JVC GR-D860 MiniDV Camcorder (35x Optical Zoom) has an 800,000-pixel CCD sensor and a wide-angle image processor for quality results. Its 35x optical zoom focuses in on subjects in the distance.Also features NightScope Digital Colour technology to keep colours as true to life as possible, and it’s equipped with a special photo mode for memory cards and includes number of AE programmes and special digital effects with transitions and faders.
Helpful consumer’s review
I have a 3 year old JVC GR-D290 camera which I used to digitise all my old analogue VHS tapes, then transfer them to my PC using a USB 2 cable.
I bought the GR-D860 for my son and his wife thinking it would do the same as mine, but possibly with a few extra features as it is three years down the line. How wrong can you be? The GR-D860 does not have an ‘AV in’ therefore you cannot use it to record VHS tapes on to the mini DVs. Neither will it transfer any moving data from the mini DV using the USB 2 connection – it requires a firewire connection for this, which is not a probelem, only my son’s PC does not have a firewire card. I admit it is not difficult to fit one but it is, if you do not know your way around the inside of your PC which many of us don’t.
It will only transfer ’still’ data from the SD memory card with the USB 2 connection.
I was so utterly disappointed when I discovered all this I just wanted to pack it all up and return it which, of course, I could not as they had used it by the time I found out. It was all new to them so they did not realise it would not do any of the things I had expected of it when I ordered it for them.
So, though it is a neat, compact little camera which takes fairly good film do not expect it to transfer your moving data to your PC where you can edit it unless you have a firewire card or are prepared to have one installed in your PC. I must assume you have to go for something more upmarket and therefore more expensive to get all the features I expected.
For the reasons stated above I have only given it 2 stars.
