The GZ-MG555 is the flagship of JVC's Everio series for 2007, and it delivers some noticeable performance and design improvements over last year's models. For a high-end hard-disk camcorder that now includes a Sony-style docking station as standard equipment, the GZ-MG555 carries a very reasonable suggested price of $900. This may not be the perfect hybrid digital camcorder, but we are definitely impressed with the improvements made.

The GZ-MG555 features a 1/2.5-inch, 5.37-megapixel CCD, along with a new GigaBrid processing engine that substantially boosts low-light performance. The enhanced clarity and reduced noise visible in low-light footage is further aided by an integrated video light, although the light is only effective for objects within a few feet of the camcorder. In good to normal conditions, the GZ-MG555 produces sharp images and well-saturated colors.

This camcorder's 30GB hard disk can store more than 37 hours of MPEG2 footage at the lowest quality setting or just over seven hours at Ultra Fine, the highest setting. The GZ-MG555 also has a 10X optical/300X digital zoom function. Unfortunately for a top-shelf model, the GZ-MG555 offers a digital rather than a superior optical image stabilization system.

One significant area of improvement is the menu system. Despite the tiny size of the joystick control, the menu is extremely easy to navigate. For point-and-shoot simplicity, the automatic controls on the GZ-MG555 effectively lock out all manual adjustments, making the exposure and focusing decisions for you. There are five different auto-exposure (AE) presets, so you can chose the one that best fits your current shooting conditions. On the other hand, for more creative options, the GZ-MG555 also has manual controls for focus, gain, exposure and white balance, as well as shutter-speed priority and aperture priority settings.

Another considerable improvement is the digital stills performance. The GZ-MG555's 5-megapixel camera function captures stills at a range of resolutions up to a maximum 2,592X1,944, in both 4:3 and 16:9 formats. In addition to an integrated flash, the GZ-MG555 has a host of still photography options including a continuous shooting mode, exposure compensation and a bracketed burst mode. Stills can be stored to the hard drive or an SD/SDHC memory card, although no card is included in the package.

The GZ-MGH555 has an external microphone input, and the included docking station holds S-video, composite video, FireWire (IEEE 1394) and USB ports. Overall, the improved video and stills performance and the easy-to-navigate menu system make the JVC Everio GZ-MG555 an excellent choice for a hard-disk camcorder.


Pros: Large storage capacity, highly portable, excellent video and stills quality, wide selection of manual controls
Cons: Digital instead of optical image stabilization

Warranty
1 year parts and labor