3CCD sensor dedicates one chip to red, green, and blue for true-to-life color rendering
Microdrive format lets you shoot up to 60 minutes of high-quality MPEG-2 video
10x optical zoom
1.8-inch LCD monitor
Editorial Review:
JVC GZ-MC500 creates sharp and vivid images by dedicating a 1.33 (1.23 effective) megapixel CCD to each color - red, green and blue. JVC's advanced prism optics and filterless 3-CCD pixel shift technology quadruple the pixel count to record 5 megapixel-class stills. Simply put, the pixel shift technique, used also in JVC professional cameras, captures double the 1,228,800 pixel information in both the horizontal and vertical directions, creating a real full color image pixel count multiplied by four for stills. (Everio uses 691,200 effective pixels for each RGB video color.) The broader dynamic range delivers videos with bright realistic colors and photo-quality digital stills up to 2560 x 1920 pixels for beautiful 8? x 10? or A4 prints. JVC optics using three dimension angle mounting technology assures high precision prism/CCD registration with accuracy on the order of one micron. The camcorder's two sections - the grip and the lens/body assembly - pivot so the lens portion can be tilted without the user changing hand location. This makes it easy to quickly transition to a high or low shooting angle, and affords a number of comfortable and stable single and two handed shooting positions 4GB Microdrive Removable Media Provided / Microdrive/ CompactFlash card and SD Dual Card Slots for Extra Data Storage and Transfer MPEG-2 Video Recording (up to 720 x 480/60i in ULTRA mode) with Dolby Digital Audio User-Friendly GUI for Easy Operation and Setting
Still images or video--capture either 60 minutes of DVD-quality MPEG-2 movies or thousands of super-high resolution UXGA-size JPEG pictures with the Everio--the first camera to use Microdrive technology. The included 4GB Microdrive card, though it is the same size as Compact Flash card, has such unprecedented capacity because it is has its own built-in HDD (hard disk drive).
The completely tapeless Microdrive format lets you choose higher video quality or longer shooting times.
Store more photos than you ever thought possible on the included 4GB Microdrive card.
Until now, tapeless formats have been severely limited in the length and quality of video capacity, but the Everio's Microdrive lets you shoot up to 60 minutes of high quality MPEG-2 video--and even more in lower resolution modes. A selection of recording modes lets you choose more quality or more shooting time. The highest quality Ultra mode records at a constant bit rate of 8.88 Mbps with AC 3 audio--comparable to the DVD data rate (average 4 Mbps video/9.8 Mbps maximum). Essentially what you get is DVD quality, with the same video and audio format as a movie DVD. And the number of still photos that will fit on the Microdrive card is nothing less than awe-inspiring: More than 5,000 of the highest resolution images (1600 x 1200 fine).
Three 1/4.5-inch 1.33 Megapixel CCDs for High-Quality Image Capture The image sensor in the Everio GZMC500 features three 1/4.5-inch CCDs offer the high-resolution capabilities needed for high quality digital videography and photography. The Everio features a total of 5 Megapixel-Class Digital Still recording up to 2560 x 1920 pixels (JPEG), and High-Quality MPEG-2 Video Recording (up to 720 x 480/60i in ULTRA mode) with Dolby Digital Audio (MOD file). And the Megabrid Engine applies separate, optimized processing to moving and still images, for videos with a high signal-to-noise ratio, and high-resolution still pictures.
Versatile, Lossless Data Store what you've shot on the provided Microdrive card, optional CompactFlash or SD Memory Cards. size as a CompactFlash card, but with many Gigabytes of capacity. You can eject the Microdrive card, just as you would a CompactFlash or SD Memory Card, and load data into your PC via optional card adapter. Or simply connect the camera via its USB2.0 interface for quick downloading to a PC. All transfer is digital-to-digital, so you won't lose any quality in the process.
DVD Creation and Sharing
Three advanced applications are provided:
Power Producer offers easy saving (authoring) of your video clips in any order to DVD, even right from a USB-connected camera, so you can share your original DVDs with anybody who owns a DVD player.
Power Director offers feature-rich non-linear editing so you can flex your creative muscle with titles, effects, and even mix still with videos.
Power DVD for easy video clip and DVD playback with AC 3 audio.
Multi-Format Support In addition to making it easy to create DVDs, the supplied software converts to a variety of file formats for distribution via the Web or by e-mail. Supported formats include DV-AVI, Windows-AVI, MPEG-1 and MPEG-2, as well as Windows Media Video and RealVideo that can be streamed over the Internet.
Customer Reviews:
Avg. Customer Rating: 3.0 / 5.0
records interlaced video
Video interlacing is dead. Hard to believe Japan is still churning out interlaced recording devices when all displays are now progressive.
Great Camcorder - But!!!
I first purchased a their GZ-MC200 unit. A very similar unit but without the improvements found on the MC500. Once I was satisfied that I wasn't buying a misteak (these models are discontinued) I went ahead and purchased the 500, their top of the line version.
The GZ-Mc500:
Video quality is great when their is enough light, and the auto focus system can work. The actual video capability is around 2mp in video mode. At this level it is equal to and better than most camcorders on the market... more info
Excellent, even if you have a Mac!
I make a living producing videos with Mac's. I own this camera and I love it but there is one truth: the camera is not supported by JVC for Mac's... but that does not matter since you can still have a great experience. It is actually simpler to use with a Mac than with a PC! No need to install drivers and softwares. To summarize it:
1- I did not install anything... there is no Mac software. You do not need it. Plug it in. It mounts the MicroDrive and you copy the files to your HD or burn a DVD... more info
JVC Does Not Stand Behind Their Products - JVC Lemoncorder
I agree with the many other users who have experienced the "Condensation, Operation Paused" defect on their JVC GR-xxxx. Despite numerous others reporting this problem, JVC says its not a recognized problem. I would disagree - it is a recognized problem, but its your problem, not theirs.
