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  • Format

  • Auto / Manual Controls

  • Still Features

  • Handling and Use

  • Audio / Playback / Connectivity

  • Other Features

  • Comparisons / Conclusion

  • Photo Gallery

  • Format
  • Auto / Manual Controls
  • Still Features
  • Handling and Use
  • Audio / Playback / Connectivity
  • Other Features
  • Comparisons / Conclusion
  • Photo Gallery

Format

The JVC GZ-MG255 compresses video in the MPEG2 format, the same basic compression system used for most standard definition HDD and DVD camcorders. Getting on in years, MPEG2 is certainly not the most efficient method of storing, nor does it offer the highest quality. In fact, the older tape-based DV compression (used by standard definition MiniDV camcorders) offers a higher bit rate and a generally better picture, particularly in regards to motion. MPEG2 tend to show more compression artifacts than DV.

The GZ-MG255 offers four recording qualities for video, which refers to the bit rate of the compression. The highest quality, Ultra Fine, shoots 720 x 480 at 8.5 Mbps in a variable bit rate (VBR). VBR, as opposed to constant bit rate (CBR), is an efficiency improvement that allows the camcorder to incrementally raise and lower bit rate depending on the complexity of the shot. The next quality is Fine, recording at 5.5Mbps VBR, then Normal at 4.2 Mbps. The lowest quality is Economy mode, which shoots a lower resolution of 352 x 240, more appropriate for web video. This records in 1.5 Mbps VBR.

Media* (6.0)*

The JVC GZ-MG255 records video and stills to a 30GB internal, non-removable hard disk drive (HDD). HDD camcorders have becoming increasingly popular in the last 1-2 years, yielding even more convenience and portability than DVD camcorders. This 30GB drive is smaller than a lot of what can be found on the market. The problem is combination of capacity and dutifulness on the part of the owner. If footage is not regularly backed up or erased, of course the hard drive will fill up. But we all have our weak moments, don’t we? Sony addressed this issue quite intelligently by offering higher capacity upgrades to all their HDD camcorders this year.

The 30GB drive can store 430 minutes of video in Ultra Fine quality, 640 minutes in Fine quality, 850 minutes in Normal quality, and 2250 minutes in Economy quality. None but the highest quality is recommended for shooting with this camcorder.

Editing* (5.0)*

Editing the clips from the GZ-MG255 can be less than ideal. Most quality editing software has some sort of tool for importing media, which is the recommended method. Just plug the camcorder into a computer via USB and it will be read like any other drive. However, problems often occur with sizing and scaling issues. Your video may appear squashed. In those instances, it may be necessary to manually resize the frame. Other programs may not be able to work with the file structures at all. In those cases, simply look in the box.

The GZ-MG255 ships with some of its own software: PowerCinema NE (file transfer and some editing), PowerProducer 3 NE (DVD authoring), and PowerDirector 5 NE (better editing). The surest way to get the footage in tact onto your computer is PowerCinema and PowerDirector. The software is gangly and time-consuming, but it works well at all the basic tasks demanded of it. All in all, this may be the best in-the-box software suite on the market.

 

 

 

 

Auto / Manual Controls

Picture & Manual Control
Automatic Control (3.0)

The automatic controls on the JVC GZ-MG255 are adequate for only the most basic point-and-shooting. The auto exposure is best, and seems equipped to handle most indoor and outdoor shooting, even in difficult contrasts of light and shadow. There are a number of manual adjustments for exposure, including Spot Metering, which should help in those situations.

The auto focus is decent, but has a tendency to fail in lower lighting or when the zoom is extended past 6x to 7x. Focus can also be difficult to determine due to the small, low resolution LCD.

The white balance, however, is surely the worst of the auto controls. Outdoor shooting was not too much of a problem, but indoor shooting is very frustrating. Incandescent lighting generally created an image that was too warm. Mixed lighting, as in incandescent and fluorescent, was impossible, and required a manual adjustment. Transitions from indoor to outdoor were also very poor. It could take up to 30 seconds for the camcorder to determine the correct color. Once it did, the adjustment snapped into place in about two to three seconds, creating a jarring look.

