Product Description

JVC Everio GZ-HD5 3CCD 60GB Hard Disk Drive High Definition Camcorder with 10x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom offers industry-leading picture quality in a dramatically reduced size. The GZ-HD5 HD camcorder is 45 percent smaller than JVCs previous top-end HD camcorder, the GZ-HD7, without any sacrifice in image quality.To provide the best possible quality, the 60GB GZ-HD5 HD camcorder features a Fujinon HD lens, a progressive scan 3CCD imaging system and JVCs HD Gigabrid engine that delivers 1920 x 1080 full HD recording. In addition, it offers 1080p 60 frame per second output via HDMI 1.3 with x.v.Color. Collectively these technologies capture and maintain optimum image quality for videos and stills through every stage, from the lens on through to recording.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #6749 in Camera & Photo
• Brand: JVC
• Model: GZ-HD5
• Dimensions: 2.90 pounds
• Display size: 2.8

Features

• Can store up to five hours of video in 1920 x 1080 full HD
• Includes Fujinon 10x optical zoom HD lens
• Features built-in 60 GB hard disk drive
• Offers 1080p 60 frame per second output via HDMI 1.3
• A 3CCD imaging system - incorporating 16:9 progressive scan CCDs

Manufacturer Description

JVC Everio GZ-HD5 3CCD 60GB Hard Disk Drive High Definition Camcorder with 10x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom offers industry-leading picture quality in a dramatically reduced size. The GZ-HD5 HD camcorder is 45 percent smaller than JVC’s previous top-end HD camcorder, the GZ-HD7, without any sacrifice in image quality.

To provide the best possible quality, the 60GB GZ-HD5 HD camcorder features a Fujinon HD lens, a progressive scan 3CCD imaging system and JVC’s HD Gigabrid engine that delivers 1920 x 1080 full HD recording. In addition, it offers 1080p 60 frame per second output via HDMI 1.3 with x.v.Color. Collectively these technologies capture and maintain optimum image quality for videos and stills through every stage, from the lens on through to recording.

JVC Everio GZ-HD5 Highlights

Five hours of recording time In 1920 x 1080 full HD. Records up to 12 hours in the 1440 LP mode. Recordings are stored on either the built-in hard disk drive or on an inserted microSD card (optional).

GZ-HD5 includes a microphone input and a wide range of manual controls The small silver GZ-HD5 also weighs just 1 lb 3.9 oz with battery.

full set of Windows applications for editing and authoring to DVD and Blu-ray disc Also use as plug-in software to facilitate data import into various Macintosh applications. And to make it easy to share and archive recordings, JVC will continue to offer the CU-VD40 Everio Share Station for HD which enables one-button burning of video data to DVD.

Fujinon HD Lens The HD Everio GZ-HD5 features an F1.8-F1.9 10x zoom lens that offers nearly the same brightness throughout its 39.5~395 35mm equivalent (f=3.3mm~33mm) zoom range by virtue of its three aspherical lens elements, one made of indexed glass. In addition, the lens surface is coated with a new Electronic Beam Coating (EBC) that greatly reduces degradation caused by light reflecting off the lens surfaces, leading to greater light transmission and reduced flaring and ghosting. This HD lens was specifically designed by Fujinon, a leader in the professional camera lens market for HD moving images, in conjunction with JVC engineers to offer optimal characteristics for the camcorder’s Progressive Scan 3CCD system. In addition, to ensure precise prism/CCD registration, JVC has incorporated Fujinon mounting technology used in professional camcorders.

Progressive Scan 3CCD System For bright, realistic colors the HD Everio camcorders use three 1/5-inch CCDs -- one each for the primary colors red, green and blue, incorporating 16:9 progressive scan CCDs. This voluminous raw information is then processed using pixel shift technology to essentially quadruple the pixel count to create an even more detailed image, providing 2.27 Megapixels total and 2.14 Megapixels effective resolution.

1920 x 1080 full HD Recording Using the highest quality FHD recording mode, the user can record approximately five hours of full HD 1920 x 1080 MPEG2 Transport Stream video with MPEG 1 Layer 2 audio. This is truly native HDTV resolution that requires no conversion on the part of the display device to show high definition images. Also, because it records in the MPEG2 Transport Stream video format, HD Everio recordings can be archived onto Blu-ray discs using provided software and a high definition Blu-ray recorder.

HD Gigabrid Engine JVC’s new HD Gigabrid video engine, which processes in full 1920 x 1080 progressive video, is the result of years of experience in signal-processing technology, and uses five digital noise-reduction algorithms as well as signal processing to improve vertical scan resolution by approximately 30 percent over JVC’s previous interlace technology for an extremely clear and sharp image.

1080p 60 Frame per second Progressive Output Function By enabling output of a 1080p 60 fps progressive signal, this function enables HD Everio’s recordings to be enjoyed on high-end displays. Using the same high-power Genessa technology as in JVC’s advanced displays, conversion to 1920 x 1080p at 60 fps provides seamless natural video, free of motion judder during fast action, jaggy lines on angles, and moiré patterns on fine detail when zooming. 1920 x 1080 HD discs played back via the camera from the CU-VD40 Share Station are also converted to 60 fps progressive.

