JVC GR-D290

A little on the showy side, this camera is bound to leap out and get you. Its design is nothing short of bling-bling and attracts the showy crowd. However, if you consider yourself a well reserved individual there is nothing that says you can’t have a little bling-bling yourself. And if you’re going to get it you might as well get it in a useful product. While this one isn’t top of the line in performance, it delivers exactly what it boasts. The menus are coupled with icons making it easy to use and each of the control buttons perform three operations each depending on what mode the camera is in, including the fast forward/reverse doubling as navigational keys to guide you through the onscreen menu.

The folks at JVC had a purpose behind the body design thinking about the consumer and the ease with which we like to interact with our products. The slim body enables the user to either slip their hand into the strap or grasp the camera around the body for more stability. It does sport a little weight and JVC knew some of us would need the option of grabbing the camera firmly without interfering with the production of our video. Although the LCD screen doesn’t pivot up or down it makes up for that with its 25x power zoom which is much more powerful than its other brand counterpart. Because it has an 8MB MMC Card, it can simultaneously record video and take still shots. With its built-in wipes and fades (nine of them!) you can make your video take on Power-Point qualities; just like they do in Hollywood! The verdict for this camera make not rank so high, depending of course on the user, but for the money, it is a fine investment. Get your new D270 and head for the big screen.