Performance

JVC switched gears from last year, opting for a large single CCD, rather than the three 1/4.5" CCDs in the GZ-MG505. This year’s top-end model offers one 1/2.5" CCD, the largest imager in a consumer camcorder. This resulted in an increased pixel count (good for resolution) as well as expectations for a better low light. Last year’s MG505 has a total gross pixel count of 2,322,540. The MG555 has a gross pixel count of 5,370,000 – a significant increase. The effective pixel count is not specified anywhere by JVC, but we can expect it to be about 3/4 of the gross. Any way you cut it, JVC has set some high expectations.

At 3000 lux, the GZ-MG555 produced a far, far more natural image than last year’s electric kool-aid MG505. Yes, the colors are saturated, but what a turn around. Last year’s version overexposed the whites and amped up the colors to an incredible degree. The MG555 had a normal exposure – dark by comparison, really – but better looking.

The DCR-SR100 of last year was one of our favorites. Compared to the MG555, the SR100 was much sharper. Color performance was quite different, and which is better is debatable. The MG555 pushed the greens a little too heavily, but had a decent color balance. The DCR-SR300 warmed the image, as many camcorders are wont to do. It’s less accurate, but manufacturers skew it because people generally look better in warmer colors.

This year’s DCR-SR300, Sony’s 2007 top-of-the-line standard definition HDD camcorder, was very much the same story. Despite the smaller imager and lower pixel count, the image looks so much crisper. Again, the image is warmer, but it does look very good.

The JVC GZ-MG555 offers, deep in the menu, the option for "natural" or "vivid" colors. The vivid option, seen here, is not recommended. Once activated, the colors suddenly look like they did last year in the MG505 – blazing neon.

Overall, the JVC GZ-MG555 produces a good image. The improvements over last year are marked and appreciated. Yet again, however, it’s not holding its own against the competition. Sony’s competing model, the DCR-SR300, produces a better looking image. Thankfully for JVC, Sony cannot hope to compete on manual controls, which gives the MG555 a fighting chance.

Video Resolution* (3.66)*

In order to evaluate video resolution, we shot a DSC labs video resolution chart and viewed the playback footage on an HD monitor. What we’re looking for here is final resolution of the entire camera system, not the reported resolution that manufacturers claim. At best, the JVC GZ-MG555 was able to produce an approximate horizontal resolution of 325 line widths per picture height (lw/ph) and an approximate vertical resolution of 225 lw/ph. We double-checked this on several monitors in order to make sure of our conclusions. This was a truly disappointing result, particularly the vertical, though not surprising considering what we saw in our standardized and ad hoc shooting. The imager promises big things, but camcorder as a whole does not appear able to pull it off.

Low Light Performance* (4.86)*

The large 1/2.5" CCD creates some high expectations for low light performance. At 60 lux, the JVC GZ-MG555 did not lose much information at all. There is a significant fall-off in the brightness of the whites, but rest of the image looks like a slightly dulled version of the 3000 lux image. That is about as good as you can expect on a consumer camcorder.

Again, last year’s GZ-MG505 looked far more saturated. It is in this way, however, that some people may prefer the MG505. In low light, those unhealthy neon colors and high gain made the colors really pop. Of course, they’re pretty far from accurate.

Sony topped the JVC’s low light performance with both the DCR-SR100 and DCR-SR300. The SR100 looked best, with very little difference in overall image quality between 3000 lux and 60 lux. With the SR300, the quality gap between bright light and low light was about the same as the JVC MG555. But both SR300 images looked better than their MG555 equivalents, offering a sharper picture with better color performance.

JVC offers a shutter priority mode, which can be quite convenient in low light. When we dropped the shutter down to 1/30th, a strange effect took place. The overall image did not brighten up much, as you would expect. Instead, the whites brightened and the color saturation increased. The middle greys were not affected much. Overall, the auto shutter looked better.

As in all JVCs, the GZ-MG555 offers the option to turn off the auto gain control (AGC). This is not recommended, as you can see from this image. Very little color information was retained.

At 15 lux with AGC on, the MG555 lost a lot of detail and color. However, the large imager did manage to retain quite a bit. It performed much better than last year’s GZ-MG505, which was nearly black. Once more, Sony’s DCR-SR100 and DCR-SR300 looked a great deal better: a sharper image, better color, and more detail. The SR100 had very little noise. The SR300 had a great deal of noise, but a fine grain noise that did not obscure much detail.

At 15 lux with a 1/30th shutter speed (and AGC on), the image looked a good deal better, almost as good as 60 lux in auto mode. If you can live with the motion blur from the slow shutter speed, this could prove very beneficial for very low light.

With AGC off, the image is more or less devoid of information.

The GZ-MG555 was able to produce 50 IRE at a light level of 15 lux, not a particularly impressive sensitivity, given the CCD size. However, the colors were produced with relative accuracy. According to Imatest, at 60 lux, the camcorder had a color error 8.7. (Comparatively, the Sony DCR-SR300 had an error of only 6.3, but the Canon DC50 had a much larger error of 13.5) At 60 lux, the MG555 produced a noise level of 0.77% and a 83.68% saturation.

Overall, the JVC GZ-MG555 is a solid low light performer. The elements that we felt were lacking – sharpness, first and foremost – was also lacking in bright light, so we can’t very well blame it as a low light weakness. JVC has improved their performance from last year, but Sony’s comparably priced HDD camcorders both had superior image quality.

