Jvc everio gz mg155 software

View details. GC-PX update This update improves the reliability of the record operation. Improvement of WiFi function and other stability improvements. Everio MediaBrowser update This update corrects connection issues. View the XV-BP1 update and procedure. DR-MV79 firmware update This update address issue when recording is interrupted due to copy protection as well as digital audio output improvement when HDMI is used.

DR-MV firmware update This update address issue when recording is interrupted due to copy protection as well as digital audio output improvement when HDMI is used. If you absolutely have to use digital zoom, leave it at 64x. The manual focus is engaged via the Function menu.

Once activated, a tiny icon appears at the bottom of the screen. Look at the image on the screen and toggle the joystick left and right until the image is in focus. Yeah, we had that problem, too.

This throws a color cast on areas of the shot that are in focus, helping tremendously with manual adjustments. The interface is very simple and practical. It makes the image brighter or darker; what more needs to be said? For beginners, this is the right tool to start with. The control is located in the Function menu. This presents a healthy range of options for most shooting situations.

Most Canons offer an Aperture Priority mode. All Panasonics have independent shutter and aperture. Conversely, no standard definition consumer camcorders from Sony have shutter control. The white balance options are also located in the Function menu. The list is good — not as good as some Canons, but better than Panasonic and Sony. A second indoor setting would have made sense, as most homes are lit with incandescent lights, rather than halogen.

Making a manual adjustment on the GZ-MG is slightly more confusing than on most camcorders. This offers a small measure of protection against noise.

Our testing found it did not seem to have much of an impact. Despite its slim still image capturing options, the GZ-MG offers the largest image size within its price range. The step-up GZ-MG includes six image resolutions, the largest at x We recommend not using the video light, unless you wish to blind an eye with a concentrated bluish beam.

There is also a Self-Timer that can be set to 2, 10, or 25 seconds. All manual controls are available in Photo mode, though there is no Auto setting for exposure. To test still performance, we lit a GretagMacBeth Color Checker chart at an even bright light and ran captured stills through Imatest imaging software. The noise level was 0. To get this best score, we had to boost the exposure called Brightness control on the GZ-MG by one increment.

To test the still resolution, we shot an Applied Image ISO resolution chart at an even bright light and ran the stills through Imatest imaging software. At best, the camcorder was able to achieve an approximate horizontal resolution of These scores are about average for a camcorder that produces stills of these sizes. Based on the demo video stored on the GZ-MG, it is clear the Everio breed was created for one specific genre of consumers: point-and-shooters.

If you can withstand the magnificent acting, the demo video depicts a family at a birthday party. One bearded dad has a DVD camcorder, while the clean-shaven man, obviously the superior dad, boasts an Everio.

When the DVD camcorder runs out of time due to its minimal recording space, the bearded failure of a dad shakes his head in slow motion and joins the Everio dad to learn the magical ways of HDD camcorders. JVC does have a point, though. HDD camcorders are the most user-friendly devices on the market. They can hold abnormal mounts of footage and do not require any form of external media.

In addition, their archiving capabilities are limited due to a short shelf life. Editing is on the flip side of the coin. In addition, Everio footage will rarely show up in the correct aspect on any other editing software. This is a shame, but caters to a crowd who could care less about editing and more about throwing memories on a DVD so the HDD can be wiped for the next bar mitzvah.

The GZ-MG comes equipped with a robust set of manual controls, but for most shooters, Auto mode will do. All the shooter has to do is hit the record button and aim for the bride and groom. They are about the size of a balled fist, and do not come equipped with viewfinders. In a nutshell, the GZ-MG is a consumer-driven camcorder. Portability is the key here. Though our lamentations over beautifully-crafted MiniDV camcorders are still prevalent, we must somehow find a way to relate to these little HDD bricks.

For one, you can start by figuring out how to hold the GZ-MG With a normal grip through the hand strap, larger fingers will overshoot the zoom toggle, almost sinking into the LCD cavity. Meanwhile, the left hand will brace the LCD panel, thumb resting atop the joystick. We emphasize brace here because the image stabilization is wanting and the zoom ratio is so temptingly high. Making manual control adjustments is a fairly welcoming process. Sony is often the worst of the major manufacturers for manual control adjustment due to its smudgy LCD screens and tiny, finicky buttons.

Panasonic and Canon jointly hold the title with rear-mounted joysticks, allowing one-handed camcorder operation. Canon has a similarly well organized menu. Sony has its own style, but it remains intuitive, and therefore good. Panasonic still has some learning to do. To select an option within any of the menus, press the center of the joystick. A blue screen will appear containing the following options:. The Function menu. Shifting the joystick down cues the video light, which can be set to Auto, On, or Off.

