Performance

The JVC GZ-MG505 comes equipped with three 1/4.5" CCDs, each with 1.33 gross MP. In three-chip configurations, incoming light is split by prism into red, green, and blue channels, and each is assigned to its own CCD. In video mode on the GZ-MG505, this equates to 774,180 pixels per chip, or 2,322,540 pixels in total (2.3MP) for 16:9 images. In 4:3, the resolution is count is reduced to 2,073,600 (2.01MP), or 691,200 pixels per chip. The ability to create such a high resolution still is one of the GZ-MG505’s great strengths.

At 3000 lux, it looks very sharp – there is no doubt about that. These are the sharpest images we’ve seen in from an Everio. And the colors are blasting out of the screen like the rainbow is having a blowout sale. It’s pretty intense, even more so than the Sony DCR-DVD403, last year’s top-end Sony DVD camcorder. Another surprise, this one less pleasant, is that the whites are blowing out. You want your whites bright, but not this bright. Once a pixel blows out, the information is lost. In this case, we're talking about pretty much all the white areas.

So is this a good image? Well, neon colors can impress a video neophyte (who doesn’t like bright, shiny objects?), but the seasoned shooter knows that accurate colors are more important. You can always boost colors in post-production. Our guess is that JVC figures Everio shoppers are unlikely to perform advanced editing like color correction, so why not do it in-camera? This kind of thinking is fine, if you can control the saturation levels, but there are no tools to do so (tools you typically find in several Canon camcorders). You work with the video as is, unless you want to de-saturate the colors in post. In conclusion, the video looks good, but it’s not accurate.

By comparison, the JVC GZ-MG77, the next model down in the HDD Everio series, produced a stark image by comparison. Though the chip is larger (1/3.9"), there is only one, and the colors do not come close to the vivacity of the JVC GZ-MG505. I know that we just finished saying that the colors were too saturated in the MG505, but the MG77 is undeniably dull, a fact that we pointed out in that camcorder’s review. It also showed a tendency towards overexposure, though the whites did not register as blowing out. Another big difference between them is sharpness – the GZ-MG505 is clearly outperforming in that category.

Another big comparison is between the GZ-MG505 and the GZ-MC500, last year’s top Everio camcorder, which recorded to a MicroDrive instead of HDD. JVC has since abandoned the MicroDrive format, but the MC500 gave quite a show last year, winning Best Non-Tape Camcorder in our 2005 CamInfo Selects. The MC500 also had three CCDs, the same size and resolution as the GZ-MG505. We found the apparent sharpness to match up, but the color performance was different. Last year’s GZ-MC500 had more subtle colors, and did not blow out the whites. If the chips are the same for the GZ-MG505 than the processing has been tweaked.

Sony's first HDD camcorder of the year, the DCR-SR100, is in direct competition with the GZ-MG505. We loved the SR100’s incredibly crisp image and even color balance. To the eye, it seems that Sony’s 1/3" Advanced HAD CCD (the same one found on the DCR-DVD405) beats out the GZ-MG505 in both categories. Some people will likely prefer the stronger colors of the JVC, but we have to side with Sony on this one.

Finally, to broaden the field a little, let us consider the Panasonic VDR-D300, a three-CCD DVD camcorder, the top model in that product line. The VDR-D300 had incredible sharpness for a DVD camcorder, with a color performance very similar to that of the Sony DCR-SR100. The picture was not as bright as the JVC GZ-MG505, and there was a fine but undeniable fuzz of noise. But a less contrasty image – which helped keep the jaggies at bay – and more accurate colors put it in our favor. Again, some people will actively seek out a strongly saturated image, but we prefer accuracy.

Of course, the most interesting comparison of all will be with the forthcoming Sony HDR-SR1, a high definition HDD camcorder using the new AVCHD format. We haven't had a chance to test this camcorder yet, but at only $200 more (MSRP), the GZ-MG505 will have some killer competition in the market.

{column='Video Performance' models='JVC GZ-MG505,JVC GZ-MG77,JVC GZ-MC500,Sony DCR-SR100,Panasonic VDR-D300'}

Video Resolution* (15.6)*

We tested the JVC GZ-MG505 for the resolution of its video by shooting a standard ISO 12233 resolution chart and running stills from that footage through Imatest imaging software. In 4:3, the camcorder produced 401.2 lines of horizontal resolution and 388.2 lines of vertical resolution (with an average clipping of 0.60%), yielding an approximate resolution of 155745.84. In 16:9 aspect ratio, the camcorder produced 379.2 lines of horizontal resolution and 341.5 lines of vertical resolution, yielding an approximate resolution of 129496.8.

Clipping occurs when a percentage of the image cannot be read by Imatest, either because those pixels have blown out or bottomed out. In this case, about 0.60% of the pixels in the 4:3 vertical resolution had bottomed out (all channels read zero). This should not have made much of an impact on the accuracy of the scores.

{column='Video Resolution' models='JVC GZ-MG505,JVC GZ-MG77,JVC GZ-MC500,Sony DCR-SR100,Panasonic VDR-D300'}

**Low Light Performance ***(6.25)*

The JVC GZ-MG505 was tested for its low light performance by shooting in two light levels, 60 lux and 15 lux, which might be colloquially recognized as "room lit by a shaded table lamp" and "a little brighter than a cake full of birthday candles." Somewhere in between these levels, you typically see the fall-off point of most camcorders. CCDs do not see light like the human eye. They are far less sensitive, and require a good deal of electronic enhancement techniques to produce a decent picture.

At 60 lux, the GZ-MG505 yielded an outstanding color performance. While we knocked the oversaturation in bright light as being too far off the accuracy mark, in low light the enhanced colors pushed through the darkness to produce an exceedingly strong image. These are no more accurate than they were before, but color is often the first casualty of low light, and JVC clearly took steps to prevent that here. The result is a little color bleeding, but it’s worth the sacrifice for the color. Noise levels are definitely noticeable, but not overwhelming; they looked particularly strong in the greys and reds. The camcorder is equipped with the 3D Noise Reduction system, which JVC claims to decrease noise by 30%. It looked good, but 30% is probably a little high.

The JVC GZ-MG77 strongly contrasted with the MG505. Working with a single CCD, the MG77 had a mere fraction of the color. The whole image looked washed out and overexposed. The apparent sharpness was about the same, though. The 3-chip configuration of the MG505 certainly accounts for a portion of the improved color performance, though we believe that the way in which that information is getting processed and enhanced is also a major factor.

The JVC GZ-MC500, last year’s top of the line Everio, did not seem to process color the same way. The image is certainly bright, but it actually resembles the GZ-MG77 more. The colors are washed out – none of the saturation of the GZ-MG505. Though it has a similar three-CCD configuration, it does not seem to follow identical input or output methods. In layman’s terms, the GZ-MG505 looked better.

The Sony DCR-SR100 again produced a sharper looking image, and was great in 60 lux light. The color balance was slightly skewed to produce a strong yellows and weaker reds. Luminance, or brightness, was about the same between both camcorders. For what you lose in color strength with the DCR-SR100, you make up for with accuracy and strength. Sony wins by a nose.