Stabilization* (2.34)*

The JVC GZ-MG555   features a DIS (digital image stabilization, commonly called EIS, or electronic image stabilization) system that, while effective, results in a noticeable loss of image resolution when engaged.

Image stabilization systems reduce the effects of camcorder shake on the recorded image, and systems that achieve this digitally do so by creating a buffer around the margins of the sensor so that the entire sensor is not used for recording. OIS systems are superior because they physically isolate the lens element from vibration, and do not reduce the resolution.

We tested the GZ-MG555 using our custom-built shake emulator machine at two speeds, and derived our score by measuring the motion difference between footage shot with DIS off and DIS on, taking into account resolution loss. At Speed 1, roughly equivalent to the shake produced while hand holding the camera and standing still, the MG555’s DIS system reduced motion by 33%. At the more aggressive Speed 2, the reduction in motion dropped to 25%.

Wide Angle* (9.6)
*We tested the GZ-MG555 in 16:9 recording mode to obtain its maximum field of view. The camcorder was manually focused, OIS was turned off, and the zoom was pulled back to its widest setting. The GZ-MG555 produced a maximum field of view of 48 degrees, which is relatively average compared to most consumer camcorders.

 

 

 

 

Format

Compression* (4.0)*

The JVC GZ-MG555 outputs video in the MPEG-2 format in four quality settings: Ultra Fine (720 x 480, 8.5Mbps), Fine (720 x 480, 5.5Mbps), Normal (720 x 480, 4.2Mbps), and Economy (352 x 240, 1.5Mbps). Why they call Normal "normal" is a mystery, as you will invariably want to record in the highest possible quality. The image falls off pretty quickly after Ultra Fine. All four settings record at a variable bit rate (VBR). VBR, as opposed to a constant bit rate (CBR), records less data when there is less movement. While VBR makes for a more efficient use of space, it can sometimes do a poor job with fast motion. We found the MG555 to perform fine in this regard, comparable to equally priced DVD and HDD camcorders.

Media* (6.0)*

The GZ-MG555 captures video and stills primarily to a 30GB HDD. For a top-of-the-line model, the HDD is about average. The Panasonic HDC-H200 also has a 30GB capacity. Sony’s DCR-SR300 offers 40GB, but also costs $100 more.

Overall, HDD is one of the best formats. In Ultra Fine mode, the camcorder can store up to 7 hours of footage, which should give people enough shooting time until they can get to a computer or DVD burner. The HDD is fairly well-protected with shock absorbers and a feature that can detect sudden shifts in acceleration (as in a drop) and pull the read/write needle away from the disk to prevent scratches.

The main menu has several options for HDD maintainence

HDD has some drawbacks, though. Archiving is not as simple as tape and DVD, which is as simple as popping it out of the camcorder and onto a shelf. Footage must be backed up to a storage drive or a DVD. JVC offers a stand-alone DVD burner specifically for this purpose, called a Share Station, that sells for a little under $200. The second issue with HDD is the "all eggs in one basket" problem. If footage has not been backed up and the HDD fails, well… there goes your vacation footage. Finally, we’ve received word from owners of the GZ-MG555’s predecessor, the GZ-MG505, that the camcorder cannot be used for recording in high-vibration environments like car racing.

The MG555 also allows for record video and stills to SD cards, which load under the body. While the largest SD card – 4GB – is a mere fraction of the HDD’s capacity, there are some advantages. Memory cards are removable, and they do allow you to record in shakier environments. No card comes included with the GZ-MG555.

Editing* (5.0)
*Working with most MPEG-2 camcorders has its hang-ups when it comes to editing. The JVC GZ-MG555 is no exception. When connected to a computer via USB, the HDD can be accessed like any external hard drive. Video clips are split into .MOD and .MOI files. You cannot import clips into an NLE without first using the included software – PowerCinema NE, PowerProducer 3 NE, and PowerDirector 5 NE Express – to create a unified MPEG-2 file. The import/conversion process is simple but time consuming. Sony’s method of creating simple, unified MPEG-2 files is much preferable.

The included software bundle is among the best provided by a manufacturer. Between the three programs, basic archiving and DVD authoring are within the scope of beginning users. PowerDirector allows for simple editing, including clip trimming, title creation, and soundtracks. Advanced editing will require a better NLE program.

 

 

 

 

Auto / Manual Controls

Picture & Manual Control
Automatic Control (3.0)

It’s a good thing that the manual control set on the JVC GZ-MG555 is so good, because the automatic responses are sorely lacking. Of the three principle tasks that you want a camcorder to do well – exposure, white balance, and focus – only the auto focus is really performing up to the standards of a $900 camcorder. The auto exposure is middling, at best. When required to make subtle shifts in lighting, the MG555 makes quick adjustments from bright to dark, but much slower responses from dark to bright. Often, we found the image very gradually ramp up the exposure to brighten, then seem to hesitate, only to suddenly jump up another 1/3 or 1/2 stop with seemingly no provocation.

The auto white balance was the worst, however. We strongly recommend that you acquaint yourself with the basics of manually adjusting the white balance. First of all, the auto white balance response had the same problem as the exposure. It would very gradually shift, then pause, then shift again, though the lighting had remained the same. Also, we found the MG555’s preferred color palette too warm. We held it up against the comparably priced Canon DC50 DVD camcorder and a Sony HDR-UX1 DVD camcorder, and both produced much more accurate, well-balanced colors. Under sunny conditions, this didn’t prove to be too much of a problem, but under incandescent lighting, the MG555 panicked and washed the whole image in an orange-yellow tan.

