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On Tuesday, JVC announced a new pocket camera with 8 megapixel resolution for still shots (3,264 by 2,448 pixels). Oh, and by the way, it also takes 1080p video at 30 frames per second (FPS). It does 720p at 60 fps. Oh, and it does all this for a list price of $199.95.
The camera is called the Picsio GC-FM1, and it fits in your shirt pocket. It has an HDMI output and a USB connection, and charges when the USB is connected. It has 4x digital zoom, plus an image stabilizer when taking videos. It has features that make it easy to sent your video to YouTube or iTunes, and you can use an SD card with up to 32 GB for extra storage. The display is a 2″ diagonal LCD panel. It uses MPEG 4/H.264 compression, and saves videos in .MOV format. Now, this is not a camera that Hollywood is going to use to shoot a feature film, but it is likely to be fine for family home movies. The point that amazes me is that here is a high definition video camera available for less than $200. That’s a remarkable price, and it is easy to use as well.
Posted by Alfred Poor, October 15, 2009 6:00 AM
Reader Commentary Hi, Alfred. Did JVC really just announce this? A quick check shows that it's been available for some time already. Though I will admit that JVC is doing a rather poor job of making the specs known (the full Detailed Manual is only available IN THE INTERNAL MEMORY of the device!). After a bit of digging, I found that its internal memory is limited to 128 MB. And that the 96 min battery record time is only enough to fill an 8 GB card, before a (3 hour) recharge is needed. Thus a 32G card is a bit of overkill, assuming you have somewhere to transfer the 8G while your recharge is in progress. 1080p, true, but only at 1440 wide. Which isn't bad at all, but not full 1080p (1920w). Also, "It has an HDMI output..." which is cool, but fails to mention that it's a mini-HDMI connector, and no cable is supplied. :cry: So before you'll be able to enjoy this feature, it's back to the store looking for a compatible interface cable. Lastly, while it does... Sounds as though you have either done some serious digging or have spent some quality time with this camera. I did not get the 1440 by 1080 at all -- even though it's right there on the spec sheet! -- and that's a bit of a shocker. Thanks for pointing out all those extra details. Still, I stand by my point that even with its flaws, it's an indication of just how inexpensive HD video cameras have become. Alfred... Alfred, yes, I have done some digging, since I find the HD option at this price point and size rather intriguing. And you're welcome for the details. I'm just a consumer myself, trying to discover what the strengths and weaknesses of the various options are. > Still, I stand by my point that even with its flaws, it's an indication of just how inexpensive HD video cameras have become. < Agreed. Though JVC is actually a bit late to the game in this category, with the Mino Flip, and Aiptek HD flash memory HD cams having been out for over a year now, in the same $200-ish price range. I did want to correct one comment I made, since I found some additional information: > the full Detailed Manual is only available IN THE INTERNAL MEMORY of the device < It turns out that the Detailed User Manual IS on the JVC site after all. Confusingly, it's labeled "Supplementary Material", and is in a PDF file half th... I did a bit more quick checking, and the HD Flip units are the MinoHD and UltraHD. The Ultra is fancier (and bulkier), and has an HDMI output, and 2" screen. Also 8G internal flash, and no card option (not that it's really necessary), and takes swappable battery packs (the MinoHD doesn't). The UltraHD is ~$162 on Amazon, but both are limited to 720p mode only (none higher or lower; and at 30fps, rather than 60). According to the one commenter I found who has used a JVC Picsio, the 720p mode looks better than using the 1080 mode. But potentially that could be for a number of reasons... ranging from what he was recording to what display he was viewing the output on. - Tim... Excellent informtion. Keep this up and you're likely to lose your amateur reviewer status! <g> Alfred... More from Alfred Poor
More in Category: General Interest
About Alfred PoorAlfred Poor is a well-known display industry expert, who writes the daily HDTV Almanac. He wrote for PC Magazine for more than 20 years, and now is focusing on the home entertainment and home networking markets. |
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