Everio Fan Blog | JVC tag:www.everio-fan.com,2009-09-02://2 2010-03-05T05:01:09Z Everio Fan Blog Look inside the Everio world. Movable Type Commercial 4.25 Everio Video Hunters! Checking out Everio's new functions at a ski resort! - Part 3 tag:www.everio-fan.com,2010://2.64 2010-03-05T05:00:00Z 2010-03-05T05:01:09Z The low-angle shooting was a lot of fun, but it was time to find a new slope. But we made it to the lift at the same time as a group from the ski school - suddenly there was a long line of people for the single-seater chairlift. It looked like we were just going to have to wait a while. But hey! It's another great filming opportunity! JVC

Time-Lapse Shooting

The low-angle shooting was a lot of fun, but it was time to find a new slope. But we made it to the lift at the same time as a group from the ski school - suddenly there was a long line of people for the single-seater chairlift. It looked like we were just going to have to wait a while. But hey! It's another great filming opportunity!

This new Everio has a time-lapse filming feature: longer footage can be compressed into a short time frame so it appears everything is speeded up.

Taken with the GZ-MS230 (2-second time lapse)

I guess I didn't notice when I was out on the slopes, but there is always so much movement, between the lifts and the numbers of people. For this shot we used the tripod again to fix the camera firmly in position, then waited for a bit. However, it doesn't just beep when it's finished (like a microwave or something) so make sure to stop recording at a sensible time. Time-lapse recordings can be really fun and are a great way to make the most of break times.

High Speed Recording

As someone that loves to ski, there's another feature that I wanted to try out: high-speed recording. If I can film a good skier in slow motion I can make a video that looks like one of those promo videos of professional skiers. Exciting stuff! For this next shot we're going to use the mounting bracket again and set one camcorder to film at normal speed and the other one at high speed. Eri stood by to film from the middle of the slope while I rode the lift to the top to standby. Eri gave me the signal with a wave and it was time to ski!

Normal speed recording taken with the GZ-HM1

High speed recording taken with the GZ-HM1 at 300fps

After the run, I noticed that Eri wouldn't look me in the eye. I wondered if she had got the shot I was trying for. I checked the monitor; I was only in the frame for a few seconds. Still, this is how everyone learns. Comparing the shots you can really see the difference the slow motion makes. And looking at that video makes me realize that the image I had of myself skiing is not quite the same as it really is. I should bend my knees a bit more... High-speed recording is a great way to check your form.

Low Light Shooting

In the early evening as the sky gets darker, the floodlights come on for night skiing. It was cloudy all day, but the evening was turning clear and the moon was in full view. It would have been nice if the sky had cleared a little earlier, but what can you do? Shooting still photos with the GZ-HM1 set to 'Manual' mode and the white balance set to 'Cloudy', the dusk photos turned out really well.

Taken with the GZ-HM1

After a long day of skiing, I was exhausted and my legs were aching. We skied to the bottom and called it a day. This was a good chance to see how these new Everio camcorders would perform in the dark as they are supposed to have much higher sensitivity compared to previous models.

Taken with the GZ-HM1

The floodlights create a really nice ambience in these shots.

It was good to be able to ski the whole day! After changing, we rode the bus to Echigo Yuzawa Station, where we had about an hour to wait for the bullet train back to Tokyo. If you're a true Japanese skier, it's a given that you soak in the hot spring after skiing, and as luck would have it, there's an onsen hot spring right there at the station. The area is famous for sake, and there's even sake in the onsen bath. The hot water thoroughly warms you up and melts away the fatigue. It's also supposed to be good for the skin, so now I'm silky smooth all over!

Filming Impression

Filming at the ski resort presented quite a few challenges. I had to do things a bit differently to how I would normally. Wearing ski boots and skis makes it hard to move about. But the Everio is convenient even in these conditions since you only have to open the LCD screen to start filming. The seesaw-style zoom lever on the GZ-HM1 can easily be operated even with freezing cold fingers.

Another pleasant surprise: even though the LCD screen on my mobile phone was hard to see because of the brightness of the snow, I was able to see quite easily everything I filmed on the Everio. These kinds of things are important on a camcorder that you intend to use while skiing.

