9 out of 9 people found this review helpful.
No High Def is better than poor High Def
Date of Review: Mar 10, 2009
The Bottom Line: This camcorder could be the right thing for the right price but image stabilization is terrible.
The JVC Everio GZ-HD5 features three low resolution 1/5" sensors (3CCD) each with 570 pixels. Though these sensors may have worked well on JVC's GENESSA HD display, they do not work well for the Everio HD Camcorder. The MPEG 2-TS compression and encoding may be too overpowering in order for these sensors to work efficiently.
It doesn't matter what the cause is for the poor performance of the JVC Everio GZ-HD5, it cannot produce the video quality of a camcorder like the Sony HDR-SR11, of whose beauty I have also written a review.
I had very high hopes when I purchased this camera. The price was 1/2 that of my Sony, and it had a feature set that appealed to me. It included a Fujinon zoom lens with 3.3mm - 33.0 focal length, and F1.8 - F1.9 F Stop, Full HD 1920 x 1080i recording and 1080/60P output. The JVC Everio GZ-HD5 also includes several interfaces; a USB 2.0/1.1 port, HDMI v1.3 with x.v.Color, component video output and a DV (i.Link) output. The HDMI output accepts a full size HDMI cable, unlike many that require a mini-HDMI to HDMI cable.
In the box is an AC power adapter, battery pack, shoulder strap, AV cable, USB cable, component video cable and a remote control that works no more than 3 feet away from the camcorder.
One complaint from HD Camcorder users is the lack of software available for video editing. JVC does a nice job including a Cyberlink software suite that may not do everything you want it to, but is capable of performing everything necessary to burn a high quality DVD. Adobe CS4 and Sony Vegas Video 8 are also capable of editing the JVC file format.
For those needing extra storage over the 60GB hard drive, JVC has included a micro SD memory card slot. Though you can only store 25 minutes of of standard definition video on a 4GB card. I like using it to store photos. It's a convenient feature if your computer has a microSD card slot.
One item missing from the JVC Everio GZ-HD5 is an eye-level viewfinder. This forces use of the 2.8" 207k-pixel TFT LCD screen. This can be a real battery eater. My experience had been the stock battery lasts around 40 minutes per charge.
The biggest disappointment of the JVC Everio GZ-HD5 and its ultimate downfall is the optical image stabilization. I consider myself to be steady with a camcorder, but after taking many hours of video free handed, I have many hours of horizontal jitter-filled video. Without a tripod, this camera is practically useless.
Another flaw is the color reproduction capabilities. I shot 25 minutes of video at a local bowling alley with the JVC Everio GZ-HD5 and my Sony HDR-SR11. The video from my Sony was crisp, clear and very natural looking, just like I remember it. The JVC videos looked like it was DayGlo night at the alley. I tried turning the x.v.Video setting on and off, adjusting the white balance, and nothing helped. Outdoor videos are a bit better though, and colors are more realistic.
Because of the stabilization issue, I find it difficult to recommend this camera at all and at any price. If JVC could fix this issue, this would be an adequate camcorder and nothing more. For all of the features the JVC Everio GZ-HD5 offers, JVC really dropped the ball in its application.
