Released in September 2006 with little fanfare, the JVC Everio GZ-MG57 seems to do nothing more than fill a hole in JVC's hard-disk camcorder lineup.
Design
Similar to its predecessor, the GZ-MG50, JVC has made several small changes with the GZ-MG57 -- without really changing the overall product. For one, the GZ-MG57 is slightly more compact than the GZ-MG50 -- it's a very good size for small adult hands and might even be comfortable for older children. At 411g, it's also quite light compared to most other camcorders. Like the other Everio models, you control most of the camera's options via a joystick on the bezel of the LCD. The menu system is fairly straightforward, providing quick access to all the shooting settings, including white balance, shutter speed and scene modes.
Features
JVC has switched sensors for this camcorder. Though still a 1.3-megapixel model, the MG57 uses a 1/5-inch CCD instead of the 1/4.5-inch version in the MG50. That probably contributes to the camcorder's lower power draw, which should presumably increase its battery life.
Performance
It performs adequately, but that's about it. As you'd expect from a hard-disk-based model, it starts up relatively quickly. But it doesn't seem to be able to remember the date and time -- costing it some points for efficiency. Autofocus operates just a hair too slow, taking a critical moment to lock on the subject, and the zoom switch doesn't feel like it has enough play to comfortably cover the 15x zoom range.
Image quality
Video quality is problematic -- perhaps due to the inclusion of a 1/5-inch CCD instead of the 1/4.5-inch version. There's a significant amount of visual noise and, in general, the video is soft and full of other artefacts. That's at best quality, at which it can store seven hours of video -- you can get up to 14 hours of even lower quality recording. The audio, too, sounds more muffled than usual for this price range. And despite increasing the still-photo resolution to 1,280x960 pixels, pictures remain suitable only for Web-posting and emailing.
When it lacked competition, the JVC Everio GZ-MG57 might have merited a salutary recommendation. But in its price range, the Sony Handycam DCR-SR40 is really the better choice now.
Additional editing by Elizabeth Griffin
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Ed Taylor 6 December 2006
Good: Easy to use for beginners - point and shoot
Bad: Poor image and stills quality
Comment: This JVC camcorder is mediocre at best. As a first time camcorder buyer, I wanted a camera that produced good quality video footage (I wasn’t too worried about the stills), which was easy to upload and edit. In all fairness, Hard Drive camcorder footage is very quick and easy to upload onto a PC, but I was very disappointed with the quality of the video I saw on my computer screen. The camera doesn’t handle low light well at all, producing a lot of 'artefacts' (grains) in the picture. Also in any light other than daylight the colours have a grey/yellowy tinge. In auto mode, the camera noticeably re-focuses, creating short blurring periods in the video, which is irritating on playback.
One plus point for this JVC camcorder (it wasn’t easy to find one) is that it’s easy to use in ‘auto mode’ and the menu is easy enough to navigate.
However, for the price of this camera you can now get a decent 3CCD MiniDV camcorder, producing much higher quality footage with amazingly vibrant colours. For example, the Panasonic NV-GS180 (miniDV camcorder) is around £50 cheaper, but wipes the floor with the JVC in terms of picture and colour quality, and is just as easy to use.
Now, if you're really set on a Hard Drive camcorder, then I’d suggest opting for one of the Sony range, which retail at very similar prices but beat the JVC Everio on video and stills quality hands down.
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