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]]> Everio Video Hunters! Checking out Everio's new functions at a ski resort! - Part 2 tag:www.everio-fan.com,2010://2.62 2010-02-26T05:00:00Z 2010-02-26T04:53:57Z I think I'm getting the hang of filming at the ski resort. If you film while skiing, camera shake is a real problem. You'll definitely want to use the camera shake compensation function. For this next shot I have a secret weapon: I borrowed a special mounting bracket from the engineering staff that lets me shoot with two camcorders at the same time. JVC

Comparison of Camera Shake Compensation Functions

I think I'm getting the hang of filming at the ski resort. If you film while skiing, camera shake is a real problem. You'll definitely want to use the camera shake compensation function. For this next shot I have a secret weapon: I borrowed a special mounting bracket from the engineering staff that lets me shoot with two camcorders at the same time.

The GZ-HM1 comes equipped with OIS, further reinforced by Advanced Image Stabilizer (AIS) for greater wide-angle performance. The AIS works well when shooting while walking. A button switches between three settings: OFF, OIS and OIS with AIS. For this shot I'm going to set one camera to OFF and the other to OIS with AIS. Let's see how it goes.

Taken using the GZ-HM1 with Camera Shake Correction OFF

Taken with the GZ-HM1 using OIS with AIS

Holding the bracket with the two camcorders with both hands made skiing quite tricky, but you can see Eri and the rest of them skiing beautifully down the mountain. The camera shake is really obvious on the video from the camera whose image stabilizer function was set to OFF. I couldn't wear my gloves while filming, so things got pretty cold out there. It was time to warm up and get some lunch.

Actually, there was one more thing to do before entering the cafe for lunch. Secret weapon number 2: A zippered plastic bag - another tip from the engineering staff. If you bring a camcorder straight from the cold outdoors into the warm indoors, condensation can form in the camera, which may cause problems. Putting the camera in a closeable plastic bag prevents it being exposed to the warm air. A zippered bag is great because you can seal it completely and reuse it over and over. This is worth remembering for anyone who takes a digital camera or camcorder with them while skiing.

Filming from a Low Angle Close to the Snow

After a filling lunch of curry and rice it was time to hit the slopes again. But we were missing Eri. I went out to look for her and found her in an unexpected spot...

What is that? A sled with a steering-wheel? Pretty cool.
Apparently, she wanted to take film from a low angle - she's a true Everio Video Hunter! She didn't exactly fly down the sledding slope; there was too much powdered snow to get up much speed. Still, here's the footage we got.

Taken with the GZ-MS230

OK, maybe not such a fantastic shot, but it was a good idea to try. Good job, Eri! Since the sled was so slow, I decided to try the low-angle shot myself, with the camcorder at my feet as I skied. Now this footage is exciting:

Taken with the GZ-HM1

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]]> Everio Video Hunters! Checking out Everio's new functions at a ski resort! - Part 1 tag:www.everio-fan.com,2010://2.60 2010-02-19T05:27:47Z 2010-02-19T05:29:09Z Hi everyone, I went off to a daytrip skiing with my colleagues last weekend. Of course, as a member of the Everio Video Hunters, I didn't just ski! I had my Everio at hand, and so for this edition it will be me, Toshi, reporting on the Everio Video Hunters' second outing: Checking out Everio's new functions at one of the season's top spots! JVC

Mission

Hi everyone, I went off to a daytrip skiing with my colleagues last weekend. Of course, as a member of the Everio Video Hunters, I didn't just ski! I had my Everio at hand, and so for this edition it will be me, Toshi, reporting on the Everio Video Hunters' second outing: Checking out Everio's new functions at one of the season's top spots!

I love skiing and I go every year, but this is the first time I'll be going with a camcorder. And so before going, I took some time to visit our engineering staff to learn some tips on shooting video while skiing. For example, when shooting in very cold weather, battery performance can drop by as much as 70%-80%, so you should always bring more extra batteries. Before you start shooting, check how much battery power is left using the INFO button.

I took both new Everio models with me - the Everio Full HD Memory Camcorder GZ-HM1 and the Standard Definition Memory Camcorder GZ-MS230. The GZ-HM1 is the flagship model in the Everio line and really is brand new - as our blog readers will know, it was just announced at CES in Las Vegas! Although it won't hit the stores for a little while longer, I hope you'll find this report useful as a bit of advance information.

You might be wondering why I wanted to bring both Memory Camcorder models with me. There's a reason: The engineering staff told me that because there are very few mechanical parts in a memory cam, they are generally more reliable in low temperature environments - like on a ski slope!