The Panasonic VDR-D300, the 3-CCD DVD camcorder, was just too dark at 60 lux to keep up with this crowd. It was also fairly noisy.

The JVC GZ-MG505, like all the Everios, offers a few options to play with low light performance. The first is the Auto Gain Control (AGC), which can be turned on and off. Most consumer camcorders do not allow you to modify the gain at all; Panasonic does offer full manual control from 0dB to 18dB. The camcorder ships with the AGC defaulted on, with good cause. You want it on. But just in case you’re wondering, here’s the image with AGC off.

The camcorder also gives you manual shutter speed control. The default is 1/60th of a second. Anything slower than this and you start to see blurring when objects move. 1/30th gives more time for light to enter, and trailing shouldn’t be too bad. 1/15th looks great for completely still shots (including a still camcorder – use a tripod), but the trailing will become too much to ignore.

Then, as expected, somewhere on the way between 60 lux and 15 lux, the JVC GZ-MG505 hit its wall. The 15 lux image is too dark to use. You can make out shapes, but not much beyond that. Nearly all color information is lost. If the 3D Noise Reduction was at work, it was too hard to tell, as there was little brightness to make the noise stand out.

JVC GZ-MG505 at 15 lux with AGC off (above)

The GZ-MG77, which exposes higher, was brighter than the GZ-MG505, but was not really better. You could make out a little more fine detail in high contrast areas. This performance, too, was a wash.

The JVC GZ-MC500 was also brighter, and actually retained more color, but could hardly be considered a desirable image. Finally, the Panasonic VDR-D300 produced an image quite similar to the GZ-MG505. The noise was more pronounced here.

Overall, in moderately low light, the JVC GZ-MG505 will probably bowl you over with the strength of its colors, even if they aren’t completely accurate. But in very low light, it bites the dust just like every other camcorder.

Wide Angle* (8.4)*

The JVC GZ-M505 was tested for its wide angle field in both 4:3 and 16:9 aspect ratios and produced results that show a notable gain in horizontal resolution in widescreen mode. When shooting in 4:3 aspect the camcorder had a 42 degree field. When shooting in 16:9 the GZ-MG505 had 53 degree field of vision, representing a gain of 11 degrees. There was also a good deal of cropping on the top and bottom of the frame when the camcorder was switched into 16:9 indicating that this camcorder utilizes a crop and zoom technique to achieve a widescreen aspect ratio.

Format

Compression* (5.5)*

The JVC GZ-MG505 records video using MPEG-2 compression, like DVD camcorders, and Dolby Digital 2-channel digital audio. At 720 x 480 resolution, there are three video quality settings which determine your available recording time. The highest quality setting is Ultra Fine at a VBR (Variable Bit Rate) of 8.5Mbps, which is equivalent to the max rate for DVD camcorders. In Ultra Fine mode, the HDD can hold 430 minutes of video.

The lower quality settings are: Fine at 5.5Mbps or 640 minutes of video, Normal at 4.2Mbps or 840 minutes of video, and Economy at 1.5Mbps or 2250 minutes of video. The Economy setting records at a resolution of only 352x240. All of these recording modes are at a variable bit rate, meaning the actual bit rate is adjusted on the fly based on the amount of information contained in the image. MiniDV camcorders generally achieve higher video performance scores because they record video at a higher fixed data rate of 25 Mbps, although their encoding efficiency is lower.

Video footage recorded with this camcorder appears with an .MOD file extension. You can change the .MOD file extension to .MPG manually to play your footage back on many media players, but you may lose the audio component of your clips. If you want maximum flexibility with Everio footage, we advise you to get to know a file conversion program like QuickTime Pro from Apple (available for both PC and Mac).

Media* (4.0)*

The GZ-MG505 uses an onboard 30GB HDD (hard disk drive) as its primary capture device for both video and stills, and is also capable of recording to SD memory cards. HDD-based camcorders do away with the need to purchase and carry DVD’s or tapes, resulting in streamlined shooting: no DVD’s to change when you’ve filled it with footage, and no tapes to misplace.

If you want to work with your footage after the shoot, you’ll find that your workflow is very different than with removable media. Moving footage to a PC is done via a Hi-Speed USB 2.0 connection, and the Everio’s HDD can be mounted as an external hard drive that appears on your desktop. Unfortunately, dumping the footage to your PC is where the convenience ends, and the section on editing below explains why MPEG-2 video is a bear to work with.

The other thing to consider with an HDD camcorder is durability vs. other recording formats. JVC has equipped its Everios with two protective measures designed to safeguard the drive: a floating suspension system and a drop detection system. The floating suspension system buffers the HDD against impacts, while drop detection powers off the camcorder if it perceives a falling motion. We were not able to test these systems for obvious reasons, but let us know if you have!

Editing*****(4.0)*

MPEG-2 is a video encoding format that is at best frustrating to edit with, and the GZ-MG505 suffers from the workflow issues that plague DVD camcorders. On the plus side, MPEG-2 video is highly compressed, which is one of the factors that makes it possible to fit hours of video onto a 30GB HDD. On the minus side, highly compressed video is processor-intensive and by definition of lower quality than formats like MiniDV that have higher bitrates. As a result, there are no high-end NLE (non-linear editing) applications that can work easily with MPEG-2 footage.

This means that if you do want to edit footage shot with this camcorder, you’ll need to convert your footage into a format that is more NLE-friendly. Some NLE’s can do this on their own, but others will require that you compress the footage with the help of a video conversion tool. Apple’s Quicktime Pro is a video player available for Macs and PC’s that can be used to convert MPEG-2 footage into formats that NLE’s can read, and many others are available. Conversion is not difficult, but it is time-consuming and processor-intensive so if you want to edit your GZ-MG505 video, be sure to build in ample time for file conversion before your edit.

If you only need to archive your footage, JVC’s optional CU-VD10 Share Station DVD burner makes the process easy by enabling you to dub to DVD directly from the camcorder. But this is a level of convenience you’ll pay for to the tune of about $200.

Tour

**The Front ***(8.35)*

The front of the JVC GZ-MG505 is largely dominated by the lens hood, a piece of rubber and plastic that detaches by a quarter-turn. As the lens hood is a sensible protection of the lens, there is little reason to remove it. The lens has a 37mm filter diameter, with an F range of 1.8 – 2.4, a focal range of 3.2m – 32mm, and a 10x optical zoom. In still mode, the aperture shifts to F1.9 – F2.4, the focal range to 4.0mm – 32mm, and 8x optical zoom.

*The front of the JVC GZ-MG505, with and without the lens hood. *

To the right of the lens is a flash sensor and flash, well-placed to avoid unsightly shadows. Some camcorders place their flash lower, which can cast nose shadows – never a flattering look. Below the lens is the built-in microphone. Just next to that is one of features we like best, the mic input. It’s a small, mini plug, but it can make a world a difference for your videos. Good sound is crucial. The biggest problem is the mic input port cover. Wedged next to a protruding wall, the port cover has a hard time getting out of the way to allow a cord. It’s a real annoyance if you plan on using this feature.

