JVC Everio GZ-MG505
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CNET Editors' Review
The good: Generally satisfying video and still-photo quality; light and compact design; appropriate and usable manual controls.
The bad: No eye-level viewfinder; requires a pass through the manual to understand operation; no internal lens cover; renders reds poorly; video looks washed out on computer.
The bottom line: A well-designed hard-disk-based camcorder, the JVC Everio GZ-MG505 produces video and stills that look great on TV. But its price might make you hit Pause.
The redesigned body weighs a little more--just
... Expand full reviewThe redesigned body weighs a little more--just greater than a pound--but the boxy matte-plastic body is nicely compact and feels sturdy. It's also very comfortable to grip; in fact, it's one of the most comfortable models I've ever held. Though the 2.7-inch wide-screen LCD is on the small side, it's sharp enough for manual focusing, and remains clearly visible in direct sunlight. Still, I miss an eye-level viewfinder.
I did need to flip through the brief documentation to figure out how to activate and adjust the manual settings, as well as to decipher some of the mysteriously appearing icons. Once I understood the logic behind the design, though, the MG505 became quite straightforward to operate. Some of the usability features impressed me quite a bit. For instance, if you try to zoom in on a subject that's too close for focusing, the lens automatically zooms back out until it can lock. Or if you're far enough away but the lens can't lock on anything, a manual focus indicator flashes, inviting you to deal with it yourself. And the easily accessed spot-meter mode lets you choose one of three different areas to meter, instead of just the middle of the frame; this capability is common in cameras but rare in camcorders.
There are a few annoyances nonetheless. You have to press the Auto button twice every time you want to switch into manual mode or back to auto; the first press simply tells you what the current mode setting is. The joystick makes manual focus relatively easy--although I miss the focus ring from the GZ-MC500--but it can also be frustrating: press it accidentally and the next thing you know you've popped into Night Alive mode or are confronted by exposure options.
Hide Review Senior Editor Lori Grunin has been covering digital imaging and all types of tech for two decades and photographing for four, but the stat she's proudest of is the approximately 5,000 photos she's taken of cats (and some dogs) for the animal rescue where she volunteers.
User Reviews
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stars 11 of 11 users found this review helpful
"HDD is Amazing!" By phat78boy
Pros Compact, Light weight, No media, Good video, and Great stills
Cons Video not quite as good as similiar priced models with removable media. Expensive. No viewfinder.
Summary I have been holding out on HDD model camcorders because of the reviews, but have wanted one for quite some time. When this was released I was quick to purchase and have been very surprised at how good this camcorder is. In comparing video, camcorder models with removable media do ... Expand full review
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