The Everios used for this location were:

Full HD Memory Camcorder GZ-HM1

Standard Definition Camcorder GZ-MS230

Our destination is the Centleisure Maiko Snow Resort in Niigata, which is possible as a daytrip from Tokyo since it's only around 70 minutes from Tokyo Station by bullet train. Once you reach Echigo Yuzawa Station, it's a world of white! Twenty minutes on a free shuttle bus and you're at this popular daytrip ski resort. Some sunshine would have been perfect, but unfortunately the sky was cloudy and the snow was falling. But it could have been worse - at least it wasn't a blizzard, or raining. I was still sleepy after getting up at 5 AM, but after seeing the snow I couldn't wait to get out on the slopes!

45 Times Dynamic Zoom to Shoot a View of the Ski Run

This was the first ski trip of the season for me, so I warmed up with a few runs. Then it was time to try my hand at shooting some video! Riding the lift to the top of the mountain, we caught sight of a majestic (though rather cloudy) view. It seemed like a good opportunity for a still photo. A press of the SNAPSHOT button takes a photo - just like using a digital camera.

Taken with the GZ-HM1

Next it was time to shoot some video. Even though these Everio camcorders have a 'snow' scene mode, that doesn't mean that you should necessarily leave it in that mode the whole time you're at the ski resort. The 'snow' mode is for sunny days when there's a lot of sunlight reflecting off the snow, creating glare that needs to be compensated for. Because it's cloudy today, we can just keep the camcorder set to AUTO and start shooting! Or so the engineering staff tells me... OK, so let's get filming!

The function you'd want to use most while out on a big ski slope is the zoom. From the top of the mountain I started shooting with the GZ-MS230, panning across the slopes and to the gondola. Let's see how close I can get using the 45x Dynamic Zoom.

Taken with the GZ-MS230

Wow! The gondola just appeared through the mist! It's so far away, but it looks like I can reach out and touch it. It can be tough to keep a steady shot when shooting with a long zoom, so a tripod is a really good idea. If you bring a compact, collapsible type you can just throw it in your backpack and it won't bother you while you ski.

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]]> Flagship Model of 2010 - GZ-HM1 tag:www.everio-fan.com,2010://2.58 2010-02-12T02:00:00Z 2010-02-12T01:54:40Z For the last three weeks, we posted the first series of Everio Video Hunters! We hope you enjoyed it. At that time GZ-HM400 was our top model in the lineup. Thanks to the 10.3M CMOS sensor, picture quality of GZ-HM400 was stunning. It was able to shoot and show all the details. GZ-HM400 was a camera who wants to shoot seriously with the pro-style operation. JVC

For the last three weeks, we posted the first series of Everio Video Hunters! We hope you enjoyed it. At that time GZ-HM400 was our top model in the lineup. Thanks to the 10.3M CMOS sensor, picture quality of GZ-HM400 was stunning. It was able to shoot and show all the details. GZ-HM400 was a camera who wants to shoot seriously with the pro-style operation.
However, we don't want to admit but...there were points to be improved. And those were shooting in low light and shooting while walking.

Therefore, for 2010, we developed a camera which inherits GZ-HM400's pro-style design with improved features which GZ-HM400 was not so good at.
That's our 2010 flagship model, GZ-HM1.

GZ-HM1 was introduced at this year's CES (Consumer Electronics Show) at Las Vegas so there are some articles of GZ-HM1 already posted in reviewer sites. But GZ-HM1 is not in the stores in most of the countries, there is no chance to see the actual footage and verify how much the picture quality improved from GZ-HM400.

Everio Video Hunters! are now "hunting" for entertaining footage of GZ-HM1. Look forward to the next article.

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]]> Everio Video Hunters! Climbing Tokyo Tower by Stairs - Part 3 tag:www.everio-fan.com,2010://2.56 2010-02-05T02:00:00Z 2010-02-05T01:50:02Z As I finished shooting on the observatory and made my descent, I noticed that they had decorated the entrance with some lighting. I think I missed it on the way up because I was so terrified! JVC

As I finished shooting on the observatory and made my descent, I noticed that they had decorated the entrance with some lighting. I think I missed it on the way up because I was so terrified!

