Bought a new one this week.
Everyone knows I shoot train videos, using the video mode of my FUJI HS10. Its been doing this well for two years, but it has issues.
Its primarily a stills camera, and is designed for that mode. The manual zoom ring is a bit sticky, which only shows in video, and is full auto on video with no manual control or video features. It has fantastically full range mics but are too sensitive and suffer with wind noise.
Recently I stripped the (plastic) tripod thread from the bottom, and although I fixed it (milled out thread with dremmel, and set in a Helicoil) my thoughts turned to new camera.
Requirements were Video Camera primarily, Cost (low), SDHC (XC) card based, full HD, and most important, a Mic in socket.
This fitted the bill www.jvc.co.uk/product.php?id=GZ-EX515BEK&catid=100170
JVC GZ-EX515.
It appeared in on-line reviews in February, and was available from JVC at 330 quid, being new its yet to appear in many cheap on-line outlets. Not on Amazon yet for example, so I tracked it for a while.
I picked it up from a company called Ballicom for £270 quid, and it was delivered yesterday.
I have made a few quick vids, and here is my first thoughts.
Nicely put together, none of the plastic creaks for example. Light, small, METAL tripod thread!. Good contrast and dynamic range (used it in poor visiblity snow fall today) the colours are well rendered, bit bright (warm end of the spectrum) which shows for example with blooming round red lights on zoom.
Simple to use if you want it on full auto, the zoom is smooth (and keeps focus while zooming) and controllable, the image stabilisation (its got both optical and electronic) on zoom is fantastic. Works really well.
The stereo mics are down on sensitivity (compared to the Fuji) and altho suffer from less wind noise, still need to be supplemented with an external mic - as I knew it would. (shotgun mic with dead furry animal ordered).
It takes still shots, but compared to a multimeggapixel stills camera with much better optics they are poor.
All in all, its good value for money, ideal fro what I need, but I shall still keep the Fuji in use for GP use (vacations for example) and I may well experiment with producing multi view point scenes.
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Looks like there's an app for Android and iPhone so you could control it from the phone? You'd need a wifi hotspot to connect to but something any decent smartphone can setup for you.
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>> Looks like there's an app for Android and iPhone so you could control it from
>> the phone?
Yup, there is, and view what the camera is seeing.
>>You'd need a wifi hotspot to connect to
Nope you don't, it becomes its own hotspot, you just connect your phone wifi to it using the camera password.
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Cool. Sounds like you'll have a lot of fun experimenting with the new camera.
I suppose it had to be it's own wifi hotspot thinking about it. You'd normally use it out an about after all.
Last edited by: rtj70 on Thu 4 Apr 13 at 17:09
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>> Cool. Sounds like you'll have a lot of fun experimenting with the new camera.
>>
>> I suppose it had to be it's own wifi hotspot thinking about it. You'd normally
>> use it out an about after all.
It can also be part of your home wifi network, and you can connect to it over the web with your iphone, so you can check what the dog is up to while you are at work for example.
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Interesting to see how you get on with it Zero. Daughter had a similar shape but basic Sony digital video camera in the pre-HD era which was soon shown up by HD video on my digicam. HD video is a huge leap forward. I know you liked your HS10 initially but it always struck me in your rail videos the marginal image stabilisation at extended zoom settings and jerky zoom operation was spoiling some of the footage.
My 16yr old daughter makes videos for college and youtube. She has now gone onto the same Sony digicam as mine and finds its HD video ability gives excellent results. The optical zoom is only 10x and obviously doesn't challenge the image stabiliser as much as a 20-30X zoom and the motorised zoom is nice and smooth.
Like me she values the pocket size of a digicam, I guess your new JVC is easier on the pocket than the HS10?
What has staggered me recently in terms of video is the results a relative is getting with a £30 Chinese Ebay HD video "camera" the size and look of a car plip key. It records sound too. He uses it in many ways including velcro'd to a motorcycle helmet.
Last edited by: Fenlander on Thu 4 Apr 13 at 17:24
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>> you liked your HS10 initially but it always struck me in your rail videos the
>> marginal image stabilisation at extended zoom settings and jerky zoom operation was spoiling some of
>> the footage.
yup the manual zoom ring was useless for video "pull" shots, and the image stabilisation (optical and electronic) on extended zoom on the JVC is jaw dropping stuff.
>> Like me she values the pocket size of a digicam, I guess your new JVC
>> is easier on the pocket than the HS10?
Its pretty small, its really only fatter than its three inch screen, and slips nicely into a pocket. Pity the "photo" function is so poor.
The HS10 makes a great all rounder to take on holiday tho.
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Camera Corner. - rtj70
