Shoot Tools — JVC GZ-MC500 digital media camera

CF slot can accommodate CompactFlash Type 2 cards. Price: $1799

When the first external hard drive units for camcorders came out, many shooters quickly added one to their kit. Some, no doubt, recalled problems with jammed tape that ruined a cassette's worth of work. Another hard-drive solution to tape comes from JVC, with its GZ-MC500 digital media camera. The 3-CCD camcorder, which also functions as a 5-megapixel camera, records MPEG-2 video and Dolby Digital Audio to a 4GB Microdrive removable hard disk. JVC also developed the Megabrid imaging engine to separately process video and still signals, said to provide optimal processing for each mode. There's a 10X optical zoom (8X for stills) with native 4:3 or 16:9 (squeeze) ratios. The bundled CyberLink DVD Solution includes three apps for creating and displaying DVDs.
Wayne, N.J. • (800) 526-5308 • www.jvc.com