Tokyo Tower's Lights

The illumination here was so gorgeous, I wanted to take a picture that captures its true beauty. Not bad, I thought :)

But it's even more beautiful as the sun goes down. I'd really wanted to try taking some night shots with Tokyo Tower lighting up like this...

So I stayed around Tokyo Tower in order to capture the night shot I'd been waiting for! Indeed, Tokyo Tower is a wonderful thing to behold when it lights up at night.

When I took the picture, the illumination around the Tower came out in the shape of a heart!
* That's really sweet! Something that will lift your spirits!

You can actually check what kind of illumination will appear on any given night, so make sure to check the Tokyo Tower homepage for the lighting schedule.
* Tokyo Tower's illumination changes periodically.

I was thinking that I'd really like to take a few more shots of Tokyo Tower's lights, but... Next time!

This time I think I really learned something from our outing. It's that I'm really an amateur when it comes to camcorders! Next time, I really hope to take some shots that can live up to Everio's potential.

Thoughts after the Shoot

Although I see a lot of catalogs and hear a lot of technical explanations about camcorders, I don't have very much hands-on experience. So I was a little nervous at first. But after trying it out, I realized this was much easier than my initial fears led me to believe.

However, since it was my first time, I couldn't seem to get the shots I wanted right away. I'm sure I'll learn some tricks as we go along! Next time, I think I'll just take my time and try to raise the bar a little higher for myself.

In my experience, I found the Auto ON/OFF function on the GZ-HM400 and GZ-MS120 was definitely a pleasant surprise. The camera switches on instantly when you open the LCD, and switches off immediately when closed, so you really get the feeling that you're handling a digital camera. For the novice, it really helps to ease the learning curve and offer a little peace of mind.

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]]> Everio Video Hunters! Climbing Tokyo Tower by Stairs - Part 2 tag:www.everio-fan.com,2010://2.54 2010-01-29T02:49:36Z 2010-02-05T02:03:49Z JVC

We were able to reach the observatory in about 15 minutes. When you finish your climb, the "Tokyo Tower" girl at the top even presents you with a certificate to prove that you climbed it.

Maybe it's because I gradually climbed to the top, but my fear of heights wasn't as bad as I thought it would be.

OK, now it was time to start shooting!

The Look Down Challenge

I have to admit, even if climbing the stairs wasn't scary, being on top of the see-through glass pane on the floor was terrifying.

It felt like I was going to get sucked through! Toshi told me "It's not that scary if you just look and shoot through the monitor," but I tried and...nope. Couldn't do it.

Since there is a large look-down pane as well as the smaller one, I strongly recommend the smaller one for anyone who has a fear of heights. Believe me, I really tried!

As I thought I did the very best I could, it was time for a short rest. We were off to the cafe at the top of Tokyo Tower.

It's located in the middle of the observatory, so you can relax as you take in the fantastic view. Highly recommended. Some sweets? Why not? Must energize!

The photos are the cafe's specialties: strawberry and special mango frappes. When it comes to desserts, I absolutely love strawberries. Naturally, I finished the whole thing. And I had about half of the mango as well :)

Observatory Zoom Shot

There are signs in the observatory that show the locations from which you can see Mt. Fuji and other sights of interest. Using these signs, I conducted a zoom test. Unfortunately, with the cloudy weather I wasn't able to see any of Mt. Fuji. Too bad.

But I was somehow able to catch a glimpse of the National Diet, Tokyo's Rainbow Bridge and some other locations.

I was even able to see the details of the cars moving across the Rainbow Bridge. Pretty amazing!

But the screen was pretty shaky, and I ultimately lost control when trying to find a subject for the shot. "Since we don't have a monopod today, just place it onto something steady for now," Toshi said. I tried putting it on the hand rail, but I couldn't really move from that position, so I kept losing the subject when I zoomed in...

Trust me, I won't forget to bring a light monopod next time!

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]]> Everio Video Hunters! Climbing Tokyo Tower by Stairs - Part 1 tag:www.everio-fan.com,2010://2.52 2010-01-22T09:25:16Z 2010-02-05T01:47:41Z JVC

Hello Everyone,
Nice to meet you!
My name is Eri and I am one of the newest members of the JVC Everio Team.

I was asked by the head of our team to shoot some video that will highlight Everio's strengths, so I decided to form "Everio Video Hunters!"

