JVC Cybercam GR-DVM76 Battery

We've all seen them.

We've all pitied them.

Fathers attempting to carry two camera bags (photo and video), one diaper bag, a baby carrier, an umbrella stroller and, of course, a kid or three. Before the birth of my daughter 2+ years ago, I always vowed not to 'look' like that when it was my turn to carry this burden.

Talk about a reality check.

Yes, I cart around two camera bags which contain 3 cameras - An SLR, a Point and Shoot digital, and my miniDV digital camcorder (which takes up the most room, obviously).

Well, on a recent trip to balmy Virginia, as I was suffering through 100 degree heat and juggling all of these cameras and assorted other baby-specific items, I came to the realization that I needed to reorganize and re-think my electronic load.

One clear way was to get a smaller more 'portable' miniDV camera. The problem here is, as some of you may realize from my earlier reviews, that the smaller the camera, the more pronounced the jittering of the image becomes (from an unsteady hand).

Let's face it. No one has a rock-steady hand, to say nothing about trying to film some steady video while you're chasing after your daughter who insists on bolting towards a squirrel that's scurrying up a tree. But the 'larger' the camera, the more secure it will feel and, conversely, the steadier the image.

But knowing it was perhaps time to sacrifice some steady images for a more compact size, I began to look around.

I had previously extensively tested and reviewed the JVC GR-DVP7U mini digital camcorder - touted as the world's smallest miniDV camera. Putting aside it's astronomical high price, this camera had superb features and a nice 'cool factor' to boot considering its cigarette-box size and shape, but I found the images, even with the electronic stabilization, simply too jittery, even under idea situations.

But when I came across the slightly larger, similarly styled, and far less expensive GR-DVM76U also by JVC, I began to realize that smaller doesn't always equate to jitterier (if that's a word) :-).

The GR-DVM76U Micro Palm Corder offered everything I was looking for. A small size, solid options, good price, and steady image. But the list of features kept going beyond my expectations. Of course, it's a miniDV compatible camera, which is the digital medium of choice these days. Of course it comes with a fully function remote control for when you want to manipulate the camera while you lay exhausted on your couch. But look at what else lies within this extremely compact and intelligent design.

A super high band processor rated at a 680,000-pixel CCD level producing a 520-line horizontal resolution by 480-line vertical resolution. Your movies will have a professional grade appearance to them, with rich and accurately reflected colors, sharp contrasts, and incredible detail.

A built-in digital still camera that captures digital stills and stores them onto the provided 8MB multimedia card with a high resolution of XGA (1024 x 768) or VGA (640 x 480) mode. The XGA mode equates to 7/10th of a megapixel which isn't that bad for a camcorder. There's also a Built-In Auto Flash which provides extra convenience for taking still shots in low light or at night. Modes include Auto, On/Off or Red Eye Reduction.

The GR-DVM76U comes equipped with an impressive 10x optical zoom alongside a 200x digital zoom which works rather well below the 100x setting. Beyond that, typical pixelation is the result. However, JVC employs Spline Interpolation Technology to smooth out image contours and minimize jagged edges. What I also like is that you can zoom into any image during playback - up to 20x. A nice feature that few camcorders contain.

The PCM Digital Stereo Sound this JVC has is equally impressive. The audio system offers a choice of either 2-channel (16-bit linear, 48kHz sampling) or 4-channel (12-bit non-linear, 32kHz sampling) recording, enabling two different stereo soundtracks to be recorded for the same footage. Those of you, like me, who love to edit on the fly will make great use of this feature.

The LCD Monitor is an impressive high resolution 2.5" color flexible display that can be rotated outwards by 90 degrees and up and down 180 degrees. Impressive flexibility and size considering the overall small footprint the GR-DVM76U has.

Of course, there's the electronic Image Stabilization system for when you just can't help that jittery motion. It works about as well as others I've seen, and it can be initiated during playback as well.

JVC has also added their Night Alive feature which boosts light sensitivity for a bright picture even in situations with limited/minimal lighting. Contrary to other infrared 'night time' systems, Night Alive gives you full color images when activated as opposed to infrared black & white images. This actually work surprisingly well, with some expected graininess of course.

The GR-DVM76U has a nice variety of digital special effects available as well, giving your video that nice, polished, professional look.

And the versatile multimedia interface used in the GR-DVM76U (DV In/Out terminal (i.link: IEEE-1394) is provided for superb transfer abilities to a computer, or dubbing from or to another DV unit. Also features a USB terminal for easy fast plug and play data transfer.

With all of these features, and more, at a price that has been coming down drastically over the past year (You can now purchase this for around $600), this is a hard camera to overlook no matter what your needs are.

It's small size and stable image have certainly made a believer out of me.

I suspect it'll do the same for you.

A list of full specifications are detailed below.

Thanks, as always, for reading.

-John

Specifications

? HG Digital Stills (1024x768/640x480)
? 680,000-pixel CCD Super High-Band processor for 520 horizontal lines of resolution
? 110,000-pixel 2.5" amorphous silicon Color LCD
? Digital CyberCam Video Camera
? Removable Flash Memory, (8 MB MMC Card included) the card slot is compatible with both SD Card and MultiMediaCard.
? 10X Optical/ 200X Digital Zoom with Spline Interpolation
? F1.8 Bright lens
? Black and White Viewfinder
? Multi-Brand Remote Control Unit
? Digital Image Stabilizer
? 16x9 Squeeze Mode
? PCM Digital Stereo Audio
? Snapshot Modes: PIN-UP mode, Four - image, nine image, Frame & Full are available
? Iris Lock
? Manual focus, Exposure, and White Balance modes
? Black Fader
? Digital Wipes and Fades
? Variable-speed Shutter (1/250, 1/100, 1/60 sec.)
? 5 second record
? Mini DV NTSC (SD specifications)
? Lithium-ion rechargeable battery pack
? Multi-voltage AC Power Adapter battery charger
? i.Link Digital Input/Output (IEEE 1394 compliant) Link DV in/out
? USB connection via Jack box
? S-Video Output on Jack Box
? Presto! Mr. Photo, Presto! Imagefolio, Presto! PhotoAlbum and USB Driver
? AC power adapter, Rachargeable Lithium-ion Battery, Multi-Brand Remote Control, (8MB) MultiMedia Card, Software(CD ROM), Jack Box, USB Cable, AV Cable and Editing Cable
? Audio Dubbing
? Random Assemble Editing with digital effect/scene transition selections
? 1 year parts, 90 days labor warranty
? Built-in Auto Flash
? 3.78 inches (96mm)
? 2.13 inches (54mm)
? 4.47 inches (113.5 mm)
? 1.08 lbs. (.49 kg)