JVC GRD230 MiniDV Digital Camcorder w/10x Optical Zoom
by JVC
List Price:
Our Price: $150.00
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Category: Digital Camera
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Customers in the UK,
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for British Pounds
Digital Photo Product Details
Manufacturer: JVCModel: GR-D230US
Product features:
- Ultra-compact MiniDV camcorder and still camera with 1.33-megapixel CCD
- 10x optical zoom lens (digital zoom to 500x) and image stabilizer
- Crystal View rotating 2.5-inch High Resolution LCD, to reduce glare and reflections from the LCD screen
- Illumi-Light: Built-in Auto light using twin LED lights for 1/10th the power consumption
- BN-V408U 800 mAh Lithium-ion, high-capacity, rechargeable battery pack; camera has built-in battery charger
- AmazonBasics USB 2.0 A-Male to B-Male Cable (6 Feet / 1.8 Meters)
- AmazonBasics USB 2.0 A-Male to Mini-B Cable (6 Feet / 1.8 Meters)
- AmazonBasics IEEE 1394 4-Pin/6-Pin FireWire Cable (6 Feet/1.8 Meters)
- Corel VideoStudio Pro X2 [Old Version]
- Roxio Creator 2010 [OLD VERSION]
Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of JVC GRD230 MiniDV Digital Camcorder w/10x Optical Zoom
Customer Review: Camcorder that Does a Lot
Summary: 5 Stars
I bought the camera through Amazon and it was delivered in three days. I experimented with it for about three weeks before this review.
The Goods: It is sleek yet sturdy and has all the functionalities one would expect. Autofocus function is very good & I am able to shoot close ups in video & stills amazingly well. The clarity of the picture is very good and I am impressed at how well it has captured the video, when I played back on the TV. The buttons are well located for easier operation and the whole thing was easy to learn and operate. The additional light is helpful, to filter any shadows when you are shooting in dim light. I was bale to use it for highlighting the closeup shots as well. The optical zoom is plenty and the digital zoom is as good as many cameras out there. I biught this camera, because of the megapixels that it was offering and I was happy with the clarity.
The price through Amazon is the lowest I found anywhere and I feel that this camera is well worth the money I paid(...).
The software provided does the job well, however, I would recommend to buy firewire for converting to VCDs. It took me nearly 2 hours to convert 40 min tape to VCD via USB cable. The Pixela software is easy to use and I did make a successful VCD.
The Bad: I was bit disaapointed with the night shooting, even with the night alive mode. The focus was blurry, when I engaged night alive. If there is low light, the picture although visible, can be very blurry. I guess all camera's are that way. In low light situations, the accesory light did not help me much either.(as I have started using this camera from last few weeks, I may have to learn more about shooting at night).
I also felt that JVC could have provided the firewire and increased the capacity of the SD card. I however, did some research & found that most camcorders, do not come with firewire or high capacity sd card.
Verdict: Great camera for the price, with a lot of features. It is sleek and does not weigh much at all. I would recommend a purchase, if you shooting outdoors(does really well & sharp) and in areas, where there is decent light.
Description of JVC GRD230 MiniDV Digital Camcorder w/10x Optical Zoom
The perfect combination of style and performance is what makes the GR-D230 unique. It offers a 1.33 Megapixel CCD for superior video (540 lines of resolution) and still pictures (1600 x 1200)and Three Dimensional Noise Reduction (3D NR) that eliminates piAmazon.com Review The features of the compact, versatile GRD230 are accessible right out of the box. The record button is right under your thumb, and the digital still shutter button is exactly where your index finger comes to rest on top of the unit. Playback and mode functions are likewise clearly marked and easy to reach under the flip-out LCD screen. The camcorder's well-thought-out design manifests itself in a dozen other thoughtful details as well. One of our favorites is that closing the LCD screen turns the power off, and opening it turns it on, which facilitates quick-draw shooting and means you'll be unlikely to run down the battery accidentally.
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| Turn the camcorder on and off simply by closing and opening the LCD screen. |
One of the big draws of the GRD230 is the SD memory card slot that lets you take digital stills (the unit includes an 8 MB card, but you will almost certainly want to get a higher-capacity card as soon as possible). All the power of the 10x zoom lens is also available in still mode (forget about the advertised 500x "digital" zoom, whi ch is nothing but a cropping mechanism), and there is almost no shutter lag. Plus, the GRD230 does close-ups as well in still image mode as it does in video mode.
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| (Actual still picture taken with the GRD230 -- See full-sized image.) |
We do have a few complaints. Automatic mode is not as automatic as it might be; we had to manually adjust the brightness on a few occasions. Transmission to a PC via the USB cord required the installation of drivers from the included CD-ROM. (Isn't the U in "USB" supposed to stand for "universal"? Why do some cameras require a special driver and other s don't?) Also, the shape of the camera body, with its round hump, rather suspiciously makes the GRD230 look like a DVD camcorder. JVC isn't trying to fool anyone, are they? No matter: DVD or no DVD, you would be hard pressed to find anything at this price even approaching the quality and features of this tidy little unit. --David Stoesz
Pros
- Compact, intuitive design
- Decent image quality
- SD card slot for digital stills
- Excellent image stabilization
- Shaped deceptively like a DVD camcorder
- LED lights have a very limited range
- USB connection requires installation of cumbersome software
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