Description

The JVC GR-DVM70 CyberCam is perhaps one of the smallest digital video cameras on the market. It is the size of your hand, and is designed to be sleek and slim while still being unobtrusive at family gatherings. The CyberCam uses 8mm DigitalVideo tape as a recording medium, giving it both the features of a traditional video camera as well as the option of taking digital stills. On the one hand, you have the option of recording hours of digital video; on the other, you can take up to 5000 digital stills. With the CyberCam, you get a camcorder combined with a digital camera. Plus, the super-thin, foldout LCD screen allows a greater viewing range, without making the CyberCam too bulky. A 10x optical zoom and a 200x digital zoom, combined with video editing capabilities on the camera itself, give you the freedom to make your own movies like a professional director. Take home video to a new level with the JVC CyberCam.

Setup

The CyberCam itself was easy to setup. Setting it up was mainly just to unpack it and set the batteries to charge. As with all rechargeable batteries, it was necessary to charge them extra for the first time, so the process took about 6 hours. (Of course the batteries would normally charge within an hour.) After that, I just slid in the battery pack and I was ready to go. At this point, I also inserted the included 4MB DSC flash memory card, as well as an 8mm DV tape (available at most local electronics stores). Turning the CyberCam on, there was only one more step. After configuring the date and time (just as with any camera), I was ready to roll film.

Of course, setting up the CyberCam to transfer information to my computer and regular VHS was a separate process. Included with the CyberCam was a base unit, which allowed me to connect the camera to peripheral devices. Attaching the camera to the base was as easy as holding the two parts together and turning a screw. At that point, I had easy access to standard S-Video and audio/video jacks. It was easy to use the included wires to connect the camera base to my VCR’s line input. The CyberCam also came with a special serial port cable for connecting to computers. It was a simple matter for me to connect the serial cable from my computer to the camera base. An additional step for computer transfer setup was software installation.

JVC provided one essential program pack – for actually importing images from the camera – and a few extras. The other programs weren’t bad, but they were no real stunners. Installation on a PII 450 system took me about ten to fifteen minutes, but there were no major system requirements. I did need a free serial port, however. I also had to ascertain which port the camera used to resolve any problems. There was a port conflict on my computer, but that was resolved by switching around two connections behind my computer. Still, it was something to be wary of since I am always adding stuff to my computer, and adding certain devices can create a conflict later as well.

Performance

Just looking at the JVC was enough to impress me, but using it didn’t really change my initial impression. It seemed almost ridiculously small, but there was nothing ridiculous about its performance. Picking it up, it fit snugly in the palm of my hand, and the strap around the bottom made sure that it didn’t slip. It wasn’t heavy or bulky like so many other camcorders. With the LCD screen out, it was easy to see what I was shooting. I could even twist it around to make it easier to see from almost any angle. The rotating LCD screen made it easy to take all kind of movies and shots. I could hold the camera up above an obstruction (like someone’s head in a crowd), and point the LCD screen down towards my face so that I could still see everything. However, even without the LCD, the CyberCam’s viewfinder made it easy to take movies and pictures.

The first step in using the CyberCam was to select the camera mode. The different options available were “Camera”, “5S”, and “DSC”. Setting the CyberCam to “Camera” meant that I could record both live video and still pictures onto the DV tape. “5S” was a special camera mode (essentially the same as the regular mode) where the camera recorded in brief five second bursts whenever I pressed the start button. Setting the CyberCam to “DSC” meant that I could record only still pictures to the included flash memory. I tested both the “Camera” and “DSC” modes, to get a better feel of what the CyberCam could do.

Camera mode was the basic mode for recording on the CyberCam. In Camera mode, there were two main options. One was to record video, and the other was to take “snapshots.” To record video, all that was required was to hit Stop and Start; just like any other camcorder in the world. Combined with the Start/Stop button, was the Automatic/Manual selector. The camera usually worked very well in its automatic mode, optimizing the camera. It adjusted to changing light, focus and motion. However, there were a few times when I needed to give movies a personal touch, or achieve a special effect. At that point, all I needed to do was to flick my thumb and slide the selector over to “Manual.” Using the menu scroll bar, I was easily able to adjust exposure, focus and even add special effects. If I decided against taking a picture manually, all I needed to do was to slide it back to “Automatic.”