Our Mission this Time

As I was wondering where the Everio Video Hunters' first mission might take place, I thought to myself, "Why don't we introduce some sightseeing spots in Tokyo at the same time?" The first thing that came to mind was Tokyo Tower.

Tokyo Tower is a general electric wave tower and is an iconic symbol of Tokyo.

It usually only takes about two or three minutes by elevator to get to the observatory, but on Saturdays and Sundays, you can actually climb up using the outside stairs.

For this shoot, I went on location with Toshi, a senior member of the team, taking the GZ-HM400 and GZ-MS120 in hand to shoot some video.

The Everios used for this location were:

GZ-MS120 Memory Camcorder

GZ-HM400 Full HD Memory Camcorder

A very important reason for this shoot was to test the GZ-HM400's O.I.S. feature. How well can it handle shake correction when climbing the stairs, when the camera shakes most?

We also wanted to test the GZ-MS120's 35-times optical zoom. There are many examples of the optical zoom at work in our catalogs, but it's time we experience it first-hand.

New Camera Shake Correction Test

It was pretty cloudy on the day we decided to shoot, but with no wind and being fairly warm, it was a decent day for a location shoot nonetheless. However, there was one problem: I have a major fear of heights. It's 150 meters to the Tokyo Tower observatory! This was a scary idea for me at first, but we started our Tokyo Tower stair ascent despite my shaky legs.

As we climbed up the stairs, I saw how much the screen was shaking from left to right. We pressed the ON/OFF button to switch on the GZ-HM400's O.I.S. to really test and see how much it is making corrections.

Camera Shake Correction OFF

Camera Shake Correction ON

There we go. It's quite apparent how much it can actually control the shaking on-screen. When shooting while walking, there's just no way you can hold the camera in one fixed position, resulting in this left-right shaking that would make you nauseous if you had to watch the video after.

It must be pretty good if it can control this amount of shaking.

Oh yes, there's one more thing about the GZ-HM400 O.I.S. function. This is the observable shake correction mechanism, which makes it look like the lens is moving.

Of course the lens is NOT really moving.

What makes this illusion happen are the two prism plates placed in front of the lens. Stabilization units are normally placed behind the lens, but since the GZ-HM400 uses a single unit to make corrections in front of the lens, it can prevent image deterioration from a shifting optical axis and errors from complex designs... Or so I've heard. It's a bit difficult to understand, but when you see this movement, I'm sure you'll be intrigued.

35-Times Optical Zoom Test

Another thing that surprised me was the video that we shot with GZ-MS120 35-times optical zoom. I was impressed that we could clearly see the people in the observatory when we shot from the very bottom.

But when I was zooming, the screen wouldn't fixate on anything and so I couldn't focus on the camera's subject. That's when Toshi jumped in with some good advice: "This is when you should use a tripod or monopod to stabilize the camera." Aha! Yes, I'd heard about this before, and really want to experience how effective this might be.

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]]> Happy New Year to Everyone!! tag:www.everio-fan.com,2010://2.50 2010-01-15T09:00:00Z 2010-01-18T09:45:16Z It's already two weeks since 2010 started. For this year's new Everios, we had released the information at CES (Consumer Electronics Show) held in Las Vegas, U.S.A. JVC

It's already two weeks since 2010 started. For this year's new Everios, we had released the information at CES (Consumer Electronics Show) held in Las Vegas, U.S.A.

As many of you might know, CES is one of the biggest shows of consumer electronics. Every year, many manufacturers and products are gathered from all over the world.

See some pictures of JVC booth at CES.

Entrance of JVC booth

New "Advanced Image Stabilizer" demonstration

Improved Low Light picture quality

New HD EVERIO GZ-HM550 with Built-in Bluetooth® Wireless Technology

2010 Everios improved many features against 2009 models.
We will pickup the unique and advanced technologies of the new Everios in our future articles.

Look forward to our updates.

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]]> Coming up for 2010 tag:www.everio-fan.com,2009://2.48 2009-12-28T05:00:00Z 2009-12-28T04:50:48Z It has been three months since we launched this Everio Fan Blog. JVC

It has been three months since we launched this Everio Fan Blog.
We will try harder to enhance the contents. Our next article will be posted on Tuesday, Jan-12th.
Wish you all a happy new year.

