Since it records to a hard drive, you can easily access your footage in several ways. The camcorder itself has standard USB 2.0 and AV video jacks, and the included camcorder dock adds FireWire and S-Video jacks to the mix. This selection of both computer and video connections offers a nice variety of choice for PC users, Mac users and home theatre fans.
Because the MG255 only records standard definition video, JVC left out more advanced connectors like component video and HDMI. HDMI would have been nearly useless on this camcorder, but a component video connection could have given TV playback a slight boost in quality.
Performance
For a standard-definition, single-chip camcorder, the MG255 produced good-looking video. Movies appear crisp and clear, and colours look accurate when recording under both natural sunlight and incandescent lighting. We took some test footage in a nearby park, and foliage such as trees and grass popped out nicely without ruining the greys and browns of the pathways.
Some close-up subjects, such as nearby birds, confounded the MG255's autofocus, but generally the camcorder is quick to adapt to different subjects at different distances. If you have problems with the autofocus, the camcorder's manual focus mode can be easily accessed through the function menu. Once you activate manual focus, you can adjust the focus simply by tilting the control stick left or right.
While it does well in brightly lit environments, the MG255 fares horribly in low light. The camcorder doesn't have a video light and your only real low-light shooting choices are its gain-up function and night mode. Gain-up only slightly brightens dark video, though it keeps video quality relatively intact. Night mode, on the other hand, greatly increases the visibility of dark environments, but it also drastically slows down the shutter speed to create a painful, choppy blur of dim light.
Conclusion
The JVC Everio GZ-MG255, available for around £340, is a good choice for a home-movie camcorder. Its small size and good video quality make it well-equipped to handle birthday parties, family gatherings or holidays with ease -- as long as the light's good.
Additional editing by Jon Squire
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