Thankfully, there are a number of manual controls on board the GZ-MG255 which soften the defects of the auto controls. Most are covered in the sections immediately below. Before we move on, there are a few one-touch features we’d like to mention that even the greenest of point-and-shooters can try. Pushing the joystick to the right will engage the AE mode menu. It appears as a "virtual mode dial" on the side of the screen, and you can scroll through the different settings: Portrait, Sports, Snow, Spotlight, and Twilight. These can be useful for very specific shooting environments where exposure and color balance can be difficult.

The Program AE menu

Pushing up on the joystick engages the backlight compensation. This feature can be used when shooting a subject against a strong backlight. It raises the overall exposure to bring out detail in your subject.

Push up on the joystick again to engage Spot Metering, which creates a target in the center of the frame. Whatever is in that target area, which can be moved from the center to one spot on the right and one spot on the left, becomes the reference point for exposure.

Finally, push left on the joystick for the NightAlive low light setting. This gives leave for the camcorder to drop the normal minimum shutter speed from 1/60 all the way down to 1/2 a second (and all points in between) for exposure in low light.

Overall Manual Control (6.5)

The manual control suite on the JVC GZ-MG255 is quite good compared to camcorders in its price range: a decent zoom toggle, Aperture Priority, exposure compensation, Spot Metering, Shutter Priority, focus, white balance, the ability to turn auto gain off, and a smattering of one-touch features for image improvement. This suite of controls matches about evenly with upper-end Canons, falling slightly behind Panasonic, and easily trumping Sony.

Actually Engaging the manual controls is not perfect, but it works. The LCD-mounted joystick is the smartest element. It’s conveniently placed and large enough for most fingers to grip. The problems are in the details. First of all, placing all the other controls in the LCD cavity is annoying. There’s no way to see them unless you crane your head or tilt the camcorder toward you. Either way, you’re losing the shot. Secondly, the Function menu, which contains most of the manual controls, takes up a huge portion of the screen when activated. This very nearly defeats the purpose. How can an exposure decision be made if the menu is obscuring the subject?

Micro-level interface challenges like this keep Panasonic, Sony, and Canon ahead of the game in terms of user-friendliness. JVC has improved over time with the adoption of the joystick. Now it’s time to work on their short game.

*

Zoom (6.0)*

The JVC GZ-MG255 features a raised zoom toggle for the forefinger on top. Large hands may have some difficulty. The control is slender, but they did include a little grip area to help you. When zooming, a small progress bar appears onscreen, along with a numerical indicator to tell you exactly what the zoom power is. Depending on finger pressure, about three zoom speeds are possible. A very small portion of the zoom progress bar, perhaps the last tenth, is partitioned for controlling the digital zoom. The digital zoom can be turned off, set to 40x, or set to 300x. Strangely, that little portion of the progress bar never expands out any further to help you get more control over the exact zoom ratio.

Zoom Power Ratio (10.0)

The GZ-MG255 has a 10x optical zoom, the standard for a most compact camcorders with imagers larger than 1/6-inch. Don’t be fooled by high zooms. They are generally inflated to increase the apparent value of a camcorder with a small imager and poor image quality. All you should need is 10x, or you risk severe shakiness. If you need a closer shot, get up and walk.

The digital zoom can be activated in the menu. It can be capped at 40x, or extended all the way out to 300x. If digital zoom is to be used at all, please cap it at 40x. That means the 10x optical zoom has already been maxed out and the actual pixels are being exploded to 4x their normal size, severely reducing image quality. At 300x digital zoom… no, it’s too much to talk about.

Focus (4.0)

The focus control on the JVC GZ-MG255 is lacking, so owners should hope the auto focus never fails. To engage focus, enter the Function menu. Focus is the first option. When engaged, a small couplet of icons appears at the bottom, the old, familiar man and the mountain. For focusing on closer objects, push the joystick toward the man. For farther objects, push toward the mountain.

Sure, it’s easy. The problem is the small, low resolution LCD is the only instrument to actually gauge focus. At best, you can use the LCD to approximate the correct area. Better camcorders offer higher resolution screens, instant zoom, focal length measurements, or peaking, which shades the in-focus areas in a bright color.

Exposure & Aperture (8.09)

Unlike focus, the exposure adjustments are pretty good. Two controls are located in the function menu, Aperture Priority and "Adjust Brightness," which is an exposure compensation tool. Kudos to JVC for making a simple control even simpler by renaming it "Adjust Brightness." While we heartily recommend people learn the ins and outs of aperture and shutter, there are a lot of apprehensive beginners out there. The Adjust Brightness control has a range of +/-6, and does just what it says – the image gets darker or brighter. Power users may be frustrated that the actual EV values for each increment are not stated. Our only real complaint with this control is that the menu graphics obscure too much of the screen, making it difficult to see what you’re actually trying to meter.