The zoom on the JVC CyberCam was an exceptional feature. With a 10x optical zoom, it was easy to get into the action without missing any details. Using the 200x digital zoom really allowed me to see things up close. It was nice being able to zoom in that much, but it became almost ineffectual after 50x. It was perfect for moving up to things that were really far away, although it came at a cost of clarity. In the end, it was more useful just for seeing things than recording. With a 10x optical zoom however, the CyberCam still matched and beat the features of most other digital camcorders.

Taking pictures was also exceptionally easy. Anytime I wanted a picture, I just pressed the “snapshot” button. It instantly froze the current frame for 5 seconds (to help export it to my computer later). It was always possible to take a quick picture. I could take pictures in two ways. With an 8mm tape in the CyberCam, I was able to record pictures onto the tape. With five seconds per picture, the tape was able to hold 5000 pictures. That was an incredible figure, making it worthwhile to use the tape. Additionally, taking pictures on tape did not interfere with video; they could both be taken at any time, regardless of what was recorded before.

Taking out the tape, I still had the option of taking pictures. By changing the camera to DSC mode, I was able to utilize the built in 4MB flash card. With DSC, I was able to record pictures at two qualities. At the lowest quality, I was able to take 100 pictures. At highest quality, I could only take thirty. All the other features were the same in DSC mode, continuing to give me total control over my pictures. An added advantage of DSC mode was easily being able to see and flip through photos on the LCD screen. In “DSC Play” mode, I was able to cycle through all the pictures I had taken on the flash card. With the regular camera mode, although I was always able to playback the tape on the LCD screen, it was difficult to see what I had shot, without rewinding and fast-forwarding. Both sets of pictures were just like a video recording (in fact the sound was recorded in the background in “Camera” mode). They could be transferred to my computer and my VCR as well.

Transferring data to a VCR was extremely easy with the CyberCam. Once it was connected to the base, I just needed to connect the base to the input on my VCR. After that, transferring images was as simple as hitting “Play” on the camera and “Record” on my VCR. This is where some of the other features of the CyberCam came in handy. Thanks to the formatting menus, I could actually edit video as I transferred it. You can either edit your home videos on your camera while recording and after recording, or when you are transferring them to VHS. You can edit in white outs, black outs, fade-outs and ins, different color tones and a few other effects. All of these functions are easily accessed from the menu dial. By turning it up and down, you can cycle through menu options. Pushing it in allows you to choose which option you want. All of this can be done with only one thumb, which comes in handy if you happen to be recording while you edit.

Of course, the most important feature of a digital video camera is how well it sends purely digital information to other digital devices, such as a computer. I tried connecting the CyberCam to computers in two different ways. The first method required the use of the base. After connecting the base to my computer (see Setup), I only had to open the JVC software and I was ready to transfer images. Unfortunately, with the basic package this was all that I could do. Without purchasing the DV pack, I could not transfer video to my computer without the use of a video capture card. The CyberCam does come with an offer for a DV kit, but it costs an additional $150. However, as if in consolation, transferring images was simple and effortless.

When I opened the JVC software, I was able to control the CyberCam through a computer interface. By watching the display on the CyberCam’s LCD panel (I recommend using the power adapter while transferring images), I was able to determine which pictures I wanted. I just hit play and fast-forwarded through the tape. When I came to a picture that I wanted to transfer, I simply hit pause and clicked on “send.” The image was automatically sent to my computer in around fifteen seconds, and I was on to the next picture. All the imported images were stored in “Albums” that I could load and save. To save any picture outside of an album, I just needed to right-click on any given image and select “Save…As.” With this ingenious system, I was able to keep many pictures in albums that could be viewed as slide shows. At the same time, I was able to export any image I wanted to edit. The JVC software was perfectly designed for the purpose of storing images.

The second method of connecting to a computer was by the DV cable. One of the features that set the JVC CyberCam apart from many other digital cameras is the fact that it has a built-in DV port. I went out and purchased a DV cable for $40 to test this port. Using my Sony VAIO laptop, which has a built in DV port, I was easily able to transfer both video and images. Thanks to Sony’s built-in software, I simply opened the program and hit play. The Laptop automatically sensed and configured the system and there was no setup at all. Unfortunately, Sony VAIO laptops are the only ones that come with standard built-in DV ports, which they call the I.Link. Regardless, the speed of transfer made it well worth considering the DV kit for other computers. With the DV cable, images and video were transferred fluidly and flawlessly. This would have been true if I had ordered the $150 card from JVC instead. I would seriously recommend the DV kit to anyone who was interested in doing heavy video editing.

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