**The Right Side ***(9.0)*

The right side of the JVC GZ-MG505 is barren of features, save a good grip, which some might argue is one of the most important features. The right side is a solid piece of molded plastic, with an adjustable hand strap running along the lower portion. At the rear of the right side, near the top, is the DC input.

The grip is good. Some people with larger hands (myself included) may find the overall body a little to short to provide a comfortable handhold – taller is often better for large hands. Other people in the CamcorderInfo.com office, however, found it perfect. The top of the body has a lip with actual divots for each finger.

**The Back ***(6.0)*

The rear of the GZ-MG505 has a few core features, but it’s not the area of most manual control – that’s restricted to the left side. The most obvious element on the back is the battery, which sits dead center. It protrudes out about 1/2", and could expand out further with an extended life battery without impinging operation.

Above the battery is a quality-looking rubber port cover that hides the AV and USB 2.0 ports. These are well-placed, and do not get in the way of shooting when wires drape down. To the right of the battery is the record on/off button, which also serves as the still shutter button. Perfectly placed for the thumb, the entire layout of the rear shows some thoughtful design.

**The Left Side ***(8.5)*

The left side of the JVC GZ-MG505 is the prime real estate on the body, the area where all the action takes place. The LCD is, of course, located here, measuring 2.7" in a widescreen ratio. On the outer edge of the LCD panel, just to the left of the screen, is a small joystick, the main navigation control for the menu. We love joysticks, and consider them to be the most user-friendly control on consumer camcorders. Unfortunately, the joystick may be overburdened with controls. It does nearly everything. Read the Manual control section below for more details. In short, the joystick activates five independent manual control functions, accesses and maneuvers through a separate manual control menu, and navigates the main menu, as well. We still like the feel, but beginning users will likely get lost for the first few weeks.

Beneath the joystick is an Index button, another great feature found on all the Everio camcorders. This gives you a pie chart readout of remaining HDD capacity and battery time. This is of great value to anyone caught out without an extra battery.

In the LCD cavity you’ll find a blue toggle switch to choose between video and still mode. Underneath that are a series of four buttons: Flash/info, Auto/Manual mode, delete clip/photo, and Menu. This last button is likely the one you’ll want for no-look access, and JVC could have done a much better job of making it stand out, either by increasing the size or by giving the button some texture. As it is, you’ll probably have to crane your head around to see what you’re doing. Finally, the S-Video port is located in the LCD cavity as well.

The Top* (7.5)*

The top of the GZ-MG505’s zoom toggle is a thin band of plastic. We like that it is raised up above the body for easy movement. But it does making "clicking" noises that are picked up by the mic. It’s well placed for the index finger, though, which is a point in its favor. Along the right side of the top, as mentioned before, is a lip for gripping.

To the left of the zoom toggle is a cold accessory shoe. You could mount a mic to it, but you’d have to plug it in to the mic input in the front and risk obscuring the lens. Next to that are three indicator lights: Power, Access (which blinks when the HDD is busy), and Auto (lit when the Auto mode is on). The Record/Playback/Off switch is on top, also.

The Bottom

This is not a section that we normally score, but the SD card slot is down here. It’s covered by a pliable rubber flap with a pretty solid hinge. The battery-release switch is on the bottom, also. The downside of placing anything on the bottom is that it can’t be accessed when the camcorder is on a tripod.

Auto/Manual Controls

Picture & Manual Control
Automatic Control (6.5)

The GZ-MG505 makes selecting Auto Mode easy, as there is a prominent button inside the LCD cavity analogous to the Easy button found on Sony camcorders. The camcorder performs reasonably well in Auto mode, adjusting smoothly to changes in exposure, shutter speed, gain, and white balance. The feel of these automatic controls is not as refined as what you’ll find on high-end Sony camcorders, with a greater lag in adjustment time. The auto control that stood out was exposure in low light situations. This control worked quite well in tandem with gain to produce an image that looked relatively natural. While this exposure/gain combo adds noise to the video, it keeps them bright, and the camcorder’s tendency to oversaturate keeps images colorful.

*The LCD cavity, which houses the Auto/Manual button. *

Auto white balance was less accurate than we’d hope, and the GZ-MG505 struggled to produce accurate colors in mixed light even more than most camcorders. This may be partly a function of the saturation levels of this camcorder, and we’d recommend getting acquainted with the manual white balance function, explained in the next section. In addition to auto and manual, there are several presets for white balance: Halogen, Cloud, and Fine (sunlight). Unfortunately, we found these presets leave something to be desired; the halogen pre-set left halogen light with a bluish cast. The sunlight setting over-emphasized reds and oranges, creating an overly warm image which JVC must think is appealing to casual users.

The GZ-MG505 includes a number of additional pre-sets for fine-tuning the camcorder’s image automatically in different shooting environments. To access these settings, the camcorder must be in Manual mode. JVC’s night shooting mode, NightAlive, can be engaged by pressing the joystick left. NightAlive automatically drops the shutter speed to between 1/2 and 1/30 of a second. The slowed shutter allows more light to reach the CCD, but it also causes the image to stutter to a degree dependant on how slow the shutter is. Backlight Compensation (BLC) is a remedy for very bright places like beaches or ski slopes, where the brightness of the environment can cause the subject to be underexposed. BLC boosts the image’s exposure, making the subject brighter while also possibly blowing out the background. Spot Exposure Control is JVC’s answer and allows a user to select a portion of the right, left or center of the image for exposure metering. It’s a way of keeping exposure readings isolated to the most important part of the video image. Sony’s spot metering feature offers even more precision by offering nine sections of the screen for spot metering rather than just three on this JVC.

*The Spot Exposure control. *

The GZ-MG505 also has four AE (auto exposure) modes for specific shooting situations. AE modes include Twilight, Spotlight, Snow, and Sport. AE modes are commonly found on consumer camcorders, and should be regarded as shorthand approaches to getting better video when Auto mode is not producing the desired results. If you use AE modes on the GZ-MG505, you should test them in advance so you have an understanding what they do to the image. Twilight mode, for example, adjusts exposure, gain, and shutter speed in tandem. This feature may add more noise or blur to your image than you’d like but if you know what to expect, you’ll be able to use it in an informed manner.

And of course, the GZ-MG505 offers a slate of cheesy in-camcorder effects that no consumer camcorder would be complete without. These effects allow you to apply an instant look to your video, and include Strobe, Classic Film, Monotone (black and white), and Sepia. You may find these effects to be great party tricks, but applying effects to your footage using a non-linear editor (NLE) like Adobe Premiere or iMovie will generally produce better results.

Overall Manual Control (6.5)

The JVC GZ-MG505 has a wide range of manual controls. First, let us tour the menu. It’s split into two sections – the administrative menu and the manual control menu. The administrative menu is accessed via the Menu button in the LCD cavity, and the joystick on the edge of the LCD panel is the navigation tool.

The admin menu contains all the controls that you probably won’t need at hand during shooting (therefore digging around in the menu is not such a hassle). The first level of the menu is broken into 16 headings. Some of the categories, like Basic Setting and Rec Media Setting, have multiple submenus and options. It can be easy to lose your place in a menu the first time through, as the headings loop around – there is no absolute end or beginning (JVC apparently adheres to a dharmic theory of space and time). Some of the headings are more specific, like Wind Cut, Gain Up, and Quality, controls that cut down on digging time. It’s a smart design.

