Product Description

The GR-DVL520 combines outstanding performance with a sleek, compact design. It ensures maximum user friendliness utilizing Night Alive (for full-color shooting in extreme low light conditions), built-in auto light, high-resolution 2.5" Amorphous Silicon LCD color monitor, 700X super digital zoom with spline interpolation, HG digital stills (1024 x 768), picture stabilizer and long-time recording capability. The versatile multimedia interfacing includes SD/MultiMedia card compatibility, USB high-speed interface, DV input/output, S-video and A/V output terminals.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #94528 in Camera & Photo
• Brand: JVC
• Model: DVL520U
• Platforms: PowerMac, Windows, Mac OS 9 and below, Mac OS X, Windows 2000 Server, Windows XP, Windows Me, Windows NT 5, Windows NT 4, Windows NT 3.5, Windows 2000, Windows 98, Macintosh, Windows NT
• Display size: 2.5

Features

• 520 lines of resolution with high-band processor
• Night Alive for full color shooting in extreme low light
• SD and MultiMedia Card compatibility
• 2.5-inch LCD viewscreen
• USB high-speed interface

Amazon.com Product Description
A perfect introduction into the world of digital video, the GR-DVL520U provides all the features you need to get rolling, including a 16x optical zoom, digital image stabilization, and IEEE 1394 compatible outputs.

Lens
Breaking the mold that most other digital camcorders fall in, the GR-DVL520U has a very bright f1.8 lens, which should help with a dilemma common to many digital camcorders: poor low-light performance. While not useful at the highest levels, the optical zoom is augmented by a 700x digital zoom, which can supply that little bit extra you might need in some circumstances. Paired with the zoom is a digital image stabilizer, which will help eliminate much of the shakiness associated with high zoom levels.

Shooting Functions
The GR-DVL520U provides some camera functions, which can be quite useful if you spend the time to learn to use them. The camera gives you manual control over focus, exposure, and white balance, all of which affect the way your image is recorded. The manual focus and white balance modes are perhaps the most exciting, as you can use them to create depth-of-field effects, and the white balance will allow you to light a room without investing in expensive lighting gear. In addition, JVC added in a number of digital wipes and fades, as well as a black fader.

Output Options
If you want to play your footage on television, the 520U provides two connection methods: S-video and standard RCA-style AV connectors. S-video provides the better video resolution, but you'll still need to use the AV cable for audio, as S-video doesn't carry an audio signal. If your object is to edit your movies on a computer, the camera also comes equipped with an IEEE 1394 compliant port for shuttling video back and forth. It's a four-pin connector, and most computers with IEEE 1394 ports have six-pin connectors, so make sure you pick up the correct cable (JVC doesn't provide one).

Digital Still Mode
Like many digital camcorders, the GR-DVL520U provides a digital still mode, and stores the resulting images onto an included 8 MB MultiMediaCard. You can also use SD cards. The images aren't very high resolution and are generally fit only for posting on the Web, or e-mailing to friends. To get the photos to your computer, the 520U utilizes a built-in USB port, and comes with the cable and software to accomplish the transfer.

From the Manufacturer
The GR-DVL520U combines outstanding performance with a sleek, compact design. The GR-DVL520 ensures maximum user-friendliness utilizing Night Alive (for full color shooting in extreme low light conditions), built-in Auto Light, high-resolution 2.5-inch amorphous silicon LCD color monitor, 700x super digital zoom with spline interpolation, HG digital stills (1024 x 768), picture stabilizer, and long-time recording capability. The Versatile Multimedia Interfacing includes SD/MultiMediaCard compatibility, USB high-speed interface, DV input/output, S-video, and A/V output terminals.

Customer Reviews

JVC520u/522u
The JVC camcorder has a still image resolution 2.56 times
better than the Canon ZR45. Also, the JVC has more CCD pixels
(680K vs 460K). However, the Canon has a better zoom system but
you can only tell the difference between both cameras for
scenes that require more than 25x or 30x of zooming (which
happen probably less than 5% of the times if you plan to use
your camcorder for family, kids, trips, etc.). So, for situations
in which your zooming is less than say 25x the JVC does better,
for extreme zooming the Canon does better. The Canon stills are
only 480x640 which are ok for email but poor quality if you plan
to print them. The JVC takes stills with 1024x760 (i.e., 2.56 times
more resolution than the Canon)

a great first time digital camcorder
I have been shopping around for a digital camcorder for some time now and recently bought this model. I have never owned a camcorder before and didn't have a lot to spend. I am completely pleased with this camera. I'm not an expert and I am using this for home use, mainly for family occasions. For what I need it for, it couldn't be better for the price. Sound quality is excellent, clear and no motor noise. In average to low light settings the picture quality is also great. No lines or color spots. The controls are easy to use and I was filming after only briefly reading the instruction booklet. I have not yet tried the NightAlive feature. But the regular setting films great in the house at night under low lights and that's really what I expect to use it most for. Outdoors in the day of course the color is great. I hooked it right up to my TV with no fuss for playback. Only thing I might ask for is a more powerful optical zoom for use outdoors. 10x is just enough. More might come in handy. I expect that once I get the hang of the manual controls and the neat editing features I'll probably like it even more. A professional camera this is not, but for a regular person on a budget like me, it's just what you need.

Good for entry level
Looking for my first ever video camera, I stumbled upon this 520A JVC, looks sleek, light weight, fair functionability, 800 000 pixels for digital stills (which is not bad for it's price).

Compared to the sony at a similar price range, it lacked a few added extras which some may find useful :
1. Mpeg (not particularly that useful I suppose if you have firewire)
2. Night scope (the JVC does NOT COmpare to sony's night vision! - it just decreases shutter speed)
3. Battery life - I think that the sony stamina battery lasts a lot longer than the jvc pack.
4. Quality of video - this is debatable - I couldn't tell the diffirence though I was told that sony has a better colour.
5. USB streaming
6. B&W viewer - it's quite annoying if you're used to a colour viewer. The LCD screen however is very clear. The sony has a TFT active matrix which may be slightly better. I was told that the LCD screen has a shorter life-span.

Compared to the Canon ZX5series - some also have an SD Card, the JVC is cheaper, looks sleeker (I think) but similar otherwise.

The SD card is very useful - I wouldn't buy one without a card. The battery life could be better. I think it's closer to 1 hour recording time. Even the so called "stamina" battery (which was not original) only lasted <1hr recording time.

Apart from the above, I feel satisfied with my purchase. I bought it in singapore and it was the cheapest of the digital cameras with similar functionality.