If you're lookin for a crisp clear image, a powerfull ccd, a lightweight camera with photo capacity for a low price, from a trustble company, this is your choice. Despite some reviews that report bad quality images on low light, I've got nice movies under that circustances. Of corse you should know that you'd better use a tripod and as with any cam a bright light is prefereable. But once you watch your footage on TV it's better than you thoght. For this price you cannot get any better. Now I moved for a GR-DV4000, much expensive, including britgher lens and some other upgrades on the same body. If you're looking for daylly use camera, stop searching. You found it.

I bought this camcorder last Christmas and I've loved it since. I was looking for a reasonably priced Mini DV camcorder and came across this one at a local Sears. It felt nice and sturdy in my hands unlike the smaller ones offered by Sony and Panasonic. I checked some reviews on it, found them to be good and bought it at J&R over in NYC. The video quality is nothing short of outstanding in good lighting thanks to the 1.33 megapixel CCD (a godsend in this price range).

As for faults, the only real Achilles heel this camcorder has is the worthless "Night Alive" mode. Sony's nightvision trumps the JVC in this respect because the picture becomes nothing but a bright, blurry mess in Night Alive mode. I will invest in a video light to remedy this problem and I suggest that those considering this camcorder do likewise. Overall this is still a terrific camcorder thanks to the 1.33 megapixel CCD not usually found in this price range.

When I got this camera my first thought was that it just would not deliver, very skeptical. HOWEVER this is the coolest camera in my collection of photo and video gear. Before I get excited let me tell you a few of the bad things first:

1. Not to sporty on Windows 98, have problems from time to time on my old computer running Win 98 getting this to be recognized.

2. The tape loads underneath which means if you are on a tripod that camera must be taken off in order to change tapes.

3. USB and Firewire ports are underneath the view screen which means the camera must be opened in order to use them.

With that said let me say that the camera performs well on my two other computers using Win XP. I enjoy Windows Movie Maker and this camera, they make a perfect match and good outcome.

If you have Win XP or newer this is the camera for you. PLEASE don't forget to get the Flash and Light accessories which really make this a wonderful camera. It is a lightweight and very easy to use camera. I put a 256SD card in this and have not been able to come close to filling it.

I like being able to video and also digital image at the same time, before I had to use two cameras. This camera puts your digial images on the SD Card and also adds the snapshot effect right on the tape. I use this camera daily and have not been let down yet.

I purchased this camcorder to make a low budget movie. I was impressed with how many features (like 540 lines of horiz. resolution) were available on this camcorder that were hard to find on anything but the best quality professional mini-dv camcorders.

The image quality was great when adequate lighting was used, and there was no picture distortion, even on a larger (close to 50") television. I recently had trouble with the tape loading mechanism, but that could just be my fault.

Pros:
-1.33 Megapixel CCD hard to find on less expensive camcorders
-Sharp LCD screen
-Viewfinder has diopter (so you can take off your glasses)
-Accepts many lens attachments (I use a wide angle and telephoto lens from Sony)
-Body feels strong, not cheap and light like many Sonys or Panasonics
-Some of the picture effects are useful (like shutter speeds)
-Digital Wide Angle setting (allows you to reach <1x zoom with built in lens)
-Great battery life for included battery
-High quality mic preamp built in
-Amazing picture quality for price when used in good lighting

Cons:
-Bottom loading tape (can't open with tripod attached, but few cameras don't have this now)
-No focus ring (you have to use the tiny scroll wheel, but focus rings are only available on camcorders that cost $1000+. Just use a telephoto lens if you need to pull focus)
-Remote sensor can only be used in front of camcorder
-Poor low light shots (just use good lighting)

All in all, this is a great camcorder for making low budget movies, as long as you have decent lighting. Many options are available in manual mode, allowing you to have more control over picture. Automatic mode works great too.