The administrative menu

The manual control menu is a separate thing altogether. While in video mode, pushing down on the joystick will call up a small menu along the bottom of the screen. Unlike the admin menu, this allows you to see what you’re shooting while you make changes – a shooter-friendly design. The manual control menu contains options for Exposure Adjustment (similar to EV comp), White Balance, Aperture Priority (with F-stop control), Shutter Priority (with shutter speed) control, Program AE, and Effects.

The manual control menu

This level of control is topped only by Panasonic, which gives you fully independent manual aperture and manual shutter speed control. Priority modes mean that you can have full jurisdiction of either one or the other control. Panasonics also give you manual gain control. However, making adjustments on a JVC is much easier. Panasonic relies on your ability to parse a series of confusing icons.

*We love a good joystick. This one on the GZ-MG505 does the job. *

The joystick itself is a great control, on the whole. Joysticks are simple and intuitive to operate. Touch screens get dirty, affecting your ability to judge image quality. Jog dials, as on last year’s Canons, and touch pads, are often too small to make an effective control. The problem with this particular joystick, however, is that JVC has created an over-reliance on the control. In addition to navigating the menus, the joystick has a multitude of other controls. Push left, and the NiteOwl function turns on and off. Push left, and you can switch between 4:3 and 16:9 aspect ratios. Push down, and the Manual Control menu appears. Push inward, and it activates the manual focus. Push up, and it activates two controls, backlight compensation, then Spot Exposure control when you push up again. How’s that for juicing a feature for all it’s worth?

Zoom (6.5)

The JVC GZ-MG505 has a 10x optical zoom and a digital zoom that can be capped at 40x and 300x. The zoom control is located on the rear upper part of the body. It’s a thin protrusion of plastic that works very effectively for fine zoom control. With the right finger pressure, you can get three zoom speeds. The slow crawl looks great with the image stabilization on (even better with a tripod). The only thing not to like about this zoom control is that it clicks audibly against the body when you push it, and clicks again when you release it. All this clicking gets picked up by the built-in mic. So if you’re shooting a quiet scene and you must zoom, be careful not to let it snap into place and ruin your audio.

By comparison, Sony offers additional zoom controls on the LCD panel. Canon offers three controlled zoom speeds in addition to the pressure sensitive setting.

Zoom Power/Ratio (10.0)

The JVC GZ-MG505 has a relatively modest optical zoom power of 10x, equivalent to the step-down GZ-MG77 and a significant drop from the 32x optical zoom of the GZ-MG37. Although it might seem a drawback, the lower zoom rating on this camcorder is due largely to lower ratio between imager and lens size. This camcorder boasts a large CCD at 1/4.5" (vs. 1/6" for the GZ-MG37) which makes an eye-popping 30x-plus zoom power impractical. The benefits of a larger imager more than outweigh the loss of optical zoom power in our opinion, as you can usually move closer to your subject, whereas the picture quality produced by a 1/6" imager just can’t match one that’s bigger.

The GZ-MG505 also has a digital zoom feature that can be disabled, capped at 40x, or set to its maximum of 300x. With some digital zooms on consumer camcorders ranging over 1000x, the may seem unimpressive, but it is a feature that is best seen in relation to a camcorder’s optical zoom power. Digital zooms magnify the video image by digitally enlarging the pixels available at a camcorder’s highest optical zoom setting, which results in a steep loss in detail resolution as you climb into digital zoom range. While a camcorder with an optical zoom of 32x might have a digital zoom of 1000x, or a ratio of roughly 1:30, this camcorder maxes out at 300x with the same ratio in place.

Most experienced shooters regard a high digital zoom as a marketing gimmick, because digital magnification has such a detrimental effect on image quality. Unless you want a pixilated effect, we recommend that you turn off this camcorder’s digital zoom feature to maintain the sharpness of your image. If you’re too far from your subject, do what the pros do: move closer. At the very least, consider capping your zoom at a somewhat reasonable 40x so that you’re only enlarging your pixels by, at worst, 4 times.

Focus (4.0)

The manual focus control on consumer camcorders is typically the weakest of all manual controls. Part of this is because proper focus requires several components usually including a focus ring.  Pros often rely on a second monitor with exceptional resolution. Without some combination of these, your manual focus is little else but guesswork. It can look fine in the LCD, but when you put it up on the big screen, the flaws are enlarged proportionately.

*The manual focus control leaves a lot to be desired. *

There are, of course, times when you have to use the manual focus. To activate it, push in on the joystick. A small icon set of a man and a mountain appears at the bottom of the screen. To make adjustments, push the joystick to the right or the left. You have to keep a close eye on the image in the LCD screen until you hit the right focus. There is no scale to tell you where in the focal range you are.

Our general advice for consumer camcorders is to let the auto controls do the work when they can. Auto focus systems are generally of an excellent quality. Last year’s GZ-MC500 had a manual focus ring. We complained about the size, but we’re sad to see it go.

Exposure (Aperture) (5.5)

There are two ways to control exposure on the JVC GZ-MG505. The more precise method is to use the Aperture Priority mode, which is accessed through the manual control menu. In this mode, you can set the F-stop, and the shutter speed is automatically adjusted to compensate. You cannot, however, set both the F-Stop and the shutter speed. As soon as you set one, the other is shifted to auto mode. The F-Stop range on the GZ-MG505 is F1.8, F2.0, F2.8, F4.0, F5.6, and F8.0. This is not much of a range, considering that Panasonic gives you more than twice as many stops.

The second control is the exposure compensation, which JVC calls AE. This is an EV bump up or down, from -6 to +6, thirteen increments in all. The manual indicates, however, that these increments are not exactly full EV stops, but rather made-up numbers. (They are, however, 1/3 EV stops when in still mode. More on that in Still Features).

*Shutter Speed (6.5) *

The GZ-MG505 has a shutter priority mode, accessed through the manual control menu. Shutter speeds range from 1/2, 1/4, 1/8, 1/15, 1/30, 1/60, 1/100, 1/250, 1/500, 1/1000, 1/2000 and 1/4000 of a second. As mentioned above, when in shutter priority mode, the aperture will be adjusted automatically. If you had made an aperture setting in aperture priority mode, the setting would be lost and the newer shutter adjustment would take precedence.

This is a pretty decent shutter speed range. Panasonic gives you more, but JVC is the only other major camcorder manufacturer that gives you the control.

White Balance (7.0)

The JVC GZ-MG505 offers three white balance presets – Halogen, Cloud, and Fine (sunny) – as well as an auto mode and a manual setting, all found in the manual control menu. In order to make a manual white balance adjustment, choose the MWB setting and press the joystick until the icon stops blinking. This takes 4-6 seconds, and seems quite accurate. The number of presets is few, but that’s okay. While some camcorders load on the pre-sets, auto mode is usually satisfactory. If you have a white surface, a manual white balance is always idea.

