You also get a few recording effects, including 'classic film', which skips frames to give video that old-movie look, and 'strobe', which makes recordings look like a series of consecutive snapshots. Other options include a handful of scene modes and backlight compensation. All in all, it's a good set of features.
Performance
The MS120 records MPEG-2 video. Shooting in 'ultra-fine' mode, it comes in at 8.5Mbps. That gives you a little less than 15 minutes for every 1GB of storage. It's the only setting you'd want to record with, but there are three more shooting options, going down to 'eco' at 1.5Mbps for up to nearly 20 hours of recording time on an 8GB SDHC card.
If you intend to use the camcorder for sharing video on the Web and you primarily plan to shoot outdoors during daylight, the MS120 will produce satisfying results. Our low-light videos were above average quality, too. Save for some purple fringing that's typical of this class of camcorders, the results are good enough to view on larger TVs -- just don't expect HD detail and clarity. Colours are pleasing, with acceptable white balance in natural light. There are no incandescent or fluorescent presets for white balance, but the manual option is available and there's a halogen setting for use with the built-in LED lamp up front.
Conclusion
The dual SD/SDHC card slots may be something of a gimmick, but they work, potentially giving you more storage than other manufacturers' camcorders. Other than that, the JVC Everio GZ-MS120 is a fairly typical SD camcorder.
Additional editing by Charles Kloet
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