JVC Everio GZMG77 2.0MP CCD 30GB HDD Camcorder with 10x Optical Zoom

I purchased this camcorder around 5 years ago. It works great and is easy to use but the software that comes with it is useless and horrible. I use a MacBook Pro with Final Cut to edit video which needs a firewire connection to import video. I was a bit surprised that the camera doesn't have a firewire, only USB. I ended up buying a Canopus A/V converter and using the RCA cables & S-video on the camera, I connect it to the Canopus. It's a drag as I need to import in real time but it beats spending hours trying to get the included software to work correctly. The battery finally bit the dust a few months ago and through surfing the web I was able to find a 3rd party battery for $29 (3 hour version) as opposed to JVC's $95 for the same battery. Also if you have a Mac, the new version of iMovie will recognize this camera now, so that's a huge help (I still have the old '06 version)

All in all the camera has been very handy especially since there is no media (tapes) to have to haul around or worry about losing. The camera itself is easy to use but downloading and editing video can be a bit of a challenge. I would highly recommend a JVC Everio Share Station for the computer challenged consumer. It hooks up to the camera and through the menu on the camera it gives you options to create a DVD however the options are a bit limited if you like to be creative.

This cam is excellent. Small sized, good image quality, excellent luminosity (1.2), even if the image gets a bit "grainy" in low light condition.
The reasons for not getting the 5th star are:
- No USB streaming (you cannot use it as a webcam or capture image in "realtime"
- You NEED to buy an extra, larger battery
- No viewfinder
- Bad software. And if you try to edit the original .MOD files, you'd have problems with widescreen recording, so you must use it :(

BEWARE!!! DO NOT PURCHASE THIS MODEL! The software that comes with it will NOT allow you to burn your own DVD's with your own computer. It creates errors with Windows that are not easily traceable. I have had two professional computer people look at it and neither one could burn DVD's without fixing some of the errors in the software provided.

I have had this JVC camera for two years, and I absolutely love it. Yes, I had to figure out that you need to use the director software first and then the producer software to create your DVDs. The battery that came with mine wasn't the longest life, so I would recommend a spare with a longer life. BUT, HERE'S MY FAVORITE PART: This summer I accidentally left this camcorder outside on a jacket along with my Kodak digital still camera. It rained. Both cameras sat in a puddle on my jacket for about a day. The still camera was junked-it would no longer turn on. The JVC, however, didn't miss a beat! I dried the outside off, it turned on right away, all of my film was still there, and 6 months after the incident I still have no issues with this wonderful little camcorder. I think the quality is great for filming my kids, indoors and out. I miss the night vision that my old 8mm camcorder had, but the portability, convenience of not having tapes, and the durability of this gem makes it a 5 star for me. JVC will definitely be at the top of my list when I choose to upgrade. Suggestion: Have or purchase an external drive to hold all of your footage. My laptop's hard drive filled up fast!

This is a wonderful camera. I purchased it and took it on my long-planned trip through Europe in 2006. Upon return, I downloaded the pictures using the Cyberlink Power Producer software. I worked on the pictures, then saved them until I had time to return and finish my sorting, renaming, etc.

When I returned, the pictures were missing. I found a file with the correct extension, but the software wouldn't open it. In spite of several attempts to get Cyberlink to resolve the problem, we were unsuccessful. Their suggestions for resolving the problem were short-sighted and repetitive. I even paid Data Doctors privately to try to find the file. Cyberlink finally admitted there was nothing else they could do.

JVC didn't even bother to write back.