On Tuesday, JVC announced a new pocket camera with 8 megapixel resolution for still shots (3,264 by 2,448 pixels). Oh, and by the way, it also takes 1080p video at 30 frames per second (FPS). It does 720p at 60 fps. Oh, and it does all this for a list price of $199.95.
The camera is [...]
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HDTV Almanac - Another Tiny HD Video Camera
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alfredpoor
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videograbber
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Hi, Alfred.
Did JVC really just announce this? A quick check shows that it's been available for some time already. Though I will admit that JVC is doing a rather poor job of making the specs known (the full Detailed Manual is only available IN THE INTERNAL MEMORY of the device!). After a bit of digging, I found that its internal memory is limited to 128 MB. And that the 96 min battery record time is only enough to fill an 8 GB card, before a (3 hour) recharge is needed. Thus a 32G card is a bit of overkill, assuming you have somewhere to transfer the 8G while your recharge is in progress.
1080p, true, but only at 1440 wide. Which isn't bad at all, but not full 1080p (1920w). Also, "It has an HDMI output..." which is cool, but fails to mention that it's a mini-HDMI connector, and no cable is supplied.
So before you'll be able to enjoy this feature, it's back to the store looking for a compatible interface cable.
Lastly, while it does have an image stabilizer, it works only in video mode (not hi-rez stills), and there is NO optical zoom. None of which negates the fact that the Picsio is a nifty gadget (though I'm personally not thrilled about their H.264 being in .MOV format... I guess that's so people can rush their vids onto YouTube). Newegg already has them, for $179, in all 3 colors.
- Tim
P.S. And no, I have no affiliation with Newegg or JVC (or anyone else in the CE arena).
Did JVC really just announce this? A quick check shows that it's been available for some time already. Though I will admit that JVC is doing a rather poor job of making the specs known (the full Detailed Manual is only available IN THE INTERNAL MEMORY of the device!). After a bit of digging, I found that its internal memory is limited to 128 MB. And that the 96 min battery record time is only enough to fill an 8 GB card, before a (3 hour) recharge is needed. Thus a 32G card is a bit of overkill, assuming you have somewhere to transfer the 8G while your recharge is in progress.
1080p, true, but only at 1440 wide. Which isn't bad at all, but not full 1080p (1920w). Also, "It has an HDMI output..." which is cool, but fails to mention that it's a mini-HDMI connector, and no cable is supplied.
So before you'll be able to enjoy this feature, it's back to the store looking for a compatible interface cable.Lastly, while it does have an image stabilizer, it works only in video mode (not hi-rez stills), and there is NO optical zoom. None of which negates the fact that the Picsio is a nifty gadget (though I'm personally not thrilled about their H.264 being in .MOV format... I guess that's so people can rush their vids onto YouTube). Newegg already has them, for $179, in all 3 colors.
- Tim
P.S. And no, I have no affiliation with Newegg or JVC (or anyone else in the CE arena).
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alfredpoor
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Thanks for the details
Sounds as though you have either done some serious digging or have spent some quality time with this camera. I did not get the 1440 by 1080 at all -- even though it's right there on the spec sheet! -- and that's a bit of a shocker. Thanks for pointing out all those extra details.
Still, I stand by my point that even with its flaws, it's an indication of just how inexpensive HD video cameras have become.
Alfred
Still, I stand by my point that even with its flaws, it's an indication of just how inexpensive HD video cameras have become.
Alfred
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videograbber
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Some pocket HD cam comparisons
Alfred,
yes, I have done some digging, since I find the HD option at this price point and size rather intriguing. And you're welcome for the details. I'm just a consumer myself, trying to discover what the strengths and weaknesses of the various options are.
> Still, I stand by my point that even with its flaws, it's an indication of just how inexpensive HD video cameras have become. <
Agreed. Though JVC is actually a bit late to the game in this category, with the Mino Flip, and Aiptek HD flash memory HD cams having been out for over a year now, in the same $200-ish price range.
I did want to correct one comment I made, since I found some additional information:
> the full Detailed Manual is only available IN THE INTERNAL MEMORY of the device <
It turns out that the Detailed User Manual IS on the JVC site after all. Confusingly, it's labeled "Supplementary Material", and is in a PDF file half the size of the User Guide (12 pages, but in 5 languages). The Detailed manual is ~28 pages long (English only), and is fairly informative. Those looking for more specific info on the JVC Picsio can find it here.
One additional tidbit I gleaned from reading the manual is that while the unit does have 128M of internal flash, it uses part of it for system overhead functions, leaving only 34M for user snapshots (~10 pix at full rez) or videos (24 seconds! in HD). So an SD card will not be optional. Which isn't terrible, considering that most similar units have the same limitation. (One that doesn't is the Mino Flip, which has 4 or 8 GB internal, but no removable card capability.)
The strong points for the JVC Picsio, from my perspective (besides the HD quality at a low price point that these units all share), is the slim size and weight (half the size and weight of the Aiptek, for example), and its digital Image Stabilizer (which the older HD Aiptek [$150 at Amazon] doesn't have, but their newer GVS model [$180 at Amazon] does have a gyro-stabilizer of some kind). Unless you're using a tripod (unlikely with cams this small), or are shooting Blair Witch Project III, you really need a Stabilizer of some sort. Also the direct HDMI output is great, though you have to find and buy a cable yourself (the Aiptek outputs HD Component video, and includes the cable).
