Ultra-Compact HDD/MicroSD Hybrid Camera

The JVC Everio GZ-MG670 features a 80 GB hard disk drive and a 1/6-inch 800,000-pixel CCD image sensor. It also uses a Konica Minolta lens with a 40x dynamic zoom and 800x digital zoom. Dynamic zoom achieves up to 40x magnification by using nearly all of the CCD's effective pixels without any picture quality degradation.

For sharing, the Everio MG670 makes it easy to watch videos on an iPod or iPhone by exporting videos to the user3 s iTunes library with the new One Touch Export function provided by bundled software for Windows. This joins the One Touch Upload function for uploading to YouTube, for 2009 a feature available on all Everio camcorders, and One Touch DVD Creation function for easy archiving and sharing by disc, a long-time Everio feature.

Product Features

• 1/6-inch 800K -pixel CCD
• Up to 832 x 624 still resolution size
• KONICA MINOLTA 35x optical zoom and 800x digital zoom
• 80 GB Internal Hard Disk Drive
• 14 hours and 10 minutes recording at the highest quality (Ultra-DVD Movie)
• Micro SD card slot
• HD Gigabrid Prenium Engine
• Primary color filter
• Up to 9999 digital stills at the highest quality
• Laser Touch Operation
• Auto LCD Backlight Control
• Auto Flash
• Advanced Photo Functions including Auto Exposure Bracketing and Histogram Display
• Color mode select (vivid, natural)
• Aperture/ Shutter Priority
• Power-Linked operation with Quick Restart
• Built-in Lens Cover
• Multi-Language – English, Spanish, French, Portuguese, Japanese and Korean.
• Software provided for Windows (Pixela MediaBrowser (Windows))
• Easy File Management
• Easy Playback
• Built-in Picture Titles
• Upload to YouTube
  

Stylish Color Variations

New Everio Hybrid Cameras are available in four colors: DIAMOND Silver, SAPPHIRE Blue, RUBY Red, and ONYX black. Choose the one that best matches to your style or preference. (Available body colors differ by model)

Product Specs

JVC GZ-MG670’s Review

by reviews.digitaltrends.com

02/24/2009

We won’t belabor the Flip/JVC analogy for long, since they’re very different breeds of cat. That said one of the key benefits for Flip-like devices is their pocket size. A $179 Flip Mino weighs 3.3 ounces and measures 1.97 x 3.94 x .63 (W x H x D, in inches). The bigger $479 JVC is 2.1 x 2.7 x 4.5, and tips the scales at 12.4 ounces including the battery. Bottom line: The Flip easily slips into your jeans, while the JVC has to go into cargo-pants pocket. This hardly precludes carrying this thing around all day. And you get so much more.

A Flip Mino has 2GB storage compared to the 80GB hard disk drive found on the MG670; for 70 bucks more you can get 120GB with the MG680. What this means is the ability to record practically forever with the Everio; 19 hours to be exact, with the MG670 at best quality, which is MPEG2 standard definition DVD level. The Flip Mino does one hour at VHS-like 640x480 resolution, using MPEG4-AVI compression. Even in the world of cheesy YouTube videos, your friends will appreciate the better quality.

Note: the new $229 Flip MinoHD records an hour’s worth of high-def footage (1280 x 720 using the MPEG4 H.264 codec). It’s as barebones as can be though (no zoom, tiny 1.5-inch LCD, ad nauseum).

The JVC GZ-MG670 is extremely compact, given its zoom lens and hard drive. The camcorder fits very comfortably in your hand. It has a piano-gloss-black finish, and it looks very sleek, with a minimal amount of annoying decals and logos. We do have to take exception with one bit of nomenclature – the “40x Dynamic Zoom” near the lens. The camcorder actually has a 35x optical zoom – which is pretty potent given the small size. The Dynamic Zoom is a “gentle” digital zoom boost without degradation, according to the folks at JVC (more on this in the performance section). That said, we’d prefer more accurate decals on the camcorder, since most shoppers won’t look at the fine print.

The front is dominated by the 35x f1.8-4.0 Konica Minolta zoom which can be boosted to 40x, 80x or even 800x digital. As always, we recommend disabling any boost for best quality. The 35x has a focal length of 37-1295mm, which is plenty. We’d like a wider angle opening but the 37mm is better than most, and the 1295mm tele will bring anything front and center. The lens has a built-in cover, so there’s no flapping cap-on-a-string. There’s also a tiny LED light, and stereo microphone.

The right side, which covers the 80GB hard drive, has embossed logos, a USB compartment near the lens, and an A/V out near the record button. The strap is not nearly as cushy as those found on larger camcorders, but it’s easily adjustable and provides the support you need.

On the top are a zoom toggle switch, and a Snapshot button for taking pretty weak 832 x 624, half-megapixel stills which can be saved to microSD cards or the drive. There is no hot shoe for optional lights or mics. The rear has a recessed slot for the battery, a DC-in compartment for charging and the record button.

The left side – which has the foldout LCD screen – is where you’ll live most of the time. The monitor is a 2.7-inch widescreen display that works extremely well in bright sunshine. When we reviewed the Nikon S710, we took it to the beach and the screen wiped out in direct sunlight. The JVC worked without a hitch in the same situation. You’ll be very happy using it. To the left of the screen is a Laser Touch control, so you can scroll through the menus and quickly make manual adjustments. The bottom bezel has five smallish buttons for various adjustments. The functions change, depending on the mode you’re in (more on this in the performance section).

On the camcorder body are a built-in speaker and mini HDMI out. Connect it to a HDTV and the video upconverts from standard def to 1080p. Other buttons include power on/off, one to switch between videos/stills, a display button to eliminate icon clutter on the screen, and three “One Touch” keys to upload/title, export and send footage direct to DVD.

The bottom of the Made-in-Malaysia camcorder has the microSD card slot and metal tripod mount.

The Everio comes with a basic kit: camcorder, battery, AC adapter, remote, USB and A/V cables. There’s a 44-page owner’s manual with a more in-depth PDF on the CD-ROM, which also has Digital Photo Navigator 1.5 for handling stills, and the Everio MediaBrowser for uploading videos and basic editing.

With a charged battery, a microSD card loaded, it was time to shoot some images.