Overall Manual Control (6.75)

The manual control set on the JVC GZ-MG555 is well-conceived, overall. They were thoughtful enough to put most of the key controls close at hand, often with external buttons or in abbreviated menus. This is what you should expect for a top-of-the-line camcorder in any class or format. The Everio HDD series has had a steep learning curve in terms of handling and design. We’re pleased with its latest incarnation.

The key feature is the large, rotating mode dial on top of the body. Nine settings can be accessed with exception speed and ease. Absolute novices with camcorder or cameras might need to consult the manual for the meanings of the icons, but they’re easily discerned. There is a setting here for automatic mode ("A"), which is more or less the idiot-proof mode, then one for manual mode ("M"), which allows access to basic controls like focusing and exposure – more on that in a moment.

After that, there are five Program AE settings (sometimes called scene modes) on the dial: Twilight, Portrait, Sports, Snow, and Spotlight. These settings can be useful if you need to quickly dial in an adjustment for a difficult shot instead of manipulating individual shutter, exposure, white balance, etc. The last two settings are aperture and shutter priority modes, described in detail below.

Inside the mode dial, right in the middle, is a neutral density filter button, which lowers the exposure about one full stop. A control like this is yet another reason why we think JVC has done a great job with the manual control set. Very few consumer camcorders offer a neutral density filter, let alone one this accessible.

Most of the remaining manual controls are located on the joystick. Push up to activate backlight compensation, then spot focus. Push left for the NightAlive low light feature. Push right for the LED light. Push down manual focus. The ease of access, once again, is very good.

The list of manual control continues. Push the Function button, located directly below the joystick, to access brightness (exposure compensation), white balance, and image effects. Also included as an external control is the telemacro feature, located in the LCD cavity.

There is one final control, less accessible, in the main menu: Color Mode. This one-touch on/off control allows you to switch between natural and vivid. The vivid setting, as we saw in the Video Performance section, just boosts the saturation.

As you can see from the length of this section, JVC has packed a lot of controls into the diminutive body of the GZ-MG555.

Zoom (6.5)

The zoom toggle in the GZ-MG555 is a slender piece of raised plastic. It’s not the easiest thing to grab onto, but JVC has provided a little gripping area, which is better than nothing. The toggle is position towards the rear of the top, and should fall under the index finger (as it should) for most users. While zooming, an onscreen display appears that gives you both the numerical zoom power and a sliding scale to show you where in the zoom range you are. It’s the double whammy; we love it. The fastest you can traverse the 1x – 10x range is about 4 seconds. There are about three discreet zoom speed all together. Getting a slow crawl is easier on this camcorder than many others, and that’s the kind of zooming your audience wants to see – slow, controlled pushes

and pulls.

Zoom Power Ratio (10.0)

The JVC GZ-MG555 offers a 10x optical zoom, which is about par for the upper-tier of consumer camcorders. We’re actually glad it doesn’t go too much farther, as the image stabilization on this camcorder is really lacking. The digital zoom can extend to either 40x or 300x. Unless you’re using a tripod, we don’t recommend going too far beyond the 10x optical zoom.

Focus (4.0)

The manual focus control is easily engaged, but function poorly. Simply push down on the joystick to activate the controls. A small pair of icons, a mountain and a man, appear at the bottom of the screen. Now push the joystick left and right to shift focus. Easy, yes? But there is no scale or numerical indicator to tell where you are in the focal range. You must rely solely on the sharpness of the LCD image. With a resolution of merely 113K, the LCD is really not going to cut it for difficult focusing. What makes this poor control all the more tragic is the inclusion of the neutral density filter, the primary purpose of which is to make for tighter focusing in bright light.

Exposure & Aperture (7.65)

The JVC GZ-MG555 offers both exposure compensation and an aperture priority mode. JVC refers to the exposure compensation as "brightness," which is perhaps a bit more dumbed down that it needs to be on a $900 camcorder. Nevertheless, it’s conveniently placed and effective. Brightness is one of the few features found in the function menu. It can be set to auto, or anywhere on a +/-6 scale (in whole number increments). This numbering system is arbitrary, but it can shift either aperture or shutter, or both. For instance, in full manual mode ("M"), brightness would adjust both. But in aperture priority mode, once the aperture is locked, the brightness would only adjust the shutter speed. This works in reverse for shutter priority mode.

The camcorder also offers aperture priority, indicated by the large capital "A" on the mode dial. When activated, the aperture value appears on the left side of the LCD. Push in on the joystick to activate

Shutter Speed (6.8)

The shutter speed can be controlled on the by turning the mode dial to shutter priority mode (the big "S"). The shutter speed appears on the left side of the screen. Push in on the joystick to highlight the shutter display and it’s ready to adjust by pushing the joystick up and down. Speeds include 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. Though the camcorder does not specifically give you independent shutter and aperture control, you can lock the shutter then use the brightness control, in effect altering the aperture. Of course, you have no way of telling what the exact aperture setting is.

White Balance (5.5)

The white balance options are located in the short function menu. They include settings for Auto, Manual, Fine, Cloud, and Halogen. The easy access to this control, with the function button and joystick on the LCD panel, is great. The lack of another indoor preset, like incandescent, is problematic because the automatic response is lacking (read Automatic Controls above). Making a manual adjustment is as simple as pushing in on the joystick until the icon stops blinking. It takes about 5 seconds. The manual setting is fairly accurate. Under incandescent lighting, the picture veered a little towards the green.

