JVC Everio GZ-HD7

• Average user rating: 3.0 stars out of 13 reviews
• My rating: 0 stars

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• 9 stars

  Confused by all the negative comments, very good camera

  by johnpainter on April 28, 2008

  Pros: Highly adaptable, light weight

  Cons: Auto setting is not worth using

  Summary: While I know there are many excellent so called prosumer camcorders out there, the JVC GZ-HD7 is up there. I’m perplexed by the range of negative comments floating around ...

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  Summary: While I know there are many excellent so called prosumer camcorders out there, the JVC GZ-HD7 is up there. I’m perplexed by the range of negative comments floating around the web so I thought I’d add my two cents, both of negative and positive attributes I’ve found.
  Firstly I’ve been using this camera in combination with a black MacBook 2GHz with 2GB RAM, upgraded 185GB HD running OS X 10.4 with FCE which I use for editing. I’ve had this setup for about a year now to make short films and documentaries, and find this set up with the GZ-HD7 to be excellent. I can not comment on how it works with a Windows machine or other editing software.
  One of the first things which I find easy with the GZ-HD7 is operating it. It is light but feels very solid in the hand, the controls are well laid out and logical in their positions. I find the manual focus ring a little long in manipulating, so to use it well I need it mounted on a tripod. The operating system is very clear and logical in flow, again well designed. One criticism is I did not realize at first how limited the Auto setting is, and to really tap into what this camera can do, one needs to get familiar and comfortable with the Manual setting. Another criticism, though I think most of the postings online I’ve read are way overblown, has to do with the OIS, there is clearly shake when zooming in and none when zoom is wide. However I find the large number of negative comments on this odd, since the distance one must zoom to notice the shake is significant e.g. the object is a quarter mile off. I suppose if one were shooting wildlife off at some distance this would be a serious issue, but when I mount the camera on a tripod there is no discernable shake. Another issue which I find irksome is the lack of an audio out, however anyone worth their salt will tell you the AV jack is the audio out, you just need a four post adapter (or make one yourself) for your headphones.
  One of the smoothest operations of this camera (though I’ve seen as a common complaint), has to do with JVC’s .TOD file format and transferring video. While I think the user manual which comes with the camera nearly worthless, JVC’s online video instructions for transferring recordings to your computer are very clear, basically to transfer HD to your Mac you need to be recording in 1440 CBR, the following link to the instructions is clear http://media2.jvc.com/camcorder/macHD.mov so I think if you follow it you’ll have a pleasant experience.
  If you want to record in 1920 x 1080i you’ll need MPEG Streamclip free from the apple website http://www.apple.com/downloads/macosx/video/mpegstreamclip.html which is a handy utility to have anyway.
  Over all, I find the large number of complaints to be mostly by people looking for a quick fix to their frustrations and not taking the time to get to know this camera.

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  4 out of 4 users found this user opinion helpful.

• 6 stars

  Great camera for closeup. Terrible for sports and distance

  by doc4140 on May 5, 2007

  Pros: Feels great and nice playback options

  Cons: Terrible Optical image stabilization

  Summary: I bought the camera and used it for about 2 days at a track meet that my son was in. The close ups and regular distance shots were great. The ...

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  Summary: I bought the camera and used it for about 2 days at a track meet that my son was in. The close ups and regular distance shots were great. The playback with the slow motion and the step by step freeze frame is great! The shots taken at a distance were so bad that I could not view them on my computer or TV. I called JVC up and they said that they have had no other problems with the camera and then I did a Google search and found that many others have seen the same thing and that they had to return the camera which is what I did. If you are taking movies of the family OK but sports etc , it was terrible. I used it limited to 10X only since longer zoom shots were even worse. Either there is a major problem with the quality control and all the units that are coming out now are defective or the design of the unit is faulty and the optical image stabilization is non existent. In the store you would have to zoom to the end of the 10x range and view the shots on a computer or TV. Others have said you need to use a tripod but at that price I dont think so!

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  4 out of 4 users found this user opinion helpful.

• 7 stars

  A lot of good mixed with bad

  by Dermfellow on October 29, 2007

  Pros: Long recording in HD; solid, good looking cam, good color saturation, manual controls

  Cons: File format; battery life, interlace artifacts,

  Summary: Overall, I liked this camcorder. It has a very solid feel to it, and it looks cool. A stupid reason to buy a camcorder, but it is something all purchasers ...

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  Summary: Overall, I liked this camcorder. It has a very solid feel to it, and it looks cool. A stupid reason to buy a camcorder, but it is something all purchasers silently consider, whether or not they admit it. The video quality is good; the colors are rich and saturated (but not always accurate), and it is nice not to have to worry about tapes. The battery time is a bit short, although I have not had the problems CNet mentioned with their battery (I've always gotten an hour or more from the stock bettery). Even so, I have an additional larger battery I keep charged up as well. The HDMI output is a must have. The manual controls are very nice to have, especially the focus ring. CNet is absolutely right about the stabilizer- it's worthless. You'll need a monopod or tripod if you're going to have any zoom shots worth watching. The worst part of the camcorder (In my opinion) however, is getting the files off the camcorder and into the NLE of your choice. I don't care for the included NLE or the software for archiving the files. I use Premiere Pro CS3, and was about to EBay this camcorder until Cineform updated their software to include the files from this camcorder. Before that it took 17 steps to convert the footage so it could be used. Now it takes two. So IF you can use the footage, and you don't mind using something to stabilize the cam, then it's worth considering. Is it worth $1600.00? No. If it is in the $800-$1000 range, that would be more reasonable.