Left activates NightAlive mode. Everios are the ultimate vacation camcorder. However, things are a bit different at the weighing station. The GZ-MG tips the scale at grams 0. Dimensions and mass aside, these are Everios—the smallest standard definition HDD camcorders out there. A small camera bag shall suffice—we were able to fit it in our light meter case! A very wise investment would be a backup battery—or three. With a battery life of less than minutes and a maximum recordable time of minutes in the highest quality … well, you do the math.

You have no recourse but to buy another camcorder. One more thing to carry is the docking station. In order to keep the camcorder so small, all those beloved ports you wanted are located on the base. Welcome to Consumer Paradise. The sole source of monitoring on the GZ-MG is a 2. The battery lasted a total of 99 minutes and 47 seconds 1 hour, 39 minutes, and 47 seconds.

The quality of the recorded audio is directly linked to the Video quality setting. There is no mic jack or accessory shoe on the GZ-MG, placing the camcorder among other deprived compact point-and-shoots. Since there is no whirring disc or running tape, the onboard sound will be kept to a minimum.

The only control you have over sound is a Wind Cut function that can be turned on or off. To be perfectly straight, we loathe the playback configuration on any Everio. There are no external controls, in addition to any on-screen controls. The shooter is required to memorize the functions of the joystick, which is the sole steering wheel for playing back footage.

Luckily, we here at Camcorderinfo. OK, left is rewind, right is fast forward. You can rewind or fast forward at four different speeds: 3x, x3, 15x, and 60x. Up and down toggles between the next or previous clip. The center of the joystick controls pause and play. When a clip is paused, the zoom toggle throws you back to the Icon Menu screen.

While a clip is playing, the zoom toggle functions as the volume control. Practice makes perfect, folks. After pressing the near full moon-shaped Playback button within the LCD cavity, a screen appears containing up to nine icons at a time.

The icons represent recorded video clips and can be scrolled through by using the joystick. To select a clip, press the center of the joystick and it will begin playing within the entirety of the LCD screen. In Playback mode, the Administrative menu remains unchanged, but the Function menu is ultimately revamped.

Image Playback is structured identically to Video Playback, only the joystick controls are altered. Right and left toggle through next and previous clips, while up and down rotate the image 90 degrees at a time. Pressing the center of the joystick begins the slide show, while pressing the center button a second time stops the slide show. On the camcorder itself, the pickings are slim. All three camcorders feature a USB terminal up front, cloaked by a frail plastic port that yanks out with a tentative tug.

These ports are housed by a feeble plastic tab, as well. We experienced a bit of a rough connection with the AV cable on our GZ-MG, characterized by intermittent signal losses and patchy black bars on the external monitor. In this price range, the GZ-MG and its siblings are the only camcorders to offer analog input — an increasing rate commodity as analog slips into the past. The AV jack is switched between input and output in the Main menu.

This is a nice array of offerings for a second-tier camcorder. With the Share Station you can burn recorded footage to a DVD— or you could do it from your computer for the cost of blank disc. So what does that mean? Yes, the GZ-MG is brighter and sharper in low light as well, but again, this is a mid-level standard definition Everio here.

Aside from a slightly better video performance, the GZ-MG offers larger still images up to x , ISO levels, and a flash in place of the meager video light. In most cases, it would be. While this hindered resolution overall, it proved to be a slight boon in low light. We stress that the improvement is small, a matter of exposure.

One could argue the overall image quality balances out due to the diminished resolution. There is a meager price range for HDD camcorders. What was our diagnosis? Low light was a festival of noise. These numbers wars should have little impact on anyone but voyeurs and bird watchers, but every feature has its market. We all know Sonys are the ultimate consumer vehicles with its Easy mode, touch screen LCD panel, and limited manual controls. Expect the GZ-MG to be a better "learning" camcorder, with features you can unlock over time as your knowledge grows.

Its video performance is deplorable, handling is poor, and ease of use has been thrown out the window. The dual media recording is a smashing idea, but nobody wants to dub ugly footage to any media. The still photo set on the GZ-MG is passable, but nothing to lose your hat over. The step-up GZ-MG offers much more. The hybrid factor and seemingly endless recordable time in the highest quality will perk the ears of the gadget freak, but will not prove substantial enough to entice most geeks on the fence.

Judging the value of entry-level HDD camcorders is tricky. But the manufacturing cost keeps even the cheapest models well above the cost of entry-level MiniDV camcorders. MiniDV also offers superior video quality and a built-in archiving solution.

So where is that fine line between the right price, the right medium, and the best performance? It takes a mighty imager to overcome the deficiencies of the high compression.