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5.1 out of 10

JVC GZ-MG21

First seen: 8 may 2006

Information found in: from 28 sources in 10 countries.

Best Price: 559.00 USD

  • User Score (64)
    7.2 7.2 from 64 reviewers
  • Expert Score (12)
    5.5 5.5 from 12 reviewers
  • Design (2)
    6.2 6.2 from 2 reviewers
  • Value for money (9)
    4.6 4.6 from 9 reviewers
  • Ease of use (13)
    5.7 5.7 from 13 reviewers
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Pros & Cons

  • very small, great recording capacity, capacious hard drive, image quality, doesn 39
  • not for big hands, downloading far too difficult, battery life, video is very dark, software included

Hard Disk Camcorder with Internal 20GB Hard Disk Drive for 25 Hours Recording.

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The JVC Everio GZ-MG21 camcorder is a puny and very portable device that offers many hours of recording time, which is a rare find as compared to what is usually available in the market. It is an innovative invention that does not require the use of any tapes or DVDs, so do not expect to find any pop-up doors for the video media that are usually found on other camcorders. All information will be stored in the hard drive of the machine, although a SD card is also available as an alternative storage mechan…

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The JVC Everio GZ-MG21 camcorder is a puny and very portable device that offers many hours of recording time, which is a rare find as compared to what is usually available in the market. It is an innovative invention that does not require the use of any tapes or DVDs, so do not expect to find any pop-up doors for the video media that are usually found on other camcorders. All information will be stored in the hard drive of the machine, although a SD card is also available as an alternative storage mechanism. The hard drive in the device can actually story an amazing 25 hours of video recording. Just like many other camcorders, the GZ-MG21 model also has a flip out LCD. The 2.5 inches LCD is bright but the colour effects tend to get washed out. It comes equipped with a 32x optical zoom and an image stabilizer which is supposed to prevent any blur images due to shaky hands. However, the stabilizer is basically not a very helpful function of the machine because it does not work as well as that found in other camcorders. This device allows the transfer of recorded video information to your personally computer using a USB 2.0 connector. Alternatively, you can also choose to purchase a special share station whereby you can burn the DVDs directly from the device.

What I do not like about the GZ-MG21 camcorder is the poor video quality, most probably due to the ineffective image stabilizer. It is also very difficult to navigate around the menu or to change the settings because the switches are mainly hidden in compartments. It would have been more useful if the device is equipped with a viewfinder and installed with faster shutter modes. Basically, I feel that there are definitely much better choices of camcorders available in the market than the GZ-MG21 model.

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Reviews of JVC GZ-MG21

  1. Reviewer: Which?
    14 January 2008

    Read more

  2. JVC GZ-MG21EK Everio

    Reviewer: Review Stop
    31 December 2007
    Overall 8
    8.0
    Value for money 8
    8.0
     

    great point and shoot.but grainy photos Read more

  3. JVC Everio GZ-MG21 camcorder

    Reviewer: T3
    13 July 2007

    More attention to raw image quality would have helped, but it's still worth considering, especially if you have a tripod that can tame the massive zoom. Read more

  4. Camcorder with Hard Disk – JVC Everio GZ-MG21

    Reviewer: Preview Gadgets
    18 September 2007

    For people who are tired from moving their video clips from track’s or DVD’s to Computers hard disk, JVC created camcorder with hard disk, the JVC Everio GZ-MG21. This in one of the cheapest JVC’s models. The JVC MG21 allow users to record up to seven hours movies of DVD movie-quality or ten hours of DVD [...] Read more

  5. JVC Everio GZ-MG21

    Reviewer: CNET
    12 May 2006
    Overall 5
    5.0
     

    The bottom line: The JVC GZ-MG21 is a nice idea, but its poor video quality and irritating control scheme make conventional camcorders seem a lot more appealing. Read more

  1. "Great small hdd camcorder"

    Reviewer: CNET
    11 March 2009
    Overall 8
    8.0
     

    Great camera for on the go recording. Menu setup works really well in my opinion. For the $500 price range you can definitely find a better camera but these can be had for $300 and under now. I think the bad wrap comes from people trying to compare it with higher end models and HD cameras. Read more

  2. My cold weather camcorder

    Reviewer: DealTime UK
    5 July 2008
    Overall 8
    8.0
     

    First, let me preface this review by telling you why I went looking to buy a new camcorder in the first place. My son is a figure skater...a very good figure skater. I am at the arena a lot (and I really mean A LOT!!). Dad can't be there most of the time, so in order to show him what the huge financial drain from our accounts is paying for, I like to record his progress. Also, my parents live half way across the world, and like to see how their grandson is doing. The... Read more

  3. Look elsewhere

    Reviewer: Overstock
    30 December 2009
    Overall 6
    5.6
     

    I used the camera for the first time yesterday (12/29/09) and just viewed the film on my computer and the tv. The quality is terrible, my camera takes better quality videos. I will upgrade to an HD camcorder once I get the money back from this. Read more

  4. Dubious Video Quality

    Reviewer: Shopping.com
    7 September 2007
    Overall 4
    4.0
    Ease of use 8
    8.0
     

    Because of it's cheap price (then) for new technology, I impulsively bought it. Which I should have Read more

  5. JVC Everio GZ-MG21: all zoom but no power

    Reviewer: Dooyoo
    3 May 2007
    Overall 7
    7.3
    Features 8
    8.0
    Ease of use 10
    10
     

    Summary: if you can get it cheap enough its worth the money Read more

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