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JVC GZ-HM550 High Definition Camcorder | 
| Brand: JVC
Category: Photography
List Price: $799.95
Buy New: $467.09
You Save: $332.86 (42%)
New (23) Used (1) from $455.99
Rating:  8 reviews
Sales Rank: 175
Media: Electronics
Autographed: No
Memorabilia: No
Number Of Items: 1
Optical Zoom: 10
Display Size: 2.7
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.6
Dimensions (in): 4.3 x 2.2 x 2.4
Legal Disclaimer: We do not in any way represent that any part we sell is legal to possess in your jurisdiction. Check with you local authorities to ensure it is legal for you to possess before buying!
MPN: GZ-HM550
Model: GZ-HM550
UPC: 046838042362
EAN: 0046838042362
ASIN: B0032FPYHY
Release Date: March 3, 2010
Shipping: Eligible for Super Saver Shipping
Availability: Usually ships in 2-3 business days
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| Features:
| » | Bluetooth® Wireless Technology | | » | 32GB Internal Flash Memory | | » | One Touch Upload to YouTubeTM | | » | Records up to 3520x2640 Digital Stills | | » | Record location data with GPS |
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| Editorial Reviews:
Product Description
The Everio GZ-HM550BUS is an elegant Full HD memory Everio with dual memory of 32GB internal Flash memory/SD card featuring 10.62M Back-illuminated CMOS, Real 9.3 Megapixel Stills with no interpolation, recording up to 3520x2640 digital still images.
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| Customer Reviews:
Showing reviews 1-5 of 8
 So much packed into such a small camcorder April 6, 2010
Adrian Batt
9 out of 9 found this review helpful
This is the 4th video camera that I've bought over the years and I'm amazed at the advance in picture quality and features. The HD picture is outstanding, the low-light capability is jaw-dropping and the still pictures are nearly as good as my Sony Cybershot (but I'd use the Cybershot for images I want captured in the best quality).
The 32Gb flash memory storage is pretty good, and is expanded with the SDHC card slot. Less fragile than built-in hard drives, the flash memory makes the camera potentially more durable and long-lasting. Right now large capacity cards are very expensive but prices are already dropping now that SDXC cards are making an appearance. It would have been nice if the camera was future proofed by incorporating SDXC compatibility but I guess that will be an upgrade for next years model (SDXC cards will hold up to 2TB of data!!!).
On the downside, I'm not overly impressed with the image stabilization. On a camera this light and small camera shake is a real issue and the electronic stabilization is nowhere near as good as the optical image stabilization I had on my old Panasonic. I would guess this is a problem with all these miniature video cameras though, and probably not isolated to the JVC Everio range.
If you buy this camcorder make sure you get at least 1 extra battery - preferably the larger capacity BN-VG121. The tiny battery that comes with the camera won't do you much good when it runs out after in under an hour. And if you are like me and have the camera on while you wait to record a good scene or event, that could mean it runs out when you haven't recorded a whole lot.
On a related issue I was disappointed that no separate charger is supplied, you can only charge the battery in the camera. You can get a standalone charger but it isn't cheap - and for the money JVC could have made it car and mains compatible and capable of holding two batteries at the same time. My old Panasonic had that luxury so this is a step backwards.
On balance though I'm more than happy with the JVC GZ-HM550 and would recommend it to anyone who is looking for a compact high quality HD camcorder. Even on a 50" plasma screen the picture quality is startling, and low light images aren't grainy and colorless as they have been with my previous cameras.
So far, really good! April 7, 2010
Thomas Bohlmann (Port Royal, VA)
8 out of 8 found this review helpful
To begin, I rank my own video experience as rookie... but I love the technical side of new gadgets. My HD journey actually began in Jan 2010 with the JVC Everio model GZ-HD320 from Best Buy. I promptly took this camera back primarily due to the poor low light performance. I did however like the feel and operation of the camera, and felt kind of sad that I was returning it.
I subsequently found out about the new line of low-lux models, and last month took my chances on the GZ-HM550. Low light recording (indoors) was really important to me, and this model had the largest backlit image sensor of the whole Everio line (0.429" diameter). While I have no comparison to any other makes of camera, the low-lux HM550 far outperformed its predecessor (HD320) in moderate/low light. In bright outdoor light, the video is totally crisp and clear.