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]]> Two Awards from Camcorderinfo.com tag:www.everio-fan.com,2009://2.45 2009-12-22T10:00:00Z 2009-12-22T10:11:22Z We are pleased to introduce another great news of our 2009 Everio lineup. Two models of our 2009 Everios, each won an award from Camcorderinfo.com. Camcorderinfo.com is one of the most popular camcorder review sites in the Internet world. And the year-end award of Camcorderinfo.com is Camcorderinfo.com Select Awards 2009. Let me introduce you one by one. JVC

We are pleased to introduce another great news of our 2009 Everio lineup.

Two models of our 2009 Everios, each won an award from Camcorderinfo.com.
Camcorderinfo.com is one of the most popular camcorder review sites in the Internet world. And the year-end award of Camcorderinfo.com is Camcorderinfo.com Select Awards 2009. Let me introduce you one by one.

First is GZ-MG670, winning Best Standard Def camcorder. GZ-MG670 is a model with 80GB HDD, which is able to record up to 100 hours. Not only picture quality and color accuracy was estimated, but the most unique feature of GZ-MG670 is 1920x1080P Upconvert Playback using HDMI. Since HDTVs are dominating the Home Entertainment market, JVC wanted to respond to the customers needs.

The other is GZ-HM200, winning Best Mid-Range Camcorder. As you may know, Everio appeared as the first camcorder which picked built-in HDD as a recording media. However from last year's GZ-MS100, Everio made the next step expanding the lineup introducing camcorders with SD card slots and internal flash memory. And this GZ-HM200 was our first high definition camcorder with Dual SD card slot.

It's a pleasure to win both standard and high definition models. We will keep on working to develop camcorders with unique features.

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]]> GZ-HM400 -Winning Magazine Awards in Germany tag:www.everio-fan.com,2009://2.43 2009-12-15T02:00:00Z 2009-12-16T00:53:10Z We just received a great report from Germany. The new JVC Full HD Camcorder GZ-HM400 was tested in several German reviewer magazines. It received very good results and is seen as a top class camcorder due to its wide range of functions and its user friendly operation. The perfect sharpness of the pictures is pointed out and because of its excellent price-performance ratio it received not only good results but also several awards. JVC

We just received a great report from Germany.

The new JVC Full HD Camcorder GZ-HM400 was tested in several German reviewer magazines. It received very good results and is seen as a top class camcorder due to its wide range of functions and its user friendly operation. The perfect sharpness of the pictures is pointed out and because of its excellent price-performance ratio it received not only good results but also several awards.

Among several tested camcorders in the magazine "CAMCORDER KAUFTIPP" (1/2010) the HM400 achieved the test result "Good" as well as the award "Best Buy", its price-performance ratio was pointed out as "Very Good".
Another well-known German reviewer magazine is "VIDEOKAMERA objektiv". In the issue 1-2/2010 the HM400 received a positive evaluation as well, including the award "Best Buy".
The magazine "VIDEOAKTIV DIGITAL" (1/2010) is famous for its detailed tests of camcorders, editing equipment, professional camcorders etc. Of course also the GZ-HM400 was tested extensively and received the award "Best Buy" as well. The test result is "Good" and its price-performance ratio "Very Good".
Last but not least, the HM400 received once more the award "Best Buy" in the reviewer magazine "videofilmen" (1/2010). The test result is "Very Good" and the HM400 is on the top position regarding sharpness measurement values among the camcorders in the price range up to 1500 Euro.

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]]> GZ-HM400 makes your video camera experience even more enjoyable -Story #5: Sports Day tag:www.everio-fan.com,2009://2.41 2009-12-08T02:00:00Z 2009-12-08T02:20:11Z 'For last year's footrace, I missed the moment when my son crossed the line because someone's head got in the way. I was determined to get it right this year, but...' Mr Inomata, father of a nine-year-old boy JVC

'For last year's footrace, I missed the moment when my son crossed the line because someone's head got in the way. I was determined to get it right this year, but...'
Mr Inomata, father of a nine-year-old boy

When I tried to film the footrace last year, I missed the moment when my son crossed the line because someone's head got in the way, and my son was pretty upset with me...
So at this year's Sports Day I was determined to get it right. I thought it would look good if I zoomed in on my son as he came around the last turn before the finishing line, but I ended up zooming out, so in the end the image turned out quite shaky.

Afterwards, I showed the footage to my parents. They have a high definition TV, but we bought our video camera about ten years ago when we got married, and so the image looked pretty rough and grainy. It made me realize I really should get around to replace our video camera with a new high definition model.

