JVC GZ-MG555 Camcorder Review
By David Kender
Reviewed.com Editorial Staff
August 13, 2007
The GZ-MG555 is JVC’s top standard definition Everio hard disk drive (HDD) this year. While the rest of the Everio line may lag behind in video quality, its top-end model usually manages to pull through with great performance and useful features. The GZ-MG555 is no exception.
Under the proverbial hood you’ll find 5.37 megapixels, a 10x optical zoom, and a large 1/2.5-inch CCD. Last year’s top-end Everio had three smaller CCDs, but surprisingly, this single-chip strategy yielded a better color performance than last year. The colors, while still quite saturated, were significantly toned down from the neon glow of its predecessor. A big CCD creates high expectations for low light performance, and the GZ-MG555 did not disappoint.
These positive comments revolve around color performance; however, the resolution was another story. Despite the high pixel count, the image did not appear all that sharp. When blown up on a large screen TV, many of the fine details remain blurry. The Sony DCR-SR300, a comparatively priced model, did a much better job in this regard.
There are two major players in HDD camcorders — JVC and Sony. While Sony excels at ease of use, JVC definitely holds the key to manual controls. The GZ-MG555 includes options for a mic jack, Aperture and Shutter Priority modes, exposure compensation, manual focus, white balance, a neutral density filter, and some simple, one-touch color correction options. Rather than burying these controls in the menu, the camcorder has a top-mounted mode dial and a joystick on the LCD panel. It takes no time at all to find and engage the settings you want.
Perhaps there’s a reason JVC gifted the GZ-MG555 with so many manual controls — the automatic responses are terrible. This is not a point-and-shoot friendly camcorder. Only the auto focus met expectations. The auto exposure and auto white balance are not up to par for a top-end camcorder, no matter what its other good qualities. Daylight shooting proved to be less of a problem for proper color balance than indoor shooting, but our approval was already lost. If you only pull the camcorder out occasionally for birthday parties, prepare for disappointment.
The GZ-HD7 records video and still images to an internal 30 GB HDD, an adequate capacity for most types of shooting. For longer vacations, you may want to find a higher-capacity camcorder, or consider a stand-alone DVD burner for archiving. They’re relatively portable and do not require a computer as an intermediary. JVC, naturally, makes several models they’ll be happy to sell you (d’ya want fries with that?).
HDD media is very easy to use and is reliable as a short-term storage solution. The GZ-MG555 ships with basic software that provides very simple editing and DVD authoring. If you want to use a more advanced editor, transferring files to a computer can get a bit sticky. Video won’t typically import directly without using intermediary software due to the file structures JVC employs. Included in its software bundle is a conversion tool to make each clip a simple .mpg file.
Overall, the JVC GZ-MG555 has great color in bright and low light, but fails to follow through on resolution. The manual controls and handling are excellent, but the automatic controls fall flat on their face. Is such a contradictory camcorder worth the investment? Probably not, considering Sony has more well-rounded models like the DCR-SR300 for around the same price.
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