Looking more like a digicam than perhaps any other product in modern camcorder history, JVC’s new still/video hybrid makes an immediate aesthetic statement with its svelte lines and stripped-back appearance.

The X achieves its slim waistline by clever location of the battery slot and relying solely on SD/SDHC cards for storage: you’ll find no fattening hard disk here. On a 32GB card the Everio captures 160 minutes of 1920 x 1080 HD video at the highest quality setting. Media is recorded in AVCHD format, so remember you’ll need a recent hardware/software combination to edit these files.

The X seems intended to be used mostly on full auto. Limited manual options are accessed using the laser touch scroll bar and LCD-mounted buttons, which may take some getting used to if you’re accustomed to either a joystick or touchscreen. Another handling issue that must be considered is the lack of a Velcro hand strap, which has been substituted for the simple wrist strap usually found on a compact digicam. This may be a deal breaker for shooters who end up feeling like they’re driving without a seatbelt. And while you dwell on this, ponder the complete lack of manual audio controls, no external microphone input and no headphone output.

Video quality was consistent with full HD expectations; optical image stabilisation combined with the X’s large sensor to deliver sharp colours that definitely ‘popped’ off the screen, especially in full sunlight. There are other HD cams that will beat it in lower light conditions, but that performance is going to come at a higher cost. Noticeably lacking are any Program AE modes for shooting video, which is in stark contrast to the hearty helping on offer for still capture. This is where the Everio really shines, delivering some of the best still quality I’ve yet to see from a video capture device. The X shoots 9 megapixel images or 5MP during video capture. It’s possible to fire off six full-res shots at 15fps, or 11fps using the onboard flash. That gives many dedicated SLRs a run for their money.

If your priority is looking good while you whip this cam out of a Gucci camera bag to shoot yet another pristine image of your surgically perfected friends, this could be the just the ticket.

JUSTIN REDDING

She Speeds

Five hundred frames per second! Even if you have only a passing interest in digital image capture, this is the kind of stat that gets heads turning. Even more remarkable is that the Everio X makes this available in a consumer device. Here’s the math: shooting at 500fps, 2.8 seconds of footage will take 28 seconds to play out in real time. Perfect if you want to see what a balloon looks like when shot by a firearm, or the expression on a random passer-by’s face when hit by a water balloon. The image size does drop according to how fast the capture rate is, and the feature will not be essential for some shooters, but for those special high-speed occasions, it’s a great addition to this stylish cam’s arsenal.

Tech Specs
JVC Everio X GZ-X900
Camcorder
$2299

Sensor Type: CMOS, 25.4mm
Image Stabilisation: Optical
DISPLAY: 2.8-inch LCD, 20,700 pixels
ZOOM: 5x optical
Video Format: MPEG-4 AVC/H.264
MEDIA: SD/SDHC
MODES: Face detect, various scene modes
FLASH: Off, auto, red-eye reduction, on, slow sync
DIMENSIONS: 37.2 x 65.9 x 124.1mm (W/H/L)
WEIGHT: 298g (incl battery pack)

Pros

    * Compact, stylish, lightweight design
    * Good video quality for the price
    * Great still quality and features
    * Advanced slo-mo features

Cons

    * Limited manual functions
    * No Program AE modes for video
    * Zero audio features
    * No hand strap

Verdict

A classy-looking option if still performance is a priority
CONTACT

www.jvc.co.nz