The weak point from my perspective is the battery. 90 minutes of recording, and you're done for the next 3 hours, while the battery recharges. AFAICT, the battery is not removable, so you can't have a spare pack ready to swap in and keep recording. OTOH, The Aiptek does have removable packs, and they only cost $13 each ($20 for a high-capacity 1800 mAH unit). Most worrisome about the Picsio battery though is that there is no indication that it is even user replaceable. So when it eventually dies (they all do) either you ship it to JVC for service, or throw the digicam away I guess.
Other weak points of the Aiptek (other than being as thick as two Picsio's back-to-back) is poor low-light level performance (though I have no idea how the Picsio fares there), and a tendency for the Auto-Focus mechanism to be a bit slow, and do some seeking when there are multiple objects in the view at different distances. The Picsio overcomes that by being fixed focus (though it has no optical zoom, while the Aiptek is 3x optical, making handheld even more challenging).
Both have the same set of rez options (1440x1080, 1280x720, etc.) and record MPEG4 in .MOV format, for about the same amounts of time. Both have 2" color screens, but the Aiptek is foldout, so it's not going to be as inconspicuous, if that's what you're looking for. I vaguely recall that the Mino HD Flip (which physically looks very similar to the JVC) maxed out at 720p, but I need to investigate that more closely before I can share any insights there.
- Tim
yes, I have done some digging, since I find the HD option at this price point and size rather intriguing. And you're welcome for the details. I'm just a consumer myself, trying to discover what the strengths and weaknesses of the various options are.
> Still, I stand by my point that even with its flaws, it's an indication of just how inexpensive HD video cameras have become. <
Agreed. Though JVC is actually a bit late to the game in this category, with the Mino Flip, and Aiptek HD flash memory HD cams having been out for over a year now, in the same $200-ish price range.
I did want to correct one comment I made, since I found some additional information:
> the full Detailed Manual is only available IN THE INTERNAL MEMORY of the device <
It turns out that the Detailed User Manual IS on the JVC site after all. Confusingly, it's labeled "Supplementary Material", and is in a PDF file half the size of the User Guide (12 pages, but in 5 languages). The Detailed manual is ~28 pages long (English only), and is fairly informative. Those looking for more specific info on the JVC Picsio can find it here.
One additional tidbit I gleaned from reading the manual is that while the unit does have 128M of internal flash, it uses part of it for system overhead functions, leaving only 34M for user snapshots (~10 pix at full rez) or videos (24 seconds! in HD). So an SD card will not be optional. Which isn't terrible, considering that most similar units have the same limitation. (One that doesn't is the Mino Flip, which has 4 or 8 GB internal, but no removable card capability.)
The strong points for the JVC Picsio, from my perspective (besides the HD quality at a low price point that these units all share), is the slim size and weight (half the size and weight of the Aiptek, for example), and its digital Image Stabilizer (which the older HD Aiptek [$150 at Amazon] doesn't have, but their newer GVS model [$180 at Amazon] does have a gyro-stabilizer of some kind). Unless you're using a tripod (unlikely with cams this small), or are shooting Blair Witch Project III, you really need a Stabilizer of some sort. Also the direct HDMI output is great, though you have to find and buy a cable yourself (the Aiptek outputs HD Component video, and includes the cable).
The weak point from my perspective is the battery. 90 minutes of recording, and you're done for the next 3 hours, while the battery recharges. AFAICT, the battery is not removable, so you can't have a spare pack ready to swap in and keep recording. OTOH, The Aiptek does have removable packs, and they only cost $13 each ($20 for a high-capacity 1800 mAH unit). Most worrisome about the Picsio battery though is that there is no indication that it is even user replaceable. So when it eventually dies (they all do) either you ship it to JVC for service, or throw the digicam away I guess.
Other weak points of the Aiptek (other than being as thick as two Picsio's back-to-back) is poor low-light level performance (though I have no idea how the Picsio fares there), and a tendency for the Auto-Focus mechanism to be a bit slow, and do some seeking when there are multiple objects in the view at different distances. The Picsio overcomes that by being fixed focus (though it has no optical zoom, while the Aiptek is 3x optical, making handheld even more challenging).
Both have the same set of rez options (1440x1080, 1280x720, etc.) and record MPEG4 in .MOV format, for about the same amounts of time. Both have 2" color screens, but the Aiptek is foldout, so it's not going to be as inconspicuous, if that's what you're looking for. I vaguely recall that the Mino HD Flip (which physically looks very similar to the JVC) maxed out at 720p, but I need to investigate that more closely before I can share any insights there.
- Tim
Last edited by videograbber on Sun Oct 18, 2009 2:10 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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videograbber
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I did a bit more quick checking, and the HD Flip units are the MinoHD and UltraHD. The Ultra is fancier (and bulkier), and has an HDMI output, and 2" screen. Also 8G internal flash, and no card option (not that it's really necessary), and takes swappable battery packs (the MinoHD doesn't).
The UltraHD is ~$162 on Amazon, but both are limited to 720p mode only (none higher or lower; and at 30fps, rather than 60). According to the one commenter I found who has used a JVC Picsio, the 720p mode looks better than using the 1080 mode. But potentially that could be for a number of reasons... ranging from what he was recording to what display he was viewing the output on.
- Tim
The UltraHD is ~$162 on Amazon, but both are limited to 720p mode only (none higher or lower; and at 30fps, rather than 60). According to the one commenter I found who has used a JVC Picsio, the 720p mode looks better than using the 1080 mode. But potentially that could be for a number of reasons... ranging from what he was recording to what display he was viewing the output on.
- Tim
Last edited by videograbber on Mon Oct 19, 2009 1:06 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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alfredpoor
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Thanks!
Excellent informtion. Keep this up and you're likely to lose your amateur reviewer status! <g>
Alfred
Alfred