JVC GR-DVP3U

the onlything reason abought this dv camera is the price 450$ and the size, i have the sony it much better but it to big to cary on , i use it for partys and ocasion, but my new jvc it going to be with me all the time in my pocket.

it ok ,but not in dark.

not for dark places

This is my second mini-DV camcorder and now it looks like it will be the last. My first DV cam was a Sony DCR-PC5 (the older and smaller version of PC9) because I really needed something extremely portable. The Sony PC5 served that purpose very well, along with the Carl Zeiss lens and capatibility with the vast amount of Sony peripherals. After prolonged use, however, I began to be really irritated by some flaws of the PC5. Firstly, the time indication for the Sony Stamina batteries are grossly inaccurate. Oftentimes the camcorder will show a remaining usage time of 20 minutes and then everything will suddenly shut down completely! This problem is not only limited to the standard battery but is also the same for all the extra batteries that I purchased. Secondly, the basic battery of the camcorder, even fully charged, will last no more than 15 minutes regardless of the kind of shooting or playback performed. Because of my desire to extend battery life without compromising portability I had purchased several small batteries and the same problem occurs for every specimen. Finally, the ergonomics of the Sony is absolutely the worst among all the sub-mini pocket-sized DV camcorders. It might feel OK at first but after very long usage and shooting (2-3 hours each time), the pains and sores of my right hand tells me that it is simply a bad design. That was how I started to really research the market for a substitute. Because of the lack of choices in the pocket-size DV cam market, the two final contenders were Canon Elura 20MC and the JVC. For ergonomics and the ease of control, Canon was the clear winner. But for the functions and the portability JVC was the leader. The decision was really difficult, further complicated by the fact that they each had one of the two vital functions that I was dying for, namely the progressive scan CCD on the Canon and the MPEG4 email clips on the JVC. Canon was the only sub-$2000 DV cam that had the progressive scan function, which together with the superior Canon lens (I''ve been using Canon professional SLRs and lenses for many years) and focusing abilities makes for a very appetizing package. The JVC, on the other hand, is an adorable little marvel of technology that looks and feels like a gadget from Star Treks. I don''t really remember how I decided on the JVC (the internet prices from reputable dealers are comparable for

Sony DCR-PC5

Overall it is a nice camera, but lacking many features you would expect at such a price. Such as analog in, mic jack, progressive photo, built-in flash, low battery time. I decided to sell the camera for a Canon ZR-25, it is slightly larger, but feature packed including lens attachments. If size is the main concern, it is awesome, but I don''t have $600 to blow for a few inches difference.

The compact size, stills are good in XGA mode, but w/o flash they can be dark.

Lack of analog-in, tape mechanisms are noisy, no flash, no progressive photo. Way too much money for just size.