The second option, Aperture Priority, allows you direct control over the f-stop. In this mode, shutter speed is automatically adjusted to correct exposure. Aperture values include: f/1.2, f/1.4, f/2.0, f/2.8, f/4.0, f/5.6, f/8, f/11, and f/16.

The GZ-MG255 also provides some control over auto exposure with Spot Metering. This feature, activated by pushing up twice on the joystick, creates a small red frame in the middle of the screen. Whatever is in the target will become the reference point for exposure. The frame can be moved left or right one increment, but only along a horizontal axis in the center.

Shutter Speed (6.8)

Shutter speed is adjustable when in the Shutter Priority mode, accessed via the Function menu. In this mode, the aperture is automatically adjusted to accommodate for exposure correction. Shutter speed options 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 of a second.

The inclusion of aperture control is a definite plus for this camcorder, though we have the same complaint we did with exposure controls: the menu graphic takes up too much of the screen. If your shot is already set up and the subject happens to be in the left side of the frame, good luck trying to see them.

White Balance (5.5)

White balance options on the JVC GZ-MG255 are located in the Function menu. Settings include: Auto, Manual, Fine, Cloud, and Halogen. None of these settings worked particularly well with indoor incandescent lighting, which is a problem, as most indoor house lighting is, in fact, incandescent. We recommend you familiarize yourself quickly with the manual white balance process in order to compensate.

Gain (1.0)

There is no manual gain control in the JVC GZ-MG255. However, all JVC camcorders offer the option to turn automatic gain (AGC) off. This control is located in the main menu. It is generally not recommended to turn AGC off, as the image quality tends to suffer greatly in low light.

Other Manual Controls (0.0)

The JVC GZ-MG255 offers backlight compensation has no other manual controls.

 

 

 

 

Still Features

Still Features* (7.75)*

The GZ-MG255 records still images to its 30GB HDD or SD cards in the following sizes: 1632 x 1224, 1280 x 960, 1024 x 768, 640 x 480 (4:3 aspect), 1632 x 912, and 1280 x 720 (16:9 aspect). Images can be recorded in either fine or standard quality. Within the Administrative menu you’ll find ISO gain, continuous shooting, and self-timer. ISO gain lets you set the ISO level to auto, 100, or 200, based on the camcorder’s sensitivity in dark environments. Continuous shooting allows you to snap a steady stream of images with 0.3 second intervals between each shot. The self-timer can be set to off, two seconds, or 10 seconds.

The Dc card slot is located on the bottom of the camcorder

The GZ-MG255 is equipped with a flash that is operated via the LCD-mounted joystick and can be set to auto, auto red-eye reduction, constant, constant shutter, or off. When using the flash in Constant Shutter mode, the shutter speed becomes slower as the flash fires so the background of the image can be brightened. When in Photo mode, the Function menu is almost identical to the Video mode Function menu, except the only available image effects are black and white and sepia. In addition, you are required to set the exposure in Manual mode, while in Video mode there is an auto option. Aside from the flash, the quick joystick functions are identical as well—program AEs, BLC, and NightAlive.

Still Performance* (6.07)*

The still performance of the JVC GZ-MG255 was tested by shooting a GretagMacBeth Color Checker chart and running those stills through Imatest imaging software to determine color accuracy, noise, and saturation. At best, the camcorder produced a color error of 9.89. This is certainly not a great score compared even to point-and-shoot cameras, but the score is commensurate with most camcorders, even the more expensive ones. The noise, however, was lower than average, at 0.9275 percent. The saturation measured 113.4 percent. Typically, a camcorder’s auto exposure will skew the color accuracy farther than we like. In order to get the best score for accuracy, we had to lower the exposure by two increments to -0.70EV. Dropping the exposure resulted in a slight boost to noise, but the increase was not noticeably visible.

To the eye, the stills from the JVC GZ-MG255 looked about as good as a low-end point and shoot. The noise was low, but there was significant haloing around contrasty areas. This could spell trouble when shooting subjects against strong backlighting.

