[Freelancer]

I've seen this mini DV camcorder at Comet for £290 in store.
I've also seen Jessops selling it for £300 (claiming they've reduced it by half-price) and also selling for £340 an extra battery, DV tape and a case).

By max budget for a camcorder is about £300, but i could stretch to the case option with Jessops as i'm told a 1 hour battery alone would cost around £50.

I've had a play around with the JVC camera in store (ie, looked through the menus) and i've decided i like it. Not really a fan of the Panasonic thumb stick menu which seems basic by comparison when compared to the JVC's options. Not sure i like the gimmick of the recent Sonys with an extra "zoom in/out and menu button" on their LCD screen panel. All the Canon cameras i've played with in store seem to be th basic, and not the heralded Canon MVX200i (of £300).

Because i liked the menu and available options i'm steering towards it. I need a camera pronto for a birthday party and i'd like to record other stuff too - not really needing the stills photo features.

I'm wondering what peoples opinions are on the actual usage though. The Jessop salesman said the Canon is better, but having briefly operated a few Canon camcorders in store, i'm not sure i like their features or menus.

Help me decide please. Are there any glaring omissions with the JVC? Or drawbacks that i should consider?

[MarkE19]

If you like the handling of the JVC camcorder then this is the one that is right for you. There is no point spending money on something that you find difficault or not user friendly in use, you'll just end up leaving it at home.
Although I've never used a JVC cam I have read others on this forum say that the overall build quality of them is not that good. I suggest you do a search of this forum and read up on the comments that have been made.

I strongly suggest you get a longer life battery than the one supplied with any cam, as they only normally last up to a max of about an hour and this is never long enough. A good case is also a must for protection when the cam is being stored or even carried around. Don'yt however get bullied into the one they offer. Have a look at what Jessops (or whoever) offer and see what fits your requirements. Most shops will offer a discount on accessories when buying expensive items. Also be aware that DV tapes can be bought online for around £3 each, so don't get pushed into paying too much more in the shop.

Good luck with the choice,
Mark.

[Freelancer]

Originally Posted by MarkE19

If you like the handling of the JVC camcorder then this is the one that is right for you. There is no point spending money on something that you find difficault or not user friendly in use, you'll just end up leaving it at home.
Although I've never used a JVC cam I have read others on this forum say that the overall build quality of them is not that good. I suggest you do a search of this forum and read up on the comments that have been made.

I strongly suggest you get a longer life battery than the one supplied with any cam, as they only normally last up to a max of about an hour and this is never long enough. A good case is also a must for protection when the cam is being stored or even carried around. Don'yt however get bullied into the one they offer. Have a look at what Jessops (or whoever) offer and see what fits your requirements. Most shops will offer a discount on accessories when buying expensive items. Also be aware that DV tapes can be bought online for around £3 each, so don't get pushed into paying too much more in the shop.

Good luck with the choice,
Mark.

Thankyou for the tips, i'll bear them in mind.

In regard to the battery life, Jessops said they do a 3 hour battery for £70, but that seems expensive?

One thing in relation to the build quality, it's hard to tell when handling the camera in the shop display about how using it day in and day out will effect wear, but as far as sturdiness and build of the unit goes, i personally thought it was good while having a play around and holding in in my hands. It didn't seem particularly breakable or fragile when compared to the Canons/Panasonics/Sonys.

Further research has led me to the user manual:
http://www.jvc.co.uk/files/instructi...t1302-001b.pdf
I'm a bit dissapointed that the various fades/wipes can not be used in monotone or sepa mode (was looking forward to playing around with something like that), and it doesn't appear from what i've seen that the USB port is USB 2. I'm also not sure whether i can record without sound. Also - one thing i'm unclear about is it has audio dubbing, and analogue inputs, does that mean i can input an external mic?

[MarkE19]

Originally Posted by Freelancer

I'm a bit dissapointed that the various fades/wipes can not be used in monotone or sepa mode (was looking forward to playing around with something like that)

If you want to play around with effects then you will have far more control (and IMO fun ) if you do this on a PC. You can also then use the footage with or without the effects as required, if done on the cam there is no way of undoing them.

Originally Posted by Freelancer

and it doesn't appear from what i've seen that the USB port is USB 2.

USB is for transfer of still images and webcam type use only and USB2.0 is not needed for this. But yes the cam does have USB2.0 connection.

Originally Posted by Freelancer

I'm also not sure whether i can record without sound.

Either remove the sound when editing on a PC or you can stick a jack plug in the mic socket to disable the internal mic. You may also be able to turn down or off the mic in the menu, but I've not RTFM

Originally Posted by Freelancer

Also - one thing i'm unclear about is it has audio dubbing, and analogue inputs, does that mean i can input an external mic?

In the specs on page 51 of the manual it lists all the inputs & outputs and one of them is a mic input, so yes you can plug an external mic into this cam

Mark.