Gain (1.0)

There is no manual gain on the JVC GZ-MG505 – that’s a feature you’ll only find on Panasonic camcorders in the consumer range. However, JVCs do offer a particularly potent auto gain control, so potent, in fact, that you can turn it off. No other manufacturer gives you that option. Chances are that you won’t want to turn it off. The imagers are not particularly effective in low light, and you’ll need all the help you can get.

Other Manual Control (0.0)

There is no other manual control on the JVC GZ-MG505. In still mode, and even then only in playback, JVC offers a histogram. How useful is that after you’ve already taken the image? A little, but it doesn’t do us any good in video.

Still Features

Still Features*****(9.0)*

The still features of the JVC GZ-MG505 are probably one of the biggest selling points on this camcorder. Not that we advocate still features as a reason to buy a camcorder – still cameras take the best stills, and video camcorders take the best video. That much has not changed, even though the GZ-MG505 does a better job than most at stills. Images are captured in the JPEG format to the HDD or SD card (not included), which loads from the bottom. There are two qualities (Fine and Standard) and five resolutions (640 x 480, 1280 x 960, 1600 x 1200, 2048 x 1536, and 2560 x 1920). The 1280 x 960 still is the largest that the camcorder can take without some camera trickery. All stills larger than that use pixel shifting, which involves moving the imager slightly (less than a pixel-space) after an initial capture to sample the object from a different location, then creating a composite image between the 2 or more captures to increase the amount of information (all of this happens in less than a second). In the case of three CCD camcorders, sometimes only one sensor is shifted, and sampled more frequently than the other two. The result is a sharper picture and wider dynamic range than the CCDs would be able to capture on their own.

Most of the manual controls that were available in video mode are also available in still mode. Some of the ranges have changed, though. AE (exposure compensation) has a range of -2.0 to +2.0 in 1/3EV stops. White balance is the same, as is the program AE modes. The Aperture Priority range decreases to F1.9 to F5.6, and Shutter Priority from 1/2 to 1/500 of a second (decreased even further to 1/2 through 1/250 when using the flash). The zoom decreases to 8x in still mode.

*The flash (right) and SD card slot (left). *

There is a flash located to the right of the lens. It can be adjusted via the Flash/Info button in the LCD cavity. It can be set to automatic, red-eye reduction, force-on, flash with slow shutter, and off. There is a continuous shooting option, which captures in intervals of about 0.5 seconds, as well as a bracketing option, which takes three stills in succession, one in auto exposure, then one at -0.3EV and one at +0.3EV. This is useful when you want to hedge your bets and have a few options later.

Playback of stills includes a number of options such as slideshows or grouping stills into folders and then naming them. Of course, you can do all this more quickly on a computer, but it’s nice to have options. There is also a histogram option in still playback. A histogram is a graphical representation of brightness levels in an image. It’s useful to gauge whether you have too much information in the picture that is blowing out, or if it’s too dark. Of course, all this is a lot more useful if you have a live histogram while you’re shooting, instead of after the fact. The GZ-MG505 also supports PictBridge, which allows you connect to a printer without a computer intermediary.

The histogram during still playback

One enticing feature on the JVC GZ-MG505 is the ability to manually set the ISO in still mode. ISO is the level of sensitivity – in low light you want the camcorder to pick up all available light. Of course, with an increased sensitivity comes an increase in noise. The noise reduction features on the camcorder can only do so much. The ISO can be set to auto, 100, 200, and 400. ISO control is not something that you see on camcorders very often. Last year’s JVC GZ-MC500 had it, and this is the only JVC this year to include it.

In addition, no other camcorder we talk about in this review has this level of still features, combining lots of controls and large resolutions. JVC is clearly marking this as a hybrid camcorder. In a market glutted with supposed "hybrids" that do little more than snap off a few ugly stills, this is an actual competitor, if not the leader.

Still Resolution* (6.5)*

The JVC GZ-MG505 was tested for the resolution of its stills by shooting a standard ISO 12233 resolution chart and running those stills through Imatest imaging software. In total, the resolution of a 2560 x 1920 still measured 654267.0. This score does not quite match up to expectations, and registers closer to what we saw on the VDR-D300, but not nearly as well as the upper-tier Sonys. So why all the hype about 5MP stills? Well, first of all, 5MP is the theoretical upper limit, so you’ll have to knock a significant percentage off right away. Next, JVC doesn’t go into a whole lot of explanation as to how their pixel shifting works. Unfortunately, it’s not as simple as saying that a camcorder has three chips, so just multiply by three and you have your resolution. There is a whole slew of processing involved. In our tests, we found that the 2560 x 1920 stills did not look to have a higher resolution than the 1600 x 1200 stills. As you’ll see below, the stills look very good, but maybe 5 full megapixels of measurable information is a bit of marketing spin.

{column='Still Resolution' models='JVC GZ-MG505,JVC GZ-MG77,JVC GZ-MC500,Sony DCR-SR100,Panasonic VDR-D300'}

Still Performance*****(9.5)*

The JVC GZ-MG505 produces large stills, larger than you’ll normally find on a camcorder. And like the video, the color performance is strong. Of course, video and still images require a different color space, meaning that they process colors differently. As this is a camcorder, you should expect to see better looking video than stills. That is the case with nearly every camcorder we review.

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On rare occasions, however, the general quality of a camcorder’s still performance wows us. This is such a camcorder. The GZ-MG505 produced exceptionally crisp stills with color performance far better than we’re used to seeing. Of course, it has some problems. The green portion of the spectrum is poorly differentiated, and tends to blur into the yellows. When we checked the channel levels, we saw that the green channel was underperforming. Perhaps, this is a byproduct of the pixel shifting. We’re not sure. But we’re not complaining too much.

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The noise levels are low, though the larger the stills, the more apparent the noise becomes. For instance, a 1600 x 1200 still looked to have very little noise. The 2560 x 1920 stills, on the other hand, looked to have the same amount of noise, but it more apparent – in other words, it looked to simply be making the noise larger. Coupled with the fact that the resolution did not seem to increase between 1600 x 1200 and 2560 x 1920, the pixel shifting process does not look too different from a simple interpolation process. That’s not too say that the camcorder is not using pixel shifting, just that this is not the best pixel shifting we’ve seen.

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The color performance was better than last year’s JVC GZ-MC500, which we’d instantly named the best hybrid to date (back in July 2005 I believe the term we used was "jaw-dropping"). There is no doubt that the GZ-MG505 tops that in nearly every regard: the picture is brighter, the colors are more accurate, and there’s less noise. The MC500 had a drabber pallet. The fine detail this year is also better.

The GZ-MG77, is also drab, and seems to illustrate clearly the difference between 1-chip and 3-chip performance. Most of the sharpness is there, but the color performance is severely lacking when you hold it up against the GZ-MG505. There is also more noise, even though both camcorders have 3D Noise Reduction.

The Sony DCR-SR100 also had exceptionally sharp stills, but could not match the color performance of the GZ-MG505. In fact, there was hardly any color to speak of – the color had been leeched away.

The Panasonic VDR-D300 had better color performance than the other challengers here, but again, it was not close to the JVC GZ-MG505. There was also more noise in the image, a sad byproduct of all Panasonics this year.