•If you want to be able to zoom in and out easily and intuitively...
GZ-HM400 uses a seesaw-style zoom lever
•If you want videos of your children come out clearly...
GZ-HM400 includes a 10.3 Megapixel CMOS sensor

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]]> GZ-HM400 makes your video camera experience even more enjoyable -Story #4: Keeping a Record of the Children Growing Up tag:www.everio-fan.com,2009://2.40 2009-12-01T02:00:00Z 2009-12-01T02:00:09Z 'When the children were first born, I kept the video camera, and I was always shooting video, but as they started to grow up...' Mrs Asakawa, mother of an eight-year-old boy and a four-year-old girl JVC

'When the children were first born, I kept the video camera, and I was always shooting video, but as they started to grow up...'
Mrs Asakawa, mother of an eight-year-old boy and a four-year-old girl

When the children were first born, I kept the video camera handy, and I was always shooting video, especially before I started working again.
Children grow up so quickly. It's unbelievable, and there were so many times when I missed precious moments while the video camera was still starting up.
I often wished I could catch those crucial moments on video.

When I tried to take photos using the video camera the children would rarely sit still, so there weren't many photos that I was really happy with, and I ended up just shooting video most of the time. But it would be nice to be able to have a few more photos of our favorite memories.

•If you don't want to miss those crucial moments...
GZ-HM400 turns on and off quickly
•Easily take still images while shooting video with just a snap
GZ-HM400 has a SNAPSHOT button to take stills and videos at the same time

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]]> GZ-HM400 makes your video camera experience even more enjoyable -Story #3: The Theme Park tag:www.everio-fan.com,2009://2.39 2009-11-24T02:00:00Z 2009-11-24T05:54:41Z 'We managed to get a reservation for a popular lunch time show, and all the characters came out to meet us, which should have been a great photo opportunity, but...' Mrs Kumahara, mother of a nine-year-old boy and a two-year-old girl JVC

'We managed to get a reservation for a popular lunch time show, and all the characters came out to meet us, which should have been a great photo opportunity, but...'
Mrs Kumahara, mother of a nine-year-old boy and a two-year-old girl

The other day, the whole family took a trip to a major theme park.
It took me forever to get a reservation for a popular lunch time show, but we were excited when all the characters came and visited our table, one after another!
This was a perfect opportunity to get some great photos of the kids together with the characters, but in the end none of the photos turned out right - at the critical moment they always had their eyes closed, or they weren't looking at the camera, or something. There were other people waiting, so it wasn't like we could just keep taking more photos...

And also, I wanted to film a lot of other shows and parades as well, so I brought a lot of extra batteries, but this just meant that I had to lug them around all day.

•If you want to be able to take clear photographs with a video camera...
GZ-HM400 can take real 9 Megapixel still photographs with no interpolation
•If you don't want to worry about how much power is left in the battery...
The supplied long-life battery provides about two hours and twenty five minutes of continuous recording time

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]]> GZ-HM400 makes your video camera experience even more enjoyable -Story #2: Sport tag:www.everio-fan.com,2009://2.35 2009-11-17T02:00:00Z 2010-02-05T02:01:04Z 'I only take my video camera to the children's karate matches. I'd really like to take a digital camera with me, too, but...' Mrs Onishi, mother of an eleven-year-old boy and a four-year-old girl JVC

'I only take my video camera to the children's karate matches.
I'd really like to take a digital camera with me, too, but...'
Mrs Onishi, mother of an eleven-year-old boy and a four-year-old girl

When I go to my children's karate matches, I only take my video camera. Actually, I would like to take a digital camera too, but that would give me too many things to carry, and very often my husband can't come together with us, which leaves me in charge of the shooting. I use the video camera not just to preserve memories for the future, but also the kids can see themselves and spot weak points that they normally couldn't see. If I had a digital camera as well, I'd really like to take photos, too-like the look on their faces when they win a game.

It's fun watching the videos later and talking with the kids about what happened, but the image shakes fairly badly when I film the kids from a long way away using the zoom-sometimes it's almost unwatchable.

•If you want to be able to take clear photographs with a video camer...
GZ-HM400 can take real 9 Megapixel still photographs with no interpolation
•If you're worried about shaky images...
GZ-HM400 features JVC's proprietary Optical Image Stabilization

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