Still Resolution* (13.11)*

The still resolution was tested by shooting an Applied Image ISO 12233 resolution chart and running those stills through Imatest imaging software. This test measures the resolution of the outputted, or final image, in line widths per picture height (lw/ph). At best, the camcorder was able to score a horizontal resolution of approximately 991.5 lw/ph – with a 20.6 percent oversharpening – and a vertical resolution of 597.1 lw/ph – with an 18.4 percent undersharpening.

 

 

 

 

Handling and Use

Ease of Use* (5.75)*

The GZ-MG255 is designed for Soccer Moms, Tee-Ball Dads, and All-Star Tourists. When the camcorder is set to Auto mode, it runs akin to Sony’s Easy mode, coasting nonchalantly in autopilot. The operator is in charge of pointing and shooting, and that’s the name of the game for an Everio. However, the auto controls are spotty, so you may wish to familiarize yourself with the manual controls over time. The lack of a viewfinder and limited external controls couch the GZ-MG255 further into the consumer-oriented realm of simplicity. In addition, there is no need to buy tapes or DVDs, thanks to the camcorder’s HDD. This is a very easy camcorder to operate in Auto mode. Now let’s shift gears to Manual mode.

In Manual mode, you now possess the power to usurp the autopilot function with your own judgment. However, those who wish to venture into the land of independent manual control will not be greeted with open arms as they would with a Sony or Canon. Some of the interface experience is complicated and frustrating, and may require some sit down time with the instruction manual. Using the joystick during playback is particularly vexing. For straight-up point-and-shoot operation, there are better choices. Consider the Sony DCR-SR62 or DCR-SR200, or the Canon DC50, a DVD camcorder.

Handling* (7.0)*

Everios are always fun to hold because their dwarfish little frames make your hands look like Gulliver among the Lilliputians. Tourists will be able to fit the GZ-MG255 in their red, white, and blue fanny packs with room to spare for trolley tickets and SPF 60 suntan lotion. It should therefore come as no surprise that anyone with large-sized hands will experience difficulty gripping the camcorder’s petit frame. There are a few options for getting a proper grip. First, the right hand can be placed through the hand strap and ratcheted tightly. Or you can do what many point-and-shooters do – hold the bottom of the camcorder with the right hand while bracing the LCD panel with the left hand. This is less stable, yes, but it may be the only way for certain hands to coordinate with the camcorder’s slight frame.

Now, about the LCD joystick—it’s convenient, rapid, and multi-faceted. It’s small, to be sure, but we never expect to see an Atari-sized joystick on a camcorder. Overall, it works well. The positioning on the outer edge of the LCD panel makes sense, too. Most consumer camcorders require a second hand there to stabilize the shot.

Menu* (6.5)*

The GZ-MG255 is equipped with a menu structure identical to that of the GZ-MG130 and GZ-MG155. Most actions and selections are dictated via the minute LCD-mounted joystick. Pressing the center of the joystick selects a highlighted option. Shifting right cues the Program AE menu, structured like a jog dial. Here you’ll find Portrait, Sports, Snow, Spotlight, and Twilight AE modes. Pushing the joystick up activates backlight compensation and Post Metering. Pushing left triggers the NightAlive mode. Pushing down turns the video light on and off. In addition to the Joystick menu, a battery info button is mounted above to display the remaining battery life and HDD capacity.

There are two primary menus on the camcorder. The Function menu contains all the controls which require quick access – those that directly affect the image. The second menu, larger and deeper than the first, is the one we refer to as the "administrative menu." This is where the less frequent options are, like setting the time and date or turning off the stabilization.

The Function Menu

To access the Function menu, press the function button located at the bottom of the LCD panel. A menu appears on the left side of the screen, consisting of focus, exposure, shutter speed, aperture priority, white balance, effect, and tele macro controls. To select a function, press right on the joystick and shift up and down to toggle through options. Pressing the center of the joystick selects the highlighted particular option.

The Administrative menu can be accessed by pressing the menu button located within the LCD cavity. A large blue menu will fill the screen providing video, image, general, and media settings. In video, you’ll find quality, zoom, DIS, Record Aspect mode, AGC, wind cut, record media for video, and scene counter. Image is composed of quality, image size, ISO gain, continuous shooting, self-timer, and record media for image settings. General offers LCD brightness, drop detection, remote, demo mode, operation sound, select TV type, analog input, display, display on TV, language, clock adjust, date display style, date/time, preset, quick restart, and auto power off settings. Finally, media consists of clean-up HDD, format HDD, delete data on HDD, format SD card, video number reset, and image number reset settings.