Gain (1.0)

Like most JVC camcorders, the GZ-MG555 offers the ability to turn the automatic gain control (AGC) on and off. No other manufacturer gives you this particular ability. Panasonic typically offers manual control of the gain after the aperture has been fully opened. The AGC control is located in the main menu under the Video submenu. For this inclusion, JVC gets one point.

Other Manual Controls (2.0)
**Neutral Density Filter - JVC has chosen not only to offer a neutral density filter, rare enough on a consumer camcorder, but to figure it prominently with its own external button. Located in the middle of the mode dial, the neutral density button has an icon with a sun and a house, split with a slash mark. For those not familiar, a neutral density filter drops the exposure by an even, fixed amount. This allows you to open up the aperture in bright light for tighter focusing without blowing out the image. Neither the manual nor the camcorder indicates what the actual exposure reduction is, but we found it to be about one full stop down.

Color Mode - This one-touch, on/off control located in the main menu allows you to select between Natural and Vivid color settings. Because the option is buried deep in the menu, you won’t want to be changing it all that often. The Vivid setting boosts the saturation, but we can testify that the image is saturated enough already. It doesn’t need any help. But if you want those blue oceans to really sing on your Caribbean pleasure cruise video, you’re welcome to give Vivid a try.

 

 

 

 

Still Features

Still Features* (10.25)*

The large imager and impressive manual control set of the GZ-MG555 make it a formidable still camera performer. Still resolutions in a 4:3 aspect ratio include 2592 x 1944 (5MP), 2304 x 1728 (4MP), 1600 x 1200 (1.9MP), and 640 x 480 (0.3MP). In a 16:9 aspect ratio, sizes include 2592 x 1456 (3.7MP), 1920 x 1080 (2.07MP), and 1280 x 720 (0.9MP). Each size can be set to either Fine or Standard quality. Up to 9999 images in any resolution will fit on the 30GB HDD. Stills can also be saved to SD/SDHC cards, which load on the underside of the body.

Most of the manual controls found in video mode also work here. The function menu houses the same white balance settings and special effects. The brightness control, which appeared in whole number increments in video mode, appear as actual 1/3 EV stops in still mode: +2.0, +1.7, +1.3, +1.0, +0.7, +0.3, 0, and then the same increments in negative. The neutral density filter button, located in the center of the mode dial, activates the timer, which can be set to 2 or 10 seconds.

The joystick works the same way; push down to adjust focus, push left to activate NightAlive, push up to activate backlight compensation and spot exposure. All of the scene modes on the mode dial are also available. Both the aperture and shutter ranges differ from video mode. In shutter priority, the settings include 1/2, 1/4, 1/8, 1/15, 1/30, 1/60, 1/125, and 1/250. The aperture range includes f/3.5, f/4.0, f/5.6, and f/8.0 (video mode goes up to f/16).

In the main menu, the gain setting can be used to adjust ISO, with settings for auto, 50, 100, 200, and 400. The GZ-MG555 also offers continuous shooting and bracketing. Continuous shooting can be used in any resolution, but the larger the size, the slower the speed. Also, the longer the shutter button is held down, the slower the capture speed. We found that in the highest quality, there was about a 1 second interval. However, the camcorder was unable to shift auto exposure while continuously shooting, nor did it do a great job with focusing. In bracketing mode, the camcorder takes 3 images, one at the preset exposure level, one at -0.3EV, and one at +0.3EV.

The still photo options in the main menu

The electronic image stabilization does not work in still mode.

As with most HDD camcorders, playback mode for still photos looks similar to playback in video mode. Images appear as thumbnails, nine to a page. Push in on the joystick to make the image fill the screen. Pushing the Info button in the LCD cavity will bring up a several bits of information. Push once for basic EXIF data (filename, date & time, size, and quality), then push a second time for shutter, aperture, ISO info, and a histogram. The histogram is small, but effective for general purpose exposure review. The histogram is not available during live shooting, and is not available anywhere in video mode.

Still Performance* (8.5)*

The large size of the GZ-MG555’s stills were more or less matched by satisfactory quality. The colors were did not appear as oversaturated as they did in the video image. In comparison to the Canon DC50, a comparably priced DVD camcorder, the stills had more accurate color, but almost 50% more noise. JVC’s GZ-HD7, the HD Everio that goes for considerably more money, produced a color accuracy in the same range, but also had a lot less noise.

We tested still performance by shooting a Gretag McBeth Color Checker chart at 3000 lux and running those stills through Imatest imaging software. At best, the GZ-MG555 produced a color error of 7.03, with a noise value of 1.355% and a saturation of 108.6%. In order to get this score, we had to lower the "brightness" (known as exposure compensation to most photographers) to -0.7, or -2/3 EV. When shooting in auto mode, the image was oversaturating considerably more.

Still Resolution* (42.5)
*To assess still resolution of the JVC GZ-MG555, we shot an Applied Image ISO 12233 resolution chart and ran those stills through Imatest imaging software. At best, the JVC GZ-MG555 produced a horizontal resolution of 1785 line widths per picture (lw/ph) – with a 1.84% clipping and a 5.26% oversharpening – and a vertical resolution of 1671 – with a 1.08% clipping and an 11.5% oversharpening.

This was one of the highest resolution scores this year, which should not be surprising give that this is also one of the largest imagers. The GZ-MG555 produced a far higher resolution than the JVC GZ-HD7, which has three smaller CCDs. The MG555 also performed better than the Canon DC50, which had a similarly sized imager.