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  3 out of 3 users found this user opinion helpful.

• 10 stars

  Best entry-level for Amateurs and great backup for Professionals

  by mcnaija on December 3, 2007

  Pros: 3 1/5 Progressive CCD Chips for near-true color rendition. Extensive Manual Controls. Full 1920x1080 HD. Fast startup. Cold Shoe allows for non-proprietary addons.

  Cons: Lack of LANC. No Earphone Jack. 24p option not available.

  Summary: In order to get the best possible result from this camera, you need to be conversant with the Manual Controls. I find the Manual White Balance extremely useful when shooting ...

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  Summary: In order to get the best possible result from this camera, you need to be conversant with the Manual Controls. I find the Manual White Balance extremely useful when shooting indoors or in low light settings. The focus ring is also extremely useful. With practice, it gets better. The auto Mode is extremely good for daylight outdoor setting, but you get better Depth of Field with Aperture Priority in the Manual Mode. JVC provides a utility for the .TOD Files to work in Macs. You can easily convert the files to .MOV or other formats with QuickTime Pro ($29.95). Editing is not necessarily as complicated either. I use both Final Cut Express and Final Cut Pro. When I use the Apple ProRes 422 HQ conversion, the outcome is outstanding. You cannot use a Remote Control Tripod with this camera because it does not have a LANC port. That is not necessarily a bad thing. To compensate for the lack of Earphone Jack since you wont be able to monitor your audio in real-time, I recommend the use of an external microphone -- depending on the environment -- with Windshield or Windjammers. Additionally, ensure that the Sound Meter is enabled. Finally, for the lack of the 24p option, one can de-interlace the clips. In my opinion, there may be a very slight and negligible degradation when the clips are de-interlaced. This is one of the greatest cameras ever made. If one were patient enough, one would come to truly appreciate this great product. I highly recommend it for anyone who intends to do serious videography as entry-level equipment and for the professionals as a backup camera.

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  3 out of 4 users found this user opinion helpful.

• 3 stars

  JVC File Monopoly

  by Fan_Boy_of_many on September 28, 2007

  Pros: Great picture, great sound, great storage, easy to use menu

  Cons: Battery life, and the software

  Summary: Bought the camera based off of reviews from CNET and it's users. The camera out of box is really point and click, anyone can use it, and it is ...

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  Summary: Bought the camera based off of reviews from CNET and it's users. The camera out of box is really point and click, anyone can use it, and it is light and small enough to really go out and about with it. The battery life is just beyond sad, even with the extended battery I got close to an hour and a half.
  
  JVC skipped on paying for the rights to .mpg, and have their own file extension on the camera, .tod file extension. The software that comes with the camera is the only way to convert the file extension. So far it has taken me 18 minutes to convert a 8 minute video. And if you try to use the PowerProducer on the camera it is just as bad.
  
  I have manually tried to change the file extension, but the video will play but no audio. I called JVC tech support, and right now the Cyberlink software that comes with the camera is the only option to make the change on their own file extension.

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  4 out of 7 users found this user opinion helpful.

• 4 stars

  Need a 16x9 cam with external mic - this is one of few choices

  by dshulk on September 21, 2007

  Pros: External mic, nice feel, audio input good.

  Cons: Cheats on HD and no true 1080 output for Final Cut or Avid.

  Summary: The sad truth is this is not a great HD camcorder at all. Side-by-side comparison with 720p footage (HDV) made the HD7 look like SD. Seriously. For us it was ...

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  Summary: The sad truth is this is not a great HD camcorder at all. Side-by-side comparison with 720p footage (HDV) made the HD7 look like SD. Seriously. For us it was critical to have an external mic jack (few options out there in HD and none in the SD world (consumer types). With the added bonus of harddrive, and the price ok, we bought four units. While we have been disappointed with the HD quality, and the workflow out of harddrive to editors is excruciating, I did give it a mediocre rating as the audio is great, focus assist and zebra's are very nice.

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  2 out of 2 users found this user opinion helpful.

• 6 stars

  This camera is shipping with a defect in the Optical Image Stabilization (OIS) feature.

  by Jake Solnich on May 19, 2007

  Pros: Stylish design, tons of manual features, easy handling, and convenient hard drive data storage all in a High Definition package.

  Cons: Optical Image Stabilization is defective and does not work, Average video performance when compared to HDV tape recorders.

  Summary: Overall I really like this camcorder, but I cannot recommend to anyone at this time until JVC fixes a defect that currently exists in the Optical Image Stabilization feature of ...

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  Summary: Overall I really like this camcorder, but I cannot recommend to anyone at this time until JVC fixes a defect that currently exists in the Optical Image Stabilization feature of the camera.
  