Portability* (6.25)*

Travelers, vacationers, and tourists, have no fear! The GZ-MG255 is highly portable, measuring a compact 66 x 71 x 110mm (2-5/8 x 2-13/16 x 4-3/8-inches) and tipping the scale at 400 grams (.89 pounds). You can definitely throw one of these bad boys in a small camera bag with room to spare. Since all Everios are HDD-based camcorders, there is no need to buy tapes or DVDs. This saves space and money. The only downside is that once you fill up that HDD, you have to dump it onto a computer to free up space. The good news is that the GZ-MG255’s 30GB hard drive is capable of recording up to 430 minutes of video in the highest quality setting. Most point-and-shooters won’t need to import to a computer for months.

2.7' 122K LCD

LCD and Viewfinder* (3.0)*

The GZ-MG255 is equipped with a 2.7-inch LCD screen that flips out 90 degrees from the camcorder’s body and rotates up to 270 degrees. The screen has a resolution of 112,000 pixels and solarizes at even the slightest angle. This is the GZ-MG255’s prime source of image monitoring, for the camcorder is bereft of a viewfinder. Welcome to the land of point-and-shoots. The LCD panel contains a column of three controls: the battery/index button, joystick, and function button. The multi-faceted joystick is convenient and provides control over program AEs, backlight compensation, night shutter speed, and the video light right at your thumb. The joystick is a bit on the small side, so get used to its finicky maneuverability.

**

Battery Life*** (8.5)*

We tested the battery life of the GZ-MG255 by setting the camcorder to Manual mode, disabling DIS, and recording continuously in the highest quality with the LCD flipped open until the BN-VF808U rechargeable battery pack was fully drained. The GZ-MG255’s battery lasted 85 minutes and 29 seconds (1 hour, 25 minutes, and 29 seconds), a substantial improvement from last year over the GZ-MG77’s pitiful 45 minutes of continuous recording time. This is a fairly generous recording time for such a small pack, and its big brother, the BN-VF823U, offers a reported 4.5 hours of recording time for a little less than $100. We recommend the upgrade for longer shoots.

 

 

 

 

Audio / Playback / Connectivity

Audio* (3.0)*

Audio is not the strongpoint of an Everio. These are consumer camcorders geared toward pointing, shooting, and replaying on a TV. With that in mind, the GZ-MG255’s 2-channel Dolby digital onboard microphone provides subpar audio performance, to say the most. Then again, you can expect the same audio quality on any camcorder within this price range unless they offer a mic input. Certain Panasonics have the best onboard sound options, including the utilization of zoom mics and independent audio level control, but that’s not until you reach their higher end spectrum, including the HDC-SD5 and HDC-SX5 AVCHD models. The GZ-MG255 does have a wind cut feature, which merely reduces the high-end tones caused by wind. That’s all the audio control you get with the GZ-MG255.

Playback* (3.25)*

Playing back footage on the GZ-MG255 is a bit of a mixed bag. The menu interface is smart (and familiar between most random access camcorders) showing a thumbnail for each clip. But getting them to play back is another matter. All navigation is dictated by the LCD-mounted joystick, which is finicky. This includes basic playback controls like play, rewind, etc. There are no marking on the screen or the body of the camcorder to elucidate the process. All that is visible on the LCD screen is a small "play" symbol in the top right corner. Pressing the center of the joystick pauses the clip, right is fast forward, left is rewind, and up and down shuffles through clips. You’re going to have to memorize the joystick action positions here because there are no labels, on or off-screen, which is pretty bogus. Playback volume is controlled via the zoom toggle, and that’s a good thing—who wants to wade through an elaborate Administrative menu?

The playback screen,

You can obtain clip information including file name, folder, date/time, and quality recorded in by simply scrolling over an icon and pressing the Info button. The Administrative menu is available in Playback mode as well, but the function button cues a different menu.

When a clip is highlighted, pressing the function button activates a menu that includes the following options: delete, protect, edited copy, change event reg., effect, wipe/fader, playback playlist, edit playlist, playback MPG file, and playback normal file. The index button allows you to search individual clips by date, and pressing it once more offers the option to create an event list. When a USB cable is connected, you can dub footage directly to a DVD or backup files by accessing the Direct DVD and Direct Backup buttons.