As for physical features, the camera is really small and light. Almost too small as the buttons for zoom and record are situated about mid-palm making it not completely ergonomic for people with large hands or long fingers. The laser touch menu bar and associated buttons are easy to use and require only a very light touch to activate. There are LOTS of menu picks and options - and these can be tricky to find until you get some practice. Some menu screens can be difficult to navigate while recording in the heat of the moment - but practice and knowing what, where, and how to use the cameras settings is absolutely key. The time lapse and auto record features are totally cool! Having a clock in the field of view during time lapse adds a fun little twist. The high speed video (600 fps) sounds great, but is actually kind of lame - the resolution goes way down - to a point where most detail is completely gone. Nothing like you would see on MythBusters. I don't know if I'll ever use this functionality. The on-board flash is great for regular camera pictures! And due to certain lighting conditions, this is sometimes a better option than capturing a video still. However... the auto-focus for stills can be slow, sometimes one to two seconds before getting a "green light" to shoot. Unless you have a very patient photo subject, this delay can sometimes mean missing your shot. Bluetooth/GPS?? I have not used the features yet. Oh yea, and power up time is pretty fast, especially fast if the camera is still in sleep mode.
The video editing software (Pixela) that came bundled with the camera is completely bare bones and is only good for dumping "boring" unedited video to disk. I am using Pinnacle Studio Ultimate Version 14 for video editing and disc creation. The Pinnacle software runs $50-75. Professional editing software of this type allows you to trim video files, make title screens, montages, add sound effects, and music, add audio and video transitions from clip to clip, and all sorts of other cool stuff. The real "movie magic" is in the post processing. If you don't care to be artistic with your video, then the bundled Pixela software will do just fine.
I've realized that modern digital cameras are not as simple as the older analog (VHS) style. I've had to buy the camera, then a new (faster) computer, and then special editing software to get the video I wanted. Not recommended for the faint at heart. But for the gear-head techno geek, this camera is rockin! I totally love it - and while the camera has its annoying little quirks, to me there are just "little". Being effective with this camera all boils down to knowing the equipment. I'm just keeping my fingers crossed that it holds up and lasts mechanically and electrically.
Simply Amazing May 22, 2010
R. Chase (Austin, TX United States)
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
This little JVC is fantastic! With my OCD of fingerprints on monitors, I love the menu control system. It's easy to learn, quick to use, and effective overall. The quality of this camera in all light conditions is incredible. With most other cameras, indoor photos and video are typically disappointing, but with the JVC back-lit processor, this camera rocks. I found myself wandering around the house at night, with a few lamps on taking pictures and gasping, "How'd it do that?"
Another SUPERIOR feature is the Bluetooth connectivity. Nobody has it. Hurray! I hate attaching, maintaining, and storing an assortment of cables. I purchased the stand alone battery charger and the larger battery as well, eliminating most all connections, short of hooking up to the HDMI connection of the TV. The time of use ratings appear to be accurate, at least with new batteries, fully charged.
Two more items I purchased were a polarizing filter and a 32GB Class 10 SDHC card. The filter makes a world of difference on the quality and clarity of full Sun, outdoor video and pictures. I highly recommend it. The camera does a really, really great job of seamlessly managing between the internal hard drive and the SDHC flash memory. You can set between fully shared, or push video to the internal drive, while still pictures to the SDHC flash memory, or visa-versa.
I highly recommend this little jewel. It has it all, is easy to control, has great features, and the video and still shots are simply amazing, even indoors in low light.
