Quick Review Camcorders : JVC GR-D93

In bright light, the JVC GR-D93 performed very well. Most camcorders record washed-out colors at this light level (3,000 lux), but the D93’s depiction was crisp and accurate. The other two camcorders in the GR series are better than average, but the D93 outperforms them. In low light (60 lux), this model presents an overall beautiful picture with accurate – if less vibrant – colors and a tiny amount of grain. At a dimmer 15 lux, the JVC GR-D93’s picture deteriorates significantly. There is much more grain and noise. The blues and greens are okay, but the reds blur into purples and the purple fades quickly to black on the chroma-key chart. While this may sound like bad news, the GR-D93 still outperforms camcorders such as the Sony Cyber-Shot DSC-P93 DCR-HC20 and the Canon ZR90 at this light level. Besides its noise reduction system, the JVC GR-D93 has a built-in two-bulb LED to boost picture quality in low light.

The lens on the GR-D93 has a 10x optical and 70x digital zoom. This is a step down from its sister GR camcorders, whose lenses both have 16x optical zoom. This model also has a hard plastic eyecup on its static viewfinder, which makes it less than perfect. A 2.5-inch LCD monitor on the 1.1-pound camcorder is a nice touch.

The JVC GR-D93 also covers the essentials of good manual and automatic control. The manual control comes with two options for shutter speed: either 1/60th or 1/100th of a second. White balance can be set to Indoor, Outdoor, Manual, or Automatic. While this selection sounds limited, it must be noted that the Manual white balance option works well and is easy to set. There is no manual gain control on this camcorder, although it’s not necessary since the automatic gain control seems to work quite well. In automatic mode, the JVC GR-D93 takes over focus, exposure, white balance, aperture, and shutter speed. It even takes control of the LED light.

As a still camera, this JVC model performs better than most. It shoots pictures at a 1,600 x 1,200 maximum resolution, along with three other image size settings. The earlier model, JVC’s GR-D73, shot still images at a maximum of 1,024 x 768. The JVC GR-D93 also has excellent connectivity. It can convert analog videos to digital videos with its AV in/out and S-Video in/out ports. This camcorder also has a USB and a FireWire port. The only jack this JVC seems to be missing is a microphone or audio-in port. This could be a deterrent for serious users, but most consumers will probably only use the built-in stereo microphone, which does well on its own.

Overall, the JVC GR-D93 is designed for the mid-level consumer. Its automatic capabilities make it usable for a first-timer, but the manual control is where the GR-D93 excels. Its larger CCD also allows it to record colors accurately in dimly lit situations. While high-end camcorder users may be disappointed by the absence of a microphone jack, the JVC GR-D93 will still perform better than most camcorders in its price range.

JVC GR-D93 Compared to the...