Below the display are five Laser Touch buttons: OK/display, three that are context-sensitive, and Menu. I'm sure after a couple months of use, you'll have no problem remembering to go from Menu to OK to scrolling to OK to scrolling to OK to scrolling and to OK one last time, but for me it seemed like a lot of jumping around to change the white balance setting. Aside from all the menu digging, the Manual, Aperture Priority, and Shutter Priority modes are definitely a plus for the MG730, especially considering its increased photo abilities.
The MG730 records video in MPEG-2 and still images in JPEG. The Ultra Fine video setting comes in at 8.5Mbps, providing a little more than 7 hours of storage. Honestly, it's the only setting you'd want to use with the MG730, but there are three more options going down to Eco at 1.5Mbps for 37 hours and 30 minutes of recording time. Stills are 7 megapixels.
Overall, video quality looks good for standard definition in the MG730's class. Colors were pleasing with acceptable white balance in natural light. Indoors, the auto white balance turns overly warm, and like many camcorders it lacks incandescent or fluorescent presets. You can set manual white balance for better results. It did deliver better low-light quality than expected, but is slow to focus. Since it lacks optical image stabilization, extending out to 10x may result in a shaky mess without a tripod. The zoom rocker itself tends toward touchy, but with some practice can be steadily controlled. The package includes a remote control and docking station, making it easy to watch video on your TV or computer.
We usually say you're just as well off using a camera phone as a camcorder for stills. But the MG730 fares better than most camcorders, at least in well-lit conditions; the photos have some artifacts, look a bit oversharpened, and the colors are a bit off, but the exposures are good and they're high-enough resolution to be useful. But under cloudy skies or indoors quality degrades, increasing noise and losing detail, relegating your results to Web use at small sizes.
The JVC Everio GZ-MG730 disappoints primarily because it's overpriced, though its quality fares well compared with standard-def models like the SR85. Like that model, it also costs almost as much as better-performing HD models.
- See more CNET content tagged:
- JVC,
- JVC Everio,
- balance,
- camcorder,
- MicroSD
Where to buy
JVC Everio GZ-MG730 (30GB, black):
$359.00 - $499.95
| store | price | in stock? | rating |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Amazon.com Marketplace
|
$499.95 | Yes |
|
|
$379.00 | Yes |
|
|
$359.00 | Yes |
|
|
$399.95 | Yes |
|
%20Digital%20Camcorder%20reviews%20-%20CNET%20Reviews&srcUrl=http://reviews.cnet.com/digital-camcorders/jvc-everio-gz-mg730/4505-6500_7-32858010-2.html){kind=small}