JVC GR-D72U Review:

The JVC GR-D72U boasts JVC’s new Just Very Convenient features 3-D NR to eliminate noise up to 30%, 2.5 inch Crystal-View LCD to reduce glare and reflections and a built-in auto “Illumi-Light” for 1/10th the power consumption. Plus, a color viewfinder, 680,000-Pixel CCD Super High Band Processor for 520 lines of horizontal resolution, Power-Linked Operation, Night Alive, and 700X Super Digital Zoom with Spline Interpolation. The JVC GR-D72U can also take HG digital stills at 1026 x 768 / 640 x 480. Convenience for digital stills are achieved by a SD/MMC card slot.

• Crystal View 2.5″ High Resolution LCD, to reduce glare and reflections from the LCD screen.
• 3-D Noise Reduction (3-D NR) to eliminate up to 30% of noise in low light situations.
• Illumi-Light: Built-in Auto light using twin LED lights for 1/10 the power consumption.
• MMC/SD Card Slot
• HG Digital Stills with 2 selectable Image Size Settings (1024×768/ 640×480)
• Color Viewfinder

The JVC GR-D72U’S MiniDV Format
MiniDV, the most common type of digital camcorder, records video using the standard DV-format. It’s the preferred format for broadcast-quality video, and it is also highly regarded for its high audio and still image quality. This is all delivered on a cassette that’s 1/12th the size of a standard VHS tape. Tapes come in lengths of 60 and 80 minutes at standard speed (SP), with use of lower speed mode (SP) increasing time to 90 and 120 minutes while reducing resolution.

I spent over 20 hours researching my recent camcorder purchase. The best site was camcorderinfo.com. In fact, they just posted a thorough review of the JVC GR-D72U and also have reviews of one model down (D33) and one model up (D93) from this one. Also be sure to check out the competing models’ reviews (Sony and Canon).

What I was looking for in a camcorder, was, surprise surprise (!) good video performance in a range of lighting conditions. I had read that low-light performance on ALL so-called consumer camcorders was very poor. The JVC GR-D72U (and D33) have the best low-light performance of ANY camcorder priced $600 or less! That’s saying a ton considering these models sell for almost half of that! Seriously, check out the Sony HC20, 30, or 40 and the JVC GR-D72U beats them all! Plus it has decent still image capability, includes LED lights, and has analog-to-digital passthrough. Can’t be beaten! What a deal!

Super easy to use and great video - what more could you want? Some of the other reviews on amazon for the JVC GR-D72U seem bizarre and based only on the software that comes with the camera. You likely won’t use the software that comes with ANY camcorder you buy. What do you want out of your camcorder? Good video performance, versatiliy, and ease of use are the only criteria that matter! Dig around on the Internet for reviews of other models to convince yourself, but if you take this reviewer’s advice alone, you’ll save yourself a dozen hours of work!

December update: Well, I’ve had this camcorder now for six months and I’m still thrilled with it. I’ve shot about 3 hours worth of video in that time and have played around with editing on the computer. The key seems to be to have a fast enough computer as well as a firewire connection (my first attempt with a USB cable yielded horrible video). Also, when viewing on TV, again, the video quality depends on the connection you use (try the S-video!) as well as the quality of your display. None of these problems are limitations of this camcorder, but are realities of digital video. The video I’ve shot so far is VERY good (stunning actually) when hooked up properly. I also have noticed that this camcorder is now $50 less than when I bought it in May - even more of a great deal! Enjoy!

—– By davidmbfonz

JVC GR-D72U Features

• 16x optical zoom lens (700x digital zoom) and digital image stabilizer
• Crystal View rotating 2.5-inch High Resolution LCD, to reduce glare and reflections from the LCD screen
• Built-in auto light using twin LED lights for 1/10th the power consumption and SD/MMC card slot
• BN-V408U 800 mAh Lithium-ion, high-capacity, rechargeable battery pack; camera has built-in battery charger

JVC GR-D72U Specifications

Compare Prices Of JVC GR-D72U MiniDV Camcorder