Connectivity* (5.25)*

The GZ-MG255 contains ports within the front, back, and bottom sides of the camcorder’s body. The USB terminal is located in front, housed by a meager plastic tab that has the propensity to yank out of its slot, even by a medium strength tug. The same cover situation applies to the AV and DC in ports located in back. Though these thin plastic strips can be yanked out with the greatest of ease, they do not snap or break off, but rather fit back in their slot, secured by a tiny plastic tab. The SD card slot is located on the bottom, secured by a rectangular plastic door. You’ll experience the annoyance of this design when you attempt to swap a card out while the GZ-MG255 is mounted to a tripod.

The GZ-MG255 comes with a docking station that offers the following connections: S-Video, AV out, DC in, FireWire, and USB. It’s odd to see an HDD camcorder with a FireWire terminal—they’re usually only found on MiniDV camcorders. The S-Video option is a nice blast from the past, and users will certainly not have trouble outputting their video by some means with the GZ-MG255’s docking station.

We're happy to report that the GZ-MG255, along with the GZ-MG155, offers analog input through the AV jack. To activate it, visit the General subsection of the main menu.

 

 

 

 

Other Features

What’s in the Box?

The JVC GZ-MG255 ships with the following items:

-CU-VC3U Everio Dock

-AP-V18U/14U AC Adapter

-BN-VF808U Battery Pack

-AV Cable

-USB Cable

-Shoulder Strap

-PC Operation Guide CD-ROM

-RM-V750U Remote Control

-Lithium-ion Battery

The GZ-MG255 offers 430 minutes of recorded video in the highest quality. The battery pack won’t even last you an hour and a half. Yes, a battery upgrade would be a good idea.

Other Features* (3.0)*
*NightAlive- *When selected in the Quick Joystick menu, JVC’s version of Night mode automatically adjusts the shutter speed from 1/2 to 1/250 seconds. This allows the GZ-MG255 to shoot in environments with extremely low light levels, though footage will look choppy and stuttered due to the drastic change in shutter speed. More seasoned videographers can also manually set the shutter speed within the Function menu.

*Battery Index- *With one press of a button (located at the top of the LCD panel), the GZ-MG255’s remaining battery life is displayed in the form of a vertical meter and digital "Max Time" reading. Pressing the index button once quickly will make the screen last for five seconds, but if you press and hold the button down for a bit, the screen will last 15 seconds.

*Tele macro - *The tele macro feature is pretty much pointless for anyone beyond point-and-shooter status. Its function is to automatically zoom in on a subject without having to use the zoom toggle. Our advice: just stick with the zoom toggle.  

*Drop Detection -  *When the GZ-MG255 senses a sudden change in gravity, the camcorder rapidly powers off to protect the internal HDD. If you plan on filming from the back of a speedboat, you might want to turn this feature off.

 

 

 

 

Comparisons / Conclusion

Comparison
JVC GZ-MG77
Last year’s predecessor to the GZ-MG255—the GZ-MG77 ($900 MSRP, less than $500 online)—surprised us in the testing room with a near-adequate image in bright light thanks to its 1/3.9-inch chip. In low light, the story was not as sweet, for the GZ-MG77’s image was polluted with noise and saddled with a faded color palette. The GZ-MG255 offers similar bright light performance, yet leapfrogs its older twin in the low light department with a much higher color retention. In terms of construction, both camcorders are essentially the same, only the GZ-MG255 received a video light, rear-mounted mode dial, bulkier zoom toggle, and a function button embedded on the LCD panel. The GZ-MG255 will grace you with improved handling and superior low light performance when pinned against its developmentally-challenged predecessor. The best part is that you can find both camcorders online for nearly the same price. If you can’t spare the green for the step-up GZ-MG255, go for the GZ-MG255.