So far, the only thing keeping me from giving this camera 5 stars would be that the night vision is choppy. I'm sure its a side effect of the slower shutter speed required for night viewing, but it made all movement look blurry but the color was great. It's light weight, and easy to use right out of the box. The software that comes with it is usable. It would be better if they would just use a standard windows look and feel though. I could not get XP's movie maker to recognize the camera, but after reading one of the other reviews, I'm sure it's my problem and not the camera's. (8 USB devices and 4 cameras hooked to the same computer may have something to do with it.) All and all, a great package.

I had gotten into filming a little bit and boy was I lucky to have gotten this Camcorder from JVC. It is PACKED with all kinds of features and will impress all who watch it and use it. It has a good native resolution of 1.3 mega-pixels, which for a camcorder is very good. Most Camcorders will have a .68 MP resolution, so this is very nice. I do like the size of it, although for my hands a little small, but still easier to handle than any of my friends camcorders. I have listed below some of the good's and bad's of the camcorder, and there are about two or three cons that made me give it a 4 star instead of five. There are a few little things that could affect how well you liked the product, if you were to get it.

Bad's First so I can end on a good note.
-Seemingly slow auto focus. If you were to do a manual focus, you will use the wheel that will cause a clicking background noise in the video if turned too fast
-The tape, when running, is loud. And when recording, there will, at times, be a rather audible hum from it in the sound recording.
- One way to solve these problems is to get a mini microphone that can attach to the top clip. That will get rid of most background noises, however is an extra cost.
-Bad original battery life. The supplied battery lasts about an hour on a FRESH CHARGE. The battery will loose some juice if sitting around for a day or so. Getting a new battery is another cost.
-Not a wide-angle lens. You will capture less on this camcorder than other cams, but will possibly increased quality.

Good's are a wonderful thing to end on for this very good product.
-Hi-Resolution. Not HI-DEF, but very nice none-the-less.
-Picture mode is very nice. Less zoom, but good quality when set to 1024X768 Res. Possible to go up to 1600X1200. That's high.
-Large Zoom. Remember that the Digital Zoom will worsen quality, and this is supplied with ample optical zoom to get the job done well.
-Tons of Extra Equipment. ALL of the wires you will ever need are included in the package, including power, line out to a TV, IEEE and USB transfers, a Memory Card (Only 8MB though), and a well designed neck-strap (Finally).
-Feature full. This thing can even double as a webcam for online conversations. Always handy there. It also has the Photo mode as well as the video mode with two parts to that as well. You can set the frame rate, shutter speed, lighting and color with the camera as well. One interesting feature is the Night-Mode, for when you have low light conditions, even dark. It will turn on and you can film at night, although with a decreased quality and slow shutter speeds. There is also a backlight function for added lighting support.
-Color view finder. Not many camcorders will have a color viewfinder, and it really is nice for filming. It will also save on battery life, so you don't use the huge, 3.5" color screen that is very nice as well.

Now the list goes on and on and on for the Good's, however I really wanted to point out the bad part's, which are the concern. And for the price, this wonderful device will last a long time and serve a great amount for you, your family, and friends.

This is the first DV camera I've owned and I'm glad that I made the right choice. I've had this camera for over a year now (bought in Feb 2004) and have no major complaints with it. This camera has a very clear video quality that often amazes me! Digital stabilizer functions well. Stereo sound is good.
The only reason this camera didn't fetch 5 star is the relatively poor video quality in low light. Though this can be adjusted using shutter speed, still I can't seem to get what I want. Bear in mind though that almost all camcorders have this issue, unless you spend much more money and buy the high-end ones.
Good luck with your purchase. Fot this price, you won't regret it!

I haven't had the camera for very long, but my experiences with it thus far have shown it to be an excellent lower-to-middle range Mini DV cam for the money. It captures image and sound excellently, is lightweight and very easy to use.

Since writing my first raving review on this camera it has fallen to the "Blue Screen of Death" that most JVC cameras face.

No recording, no playback. The screen just states that I need to clean the heads. After 10 brand new head cleaners have been tried and fail the view screen still remains blue.

I was trying to use the digital camera mode but even that hardly if ever works.

I now have a shiny item to hold balloons down or better yet to use when I want people to THINK they are being videotaped.

Gone is my previous high rating, this camera is just plain junk.