The JVC Everio GZ-VX700 ($499.95 list) is slimmer and lighter than most camcorders?in its class, almost bordering on pocket friendly. Inside you'll find a wide aperture lens similar to the one on the more expensive JVC Everio GZ-GX1?($899.95, 3 stars), as well as the same great set of Wi-Fi features, including the ability to control the camcorder from your phone, and turn it into a wireless security camera. It also comes the same not-so-great indoor video quality as its high-end counterpart, but without full 1080p60 capability. Overall, the camera fails to perform as well as some of the competition including the Canon Vixia HF M50?($649.99, 3.5 stars) or even the less expensive Canon Vixia HF R300?($349.99, 4 stars). Still, the GZ-VX700 is worth considering for its interesting Wi-Fi features.
Design, Features, and Wi-Fi
At 1.4 by 2.3 by 4.6 inches (HWD) and 8.2 ounces the GZ-VX700 is very portable and will fit in larger pockets. The body is made almost entirely of metal, which is a nice touch for an inexpensive model, but its small size makes it somewhat awkward to hold. To get the shots I wanted, I found I had to tilt my hand further back at the wrist than normal, which can get uncomfortable after a while.
The zoom rocker on the top of the camera feels a bit flimsy, so it's somewhat difficult to smoothly zoom in or out during shots. Behind the rocker is the Snapshot button, which captures still images. On the back is the Record button, with a flap next to it that conceals the DC power input, composite A/V out, mini HDMI out, and mini USB out. In the LCD recess are the Image Stabilization and Power buttons. There's no microphone input like on the GX1.
The 3-inch 230k-dot resolution touch-screen LCD ?is par for the course for camcorders in this price range. It's similar to the displays on the aforementioned Vixia camcorders, which are the same size and resolution. The display gets reasonably bright, but touch input can be a bit finicky.
All of the same useful Wi-Fi features found in the GZ-GX1 can be found in the GZ-VX700. The easiest to set up is the free smartphone app for iOS or Android, which turns your mobile device into a wireless viewfinder and remote control for the camcorder. The system sets up an ad hoc network between your phone and the camcorder, allowing you to review footage, grab still images, and record video. You can also access the same features from a computer by either using an ad hoc connection or setting up outside viewing on the camcorder. Setting up outside viewing is a bit more tricky, requiring you to register an account through JVC and then access a lengthy URL generated by the camcorder itself. It does, however, turn the GZ-VX700 into a veritable security camera that you can monitor from any computer connected to the Internet. You can also set the camcorder to Detect/Email mode, which uses motion detection to take still images that are then sent to email addresses you specify.?
Performance
The GZ-VX700 uses a 1/4.1-inch backlit CMOS sensor, with a 10x zoom lens that covers a 32.8-328mm (35mm equivalent) focal range. It's much smaller than the GZ-GX1's 1/2.3-inch sensor, but features the same f/1.2 aperture on the wide end. That means you'll be able to achieve a similar shallow depth of field, for in-focus subjects with blurry backgrounds. The VX700 is limited to a 1080i60 max resolution, which is standard for cameras in this range. An interesting feature is Super Slow Motion Mode, which captures video at a fast 300 frames per second, but is limited to a resolution of 720 by 480. The result is pretty cool, with video automatically slowed down and played back at 30 frames per second.
Low-light and indoor performance was similar with both Everio camcorders. Graininess in footage captured with the VX700 gave finer details a waxy look in my tests. Image noise isn't much of a problem, but it looks like the camcorder is sacrificing some sharper quality to reduce image noise. Exposure was accurate in both indoor and outdoor lighting scenarios, though the VX700 exhibits the same color fringing found in the GX1, giving edges of objects against bright backgrounds a purple hue. White balance was slightly less reliable with the VX700, which produced yellowish footage indoors in mixed light.
Outdoor performance was solid in my tests, with nicely saturated colors and a good level of detail. On wide shots with a lot going on, some details appeared blurred, with undefined edges that melded together. Zooming in completely yielded sharp images, but I noticed some issues with focus speed and accuracy. I routinely had to wait a few seconds for the focus to lock onto something that completely filled the frame. The camcorder also favors faces or objects it believes to be faces, causing the focus to shift if someone passes by or if it detects, say, a circular detail on the side of a building.
Image stabilization is a mixed bag. The camera's small and light design makes it hard to keep a steady shot. Both Everio camcorders lag behind the Canon Vixias in this department. When fully zoomed in, slight shakes were very noticeable. The Canons were able to eliminate that jerkiness, even when fully zoomed in, though the image stabilization gave a dreamy effect to the video. In a quiet room, the VX700 picked up the sound of the lens zooming and also the low hum of an AC unit. Otherwise, audio quality was on par with the GX1, which is to say average, but good enough to pick up voices at a distance.
Still image quality is a low point, especially indoors where images are nearly unusable given the high noise levels. Fine details get lost and shutter lag leads to soft pictures. You can also take still images while recording video, but those look even worse.
There is a single card slot that accepts SD, SDHC, and SDXC cards up to 64GB. The mini HDMI port allows for playback onto HDTVs, while the mini USB port lets you transfer images and videos to a computer. JVC uses a proprietary AC adapter to provide charge to the included removable battery.
Conclusions
The JVC Everio GZ-VX700 is a compact and capable camcorder, and while it doesn't provide the best video quality, it makes up for it with some really useful Wi-Fi features. It costs hundreds less than the GZ-GX1. Its size is a double-edged sword, as it makes it portable and easy to carry, but also makes it less practical for maintaining good steady shots when used without a tripod. The best combination of value and video quality we've seen recently is the $350 Canon Vixia HF R300, but the VX700 delivers a more diverse set of features that makes it worth considering despite some of its shortcomings.?
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