 

 

 

 

Handling and Use

Ease of Use* (5.75)*

JVC’s Everio line encompasses some of the most compact little HDD bricks on the market, and the higher you climb in price, the more you get. It just so happens that the GZ-MG555 is uniquely well-equipped to make life easier during a shoot. There’s an LCD-mounted joystick, mic jack, cold accessory shoe, and an old-school mode dial.

Mounting the joystick on the LCD panel makes sense—most consumers brace a camcorder with two hands. The GZ-MG555’s joystick is small, but it’s more solid than most Canons and Panasonics. In addition, a host of instant functions are available right at your thumb, including backlight compensation, night mode, video light, and focus. The function menu button rests just below the joystick, enabling a quick shift into extended options. Although the menu button is located within the LCD cavity, all it takes is one push to bring up the administrative menu screen, fully controlled by the joystick. This is far superior to Hitachi’s jumbled mess of menu controls strewn throughout their hybrid line.

JVC gives you a mic jack and cold accessory shoe, which is great, but it also limits your options. You’ll have to find a battery-powered external microphone, and without a headphone jack, you won’t be able to efficiently monitor recorded sound. Mic and headphone jacks go together like peanut butter and jelly, and the GZ-MG555 only serves you a jam sandwich. You can get your peanut buttery protein from the GZ-HD7, which includes a both jacks and a hot accessory shoe.

Now onto the retro wheel of fun—the old-school program AE dial. You used to see these on certain older MiniDV Canons and Sonys. We’re not sure if JVC is attempting to resurrect a classic design trait, but we dig the dial. It eliminates the need to quest through a menu and puts auto, manual, AE presets, aperture priority, and shutter priority right at your fingertips.

Handling* (7.0)*

The JVC GZ-MG555 is a somewhat unusual beast with a few attributes that make it unique on the market – and most of that uniqueness enhances the way it handles on a shoot. The manual control and menu interfaces are thoughtfully designed, and incorporate some revisions to JVC’s previous Everio layouts. One addition is an old-school Program AE Dial that sits right above the battery slot on top of the camcorder. In other Everios, such as the recently-reviewed GZ-MG130, Program AE modes are accessed via the joystick. That model works well, in that it keeps these shooting modes close at hand – but the physical dial is even faster because each mode has its own position on the dial. This does away with having to cycle through and select an AE mode using the joystick, and the slow response time that is our biggest gripe about this year’s crop of Everios.

In-hand, the GZ-MG555 feels solid and well-built, and balances nicely in your palm. The hand strap is wide and comfortable, and the zoom and photo buttons are positioned well. This is a very small camcorder, however, and that is an attribute with both pros and cons for handling. Unlike larger camcorders including Sony’s HDD-based DCR-SR300, this JVC is best suited for small-handed users. If you’ve got larger than average hands, you’ll need to clench your fingers to operate the rocking zoom lever. This design byproduct is neither good nor bad, but it is something to be aware of when deciding which camcorder is right for you.

A more serious issue is the fact that this camcorder’s electronic image stabilization system (called DIS by JVC) is poor in comparison to the competition. The MG555 turned in a score that was nearly identical to its entry-level sibling, the MG130, placing them both in last place among 2007 camcorders we’ve tested thus far. Seeing such a low stabilization score is a shame, as is the loss of OIS from last year’s MG505.

Ultimately, however, the MG555 handles well. If you can work with the slow menu response time, you’ll find that manual control over parameters like shutter speed and aperture are unusually accessible via the Program AE dial.

The screen-mounted joystick is another handling boon, offering quick access to Backlight and Spot Metering, the video light, manual focus, and night mode.

The Function Menu button, just below the joystick adds quick access to exposure in EV steps (labeled Brightness), white balance presets, and Effects.

While the response time will slow you down a little, the intelligent interface layout still makes this a relatively efficient consumer camcorder when it comes to setting up a shot. A cold shoe and external microphone jack add to its appeal as a capable performer – though once again, we lament the loss of a headphone jack, featured on the MG505 from 2006. If you rely on manual controls to optimize your shot, the MG555 won’t disappoint, and it offers much more control than the DCR-SR300.

Menu* (5.25)*

The GZ-MG555’s menu structure is similar to cheaper Everio models, but one thing in particular sets it apart from the rest—the old-school program AE dial. This thing rocks. Instead of adding more clutter to the LCD screen, the GZ-MG555’s dial of delight supersedes an annoying menu interface and offers instant control over auto, manual, AE preset, aperture priority, and shutter priority settings. Therefore, the actual menu is simplified and a bit easier to swallow.

The LCD-mounted joystick enables you to toggle through manual focus, night mode, backlight compensation, and video light settings by maneuvering it in accordance with the specific control’s label. When manual focus is selected, you can control its parameters by moving the joystick right or left.

Beneath the joystick is a round function menu button that brings up the function menu screen. The GZ-MG555 must be set to manual mode in order to access the function menu. Here, you can adjust exposure (labeled brightness), or set the camcorder to auto exposure. Next is white balance with the following options: auto, manual, fine, cloud, and halogen. Lastly, the function menu offers the following digital effects: sepia, monotone, classic film, and strobe.

