doesn't have any options for adjusting the image on the LCD so the image is fairly standard. The viewfinder is color but it is static with no rotation, and the eye cup is made from a hard plastic. The LCD is super light so it doesn't alter the GR-D93's balance when shooting with it opened up.
Audio (3.0)
There is no microphone in jack on the GR-D33. The camcorder's stereo microphone records in 16 and 12bit, and you can actually over dub voice into the microphone of the GR-D93. It does have that accessory option on the JVC web site, and in the manual it says that you can perform audio dubbing with a video unit in either S-Video or AV in and you can hook up an external microphone through the AV in/out port. There are no level adjustments, but the speaker is about the size of a quarter and the sound is not bad. The lack of an audio in however kills the audio section on the GR-D93, seriously devaluing this camcorder.
Handling (5.5)
One significant downside to the GR-D93 is the hand strap, which is really not good at keeping the camcorder secure in your hand. This is because it is located so far down on the body of the GR-D93 that it crosses the back of the hand near the wrist, instead of the middle of the hand. What tends to happen, at least on my hand, is that the GR-D93 leans to the left as a result. This is an important factor in a camcorder purchase because if it's not comfortable in your palm, then it's not gonna work. That said, everyone has a different hand and some may find the strap not to big a deal. Try it out. The GR-D93 is small and weighs 1.1 pounds, and it looks cool with the dark blue and silver color scheme. Port placement isn't bad but depending on what you're using the ports for it could be frustrating to need to have the LCD open when you're using them-especially considering that there are external microphone capabilities, because those ports are at the back of the GR-D93. Also under the LCD are the VCR playback buttons, which are small, as is the depressible jog dial. But the GR-D93 has all of the important manual and recording features within reach of your index finger, and thumb on your right hand, with the expectation of the LED on off button. The zoom toggle is great and does a good job of doing the telephoto to widescreen slide.
Ports (8.0)
The GR-D93 jacks include: a Mini AV in / out, a S-Video In/Out, USB and a Firewire port. The only wires that come in the box are the USB and the AV in / out. The ports have good placement despite being tucked beneath the LCD, at least they're out of the way of most of the buttons.
Other Features (6.0)
Some distinct features on the GR-D93 are the two bulb LED (illumni-Light), the S-Video input, and wireless remote control. The 3-D noise reduction is also a helpful feature for better picture in low light and contrast conditions. The GR-D93 has software called JVC Video Community that includes Movie Wow and a picture editing feature.
16:9 widescreen mode
The GR-D93 can either compress the image making it look more vertical or stretch the image in cinema style to make it look like widescreen. Keep in mind, these are digitally enhanced features.
Webcam
There is a Firewire and USB, and a software package so that users can use the GR-D93 as a web cam.
MPEG
The GR-D93 doesn't say it can support MPEG but since you have a software suite included you can likely capture MPEG to the hard drive of your computer through the Firewire or USB.
Analog to Digital Pass Through
The GR-D93 has analog to digital pass through capabilities, through the AV in/out or the SVideo in /out.
Comparisons
The GR-D93 has a 1/4 inch 1.33 CCD that does well in low-light and performed great in the video quality tests at 3000 lux. The 10x optical zoom is small but the same as many other of the comparable camcorders with the exception of Canon’s ZR90, which has a 22x optical zoom. The Canon has a much smaller CCD, 1/6th of an inch with 680K effective, and as a result, Canon’s low light inefficiencies stand out in the tests. I think that the GR-D93 is a really good option for a MiniDV buyer.
The Sharp VL-Z800U is also a comparable price wise and also has a 10x optical zoom but no LED. The Sharp, like the Canon, has a 1/6th inch CCD but at 1.33 Mega Pixels. This camcorder can also adjust gain control and the LCD has a reflective and transmissive LCD that saves battery time when you shoot. The Sharp VL-Z800U is almost the same size as the JVC GR-D93, but with a split body design and a great hand strap, and the two look nothing alike.
Samsung makes a comparable camcorder called the SCD23 with 1/6th inch CCD size and 680k pixel count. This Samsung also has an LED light, and 10x optical zoom. The GR-D93 was much better in video and low light than the SCD32, the ZR90, and the VL-800U (in automatic).
Sony has the HC20 to compete with the GR-D93. The HC20 has a 1/6 inch CCD with 340k effective pixel representation, so it’s really not too much of a surprise that the JVC GR-D93 (1/4 inch CCD 1.33 megapixels) did a much better job than the Sony when tested. Additionally the HC20 has a 10x optical zoom and 120x digital zoom. The HC20 is more geared to ease of use and point and shoot recording than the GR-D93. The Sony HC20 has many more automatic features like a touch sensitive screen and spot metering and spot focus. To conclude the Sony HC20 and GR-D93 comparison, the GR-D93 takes it for low light and video and the HC20 wins out for ease of use with enhanced automatic functionality and a better hand strap.
Who it's For
Point and Shooters (4.0)
The GR-D93 is an ok point and shoot camcorder with stills to tape or to SD Card, with good low light and strong video performance, but the processor lag makes this diminished to an extent.
Budget Consumers (4.0)
For what you get, the GR-D93 is a really good choice for the budget minded buyer. That is if the buyer has some camcorder savvy, or wants to get up to speed on the attributes of good consumer camcorders.
Still Photo / Video Camera Hybrid (5.5)
The GR-D93 is definitely a powerful contender against the digital camera, because it can shoot stills at 1,600x 1,200 and it also has good manual control for adjusting the image, not just snapping the picture.
Gadget Freaks (3.0)
Not too gadgety, but it does have a wireless remote control and a set of editing software and picture tools.
Manual Control Freaks (4.0)
There is good manual control between the external and the LCD options, some of which are frustrating to adjust, but they're there. There could be more manual control and there could be better control mechanisms.
Pro's/ Serious Hobbyists (2.0)
With a $700 price tag, a pro or a serious hobbyist would do better investing that kind of cash elsewhere.
Conclusion
Overall this GR-D93 is a strong camcorder with a decent price. It did perform very well when video and okay in low light were tested. The strap problem is a real bother for me, and in my opinion will likely impact the overall performance. The zoom is small at 10x optical power, but the zoom toggle works very well. There are ample manual features that work fairly well, although a great many of them are in LCD sub menus.
The GR-D93 will work well for beginners and intermediate casual videographers, giving you good tapes of important life events in a variety of conditions. Another good point of the GR-D93 is the small size, but the feel in hand was lack luster. The viewfinder is unimpressive and the LCD is standard, but becomes cluttered with fonts and symbols in M or manual mode. The menu in the LCD is easy to navigate. The GR-D93 has a great look, and feels much more substantial than the GR-D33 or the GR-D72. The GR-D93 and GR-D72 perform similarly in low light situations, slightly better than the GR-D33, and they do beat the similarly priced Canon and Sony models. If audio options or ease of use is key, than go for the Sony model or the Canon. The GR-D93 is good for you if you want high resolution stills, in a small form factor. You can't beat the price of the GR-D93 for stills with camcorders currently on the market.