JVC GZ-MG555
The GZ-MG555 ($899.95 MSRP) is king of the Everio bricks with a whopping 1/2.5-inch CCD that cranks out a stellar bright light image, yet fails to pack a potent punch when it comes to low light. Yes, the GZ-MG555 will trounce the GZ-MG255 when it comes to most well-lit shooting environments, but when it’s time for mood lighting, both camcorders will show little differentiation in terms of image quality. As far as handling goes, the GZ-MG555 is bulkier and sports a cold shoe, old-school program AE dial, and mic jack. Yet are these aforementioned advancements worth the $200 price jack? They’re Everios, people. Unless you long for the high definition GZ-HD7, there’s no real need to blow your dough on a pint-sized point-and-shooter, no matter how cool it looks with its stealthy, all-black style. Keep in mind you still have to use a joystick to make manual controls on the GZ-MG555. Preserve that piggy bank and stick with the GZ-MG255.

Sony DCR-SR62
With a 1/6-inch CCD, maximum still size of 1158 x 864, and limited manual controls, the Sony DCR-SR62 ($650.00 MSRP) is barely a contender. Yes, you’ll be greeted with Sony’s infamous Easy mode and LCD touch screen control—two flaming neon red flags indicating the DCR-SR62’s point-and-shooter status. The GZ-MG255 will offer larger stills, enhanced video performance, and superior manual controls. It’s also smaller, lighter, and utilizes an LCD-mounted joystick. In this race, diehard Sonyites will rabidly cheer on the DCR-SR62 while unsuspecting development dwellers will most likely gravitate toward the GZ-MG255’s cute, charming size and design. In this race, however, the GZ-MG255 snaps the finish line tape by a stride or two. While $50 is not a prodigious financial strain, it would be well-spent in this situation.

Panasonic SDR-H20
Though we haven’t gotten a chance to run the Panasonic SDR-H20 ($599.95 MSRP) through our testing gauntlet, you can expect video performance tantamount to Panasonic’s entry-level DVD camcorders, which is not great. The GZ-MG255 wins in that department. The SDR-H20 does have a rear-mounted joystick and respectable array of manual controls (what Panasonic doesn’t?), in addition to a larger body that equates to better handling. The GZ-MG255 is likely to produce the better looking image. Even though the price tag is $100 more, we’d opt for the GZ-MG255.

Who It’s For
Point-and-Shooters

Any Everio beneath the GZ-HD3 is geared toward point-and-shooters. Just watch the demo video. The GZ-MG255’s lack of viewfinder, miniscule size, and direct-to-DVD functionality are definite indicators for this category.

Budget Consumers

At $700, the GZ-MG255 will not appease the wallet of a budget consumer. Even JVC’s base model GZ-MG130 fails to duck beneath the $500 limbo stick. Therefore, be prepared to shell out the Benjamins for any Everio.

Still Photo / Video Camera Hybrid

The still photo set on the GZ-MG255 only boasts a flash and larger image size capacity over the GZ-MG155 and GZ-MG130. What does that mean? Well, that’s not much of an upgrade for a hundred or two smackers more. The GS-MG255 cannot record video to the SD card—only stills. Hybrid and still photo fans, you are at a loss.

Gadget Freaks

Yawn. Gadget freaks will grow gruelingly bored with the GZ-MG255’s next-to-bare body and lack of cool features.

Manual Control Freaks

It’s not a Panasonic or Canon, but the GZ-MG255 holds its own with a solid offering of manual controls consisting of focus, exposure, shutter speed, aperture, and white balance, and other controls

Pros / Serious Hobbyists

A pro will have no use for the GZ-MG255 other than to hurl it at an assistant who gaffed incorrectly (if a GZ-MG255 happens to be lying around).

Conclusion

The JVC GZ-MG255 has some inherent contradictions that make it difficult to recommend for a wide audience. On many levels, it’s a point-and-shoot camcorder. Yet it lacks the most fundamental strength that a point-and-shoot must posses: great auto control. The automatic responses are, in fact, rather weak in some areas. On the plus side, the camcorder is equipped with the great manual controls, but that’s problematic as well. Power users that typically pursue camcorders with a good manual control suite also demand great video performance, and the GZ-MG255 is only capable of a mediocre image quality. The MG255 might best be targeted towards enthusiasts on a budget, or techies that don’t plan on showing their video on large screen TVs. This could be a powerhouse camcorder for web video creators that want to take advantage of real manual controls. But these are niche markets, so step cautiously before purchasing the GZ-MG255. It is very likely not the best camcorder for you.

 

 

 

Meet the tester

Michael Perlman

Michael Perlman

Editor

Michael Perlman is a valued contributor to the Reviewed.com family of sites.

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