The administrative menu is accessed via the menu button located in the LCD cavity. Once pressed, a cool blue menu screen will appear with vertically rotating icons for each subset. Video offers quality, zoom, DIS, 16:9 wide recording, gain up, wind cut, record media for video, scene counter, and external microphone settings. Next in line are the camera settings: quality, image size, gain, continuous shooting, and record media for image. The general set follows and consists of brightness, drop detection, remote, demo mode, operation sound, TV type, analog input, display, display on TV, language, clock adjust, date display style, date/time, preset, quick restart, auto power off, and color mode settings. Media is the last subset: clean-up HDD, format HDD, delete data on HDD, format SD card, video number reset, and image number reset.

The administrative menu is identical in both video and camera mode because it includes both subsets. The only difference is that when you press the menu button in camera mode, the administrative menu starts on the camera subset. The function menu is slightly limited as well, offering only sepia and monotone image effects, and nixing auto white balance.

Portability* (6.25)*

The GZ-MG555 is slightly larger than a balled fist and it’s proving to pack a solid punch in the handling department. This compact brick of stealth measures 74mm x 72mm x 118mm (2 15/16" x 2 7/8" x 4 11/16") and tips the scale at 470g (1.1 lbs.). Its operating temperature falls between 32 degrees and 104 degrees Fahrenheit with a humidity range of 35% to 80%--that’s for all you weatherchannel.com freaks. The GZ-MG555 will definitely fit in the smallest camcorder bag you can find with room to spare. It will also fit in certain large pockets, including the ever-awesome cargo pants pocket.

You’ll run into a couple issues on the road, though, one being the GZ-MG555’s cheaply constructed port covers. Treat them like golden goose eggs and you shouldn’t have a problem. Also, a manual lens cover is great because it eliminates a clanking pendulum suspended from the hand strap and is also sturdier than a mechanical enclosure (more moving parts means more potential to crap out). The downside to the manual lens cover is that you have to remember to close the darn thing. Finally, like most batteries in this price range, the GZ-MG555’s BN-VF808 pack will not last you even 1/4 of a shooting day. Therefore, bulk up – bulk up to the max! Or in JVC’s clever reminder, "Don’t forget a backup battery!" The massive BN-VF823 will last three times as long.

LCD and Viewfinder* (5.0)*

Generally, Everio LCD screens are well equipped. The GZ-MG555’s 2.7" wide LCD screen is no exception. The LCD screen extends at a 90 degree angle to the camcorder’s body and can be rotated a full 270 degrees. The screen resists solarization fairly well and displays a crisp image. The only downside is that its resolution is an ailing 123,000 pixels—a cheap move by JVC for a $900 camcorder. Running vertically along the left side of the LCD panel is the battery/HDD info button, joystick, and function button. It’s all in the LCD, and those who are fond of two-handed shooting will jump for joy. The brightness of the LCD can be adjusted within the function menu. A horizontal slider appears onscreen and is controlled by the joystick.

The GZ-MG555’s old-school program AE dial rests in place of where a viewfinder would go. Although the lack of a viewfinder will vex those who like the option of a secondary monitor, remember that no standard definition Everio offers one, nor do Sony’s HDD camcorders. An adequate viewfinder conserves battery life and offers an alternative to LCD screen glare on sunny days, and certainly would have been appreciated, considering the price tag.

Battery Life* (12.7)
*We tested the GZ-MG555’s battery life by setting it to manual mode and recording continuously with the LCD flipped open until its BN-VF808U pack threw in the towel. The GZ-MG555 lasted a venerable 127 minutes, a rarity amongst consumer camcorders. Last year’s GZ-MG505 incited shameful gasps with a 54 minute battery life. Much has changed since then, and the GZ-MG555 proves itself a vacation-worthy camcorder.

The data battery information is displayed on the LCD.

Audio / Playback / Connectivity

Audio* (7.0)*

The GZ-MG555 records sound via a dual-channel Dolby Digital microphone mounted to the front. JVC made a wise decision not to mount the microphone on the top of a camcorder this pint-sized—we can already palm the little bugger as it is. This way, the microphone is safe from roving fingers set out to muffle and distort recorded audio during shooting. The GZ-MG555 includes a mic jack mounted to the front and cold accessory shoe on top, but no headphone jack, leaving us scratching our heads. The convoluted wire mess you’ll have to deal with in order to connect an external microphone is highly frustrating.

As stated earlier, mic and headphone jacks should be joined at the hip. JVC should take notes on the blueprints of Sony’s new AVCHD HDR-SR7, which migrates most of its ports to the right side of the camcorder, including a separate port cover housing both a mic and headphone jack together. The SR7 also has a hot shoe, and although it’s a proprietary Sony hot shoe, you don’t have to rely on a battery-powered external microphone. That’s the way it should be, JVC—minus the Sony-only accessories.

The GZ-MG555 offers a windscreen feature that pretty much amounts to…nothing. In this price range, consumer camcorders are not expected to churn out golden audio, and a windscreen is not going to serve as a magical audio elixir. Most camcorders at this level feature a 5.1 channel Dolby Digital microphone, so don’t be surprised if the GZ-MG555’s recorded audio is subpar to say the least.

Playback* (3.25)*

Playback on the GZ-MG555 is annoying, to say the least. On most camcorders, there is a small playback submenu on the LCD screen or playback strip located on the LCD panel. That’s not the case here—it’s a bit of a free-for-all. We’ll get to that in a minute. In video mode, when the playback button in the LCD cavity is pressed, a screen with icons representing video clips appears. Up to nine icons can fit within the screen at a time. In order to select a clip, press the center of the joystick. The clip begins playing, but you won’t see any playback controls anywhere. In this case, you must blindly use the joystick—center is pause, down skips to the next clip, up, starts the clip from the beginning, left rewinds, and right fast-forwards. The navigation is choppy, and you must rely on your memory to deal with the silliness of this playback structure.

