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  • Introduction

  • Design & Usability

  • Features

  • Performance

  • Conclusion

  • Science Introduction

  • Sharpness Performance

  • 3D Motion Performance

  • Battery Life

  • Introduction
  • Design & Usability
  • Features
  • Performance
  • Conclusion
  • Science Introduction
  • Sharpness Performance
  • 3D Motion Performance
  • Battery Life

Introduction

JVC recently announced a price cut for the TD1, which is now listed as $1699 on the web (it was $1999 upon initial release). It’s not cheap, but if you’re a 3D video enthusiast the GS-TD1 is one of the few options available. The other is the equally-expensive Sony HDR-TD10, a camcorder with slightly better 3D performance, but not quite as many controls in 3D mode.

Design & Usability

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The twin lens design of the TD1 makes the camcorder a bit top-heavy and unbalanced.

Unlike the Panasonic HDC-SDT750, the first 3D camcorder to hit the market, the JVC GS-TD1’s 3D lens system is not removable. You’ll probably realize this the moment you hold the TD1 in your hands. Slapped on the front of the camcorder is a thick, dual lens system that both looks funny and makes the camcorder heavy and awkward to balance (the TD1 weighs a hefty 675g). The benefit to this built-in dual lens system is clear—you can capture 3D video at the click of a button, with little-to-no calibration required. The downside is that you are stuck with a bulky, 2-headed camcorder all the time, even when you’re recording 2D video.

You can capture 3D video at the click of a button.

All you have to do to record 3D video with the GS-TD1 is turn on the camcorder, press the 3D button on the back, and you’re all set. The camcorder sets everything else automatically, which is a great advantage for anyone who is afraid of performing manual lens calibration. The fact that you can use zoom and other manual controls in 3D mode also makes the TD1 more versatile, as it gives the videographer more flexibility in 3D mode.

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Features

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The TD1 offers more controls in 3D mode than the competition, but making adjustments didn't always go smoothly.

One of the best aspects of the GS-TD1 is that you can actually use manual controls in 3D mode. This is not possible on the Panasonic HDC-SDT750, while the Sony HDR-TD10 allows for a limited amount of controls in 3D mode. If you want to be able to adjust things like aperture and shutter speed when recording 3D video, the JVC GS-TD1 is definitely your best option.

There was lag to nearly every adjustment I made, other than manual focus.

Unfortunately, the controls in 3D mode didn't always function well when I tried adjusting them, particularly during recording. There was lag to nearly every adjustment I made, other than manual focus. Changing shutter speed, exposure, white balance, and aperture all involved a very choppy interface that made it difficult to make precise adjustments. The camcorder even showed some severe signs of straining when we accessed the menu system during 3D recording. If you want to avoid this lag, you can make adjustments before recording begins, otherwise there isn’t really a way to get around this slow response from the TD1.

The camcorder's glasses-free 3D screen is not a great feature, and just looking at the screen in 3D gave me a headache. The screen reminded me of those book covers that require you to tilt the book in order to see a slight, hologram-like 3D effect. It's the kind of feature that is cool for a few seconds, but is not something you want to look at for an extended period of time.

Performance

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Sharpness was excellent in 2D mode, but took a big hit in 3D recordings.

The best news for the GS-TD1 is that the camcorder requires no extra light to record in 3D. This stands in stark contrast to the Panasonic HDC-SDT750, which required 450% more light to record a usable image with its 3D conversion lens attached as compared to its regular 2D recordings. The GS-TD1’s twin sensor/lens combination makes it so you don’t need that extra light when recording 3D—the same amount of light needed for 2D recording is all that is required.

You don’t need extra light when recording 3D.

Sharpness, however, took a major hit in 3D, with the GS-TD1's videos containing far more blur than its 2D videos. In its defense, the GS-TD1 recorded extraordinarily sharp video using its 2D record mode, so the drop in 3D mode was almost expected.

Conclusion

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If you are in the market for a high-end 3D camcorder, you only have three options at the moment: the JVC GS-TD1, the Sony HDR-TD10, and the Panasonic HDC-SDT750 (and other Panasonic models that can use the VW-CLT1 3D conversion lens). There are also a few ultracompact models that shoot 3D, as well as a number of digital cameras, but the three models mentioned above are the only high-end HD camcorders aimed at consumers that allow 3D recording.

The GS-TD1 is not the ultimate 3D recording machine.

In short, the GS-TD1 was far better than the Panasonic in terms of 3D recording capability. It has more 3D features, with four 3D record modes, plenty of manual controls, a 3D still image option, and even a time lapse function that works in 3D. The TD1 also has 5x optical zoom capability when shooting 3D, and its twin lens system automatically calibrates the camcorder to get the best 3D possible.

