A true hybrid camcorder and digital stills camera, the GZ-MC500US is the flagship of JVC's new Everio line of hard-disk camcorders. This unit boasts three 1/4.5-inch CCD with 1.33 megapixels each for high-resolution video images. The unit records digital stills at the equivalent quality of a 5-megapixel dedicated stills camera and captures images with a maximum resolution of 2,560X1,920, which is superior to just about any consumer camcorder available on the market today. It also offers a pop-up flash and a variety of still shooting modes, such as exposure bracketing and a burst mode that snaps three shots at half-second intervals.

The GZ-MC500US records MPEG2 video with Dolby Digital two-channel audio to Microdrive (the integrated hard disk), CompactFlash, SD, or MMC media. The included 4GB Microdrive can hold up to 60 minutes of video recorded in ultra-fine mode or five hours of video in economy mode. Video can be captured in either standard 4:3 or widescreen 16:9 modes, and the GZ-MC500US offers a 10X optical/200X digital zoom function. The resulting video images display clarity, brightness, and color saturation that will rival those captured by any MiniDV or DVD camcorder.

Automatic controls are accurate and responsive, and the GZ-MC500US has a number of program AE settings such as portrait, night, sports and snow, and sun. Manual controls are present for aperture, shutter speed, white balance, and gain, while focus can be manually adjusted by a focus ring behind the lens. There is no viewfinder on this model. Instead, JVC has equipped the GZ-MC500US with a 1-8/10-inch LCD screen. Despite the smallness of the controls, this camcorder handles surprisingly well. The zoom toggle is tiny but is still easy to operate.

The GZ-MC500US is an outstanding camcorder. It is extremely portable, and it captures stunning video images and extraordinary digital stills. The only downside is the price, but since this is a true video and stills hybrid, it will negate the need for a separate dedicated stills camera.

Warranty
90 days labor, 1 year parts