There are a number of ways for a consumer camcorder?to distinguish itself from the pack, including features like, say, a waterproof housing, a built-in projector, or Wi-Fi connectivity. The JVC Everio GZ-GX1 ($899.95 list) adds the latter, with a robust set of Wi-Fi features that can turn the camera into a home-surveillance device you can access from anywhere, or let your smartphone act as a wireless remote/viewfinder. Outdoors, video details are sharp, and the ability to shoot 1080p60 video is a boon for fast moving action. Indoors, however, details become mired by a fuzzy softness that is especially troublesome in low light. And for a few hundred dollars less, you can get similar video quality and the same Wi-Fi features in the JVC Everio GZ-VX700?($499.95, 3.5 stars). Despite its wireless prowess and good video quality in bright light, the GZ-GX1 is overpriced, and it can't match the crisp video captured by less-expensive competition including the Canon Vixia HF M50?($649.99, 3.5 stars). ?
Design, Features, and Wi-Fi
Made almost entirely from glossy black plastic, JVC's high-end consumer camcorder measures 2.25 by 2.5 by 5.2 inches (HWD) and weighs 14.2 ounces. You'll find the zoom rocker and Record button in the standard locations, along with dedicated Image Stabilization and Still Image buttons on top of the cameras. Above the hand strap on the right side is a flap that opens to reveal the DC power input, while a flap on the bottom hides a slot that accepts SD, SDHC, and SDXC cards up to 64GB in size. The LCD recess houses Video/Still, Play/Record, Power, and Silent mode buttons. Also inside are mini USB and mini HDMI ports, with a 3.5mm headphone jack for monitoring audio and a 3.5mm microphone input for improved sound capture.
The large, bright 3.5-inch 921k-dot LCD of the GZ-GX1 is bigger and sharper than the 3-inch 230k-dot screen found on the Vixia HF M50 and 2.7-inch 230k-dot screen of the Sony HDR-PJ200?($439.99, 3 stars). The size makes touch-screen navigation easier, though the menu overlays are a bit more confusing on this camera.
There are a number of really useful Wi-Fi options included with the GZ-GX1. The easiest to set up is the free smartphone app for iOS and Android, which turns your mobile device into a wireless viewfinder and remote control for the camcorder. The system sets up an ad hoc network between your phone and the camcorder, allowing you to review footage, take still images, and record video. You can also access the same features from a computer by either using an ad hoc connection, or setting up outside viewing on the camcorder. Setting up outside viewing is a bit more tricky, requiring you to register an account through JVC and then access a lengthy URL generated by the camcorder itself. It does, however, turn the GZ-GX1 into a veritable security camera that you can monitor from pretty much any computer connected to the Internet. You can also set the camcorder to Detect/Email mode, which uses motion detection to take still images that are then sent to email addresses you specify.?
Performance
The 10x zoom of the GZ-GX1 covers a 29.5-295mm (35mm equivalent) range. The wide f/1.2 aperture allows for a shallow depth of field and collects about twice the light as the Vixia HF M50, which opens up to f/1.8 at its widest. That depth of field allows you to get that nice bokeh effect in your shots, with a narrow focus and soft backgrounds. JVC uses a relatively large 1/2.3-inch backlit CMOS image sensor. A larger sensor usually leads to better low-light performance, but the GZ-GX1 came up short in that department. Indoors, especially in lower light, the GZ-GX1 struggled with grainy and soft video. Image noise wasn't a huge issue, but it's possible that digital noise reduction is being employed here, sapping the finer detail quality. Colors looked accurate, but I did notice some fringing at the edges, both in low and good lighting. Some dark areas were a bit underexposed, leading to a loss of detail within the shadows.?
Outdoors, the GZ-GX1 feels like a different camcorder all together. Video is crisp, with vibrant colors and accurate focus. The grain found during indoor shots was nearly imperceptible outdoors, and video looked much better. Exposure was also accurate, though I noticed certain hotspots were overexposed, exhibiting an almost pulsing quality. Again, color fringing was a problem outdoors, especially with bright backgrounds and moderately lit foreground objects where edges took on a purple hue.
The GZ-GX1 has a number of video-quality modes, topping out at 1080p60 in AVCHD format. Most consumer camcorders record 1080i60 (60 interlaced, rather than progressive, fields per second), which is then played back at 30 frames per second. For most applications, that quality is fine and you typically won't find progressive scan in a consumer camcorder. The advantage is during fast moving action, where 1080p60 video will look smoother, with greater detail and less motion blur. There is also a Super Slow Motion mode, which captures footage at 300 frames per second, but is limited to a resolution of 720 by 480. The result is impressive, with video automatically slowed down and played back at 30 frames per second. The details and video quality are low definition, but if you want to capture some interesting slow-motion action shots, the GZ-GX1 has an advantage over most other consumer camcorders?though it can't match action camcorders like the GoPro HD Hero2?($299.99, 4 stars).
Image stabilization was generally good, but at its telephoto reach, mild shakes were sometimes jarring. Audio quality was average, and while the camera did a decent job at wind cancellation, I noticed it picked up a distracting level of racket from an indoor air conditioning system. Voices sound clear at reasonable distances.
Still image quality is fair at best, with very soft and grainy shots indoors, much worse than the grain in the video. Images can be taken at up to 11-megapixel resolution, but fine details appear fuzzy and too pixelated to be used for anything but casual purposes. You can take still shots while recording, even at the highest quality, but the results were downright awful, with very grainy shots and plenty of image noise. ?
There is a single card slot that accepts SD, SDHC, and SDXC cards up to 64GB. The mini HDMI port allows for playback onto HDTVs, while the mini USB port lets you transfer images and videos to a computer. JVC uses a proprietary AC adapter to provide charge to the included removable battery.
Conclusions
The JVC Everio GZ-GX1 is well equipped, with a lot of really useful Wi-Fi extras that go beyond much of the competition. Outdoor video looks great, but indoors, the quality drops precipitously. Then there's the price. The GZ-GX1 is a full $250 more than the Canon Vixia HF M50, which will give you better video quality indoors and out. The GZ-GX1 can double as a wireless security camera, an added bonus that might justify the price for some, but?the same wireless features can be found in the $500 GZ-VX700.?The ability to shoot full 1080p60 video will be desirable for those looking to capture a lot of action, but disappointing low-light performance doesn't justify the high price.?
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