The playback screen: Each video clip is a thumbnail

Pressing the function button cues a menu screen with the following options: delete, protect, edited copy, change event registry, effect, wipe/fader, playback playlist, edit playlist, playback MPG file, and playback normal file. Pressing the menu button brings up the same administrative menu found in record mode. The index button toggles between the main icon menu and also brings you to a page that allows you to search clips by date and a page that allows you to group clips by a particular event.

Playing back still images is relatively the same, aside from a few minor tweaks. This time, pressing the center of the joystick begins a slideshow, right selects the next image, left selects the previous image, and up and down rotate the image 90 degrees to the right or left. When the info button is pressed while viewing an image, the image’s file name, folder, date/time taken, size, quality, and protect settings are displayed. Pressing the info button a second time brings up a histogram and shutter speed, aperture, and ISO information. The function menu is comprised of the following: delete, protect, copy, move, DPOF, and effect (sepia and monotone) settings.

Connectivity* (7.25)
*Unlike most camcorders, the GZ-MG555 does not contain any ports on either the right or left side. In a way, this helps reduce cable clutter while handling the camcorder. What it really comes down to is that on a camcorder this small, the pickins’ are slim. In front is a cheap plastic cover housing the USB terminal and mic jack. If you plan on using an external microphone, be prepared to weave an elaborate cable route in order to keep the field of view safe from a wandering wire. In back you’ll find the A/V out and DC jacks, sheltered by the same grade plastic cover. You can actually pull these out by sneezing on them. The covers pop right back in, but we wouldn’t recommend it. Underneath the GZ-MG555 is an SD card slot which is secured by a sturdy plastic hinged door. Now we’re talking. But then you have to take the camcorder off a tripod in order to swap cards. It’s not logical, but we’ll give JVC the benefit of the doubt, based on the GZ-MG555’s miniature frame.

The GZ-MG555 also comes with a docking station that includes the following terminals, jacks, and inputs: S-Video, A/V, DC, Firewire, and USB. Now we’re talking.

Now it’s time to take a trip back to the Hi8 years—the GZ-MG555 includes an analog input option. In the general settings menu screen, you can choose to turn the A/V out jack into an old school analog jack. Between the classic program AE dial, S-Video jack, and analog capabilities, the GZ-MG555 is looking like a retro hero in a modern age. Having an analog input means you can record directly from a TV to the camcorder, so start digging up those old home movies. Most manufacturers, like Sony, have abandoned this option entirely. JVC is holding a up lighter to the grunge rock decade.

 

 

 

 

 

Other Features

What’s in the Box?

The GZ-MG555 ships with the following items:

-CU-VC5U Everio Dock

-AP-V14U AC adapter

-BN-VF808U battery pack

-A/V cable

-USB cable

-Shoulder Strap

-Digital Photo Navigator 1.5, including Power Cinema NE, Power Producer 3 NE, and Power Director 5 NE Express

-RM-V750U remote control

-CR2025 lithium battery (for remote)

The docking station will come in handy when you need a Firewire or S-Video jack, and the included editing programs are fairly decent for creating the most rudimentary projects.

Other Features* (2.0)
**HDD/Battery Info - *When the index button is pressed during video or still record mode, a max recording time screen appears, displaying a pie chart just like the one for your computer’s hard drive. On the left is a vertical list of record quality settings accompanied by the maximum recordable time for each setting. Pressing the index button once more brings up a battery life meter, measured by percentage. The number of remaining minutes is displayed to the right of the meter.

*Drop Detection - *Like most HDD camcorders, the GZ-MG555’s innards are fragile. That’s why it has a drop detection feature that automatically shuts the camcorder off when it senses the slightest bit of a tumultuous gravitational force.

*NightAlive - *In JVC’s eyes, things come to life in dark settings when NightAlive is activated. All that’s really happening is that you’re allowing the camcorder to drop from a minimum shutter of 1/60 to a minimum of 1/2, boosting low light a trifle. Manual control freaks will adjust the shutter speed themselves.

*Digital Effects - *The GZ-MG555 offers some cool digital effects: sepia, black and white, classic film, and strobe.

 

 

 

Comparisons / Conclusion

Comparison
JVC GZ-MG505
Last year’s top of the line Everio, the GZ-MG505 ($1300 MSRP) was a respectable model, sporting three 1/4.5" CCDs and a lens hood. This year’s GZ-MG555 changed strategies, opting for a single, massive 1/2.5" sensor spouting a gross pixel count of 5,370,000. So what’s the diagnosis? The GZ-MG555 produces a more natural image, as opposed to the GZ-MG505’s neon color palette. It churns a stronger low light performance, too. This can be attributed to JVC’s decision to whittle down three subpar imagers into one mega chip. The GZ-MG555 also includes a video light, mic jack, docking station with Firewire terminal, and a killer old-school program AE dial. The best part: The GZ-MG555 is 400 smackers less than the GZ-MG505. The choice should be clear.

