JVC GZ-MC100 Flash Memory Digital Camcorder with 4GB Microdrive & SD/CF Slot £270.24

twe

sounds like u got a bargain there kentish...

seth

Kentish wrote:

.....
However, what's not very obvious is how the "DVD quality" MPEG2 video of this JVC compares to the resolution of entry-level miniDV camcorders which are around £100 cheaper....

..... Also, I have read that the video format (MPEG2) cannot be imported or edited easily with standard video editors such as Adobe Premiere, although I understand that it may come with it's own basic video editing software.

........

MPEG2 is the encoding used for most video editing! DV Camcorders, DVD Players, Digital Setop boxes (SKY and FREEVIEW) are all MPEG2 based.

You will have no problems with Adobe Premiere, Ulead, Nerovision etc this is the standard everyone uses, even your new Canon (which has better optics IMHO)

slojo

Thought you might like to know that the JVC GZ-MC100 camcorder on ebuyer has now been reduced further to £270.24 inc VAT, and now includes a free battery and charger. Just ordered one myself...

andrewpmoore

This is also a clearance item in dixons at the moment (if you can find one) for £249.

My local dixons had one in the managers clearance section for £199 so I decided to buy it, but when they looked in the box, somebody had nicked the 4gb compact flash card!

RogerPJ

truffle wrote:

has anyone ordered and recieved this one?

how long did it take for delivery?

what do you get in the box?

whats your opinion on the camcorder?

I bought one from eBuyer but didn't get the free battery and charger deal. You can easily buy batteries on eBay for not much money anyway...

I chose priority delivery as it was only about £1.25 extra and it arrived within 3 days (ordered Wed am and arrived Fri am).

You get the camera, a battery, a hand strap, a lens cover, a 4Gb microdrive, leads and instructions. No case though.

First impressions were good, but I find it hard to hold and use. It's like trying to film with a cigarette packet! My wife loves it as it fits in her handbag and it's far easier to use than our old Panasonic DV camcorder.

I find the film and picture quality excellent at good light levels and OK at low light. The main thing I love is the ability to film straight away rather than having to forward to the next free part of the tape (no accidental recording over anymore!)

At the £280 I paid I would highly recommend it and definitely wouldn't go for a DV camera instead.

I also looked on eBay and noticed sellers are selling these for £349!

truffle

it looks like the free battery and charger deal has gone now - i cant see it to be 'added to cart' just the camera @ £270

Thanks for the feedback RogerPJ

Can you tell me what the 2.0meg still photos are like?

Also (as one of my concerns is the amount of recording you can get on the 4meg card) what is the movie recording like on its lowest setting(the one that allows 300mins of recording)

Im thinking if i take it on holiday i might need 3 or 4 microdrives (@ £100 each!!) if the only decent recording is at the maximum and only allows 1hr. I dont think that id have the facilities to download the recordings each day on holiday.

FF99

MSE Rocks !!!

Went down to my local Dixons where they had one on offer for £249 complete with all bits inc microdrive. It was the display model and I said that I had seen that someone got one as a Managers Special for £199, why couldn't I have it for that as it was the display model.

No can do, so I said I would go and look for an unopened one in another branch. Tap, tap, tap, "Computer says YES" I could have it for £199.98 ! What a result !!

Definitely worth a trip down to your local Dixons and dont let them tell you they dont have one. The salesman couldn't find it in the system until I spotted it on the shelf and he got the code off the ticket.

At this price one can treat oneself to a spare microdrive if needed, and if the camera does not work out it can easily be resold on Ebay without any loss.

Incidentally a free battery and charger as offered by Ebuyer - whilst a nice extra - were not 'worth' £80. They are available here http://www.b2c-battery.co.uk/digital-camera-batteries/digital-camera-battery-products.php/jvc/bn-vm200b/3621/1268 for around £30.

Sid_Harper

truffle wrote:

Im thinking if i take it on holiday i might need 3 or 4 microdrives (@ £100 each!!) if the only decent recording is at the maximum and only allows 1hr. I dont think that id have the facilities to download the recordings each day on holiday.

I totally agree with you truffle. MiniDV tapes are cheap media and practical in the sense that you can have lots of footage for low cost.

IMHO the flash memory based camcorders are more toys or gadgets than practical equipment because of the prohibitive cost of storage.

And hard-drives, while not as expensive as flash memory, as still expensive as you point out. Also, if you drop your camcorder, you might well wreck the HDD and lose your memories, but you won't wreck a MiniDV tape so easily.

I also believe camcorders that use those small DVDs are flawed given that the discs are expensive, not all players/DVD ROM drives can take an 8cm disc, and DVDs are more fragile than tape.

Yes there will be a new format that will prevail in future, but it will be a good few years.

andrewpmoore

FF99 wrote:

MSE Rocks !!!

Went down to my local Dixons where they had one on offer for £249 complete with all bits inc microdrive. It was the display model and I said that I had seen that someone got one as a Managers Special for £199, why couldn't I have it for that as it was the display model.

No can do, so I said I would go and look for an unopened one in another branch. Tap, tap, tap, "Computer says YES" I could have it for £199.98 ! What a result !!

Definitely worth a trip down to your local Dixons and dont let them tell you they dont have one. The salesman couldn't find it in the system until I spotted it on the shelf and he got the code off the ticket.

At this price one can treat oneself to a spare microdrive if needed, and if the camera does not work out it can easily be resold on Ebay without any loss.

Incidentally a free battery and charger as offered by Ebuyer - whilst a nice extra - were not 'worth' £80. They are available here http://www.b2c-battery.co.uk/digital-camera-batteries/digital-camera-battery-products.php/jvc/bn-vm200b/3621/1268 for around £30.

Glad my unfortunate trip to dixons had some benefit to you! Just please tell me it wasn't the Leeds branch (where I went)

Rob123

Surely at £100 a pop, the idea must be to burn a DVD from the Microdrive data? (20p storage)

Ok, on holiday some might not have access to such facilites, but I always take a laptop with me anyway!

But at home, I'd imagine most folks nowadays have access to the equipment to move the Microdrive based data over to DVD quickly & therefore just use the microdrive as a temporary holding silo?