Product Description

Compact Everio S makes sharing simple. This elegant, slim, lightweight camera boasts a Konica Minolta Lens, 35x optical zoom, Laser Touch operation and sharing videos over the Internet is now easier than ever with the one-button uploading to YouTube, the leading video sharing site. Everio S also has all the convenience Everio is famous for.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #6944 in Camera & Photo
• Color: Blue
• Brand: JVC
• Model: GZ-MS120AU
• Dimensions: 2.54" h x 4.43" w x 2.15" l, .53 pounds
• Display size: 2.7

Features

• Dual SD card slot for dual memory continuous recording
• 40x Dynamic Zoom with Konica Minolta lens
• Laser-touch operation with sub-trigger and zoom
• One-touch upload to YouTube
• Capture video to SD/SDHC memory cards (not included)

From the Manufacturer

The JVC Everio GZ-MS120 has a dual pair of SD/SDHC card slots and offers continuous recording: when one storage medium fills up, recording automatically switches to the other. When recording with the dual-slot GZ-MS120 in the highest quality mode (Ultra), recording capacity ranges from 3.7 hours using a pair of 8GB cards to 15 hours using two 32GB cards. In the lowest quality mode (Eco), recording time ranges from 20 hours to 80 hours.

Everio MS120 camcorders make sharing and watching videos easier than ever. New for this year is the One Touch Export function that allows Everio videos to be imported into iTunes and loaded into an iPod or iPhone. All 2009 Everios also offer One Touch DVD burning and the One Touch Upload function that JVC introduced to users in 2008 as a new and convenient way to upload videos to YouTube.

To use any of the three functions, simply connect Everio to a PC using the supplied USB cable. Then, choose one of three buttons on the Everio: UPLOAD, EXPORT, or DIRECT DVD. Pressing the button will launch the appropriate Windows PC application that comes bundled with Everio, and you follow the simple on-screen prompts. With just a few mouse clicks the process of uploading to YouTube, exporting to iTunes, burning to disc or transferring to an external hard disk drive will be completed. For uploading to YouTube, the user can perform an in-camera edit of any length video to fit the 10-minute YouTube limit.

The new Everio MediaBrowser software supplied with all Everio models is a Windows application providing an easy-to-search calendar-type graphical interface for indexing and finding video files. Thumbnail images of recorded videos and stills are superimposed on the calendar so it’s easy to see when any scene was recorded. The Everio MediaBrowser also allows easy playback, simple cut editing, and "Decomotion" to spruce up recorded footage with animated graphics for upload to YouTube. It also supports Export to iTunes, Upload to YouTube, burning to disc or transferring to HDD.

Another new feature found on all Everio camcorders is Digest Playback, which offers an easy and entertaining way to check the content residing on Everio’s HDD or SD/SDHC card. The function automatically selects highlight scenes from among the recorded content using JVC’s proprietary algorithm and plays back what looks like a "coming attractions" trailer for a movie. Sixty minutes of footage is condensed into five minutes of highlight scenes.

Other Everio features have been enhanced for 2009. Laser Touch Operation has been updated to allow control of zooming and recording using either the Laser Touch scroll bar or buttons next to the LCD screen, as well as by the standard zoom lever and REC button. And as before, Laser Touch makes it easy to browse through thumbnail images of recorded scenes and access menu selection. Power-linked operation, long offered by JVC, goes a step further this year. Simply opening the LCD monitor automatically opens the built-in lens cover and powers up the camcorder. Closing the LCD also closes the lens cover and shuts down the power. With Quick Restart, recording can start in about one second after the LCD is re-opened.

In addition to performance and convenience, the 2009 Everio line offers plenty of style and shooting comfort. New designs feature elegant curves, a silver-framed LCD and comfortable, angled grips with a new dual-use strap. The strap can be used in the usual camcorder fashion, supporting the user’s hand when shooting, or it can be extended and used as a wrist strap like the type on most digital still cameras.

Customer Reviews

JVC Everio MS120
I purchased this little camcorder about a month ago along with JVC BN-VF815US 1460 mAh battery. Overall I am very impressed with this little camcorder. I have been using a Panasonic DV Tape camcorder for 9 years and it was time to get away from those darn tapes. With the JVC there is no moving parts (no hard drives, no tapes, no DVD) just a couple of flash cards.
In addition to the camcorder, I had to upgrade my video editing software. I was using Pinnacle Studio 10.8 for my old Panasonic but I could not import the MOD file format from the new JVC. I purchased Corel Ulead VideoSutdio 11.5 plus from Amazon for only 40 bucks and I am very impressed with it as well.
Here are the pros of the JVC:
1) Low cost (under $275)
2) Solid state - no moving parts - records to flash memory.
3) Great color and low light performance compared to equivalent Panasonic, Canon and Sony. Check out the review on camcorderinfo.com (http://www.camcorderinfo.com/content/JVC-Everio-GZ-MG670-Camcorder-Review-36240.htm). Its for a slightly higher model (MG670) than the MS120 but they share the same lens, sensor, user interface and body.
4) Can see the screen in sunlight. With no view finder I was worried about seeing the screen outside but with this screen its not that big of an issue.
5) 16X9 windscreen native (can also do 4X3)
6) Auto lens cap. Lens cap automatically opens and closed with screen.
7) Auto on and off. Along with the lens cap, the power automatically turns on and off with open and close of the screen. No more videos of the ground (or my wife's feet) because you forgot to power off the camera after the last shot.
8) Instant on - Once you open the screen, you can start taking video within a second or two.
9) Low power consumption - No moving parts means less power and longer battery life.
10) Each video is saved and managed like a file on the camera. Its easy to delete or view these files right on the camera. No more hunting through the tape.

Cons -
1) Difficult to hold - the hand strap is very thin and does not have much support. You need to use two hands to hold it still enough.
2) No optical image stabilization - The digital stabilization is decent but you need to keep this one steady. Maybe that why they put that thin strap on this thing. Again two hands.
3) Like other camcorders in this range, they take decent but not good still photos. You still need to keep you digital camera near by.
4) MOD format. Works with most newer video editing SW but did not work with my 3 year old version of Studio 10.8. Words great with older version of Ulead VideoStudio 11.5
5) Low light performance - while low light performance is good compared to competitors, it does not have an IR filter like my old Panasonic.
6) No hot shoe - I never used the one on my Panasonic so not a big deal.
7) No viewfinder - Can still see well in sunlight so not a big deal.

great buy
i love this camcorder. so easy to use, light, and the best part is the dual memory card slot. Beautiful color, light, pictures... the only thing was recording while moving, the camcorder is so light that any movement you make will ruin the video.

Great Camera for the Price
This camera has great bang for your buck.

Pros:
-Great Zoom, digital zoom still holds decent quality
-Light
-nice interface
-Quality optics

Cons:
-Light plastic construction, dont drop it
-Low light performance isn't great, not a problem for me.
-Still picture taking quality is poor
-Need to keep it rather steady

I just wanted a small camcorder for quick action movies for sports/snowboarding/rock climbing that i could upload and mix with an audio track and the everio delivers. I am happy with the product so far for what I paid.