Sony DCR-SR200
Sony needs some type of camcorder intervention program—perhaps HDD-aholics Anonymous. They keep cranking out standard definition HDD camcorders at an alarming rate. The bogus news is that most of them are essentially the same, aside from minor alterations. The 40GB Sony DCR-SR200 ($850 MSRP) is basically the same camcorder as the DCR-SR300, only it has a slightly smaller 1/3" imager and a lower maximum resolution for digital stills. Last year’s DCR-SR100 produced a stellar image, and this year’s DCR-SR300 displayed a healthy, balanced image. The DCR-SR200 should yield the same. Comparatively, the GZ-MG555 has a larger 1/2.5" chip, larger maximum stills, a video light, LCD-mounted joystick, and a much better suite of manual controls. The SR200 gives you a hot shoe—though it’s Sony proprietary—and a that cool smooth slow record feature which lets you record true slow motion by quadrupling the frame rate. Overall, you’re likely to see better image quality from the Sony, but better handling and manual controls from the JVC. Perhaps Sony is the better value, but JVC will have its followers in this contest.

Panasonic SDR-H200
We’re jumping back in price here, but the Panasonic SDR-H200 ($699.95 MSRP) shows some potential…at least we hope so. This little 30GB HDD number packs in three CCDs—each 1/6" with a gross pixel count of 800,000, which is nothing special. Panasonic’s 3-chip camcorder performances from the last couple of years have offered tremendously color reproduction and decent sharpness. The SDR-H200 is also equipped with a manual focus ring, which is a true rarity on a camcorder within this price range. On the downside, it doesn’t have a video light, flash, FireWire, mic jack, headphone jack, or accessory shoe, which will hamper shooting flexibility. The SDR-H200 is considered a hybrid camcorder for its ability to record video to an SD card when the HDD is maxed out. Based on its entry level-grade features, the SDR-H200 just doesn’t hold a candle to the GZ-MG555.

Hitachi DZ-HS500A
Oh man. This is going to be brutal. The Hitachi DZ-HS500A ($799 MSRP) is a challenged camcorder. With a single 1/6" CCD misting out 680,000 gross pixels, electronic image stabilization, 2 channel audio, and an atrocious menu button panel, the DZ-HS500A is indeed a special breed. It wields a maximum still resolution of 640 x 480. The only truly compelling features is that it’s a hybrid and can record video to a 30GB HDD or DVD. This alone has made it a tremendously popular model in certain markets. The SD card comes into play for stills, but, as mentioned before, there’s no need. Don’t expect high video quality, great handling, stellar ease of use, or anything else you’d want in a camcorder from the Hitachi DZ-HS500A.

Who It’s For
Point-and-Shooters

Based on the colossal imager, old-school Program AE dial, and decent manual control set, the GZ-MG555 is for the point-and-shooter who has graduated beyond Bar Mitzvahs and county hoedowns.

Budget Consumers

At $899, the wallet will wince, but the GZ-MG555 offers enough to justify its hefty price tag—just not enough to make a budget consumer squeal with delight.

Still Photo / Video Camera Hybrid

This little brick monster can take up to 2592 x 1944 (5MP) stills stored to its 30GB HDD or SD/SDHC card. Stills are accompanied by a histogram and up to 9999 stills in the highest quality can be stored to the hard drive. If you are a photographer at heart, the GZ-MG555 will float your boat.

Gadget Freaks

Nerds from all four corners of the AV storage room will slither out and revel over the GZ-MG555’s ferocious 1/2.5" imager, data battery, and old-school program AE dial. They will then hold a Quake II tournament, film it with the GZ-MG555, dump the footage onto the nearest gaming PC, and upload it to YouTube for a total of six views—one for each person in the room (including the janitor).

Manual Control Freaks

That old-school Program AE dial will make manual control freaks weak in the knees. In addition, the GZ-MG555 boasts a respectable array of manual controls, operated jointly by the LCD-mounted joystick and the dial of awesomeness.

Pros / Serious Hobbyists

Pros will pick up the GZ-MG555, notice its mammoth lens barrel, Program AE dial, and all black design. They will then smirk with slight appreciation, but then place the GZ-MG555 back on the shelf and grab their JVC GY-HD110U.

Conclusion

The HDD camcorder market has two prominent players, JVC and Sony. For a time, JVC had the space all to themselves, but failed to create the ideal Everio model that found that magic point where performance, price, and features all meet. Before they knew it, Sony stepped in and, as they tend to do, flooded the market with HDD camcorder at multiple price points. Now, with Sony’s name recognition, JVC needs to innovate quickly or expect to be washed away. According to the most recent news, they’re doing just that, and have big plans for the Everio series. We can only wait to see where that leads them.

The simple breakdown is this: Sony’s top HDD camcorders have better picture quality and is easier to use, while the JVC GZ-MG555 has better manual control, handling, and flexibility. It’s rare that we see such a simple divide, and requires only that you ask yourself what kind of user you are. Do you want the simple path, with a guarantee (more or less) of a great-looking video ? Sony has got the answer for you. Are you eager to learn what a camcorder can do, and at the same time, discover what kind of videographer you could be? JVC is the wiser investment.

The feature set of the GZ-MG555 is very good: shutter and aperture control, a non-proprietary mic jack, a neutral density filter button, an easy-access mode dial for several AE modes, and more. Video performance, however, did not live up to the promising specs. The resolution was even worse. We’re not sure what happened, but we weren’t pleased.

Overall, yes the GZ-MG555 is a good value, but it’s not right for everyone. If you’re content with a no-thinking-required operation, Sony has what you’re looking for, with a better picture to boot. More ambitious users will have to maximize of the MG555’s flexibility to get what they want.

 

 

 

Photo Gallery

Specs and Ratings

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