The JVC GZ-MG505 offers some image quality controls, most importantly the ISO settings of 100, 200, 400, and auto. ISO is similar to gain control in video; it corresponds to the degree of sensitivity. Higher sensitivity allows for more detailed information, but also increases the amount of noise in the image. The auto setting seems to do a pretty good job, but manual controls are always a welcome addition to any camcorder. Below, you can see the results of ISO 100 and 200 at 3000 lux, and ISO 200 and 400 at 15 lux.

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At 3000 lux, the ISO 100 setting seemed to correspond to the auto mode. When we boosted it up to ISO 200, it didn’t seem to add anything to image but noise, and even then, it was a negligible amount.

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***This crop shows quite clearly the noise increase between ISO 200 and 400 at 15 lux. *

The 15 lux shots at 200 ISO image showed a manageable amount of noise, considering what a low light that is. The 400 ISO setting, however, had a lot more noise. It does not add much to the brightness of the image, so the noise

{column='Still Performance' models='JVC GZ-MG505,JVC GZ-MG77,JVC GZ-MC500,Sony DCR-SR100,Panasonic VDR-D300'}

Handling and Use

Ease of Use* (7.0)*

The JVC GZ-MG505 is among the easier camcorders on the market to use, something it shares with all the Everios. There are two elements that make it a winner in this category. The first is HDD, which is inherently easy to use. There is no media to lose, and much less chance of damaging it (given the wrap-around protection of the camcorder body and a few built-in protections). When you need to access the data, just plug in the USB cable.

The second element that makes this an easy to use camcorder is the menu, which is more straightforward and navigable than most. The categories and organization are clear, and moving through them with the joystick is easy. Simple menu animations in the administrative menu help you process the your reading a little faster. The separate manual control menu is scaled down in order to appear onscreen with the image you’re shooting so you can see changes right away.

Great ease of use all around. The score was bumped up significantly in this section from last year due to a change in the Everio design. Last year the camcorders relied on a difficult four-way touch pad that was too small to really use effectively. This year, the switch to a joystick on the side of the LCD panel was a big improvement.

Handling* (4.5)*

JVC has done an admirable job in designing the GZ-MG505 in a way that takes advantage of its extensive feature set, its HDD recording media, and its relatively small size. One of this camcorder’s big assets in terms of handling is the replacement of last year’s four-way touchpad with the screen-mounted joystick. We were initially skeptical of the on-screen location for the camcorder’s primary control, in part because we’re accustomed to seeing them on the camcorder body. When we actually started using this year’s Everios, we found JVC’s onscreen joystick to be surprisingly convenient. When shooting hand-held with a small camcorder, most users use adopt a two-handed grip some of the time, with their right hand in the hand strap and their left hand on the open LCD panel to help with stabilization. When shooting in this way, the joystick is ideally situated for navigating through on-screen options.

The GZ-MG505 is not as small as its step-down Everio cousins, but its added heft makes it a more comfortable camcorder to hold for users with large hands. While ultra-compact models are appealing in their portability – and the GZ-MG77 can be slipped into a pocket – they suffer from a scaled-down interface. This Everio is heavy for its size, due to the onboard HDD, but it has a feel that we find more natural than many camcorders on the consumer market.

The GZ-MG505 also has a Battery Info feature, unique to JVC (though Sony’s battery check option on the DCR-SR100 comes close). When the camcorder is powered down, pressing and holding the Battery Info button brings up a display that provides a precise gauge of battery life in terms of recording time. Most camcorders include a battery life display that’s no better than the four-bar indicator found on cellphones. The one drawback to the implementation of Battery Info is that you can only engage it when the camcorder is powered down. We’d like JVC to make this option available while actively recording video.

Portability* (9.0)*

When assessing a camcorder’s portability, it is best seen both in terms of absolute portability and in terms of what it offers. GZ-MG505 falls in the middle of the road for consumer camcorder portability, measuring 74mm x 73mm x 125mm (2.91" x 2.87" x 4.92"), and weighing in at 450g (1.1 lb) with lens hood. To put that into perspective, the GZ-MG77 body is about 75% as large as the GZ-MG505, and can be slipped easily into a large pocket. This camcorder can’t manage that rare feat, but it should easily fit any day pack or handbag. The fact that you won’t need to lug any recording media with you is an added bonus with an HDD camcorder, unless you elect to carry some SD cards for added recording time or flexibility. Finally, the power adaptor is much smaller than the large brick most camcorders ship with, thanks in part to the fact that battery charging happens on-camcorder.

LCD/Viewfinder* (5.5)*

Like its step-down GZ-MG77, the JVC GZ-MG505 only has an LCD display, so shooters who like to have the option of using an EVF (electronic color viewfinder) will be disappointed. Although LCD’s are more user-friendly, an EVF uses less power and can prolong battery life during a shoot. EVF’s are also useful in brightly lit environments that make LCD displays difficult to read, like full sunlight, or places where a big glowing screen is undesirable. The supplied widescreen LCD screen measures 2.7" with a resolution of 112K pixels, opens to 90 degrees from the camcorder body, and can be rotated through 270 degrees for multiple viewing angles.

Battery Life* (5.4)
*We tested the battery life of the JVC GZ-MG505 for its endurance during continuous shooting. It was, in fact, a poor showing. Perhaps it can perform better in smaller bursts, but during an uninterrupted shot, it lasted only 54 minutes and 27 seconds – less than 1 hour. Few camcorders have so short a life, except for the next step down GZ-MG77, which was even shorter. 

Audio/Playback/Connectivity

Audio* (6.75)*

The JVC GZ-MG505 offers what few consumer camcorders do: an external microphone jack. In terms of your ability to record high-quality footage, this is among the most important features to look for in a camcorder, because onboard microphones are just not capable of recording decent sound unless recording conditions are optimal. External mics can be positioned at the sound source, in the case of interview mics or lavalier mics, or can be selected for highly targeted sound gathering in the case of shotgun mics. Onboard mics are generally omnidirectional, meaning they are not selective, and they are positioned on the camcorder which may be so distant from the sound source that they are effectively useless. If you’ve ever tried recording an event from the back of a room using only a camcorder’s onboard mic, and been dismayed by the abysmal quality of your recorded sound, you have experienced the limitations of internal mics. JVC deserves praise for including the mic jack, and for including an on-screen display of external microphone levels. While we would have liked to see a headphone jack as well, the onscreen display is a helpful tool for monitoring audio levels that is rare on consumer camcorders.

*The mic input can be difficult to access due to the short stretch on the port cover. *

The GZ-MG505 also has a wind cut feature, which is standard issue on most of today’s consumer camcorders. Wind cut is a high pass filter that reduces the buffeting sound of wind on the camcorder’s onboard microphone screen digitally. Wind cut features are an effective tool for improving your audio signal to noise ratio in breezy situations, but they will decrease the overall quality of your audio. If you’re not in a windy environment, you should make sure that this option is turned off. Wind cut is also much less effective than a good windscreen on an external mic.

