JVC Everio GZ-X900

portability, value for money, usability, size, build quality

80% of the reviews on Amazon.com give this product a positive rating.

Since 5.3-megapixels are used to capture the video image, and only 2.07-megapixels are actually required, even for Full HD, this is digital zoom but without the loss of resolution. In our experience, however, these technologies do sacrifice some...

Good picture quality ; Three slow-motion modes ; Effective optical image stabiliser ; Unusual but appealing design

Expensive ; Fiddly menu system ; Only 5x optical zoom

Conclusion The JVC Everio GZ-X900 is a solid performer that comes very close to being the perfect combination of camcorder and still photo camera. There are bells and whistles aplenty too, but it's hard to swallow the overblown price, especially when a...

JVC has gone for the compact look (and weight) with the new X900, using SD storage, a bigger and more powerful CMOS sensor, improved optical image stabilization and high quality HD images. The controls are still irritating, though, and the price might...

The camera's general form factor is, however, much to be recommended; it's chunky and handles well, but is compact enough to slip into a small pocket or bag. The docking station enables some external connections to remain permanent, dropping the camera...

Attractive design, innovative user interface, handy YouTube upload tool

Sub par video performance; especially indoors, poor battery life, too expensive

The JVC Everio GZ-X900 is a decent high-definition camcorder let down by its poor low-light performance. There are plenty of better (and cheaper) options on the market.

Clever YouTube Upload feature ; Good performance in bright light

Terrible video in common low-light settings ; Only 1080/60i capture

The GZ-X900's substandard low-light performance outweighs the camcorder's clever features and slick appearance.

The JVC GZ-X900 ($999 MSRP) seems like the tale of two camcorders. It was truly excellent in much of our bright light testing-specifically motion and sharpness-but once the lights went down the camcorder produced atrocious video. Its image was dark,...