JVC gy-dv300
 

Anyone used or seen or played with one of these JVC "streamcorder"? aside from the interesting streaming addon, it looks to be trying to outdo the PD150...

i tried this camera at NAB ( shot tape) ... i'm impressed . will be testing it again in end of month..

has some control not found on other hand size camera's ..

the 12bit DSP proceessing is very good.. has gamma settings normal and CINEMA ( i love this setting - they refer to it as a film gamma S-curve ) ..also has BLACK setting normal , stretch, compress, and other black settings ... has KNEE setting , matrix (color satuation) , horiz & vertical detail, zebras 75-85, 85-95, 95,and one other ?? 70 ? , stores the setting for 2 set ups A cam /B cam , you can set audio levels on each channel, you can have LCD and VF on at same time, ........ i could not test the sound other then the mic that was on it and i find ALL onboard mic's NOT acceptable.

i couldn't figure out the lens shade - i could not get it off and neither could the reps ??

i'll have to test in again as after i got home i wasn't sure if when i recorded tape where the detail adjustments were set ?
there are so many adjustments you can do to this camera that i didn't go throuh the entire menu's to see if they were all in nuetral positions etc.... at NAB they have models on sets - the model contract do NOT allow video taping. a jvc rep let me tape provided i did not shoot models ( he looked over shoulder ) so i had to shoot the tape very quickly at that moment and i only went for the gamma /matrix/black setting to experiment, he did allow a friend to go up on the set so i could record skin tones ....

i went to show with pd 150 as #1 camera to buy BUT at NAB it changed to the JVC streamer ...AND again i'll test it again end of MAY for sound /image .........

How incredibly stupid is JVC? Building a camera with such wonderful specs and then housing it like that with a built in shade that wont come of? I guess this would isolate it from all third party optical attachments (wide, tele, anamorphics). The built in mic you can workaround.

Well, on the JVC info sheet, they do list a .52mm wide angle lens adapter and a telephoto adapter, so either they must fit inside the hood (can you say stupid) or their must be a majic trick to make it work (or maybe they super glued it in place for the show?)

Was down at B&H yesterday, and though they didn't have it on the floor, the guy I spoke with said he'd only looked at it a little. Then he said "it'd be a good time to wait" meaning perhaps Sony might be gearing up for a "response" to JVC... Didn't get more info from him (if he had any) as he got called away.

Hopefully at the DV expo east in June, more answers will be forthcoming.

I use this camera and it is SHARPER than my VX2000. BUT-not better-just different.

I notice that the MANUAL setting is far superior than AUTO. However, I must say that the AWB is excellent.

I turn off the color matrix and raise the detail by 1 or 2. Be advised that it does have a slower iris adjustment in AUTO than the VX2000.

Battery last about 1 hr and 10 minutes and the camera is delivered with a two-bay charger. There will be a larger battery shortly. However, you can use the small pocket BESCOR "JUICE-PACK" and power the unit for hours on end.

Two XLR inputs. However once the AUDIO menu is changed to XLR you can't use the front on-board attached microphone unless you use the front XLR with an external microphone.
Better sound control than the VX2000. I like the stereo sound of the VX2000.

The color viewfinder on the JVC is MUCH sharper and easier to focus.

I like the small increments of the JVC 300's gain. Even has -3 & -2 db !!!!

Larger than the VX2000 also.
Puffed-up PD 150. Balanced.


Yep-no LANC for a Varizoom Stealth and the hood does not come off.
I also like the memory stick function of the VX2000-really thought out well.

Again-it is NOT better than the VX2000. Just different albeit sharper. Lou Bruno

Lou, many thanks for the initial review. I thought I heard about a longer one you were preparing for some other website; if you could give me permission to post it on mine as well, then I'd be happy to link directly to the other site. Again, sure appreciate all your input here.

Lately my reviews have been cut and pasted on the internet with other author's name appearing with MY WORDS in the body of the reviews.
I have seen this mainly on the USENET.


I have decided in the future to break-up my reviews in different forums with just tid-bits of information.

It is a pleasure to post here!!!!

LOU

Usenet is a real gutter, I only lurk there anymore and would never recommend it to anybody new. I know you're over at Mike Martin's place quite a bit; he is a fine upstanding individual of highest integrity who will protect your content and I will also. You've definitely picked the right places to post! I hope I don't find out who has been plagirizing your words, for their own sake. Thanks again Lou, always great to see you here.

the JVC can take a 16x9 anamorphic ... looking at the front of the lens/lenshood , inside of the lens hood is a retaining ring that does unscrew ( the lens shade stays on) if you remove the inside retaining ring you can attach the 16x9.

i should add that i did NOT attach a 16x9 ... when i asked the sales rep at NAB .. they said to remove 4 screws to remove the ring. they asked the size of the 16x9 - from what i remember it is 80mm round . they said the 80mm would fit inside of the lens shade.

donatello,

great to hear this. If you can mount a 16x9 I'm really going to test this camera (and maybe purchase). But I still think the product design on this item is awfull. The hood should come of. The handle and flip out screen looks like it is designed by a toy company targeting at six year old girls. This camcorder will fit the collection of Barbie dolls quite well ;-) ...eh...BarbieCam, anyone?

This is odd since I think JVC has the most modern approach to their ENG line of camcorders.