Benchmarks

This month:

• JVC GR-DVM1 Mini DV Camcorder
• Hitachi VT-UX717A VHS Editing VCR
• Sima ColorWriter Magic Video Titler
• Roland Virtual SoundCanvas Music Pack
• Pixelan Video SpiceRack Effects Software

GR-DVM1 Mini DV Camcorder
($2800)
JVC Corporation
41 Slater Drive
Elmwood Park, NJ 07407
(800) 252-5722
http://www.jvc-america.com

The new DV (digital videocassette) format did a lot more than just make camcorders better at recording pictures and sounds: it made them a whole lot smaller as well. Now that the new format is becoming more popular, the race is on to produce the ultimate in compact-camcorder technology.

The GR-DVM1 is JVC's latest volley in the war to balance camcorder size and portability against the increased resolution and functionality of the DV format. With a 2.5-inch polycrystalline LCD monitor, microphone, headphone jacks and a handful of editing features available through the supplied docking station, the GR-DVM1 answers many concerns that owners had with its predecessor, the GR-DV1.

The GR-DVM1's design is a little bit different than most consumer camcorders. Instead of the conventional horizontal configuration that we've come to identify as the standard camcorder shape, it has a vertical orientation, mounting the compact lens above the diminutive tape transport system. Instead of pressing it to your face and viewing images through a tiny viewfinder, you hold it away from yourself and frame up your scene through the 2.5-inch LCD monitor. It's not the first camcorder with such a design, but it is one of only a very few that doesn't stick to the traditional camcorder look and feel.

The lens assembly on the GR-DVM1 has a 10:1 optical zoom, which you can extend through digital circuitry to 20:1 or even 100:1. Like most digital zoom systems, there's a trade-off between zoom ratio and image quality; the farther out you zoom, the more grainy noise and pixelated digital artifacts you'll introduce into your image. To put it simply: don't expect to gain a crisp, clear video image at anything above a 20:1 zoom ratio with this camcorder.

The LCD viewfinder on the GR-DVM1 is one of the best of its kind available on the market today. If you've used an LCD monitor in daylight before, you know that it can be difficult to see on sunny days. The GR-DVM1's LCD monitor is clearer and brighter than most, and it resolves images much more clearly than the average built-in camcorder monitor. It is certainly an improvement on earlier LCD designs, but beware--shots taken in noonday sunshine will still require a little bit of squinting.

Those who are familiar with the more standard type of small-format camcorder might find handling the GR-DVM1 a bit awkward at first. To help simulate the feel of more conventional camcorders, JVC supplies a combination tripod mounting base/hand-holding device which adds a simple hand strap to the equation. Though helpful, the device doesn't completely take away the awkwardness of shooting with the GR-DVM1.

Manual controls exist on the GR-DVM1 for white balance, shutter speed and focus. Exposure (iris) control is available in two ways--fully automatic, or Iris Lock, which allows you to use the automatic exposure system to find a particular setting, then lock it into place so it won't wander throughout the shot. This is useful for those creative choices that most automatic systems won't allow you to achieve, such as shooting everything slightly overexposed, or in silhouette.

The presence of a headphone output to complement the unit's microphone jack is an improvement over the earlier GR-DV1, which included no way to monitor audio while you were shooting. As you monitor your audio with the GR-DVM1, however, listen closely for a high-pitched whine that accompanies the soundtrack; that's the camcorder's motor noise spilling over onto the tape. Essentially, this is the result of the camcorder's AGC (automatic gain control) circuits boosting the volume in a quiet room, and picking up motor noise in the process. This was a problem with the earlier GR-DV1 and with many other tiny-format camcorders--one that almost necessitates the use of an external microphone.

The GR-DVM1 gives videographers access to a number of digital effects that are useful for in-camera productions. Should you decide to edit with the GR-DVM1, the unit does include several options that will help you copy selected scenes to a master tape. If you have a JVC VCR with the Random Assemble Edit feature, you can easily arrange a series of clips from the GR-DVM1 and copy them in any order onto your VHS or S-VHS tape. If you purchase the JLIP player pack from JVC, you can control the functions of the camcorder from a home PC. (Note: these editing options are only available when the GR-DVM1 sits on its docking bay.)

Also supported through the docking bay is still-image transfer to a computer or video printer. The GR-DVM1, similar to many other DV camcorders, is capable of recording digital still images in 6-second intervals on the tape; audio from the built-in microphone is recorded along with the still, as is an optional camera-shutter sound effect.

The quality of images recorded by the GR-DVM1's camera section is superb--sharper even than a number of other compact DV camcorders now available. Prosumer videographers, who often have contented themselves with Hi8 or S-VHS footage, will find nothing to gripe about in the resolution department.

The GR-DVM1, in short, is a fine camcorder that will hold its own in the growing category of consumer digital video cameras. It has one major flaw (motor noise while using the on-camera mike) and one major omission (no Firewire digital input/output), but if you can work around these drawbacks, it's sure to please.