VCR Mode* (6.0)*

Calling the GZ-MG505’s suite of playback functions "VCR Mode" suggests random access digital video is no different from tape-based recording systems like MiniDV. VCRs play tapes linearly, so moving from shot to shot can only proceed as fast as the tape heads can rotate. This camcorder, and other Everios, records footage to an integrated HDD (hard disk drive), opening up a world of file management and editing functionality that is impossible with a linear format like tape, and at greater speed than DVD camcorders can manage. In theory, an HDD camcorder is capable of manipulating files in the same way a PC does with the interface offering the prime limitation. That’s where this camcorder’s VCR mode falters – with so many options for playback and file management, it’s easy to get lost in an interface that’s limited to a joystick and a few buttons.

Playback mode is engaged by switching the Power/Mode switch on top of the camcorder to the Play icon option. Within playback mode, the Photo/Video mode switch inside the LCD cavity allows you to toggle between still photo and video clip playback, and the camcorder toggles between media types in only a few seconds. Video clips stored on the HDD appear first in a nine-to-a-page thumbnail format, with the first frame of each clip displayed. Thanks to the on-screen joystick, browsing files is very easy: in thumnail view, you can move in any direction, and select a clip for playback by pressing the center of the control. You can also browse clips one at a time by tapping the joystick up or down to jump from clip to clip.

JVC could have stopped here, but their engineers have added some additional file browsing and organization options that take fuller advantage of the camcorder’s HDD-based system. The GZ-MG505 also includes a three-to-a-page Date Index Screen option that displays files with information about the date and time they were shot. Another option called Event Screen displays clips according to a particular "event" or shoot if you registered those clips (registering a clip is an administrative option that is accessed via the menu in shooting mode). Numerous additional file management options are available, including rating clips in order of preference, protecting clips from deletion, creating playlists, and more. Most file management options are also available in still mode, but file review is limited to the default nine-image thumbnail view and the Date Index Screen.

When playing back a video clip, the joystick is used to control basic VCR functions. It’s an easy control to use given some practice, but actions for Play, Rewind, etc are not labeled, but an onscreen playback guide appears for a few seconds when you engage playback mode – so don’t blink. The center of the joystick acts as the Play/Pause button, while left scans backwards and right scans forward. Pressing up and down skips to the beginning and end of a clip respectively. When a clip is paused, pressing left or right repeatedly engages frame-by-frame playback, and pressing and holding left or right plays back footage in slow motion. Moving from one VCR action to another is very fast, especially compared to the frustrating delays that are inevitable with DVD camcorders.

The GZ-MG505 also features a playback zoom function that magnifies a paused clip or still image up to 5x, using the zoom toggle to move in or out. When viewing a magnified clip, you can also use the joystick to pan over the image, analogous to the same option on many digital still cameras. In photo playback mode, you can rotate images onscreen by pressing the up and down arrows on the joystick.

Ports* (6.0)*

JVC has equipped the GZ-MG505 with a reasonable array of ports, including an external microphone jack – but none for headphones. Underneath the camcorder is an SD memory card slot, protected plastic hatch opening on a hinge. The base is not the best location for a card slots, because you’ll need to remove the camcorder from a tripod to swap out memory cards. We always advocate maximum accessibility for any feature that might be used during the course of a shoot. Like the GZ-MG77, USB 2.0 and A/V out ports are at back of the camcorder above the battery, where you’d normally find a viewfinder. These ports are protected by a plastic port cover. Inside the LCD cavity, you’ll find an S-Video port which offers another video playback option that many consumer camcorders lack. The DC-in terminal is on the right side of the GZ-MG505 near the back end, and it is also protected by a port cover. The external microphone jack is at the camcorder’s front end below the lens, and is also protected by a cover.

*The port array, going clockwise from the upper left: AV-out and

USB 2.0, the accessory shoe, the S-video-out, and the DC port.*

Other Features

Widescreen/16:9 Mode* (6.75)*

JVC says the GZ-MG505 enables you to record in "Full Wide 16:9 Video" but our tests show that this does not mean true widescreen. Instead, the GZ-MG505 uses a technique that delivers partial 16:9. In 16:9 widescreen mode, information captured horizontally indeed show an increase of more than ten degrees, indicating a gain in horizontal picture information. However, the top and bottom of the frame are also significantly cropped, which shows that the GZ-MG505 uses a crop and zoom method for 16:9. Video shot in widescreen mode will fill up your widescreen TV, but your video will lose some of its detail and resolution.

Scan Rates/24p* (0.0)*

The JVC GZ-MG505 does not offer frame rate options beyond 29.97 frames per second, the standard rate of capture for most consumer camcorders on the market.

Other Features* (7.5)*
*Digital Image Stabilization - *The JVC GZ-MG505 includes an EIS (electronic image stabilization) system on par with what is offered by most consumer camcorders. EIS, called Digital Image Stabilization by JVC, minimizes the effects of vibrations and hand shake on the video image, but does so at a modest cost to image quality. OIS (optical image stabilization) is a superior, but more costly, stabilization system that does not degrade overall image quality. OIS is only available on a few high-end consumer camcorders like Panasonic’s SD memory-based SDR-SR150.

*Battery Info - *Battery Info is a JVC-only feature accessed by pressing and holding a small button underneath the joystick, to the left of the LCD display. Battery Info provides detailed information about HDD capacity, informing you of remaining recording time in different quality settings on the first screen. The second Battery Info screen provides information on the camcorder’s battery level as a percentage, and as remaining recording time.

*Direct-to-DVD Burning - *The JVC GZ-MG505 is compatible with the Everio Share Station CU-VD10 DVD recorder, an optional accessory. The Share Station allows DVD burning from the camcorder via a USB 2.0 connection. This device offers an easy means of archiving the camcorder’s native .MOD files to DVD, and is compatible with DVD-R and DVD-RW discs. The recorder is not fast, and JVC advertises that an hour of footage will take 45 minutes to burn. The Share Station has a built-in 2" LCD screen for monitoring footage, and can be connected to a PC. The CU-VD10 retails for around $200.

*Digital Effects - *The GZ-MG505 offers a suite of special effects for use during playback. Digital playback effects are similar to those offered on most consumer camcorders, and include fades, wipes, sepia, black and white, classic film and strobe.

*Drop Detection - *Drop detection is a feature that is intended to protect the HDD by immediately shutting down the camcorder when it perceives a falling motion. This feature may help to preserve the integrity of data on the hard drive, but won’t protect the camcorder’s other delicate mechanisms.

*NightAlive - *NightAlive is JVC's night shooting mode, and is equivalent to slow shutter modes on other camcorders. Night Alive is feature that automatically adjusts the shutter speed in a range from 1/2 to 1/30 seconds, enhancing the light gathering ability of the GZ-MG505. Like any slow shutter mode, Night Alive will result in blurring of moving subjects, but will provide better color saturation in low light environments.

