My Value-Corder

Author's Rating:

Pros: Good Optical Zoom
Up to 37hrs of Video
Priced Well
Easy output

Cons: 800x Digital Zoom
Still Shots at .3 MP
Comes with 60 minute battery

The Bottom Line: 
For the value, this is a great product. While it's not HiDef, it will capture the moment just as you remembered (or didn't want to remember) it.

Author's Review
Everyone loves Black Friday. It's when all the nuts come out and shop. Competitive shopping should be part of the Winter Olympics. But alas, not everyone understands the nature of the beast. So, the many rush to get the few, while the few rush to get the many. In this case, I found an overlooked item in th e JVC Everio GZ-MG130 Camcorder.

The Everio is a small and very compact camcorder. It fits comfortably in the right hand and snugs in place with a strap. The record button is easy to reach with your thumb, while you may need a little more reach to use the shutter button (for stills). Zooming is simple with your index finger, and the grip is just down right comfortable. With a 4x2x2 design, you can fit this in your jacket pocket and carry it anywhere you go.

The Everio is first and foremost a video camera. As such, the focus here is on video. The Everio features a 32x optical zoom. This is great for getting video footage of objects further away without having to settle for lower quality images. I recall testing this model in the store. The camera counter was near the front of the store (Best Buy), so when I pointed out the back door, I was able to see clear into the mall. That seems like a decent viewable distance, though I don't have an exact measure. In addition to this, the Everio offers an 800x digital zoom. Since digital zoom is essentially the same thing as zooming in on a preexisting group of pixels, I don't use this feature. You can limit the zoom to optical (34x), limited digital (60x), or optical plus full digital (800x). By default, the camera stops you at the 60x setting. 60X isn't bad, but when you look closely, you can start to see pixelation.

The video offers both standard and widescreen options. Generally I don't use the standard, but I have tried it once. It adds a little more to the top of the viewable area, but cuts off the sides. Widescreen provides a greater landscape view, but reduces the vertical. Overall, the widescreen seems to look better and should be at a resolution of 720x480 (DVD quality). The standard runs at 640x480. There are 4 video modes. There's Economy, Normal, Fine, and Ultra Fine. I tend to keep to Fine, since it's nice quality without too much space requirements. The normal isn't bad quality. It's not as nice as the fine, but it leaves room for more recording time. The economy is roughly VHS quality. But, with it, you get 37 hours of recording time. The Ultra Fine is getting as high end as possible with DVD resolution. I wish I could say it rivaled HD, but the technology isn't yet there.

The Everio offers a 30 GB HDD (Hard Disk Drive). To be honest, that means nothing until you set your recording quality. At Ultra Fine, you're offered 7 hours of recording, while Economy gives the full 37 hours. I typically use the Fine setting, which offers 10 hours of recording. These time frames are subject to change, based on how many still pictures you take in between filming. So far, the Everio seems to have a fast access drive. Though I'm not a veteran of HDD camcorders, I haven't found any issues with writing. When it comes to taking still shots, the write speed of the drive is quick enough to capture those moments rather quickly. The Everio does offer the option of formatting the internal HDD as well as a few other features for cleaning it up. Though I haven't had to use them, it's comforting to know that this product does permit maintenance

Well, like others, this is a Hybrid camcorder. It does both stills and video. I strongly recommend video on this camcorder, but stills are another story. You can shoot still images at 640x480. Though well enough for posting on FaceBook or MySpace accounts, the resolution isn't near most digital cameras. It's obvious the Everio is meant for video recording over stills. Regardless, I've taken my chances and the stills that came out of this product were well enough. When given the choice, I wouldn't rely on my Everio for stills, but you can capture the moment clear enough for a wallpaper image.

Well, the oddity of the Everio is the output format. It outputs in a .MOD format. If you rename to a .MPG, you'll find that the Mpeg 2 format works rather well for authoring DVD's. The Everio even comes with its own software and a setting for direct to DVD authoring. This is helpful, but if you're like me and wish to use Sony Vegas for editing, you may find that the DVD Architect software which comes with Sony Vegas may have issues compressing the files to fit more than 120 minutes on a 4.2GB DVD. This may be getting a little technical for some users, but in my personal time, I find myself editing video clips to capture only the key moments. Though Vegas will address the renamed .MOD files, other software I've used doesn't address the Mpeg 2 format as well or at all. Still, the output is easy to use if you have the correct software and saves time by not requiring the user to compile into a DVD format.

Like most cameras or camcorders, the Everio allows the user to apply certain effects to a video directly from the camera. This means that you can apply a sepia/classic film filter or a black and white filter. Though these are fun to look at, I have found that the best way to apply filters is through software, and not the camera itself. The effects are somewhat fun to play with. Further enhancing the experience is Twilight Mode. This allows the user to take video in extreme low lighting situations. It doesn't mean you can take video in pitch black rooms, however it does work where most conventional camcorders are unable. During Twilight Mode, the frame rate is slowed down to adjust for the lower lighting. Film may appear slightly choppy. I recommend using this only when you have to. Another useful feature for low lighting is the spot light/flash on the front of the unit. When taking stills, this will act as your flash, but in low lighting, this can be used as a spot light. The Everio features several other white balance and color correction options to enhance the video taken. Though this can be manually adjusted, I just recommend using the automatic adjustments, which will compensate rather well for any lighting conditions.

As a bonus, this camera features a remote control. The remote works better than I expected. I've been at least 20 feet away from the Everio, and it's managed to receive signals from the remote. The remote can zoom and stop/start recording. There are also functions for if you wish to play back on a television. Though I prefer not to use my camcorder for playback on a TV, the option is there. So are the connections for a standard component (non-HD) Television. The Everio does offer multiple storage options. One of these is to use an external SD card. Since SD cards become fairly expensive after 4GB, it's recommended that you stick to the internal HDD for storing all your video. If you choose to store still images on the SD Card, it's completely your call, though I haven't found a benefit to doing so.

Despite the “recommended conditions”, I've actually used this in 4 F above. It worked rather well, despite the cold. Regarding the overall durability of this product, I can't speak much, since I'm not going to put the unit through the ringer just to see what it can do. But I will say that shock hasn't seemed to affect the camera that much. I've dropped to the ground a few times with the camera in hand, and it still seems to be rolling fairly well.

Well, if you're thinking about purchasing an Everio, I recommend it. For about $100 less than a Sony, JVC has offered a product that stands up to Sony is almost every way. If you're planning to pick up this camcorder, I strongly recommend picking up a 4.5 hour battery (since the one that comes with it only lasts 60 minutes). This will vastly increase your recording time away from a power source. Beyond that, I can't find many faults with this product. It does what it does well.