HDMI (V.1.3. with x.v.Color) JVC HD Everio Camcorders record using x.v.Color technology. In this universal standard x.v.Ycc, known as x.v.Color, this camcorder provides more accurate color reproduction with more detail and shades that looks more natural to the human eye. It can display 100 percent of the colors that the human eye is capable of perceiving, whereas the traditional sRGB system can display only approximately 55 percent. The difference in color reproduction performance is especially noticeable in greens and yellows. This HD Everio camcorder outputs to televisions directly using HDMI (V.1.3. with x.v.Color).

Optical Image Stabilization (OIS) To preserve the full HD quality, the HD Everio features optical image stabilization, avoiding the signal degradation caused by electronic image stabilization, which might be particularly noticeable in HD footage. In short, HD Everio matches its high-definition recording capability with a proven HD lens section that has proven its value in the broadcast industry.

Various Shooting Assist Functions This camcorder offers fully automated operation for point-and-shoot simplicity, augmented by a wide range of manual controls. These include a manual focus ring, manual white balance, exposure control, shutter priority mode, aperture priority mode and sharpness control. In addition, a Focus Assist function displays the edge of the in-focus elements in color while the rest of the image is black-and-white, making it easy to check which image elements are in focus. And a Zebra function displays a striped pattern across highlight areas on the image in the LCD monitor, making it easier to manually set the exposure.

High Capacity HDD (Hard Disk Drive) The GZ-HD5 features an embedded 60GB hard disk drive, allowing upwards of five hours recording at the highest quality FHD mode. In addition to this mode, three more are offered to let the user choose the appropriate mode for any situation. There is an SP mode with a resolution of 1440 x 1080 and maximum bit rate of 22 Mbps., an LP mode offering the same resolution but at a slower maximum bit rate of 15 Mbps., and an HDV-i.LINK streaming compatible constant bit rate 1440 CBR mode.

PC-less Archiving using Exclusive DVD Burner By connecting the GZ-HD5 directly to the optional CU-VD40 HD Everio Share Station via USB, the user can burn HD 12cm DVD discs to make backups and permanent archives of selected scenes in any desired order with just a few simple steps. There are several options for selecting clips to be burned to disc -- all clips, manual selection of specific clips, clip files not yet copied, by date, video playlists created in-camera and comprised of multiple user-selected clips, or by event type for those clips that have been tagged with an icon representing an event category (e.g. birthday, baby, graduation, vacation, etc.).

full Complement of Interfaces The GZ-HD5 is equipped with three digital interfaces -- USB, HDMI and Firewire/i.LINK. USB is primarily for file saving, HDMI for digital viewing on large screen displays, and Firewire/i.LINK streams high definition video in full resolution or the 1440CBR mode. High definition video streamed by Firewire/i.LINK in the 1440CBR mode is HDV-compatible and allows footage to be edited using HDV-compatible software (functionality might be limited with some applications). HD recorded material is down-converted for output in DV over Firewire/i.LINK, or in standard definition via the analog component/ S-Video/ composite output.

High Value Software Supplied For editing and archiving via PC, the HD Everio comes with the CyberLink BD Solution software suite for Windows. This includes PowerDirector for HD video editing, PowerProducer for authoring high definition Blu-ray discs and DVD-Video discs, and PowerCinema for HD file management and playback. Also included is a plug-in that works up to 1920 x 1080i with Apple iMovie HD and Final Cut Pro video software for the Macintosh.

Customer Reviews

It's ok for everyday use..
I like the size, and fits perfectly on your hand.

The stabilized zoom doesnt work as well as other cameras.

When downloading to your computer, MAC or PC, you will need to buy the plugins to be able to import them into your video editing programs. (premiere, iMovie, Final Cut...). It has it's own proprietary file type. (MOD & TOD) which is supposed to be MPEG 2.

A small step backwards for JVC (review v.3)
My parents have a JVC mini-DV camcorder, purchased several years ago, which works very well for them. Sadly, that camera works better for me than this one. That one does video through i.LINK, this one doesn't seem to, but judging by a comment below I need to spend more time and TLC with the instruction book. That one uses conventional mini-DV tapes. On this one, the tapeless workflow takes some getting used to. The TOD format will be recognized by QuickTime if you install the provided codec, and then the patch to make it work with QT after v. 7.3 (if you update regularly, you're on 7.5 and it won't work.) TOD isn't recognized by Adobe Premiere Pro directly, but there are expensive codecs out there that will convert it. You could also rename the files from TOD to M2TS (MPEG-2 TimeStamp) and Creative Suite will slurp it right up. I admit, I jumped on what looked like a bargain and thought I got stung. As time goes on, though, it's slowly growing on me.

False Advertising
I am returning this product because of false advertising by JVC. The specifications show that the camera support i.LINK, but this is not the case. You can plug the camera in to your PC using a 4 pin cable, but it doesn't support the capabilities of i.LINK which include ability to control the camera and get live video feeds using a PC. I wanted to use this camera as a PC camera, but it is not possible. Even if you hook it up to your computer using the other video output connectors, you cannot disable the auto-standby mode.