Comparisons/Conclusion

Comparison
JVC GZ-MG77
The GZ-MG77 is the step-down camcorder from JVC’s top of the line GZ-MG505, and it costs a whopping $400 less with an MSRP of just $900. Is the extra cash worth the price? We think so, for a few reasons. The GZ-MG505 has an external microphone jack, vital if you want to record higher-quality audio. It also has a larger LCD at 2.7" vs. 2.5" and slightly better (if oversaturated) video performance. It also adds a cold shoe for accessories and importantly an SD card slot. The SD card adds flexibility in terms of media options by providing the option of recording to a removable media format. It costs more, but the GZ-MG505 serves up a more compelling set of options than its little sibling.

Sony DCR-SR100
Sony’s $1100 DCR-SR100 is a good HDD camcorder, and we gave it an edge over JVC’s GZ-MG77. The GZ-MG505 fares much better in a head-to-head with the Sony, with slightly better video performance and more overall features. The Sony enters the ring with a large 1/3" CCD, significantly larger than the 1/4.5" CCD on the GZ-MG505, and its video is sharper and brighter in low light. The DCR-SR100 also handles like a classic Sony - it’s easy to use, has an excellent zoom toggle, and like the Everio line, has a proprietary one-touch DVD burn function. JVC’s works with the Share Station while Sony’s works with Vaio computers. The Sony falls short of the JVC in several respects: it offers far less in terms of manual controls, it’s less portable, and it supports only a limited range of Sony microphones through its Active Interface Shoe while the JVC has an external mic jack and accommodates any third party mic. The DCR-SR100 is made for point and shooters, and in EasyCam mode, it performs well, but it can’t match the level of image control available on the GZ-MG505. On balance, the GZ-MG505 comes out ahead but it isn't a knockout.

Canon DC40
The DC40 is Canon’s top-of-the line DVD camcorder, and records to disc, it uses MPEG-2 encoding like the GZ-MG505. It is not as user-friendly as the GZ-MG505 because you’ll need to keep track of DVD media on a shoot, and you’ll be limited to 30 minutes of high-quality recording per disc. Its video performance is comparable to the GZ-MG505 and its still performance is also similar 2304x1736 vs. 2560 x 1920 (with the assistance of pixel shifting) for the GZ-MG505. The chief differences between these camcorders are in media type and cost with the DC 40 retailing for around $900. Overall, we give the GZ-MG505 the edge, but for a several hundred dollars less, the Canon is a strong contender if you’re willing to look at a DVD model.

Panasonic SDR-S150
The SDR-S150 is truly a unique camcorder, following up on last year’s SDR-S100. What sets this little one apart (it is genuinely pocket-sized) is that it records MPEG-2 video only to SD memory cards – and is the only camcorder on the market to adopt this model. The benefits over the GZ-MG505 are two-fold: with no HDD, it is tiny; and with no moving parts, its even more silent than the JVC, and much quieter than camcorders that use more run-of-the-mill removable media like DVD’s. The SDR-S150 also has the considerable manual control capabilities typical of Panasonics and records very good video. The JVC wins in other regards, with an accessory shoe, external mic jack, and the ability to record to both its large HDD as well as SD memory card. But these camcorders are clearly going after different buyers, with the Panasonic appealing to people who want something ultra-compact. With so much to differentiate these camcorders, we have to call this one a draw: The JVC gives you more, but the SDR-S150’s diminutive size and feature set is unparalleled.

Who It’s For
Point-and-Shooters *(9.0)*

JVC’s auto controls are as sufficient compared to most camcorders, so point and shooters could safe record a baseball game without too much trouble. The menus are inviting, so those willing to play around with a few controls should manage.

Budget Consumers* (2.0)*

Consumers clutching their purse strings might find the $1300 (MSRP) price tag hard to swallow. Though they might be tempted to find a lesser-priced Everio, we would strongly urge them towards any other manufacturer. This is the one and only Everio worth it’s price.

Still Photo / Video Camera Hybrid* (9.25)*

Still shooting is this camcorder’s specialty, and probably the best we’ve seen this year. With a ton of features, resolution up to 2560 x 1920, and outstanding performance, you won’t be disappointed with this hybrid.

Gadget Freaks* (4.0)*

The HDD as a gadget is waning, as Sony and now Hitachi have joined the fray after JVC struck out alone about 2 years ago. This is JVC’s top of the line, but the new gadgetry is not there. Sorry.

Manual Control Freaks* (4.5)*

Manual control enthusiasts have Panasonic and JVC as their primary choices in the consumer realm. Panasonic certainly offers more control, including independent shutter and aperture, and full manual gain, while JVC has Shutter Priority, Aperture Priority, and auto gain on/off. But JVC’s menus are a little easier to navigate. It’s a toss-up, and depends on how much time you like to spend reading the manual before you shoot.

Pros/ Serious Hobbyists* (2.0)*

While this offers a lot of great features for consumers, the video quality just won’t cut it for pros. MPEG2 is too highly compressed and difficult to edit to ever make into the pro realm. Also, pros will likely balk at the oversaturated colors that the GZ-MG505 produces. It’s fine for consumers, but pros looking for a budget back-up should look to higher-end MiniDV camcorders like the Panasonic PV-GS500 and last year’s Canon Optura 60.

Conclusion

It appears that our hopes, and the hopes of JVC, were more or less fulfilled. Though we found consistently poor image quality in most of the Everio camcorders over the last two years, the GZ-MG505 managed to buck the trend. Video performance looked great, though pros would likely classify this as far too saturated. Consumers want colors that pop, and these pictures pop like a Magnum. Who can blame them for meeting customer demands?

Still performance was superb, a legacy it inherited from its predecessor, the GZ-MC500. Do we miss the MC500’s removable MicroDrive? Not really, 4GB of space is simply not enough for most users. Trading out footage on a card can be convenient, but the cost of multiple MicroDrives can add up. If you’re already willing to make the sacrifice of an 8.5Mbps speed limit, you might as well opt for the larger capacity of an HDD.

Overall, we still preferred the Sony DCR-SR100, their standard definition HDD camcorder, which had a sharper image and comparable ease of use. What it lacks in manual controls it makes up for with better automatic controls and more accurate color reproduction. The GZ-MG505 is, however, an unquestionable victor over the next Everio down the line, the GZ-MG77. The price jump might give the cash-strapped consumer pause, but the difference in quality between these camcorders is vast. Consider your investments wisely.

Surely the Sony HDR-SR1 is also a bulwark that JVC was not expecting. This high definition camcorder uses the new AVCHD format. How does it compare to the GZ-MG505? Well... it's HDD, so people interested in that format will immediately put it in the 'maybe pile.' It's a Sony, which has outstanding brand recognition. It's only $200 more than the GZ-MG505 (MSRP price), which is a pretty small jump for those already willing to spend over a grand on a camcorder. Finally, it's HIGH DEFINITION! While technical analysts can argue all day over the merits of AVCHD versus H.264 versus HDV versus 'name your codec,' the truth of it is that people shop by price first, and marketing second. Sony is going to plaster the phrase 'high definition' all over that thing. People might not understand it, but they know they want it. Will the GZ-MG505 be able to compete? It will be a tight race, if they can manage it.

Despite the difficult position JVC might have in the market, after a long year of reviewing JVC Everios, we’re glad to see a competitor in the bunch. The GZ-MG505 is definitely worth checking out.

 

 

Specs/Ratings

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