  The Optical Image Stabilization (OIS) feature on the GZ-HD7 is not working on my camera and from what I've read on the internet its not working for alot of other GZ-HD7 owners either.
  
  I've been in contact with JVC for a week now about the OIS issue. The first time I called JVC the support technician obviously knew nothing about this problem. It wasn't until I requested a higher level support technician that I started getting some answers.
  
  The 2nd level support technician told me that JVC is aware of consumer complaints about the OIS not working and they are analyzing the problem and will reach a solution by the end of the month. According to him, JVC is collecting information to see if specific serial numbers have the OIS problem or if its all of the cameras. They are also talking to the engineers from what I remember talking to him. I believe its only specific cameras because camercorderinfo actually gave it a descent rating for image stabilization and some owners claim that their camera's OIS is working.
  
  I called back a few days later to speak to them again just to see if I could get some more information and convince them that this is indeed a problem that needs to be fixed ASAP. I explained to them they better have a solution fast or I'm returning the unit real soon.
  
  Here's where it gets interesting. The support technician asked me to hold so he could get their GZ-HD7 camcorder that they had there in the call center. When he came back he told me he would try turning the OIS off then on too see if there was any visible difference. I was put on hold again for 2 mintues while he operated the camera testing the OIS feature. He came back on the line and actually agreed with me that there is no visible difference with OIS on or off. Their camera they had in there own tech support call center didn't even have a working OIS feature!!! THEY KNOW THIS IS A PROBLEM.
  
  I'm begging that everyone that owns this camera and has this problem to please contact JVC customer support at 1-800-252-5722 and let them know. If the first guy on the phone try's telling you its not a problem then ask to speak to the next level support technician. Tell them you want it fixed or your returning it. JVC will only fix this if they hear about it from enough consumers.

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  2 out of 2 users found this user opinion helpful.

• 10 stars

  Great Camera and Fenomenal image quality

  by VampyreKing on July 17, 2007

  Pros: Great image quality, easy to use, good price and easy to carry

  Cons: I haven't found any yet

  Summary: The main reason I got this camera was becasue I din't have the money to buy 2 Canon HX-A! (and I 'm glad I didn't).
  
  I work with
  
  ...

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  Summary: The main reason I got this camera was becasue I din't have the money to buy 2 Canon HX-A! (and I 'm glad I didn't).
  
  I work with the UN and I travel aloot and have to film everything, from concerts to poverty and this little camera surprized me to a point that when I got back to the US I wanted to give my Canon HX-A1 back to BH Photo and get 2 other GZ-HD7. I know that most of the reviews that you ready about this camera a really bad and talk about image quality this and that.
  
  I believe that most people writing reviews for this camera are super professional people using super professional softwares and they may be use to 30k cameras.
  
  I find this camera perfect for what I do and I would buy a few more if I had the money. This is the first time in my life that I'm writing a review for a product, but I'm doing this becasue I found a review from a guy saying that the camera was good for his job and I went ahead and got mine.
  
  I'm not a professional vio guy or a video freak, but I really like to film live concerts, my dogs, parties and humanitarian work that I do, and I have nothing to complain about his camera. I haven't learned how to operate the volume levels yet for the microfone sensitivity levels, but that may be becasue I have been using the camera in fully auto mode.
  
  I'm satisfied with the image qulity and have no complains about it at all.

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  2 out of 4 users found this user opinion helpful.

• 9 stars

  Excellent camera, used it to make multiple DVD in PAL

  by Aysemart on April 3, 2010

  Pros: I love the camera, I found it fine for most and easy to use, the hard drive has been fantastic, never have I filled it up yet. TOD files only needed the extentions renamed to mpg, done through Total Commander.

  Cons: NTSC only, interlacing very annoying, even when rendered down to 720x576. It's built for the American market. Battery life not good, very slow movement required when filming motion.

  Summary: I've filmed 15 weddings, created 10 tourism DVDs and have learnt so much with this JVC GZ-HD7 camera, I am now buying the GY-HM100 which my old battery and ...

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  Summary: I've filmed 15 weddings, created 10 tourism DVDs and have learnt so much with this JVC GZ-HD7 camera, I am now buying the GY-HM100 which my old battery and wide angle lens will fit, I will now have MOV and MP4 file formats available and no hard drive, now it's 2x 32gb SDHC memory sticks as storage.
  My JVC GZ-HD7 is now corrupting files when the tripod is on a vibrating surface such as a boat with engine, the camera has seen over 2 years of work with me, and I have given it a hammering. Aysemart.com

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• 7 stars

  To use/save without a computer at hand is fabulous

  by LindaMaree on September 10, 2008

  Pros: It's light and easy to hold and easy to use the necessary buttons, currently learning all the rest but love what I have seens so far, and this is my first ever camcorder.

  Cons: The lack of clear instructions or manual included to allow for an idiots guide to user.

  Summary: I like the product and the purpose for its use seems to be exactly as proffered. My Hybrid is just that and I am slowly learning my way around my ...

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  Summary: I like the product and the purpose for its use seems to be exactly as proffered. My Hybrid is just that and I am slowly learning my way around my new toy.

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