But the GS-TD1 is not the ultimate 3D recording machine. There are plenty of flaws and bugs, and frustrating issues that keep the TD1 from being a great 3D camcorder. Response time with the camcorder's menu system was awfully slow, the playback interface was terribly confusing, and the glasses-free 3D LCD gave me a headache after more than ten seconds of viewing. The 3D footage captured with the camcorder, while better than what we saw from the HDC-SDT750, still had problems with trailing and interference, and it was nearly unwatchable if you moved the camcorder around too fast during recording. Shooting the perfect 3D video clip requires precise camcorder movements, intricate staging, and proper lighting.

You should only consider this camcorder if you want to create 3D content first and foremost, or if you have $1700 to blow on a cool new gadget.

The TD1’s list price of $1699 is a tough pill to swallow. It’s around $500 more than any number of high-end 2D camcorders, and it’s close to $300 more expensive than the original price of the Panasonic HDC-SDT750. You are paying for the novelty of being able to record 3D video, though, and keep that in mind. The GS-TD1 is a very good 2D camcorder, but if 2D recording is your primary objective you shouldn’t even think about buying the TD1. There are cheaper, and better, 2D camcorders out there, and none of them have the bulk or weight of the GS-TD1. You should only consider this camcorder if you want to create 3D content first and foremost, or if you have $1700 to blow on a cool new gadget.

Science Introduction

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Shooting 3D with the GS-TD1 is easy, but shooting good 3D with the GS-TD1 is a challenge. Moving the camcorder too much or positioning your subjects too close together can result in 3D content that looks sloppy and is a pain to watch—literally. I got a headache watching some of our test videos shot outdoors in bright environments, especially clips with lots of movement. The camcorder does record excellent 2D video in bright light, but if all you want is to record 2D video, then you shouldn't be looking at the GS-TD1 anyway.

Sharpness Performance

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Very sharp video in both 2D and 3D recordings

The GS-TD1 produced some top-notch results in our video sharpness test. In 2D record mode, the TD1 managed a horizontal sharpness of 1000 LW/PH and a vertical sharpness of 650 LW/PH. These are the same results that last year’s JVC GZ-HM1 registered (and they are very good scores). These are the best numbers we’ve seen from a camcorder that uses 60i recording instead of a 60p frame rate.

When shooting 3D, sharpness levels varied significantly depending on which 3D mode was used. The sharpest videos came when shooting with the original format MPEG-4 3D mode (the "Double Full HD" option). Shooting with that mode, in the highest-quality THR setting, sharpness levels were around 900 LW/PH horizontal and 600 LW/PH vertical. This is impressive, as it is not that much of a drop from the TD1's 2D recordings.

Recording 3D content using the AVCHD modes resulted in far worse sharpness scores. The TD1 measured a horizontal sharpness of 575 LW/PH and a vertical sharpness of 600 LW/PH. These numbers aren’t terrible, though, and they are roughly in line with what we see from mid-range or entry-level HD camcorders. All these numbers prove that the “Double Full HD” 3D modes that JVC raves about on the GS-TD1 are certainly better when it comes to sharpness. The higher bitrates and dual 1920 × 1080 images make a strong difference.

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3D Motion Performance

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Videos with lots of movement don't look good in 3D.

Shooting moving subjects in 3D was not one of the GS-TD1's bright spots. There was plenty of blur and trailing in our test shots, but, again, the Double Full HD modes did produce much cleaner video than the AVCHD 3D settings.

JVC recommends shooting 3D footage at a range of 1 to 10 meters (3.25 – 33 feet) when using no optical zoom. When using zoom, JVC says the 3D effect is best suited at a range of 5 to 50 meters (16 – 164 feet). You can shoot outside this range and the GS-TD1 will produce a 3D effect, but it may look awkward or take a while for the camcorder to adjust the parallax.

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Battery Life

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The GS-TD1’s battery life in both 3D and 2D mode were excellent.

The camcorder lasted for 175 minutes of straight recording with its provided battery pack in 2D video mode, which is even longer than the 167-minute performance from the JVC Everio GZ-HM1 last year. More surprising, however, was the GS-TD1's 124-minute battery life using the 3D record mode. Yes, it’s a shorter battery life than 2D mode, but it is still longer than most high-end camcorders last in this test.

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Meet the tester

Jeremy Stamas

Jeremy Stamas

Managing Editor, Video

@nematode9

Jeremy is the video expert of our imaging team and Reviewed.com's head of video production. Originally from Pennsylvania and upstate NY, he graduated from Bard college with a degree in film and electronic media. He has been living and working in New England since 2005.

See all of Jeremy Stamas's reviews

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