Product ReviewsJVC GC-FM1 Camcorder - Black ice

good camera for the price!

The JVC has a good quality picture when shot in good lighting, and sound is okay when played back on a TV. or computer. Can't say about low light quality, I haven't shot any low light situations. Average indoor lighting, picture was a little dark, but, not bad. Some people have said they get a light hum from the camera in their audio, but with the updated software, I have not noticed any. The built in speaker is not very good. If your expecting the quality and features of a $1000 unit, this is not for you. But, I bought mine with the idea of using it to shoot video for my business. Then edit sound over the top. And it does a very good job at that. With a 4 GB card, I get approx. 40 min. of video on either 720 @ 60 fps or 1080i @ 30 fps.
It comes with a 4x zoom that operates smoothly. Some other cameras only have the 2x. Also, I've seen video shot on other brands, that the zoom was not smooth at all.
Another complaint I've heard is the power button, you have to hold it in for 2 to 3 sec. to power on. I would rather have it that way, So I don't bump the button in my pocket and turn it on and run the battery down. Especially since the battery is built in and can't be swapped out. Also, the camera will not operate while being charged.
I would highly recommend screen protectors for any of the pocket cameras, as the screen can be scratched easily. Don't put it in your pocket with anything else (keys, pen, cell phone, etc...)

Things I would like to see improved on this camera:

battery that could be swapped out.
external mic port.
ability to be able to record while plugged in for charging.
better internal speaker.

Things I like about the camera:

good quality picture.
4x zoom that is smooth, unlike some others.
purchased on EBay new in box for under $60 including shipping.Read full review...

Nice Little Camera

I bought this camera on ebay for an excellent price after owning a JVC Everio (which I love) I figured I would add the picsio to my collection. It is a great little pocket camera that easily fits in a cell phone holder so you can carry it with you when you're on the go. I got it to shoot video and pictures of my kids playing with their friends on the weekend or those quick trips to the playground or @ the beach. The only drawback so far are the buttons. They are flush with the camera and I seem to be have difficulty when trying to change the image quality. I could just be impatient or maybe have big clumsy fingers. No problem powering, recording video or taking pictures though and that's the main objective so I'm pleased even if it does have some quirks. In my opinion it's better than similar cameras such as flip (because the JVC has expandable memory) or the jazz (because the JVC has far superior video quality and you can't take still photos with the jazz). Overall great camera for the price. I can't say I'd pay full retail for it but it is definitely worth what I paid for it on ebay and serves its purpose.Read full review...

JVC PICSIO GC-FM1 HD Compact Video Recorder

Compact, great quality for the price, easy to use, Great choices between HD video and lesser quality video for longer times, Zoom worked well... Drawbacks were microphone was not as good picking up sounds past several feet, software on camera when downloaded to my Vista Notebook was not as easy to use as presented, also took up alot of space on computer, 4 G min. are needed on Camera Storage card for 40 minutes of HD video!... Still photo shots were very good quality and a nice bonus!Read full review...

Very good camcorder

This camcorder has very good video quality. Nice color, good white balance, very smooth video. I especially like the wide angle view when in VGA mode. The audio is not the greatest, it sounds a little tinny. The built in speaker is very small. The still pictures are a little blurry, you have to hold the camera very still while taking the picture. It is one of the easiest camcorders to use, very simple controls. Easy to charge the battery, just plug it in to a USB port. Battery life seems good. Feels very good in your hand, nicely balanced. Overall I give it a thumbs up for very good video quality.Read full review...

Can't really complain for the price.

As far as camcorders go, it is very light, very portable, very user friendly and for the size, it does do a good job. Being an inexpensive unit, you don't get such features as a front light or IR light for night recordings, you don't get the optical zoom, but it does do a very impressive job otherwise and also has and HDMI output that I can connect right to my TV for viewing. All and all, one can not complain for the price. If you are looking for something light weight that does high definition video that's compact enough to fit in a pocket, as long as lighting or zooming is not a concern, this is definitely worth the price!Read full review...

Nice video camera at a good price

Easy to use with good features in a small package. The days of the large video camera are over. This camera offers good quality video from a small package. The only thing the prevents me from rating the camera as excellent is the fact that you need to buy a large SDHC card to do much of anything as far as recording. This is not a big problem in that you need to buy a card with any digial camera but this type of camera takes a much larger storage and you may need to do a little shopping so you don't pay too much. The bottom line is if you are looking for a video camera that produces good quality in a very small package at a reasonable price look no further.Read full review...

A powerful little camera!

I like the features and it's a"Pocket Camera" with an SD/SDHC card slot, featuring 1080P HD
video recording, 8 Megapixel stills, Digital Image Stabilizer, and direct file sending to
YouTube(TM) and iTunes(R).Read full review...

Verified purchase:  Yes | Condition: pre-owned | Sold by: getbrettnow

Cheaper and quality product.

I bought this camcorder because my friend suggested.
I like a nice product.

Fast, lightweight and easy to use a camera.
Record a good start. But the quality is poor in low light. Other than that good. I think in general use outside.

I suggest those who think to take.Read full review...

Good Inexpensive Camera

Like some of the other reviews, I too feel it is a good camera for the price. One thing I notice with it is the video seems just a bit jumpy at times but it may be in the viewer software I use? Other then that I enjoy it and carry it with me almost all of the time. Still's are ok, not the best, not the worst, adequate if I need to get a quick shot in. My Iphone takes good pics and I use that most of the time for stills. I'd rate this an 8 out of 10, in overall quality, but a 10 out of 10 for the value.Read full review...

camcorder

The camera is pretty good for the price.(I bought it at and outlet for 65.00). I wouldn t pay 200.00 for it. It is digital so what you see is what you get. It needs plenty of light. the still photos are very sensitive,sometime coming out blurry.The camcorder works very well.it is very simple to use.I could probably teach my 5 year old to operated it. Just dont expect to use in low light.Read full review...