Great camcorder September 3, 2010
James
I've had this camera for 2 weeks now and and love it. You can't get this much quality and features for any less that I've found. Video is smooth and focuses good on auto, as long as you don't go past 10x optical stabilization is good. I like the manual ability if it doesn't get it right for certain types of shooting. The LCD is viewable, better than some, in the daytime. There is no shortcuts like Sanyo models have so you will have to push more times on buttons but It's OK. If I had my way I'd do away with the LCD and put on a viewfinder and some manual wheels on it. They want thousands for that so it is what it is and quite fine just the same. The extra features actually sold me like (Time Lapse). That is beautiful. I've only seen that with JVC. Also (High Speed) at 600fps 10x, 300fps 5x, and 120 fps, double speed. Great with some drawbacks on the resolution but still serves the purpose. Sony has a golf shot also at 600fps but resolution is low there also. I didn't like the software and just copy to computer. They are .mts files which only a VLC player can play but can be converted to anything with a free converter program. If you can get a still shot in the still mode pics will be about 5x better (9mp) but extracts from the video are also good quality. They claim stills shot in the video mode are better than 2mp but it's hard to shoot at the right time so I can't comment on that quality yet. Overall a great camera. You will probably need an extra battery which I will buy shortly. Also wide-angle and 2x-converter lenses (37mm) would be nice. You can edit with the camera by dividing and trimming and deleting unwanted parts but doesn't combine except with the software it comes with, but I don't know how to get the files with that program so I use another one to combine them. Tight, but will fit in a shirt pocket. I have no cons yet.
Very good video quality, great price, great features March 23, 2010
Thomas M. Mcdonnell (Olivia, MN USA)
22 out of 23 found this review helpful
I've had this camcorder for about a week now and so far I am pretty happy with it. The one thing that really strikes me as odd is selling a HD camcorder, but not including a HDMI cable in the bundle...? Playback of the footage recorded on a full HD tv via RCA or even component cables isn't going to result in good picture quality. My mini-HDMI cable should be delivered in the next day or so and then I'll be able to really evaluate the video. So far the video looks much better on my computer monitor than it does on my 52" 1080P LCD TV.
Also, the camcorder ships with the video quality set to XP, instead of the highest quality UXP. When setting quality to UXP it gives a warning that UXP video files can only be written to Blu-Ray, which of course makes sense. However, the bundled software will automatically downgrade the UXP video files to XP quality if you want to write to DVD, and then you'll still have the higher quality UXP for future use. Seems odd to not record in the highest quality as you can always downgrade the footage, but you'll never upconvert to true full HD quality if recording at lower quality.
So far, I am not impressed with the photo quality of still images, but I haven't played around with the settings much yet. The handful of stills that I've taken have turned out grainy and dark. In dedicated image mode, you can take 9MP stills, while when taking snapshots in video mode you are limited to 5MP. So far I think all of my stills were taken in video mode.
The camera has some great features that I've not yet played with nor am I sure I ever will. The time lapse is a great feature, but unless there's a spectacular sunset or something I'm not sure I'll have much use for it. Same for the auto record feature, interesting to have, but what are the practical applications? I suppose I could set it up and see how often my dog moves around during the day when we're not home. One thing with both of these modes is that the LCD must remain open, if you close the LCD, the camera shuts off completely.
The battery that comes with the unit doesn't last very long - roughly 45 minutes. the built in memory can hold about 2.5 hours worth of video at UXP quality so the battery is by far the limiting factor in your usage. If the video via HDMI turns out to be as good as I hope, I'll be investing in a higher capacity battery and a stand alone charger. Out of the box, the battery only charges when the power cord is plugged into the camcorder itself.
The software included is very easy to use and has some neat organization methods of displaying video files in a calendar layout by month, day and hour which it makes it easy to locate your files.
The software has options for converting the video to a number of different media and file types. You can write the files to Blu-Ray, DVD and AVCHD disc (DVD media). It also has the ability to convert video for upload to You Tube, iTunes and can also convert to .wmv for use on computers and upload to other sites, such as Facebook. The conversion process lets you choose the video size you want and at least on my PC was pretty quick to process.
I'll try to update this review after I am able to test the video via HDMI and use more of the features.
UPDATE 3/24/2010: Recorded a school concert last night and the battery lasted for 1.5 hours of nearly constant recording. This was much better than the capacity I noticed earlier when recording 5 or 10 minute segments spread out over a couple of days.
UPDATE 3/28/2010: Video quality via a Category 2, mini-HDMI cable is much better than via the cables included with the camcorder. My TV indicates a full 1920x1080 video resolution although it doesn't indicate if it is 1080i or 1080p. The box indicates that the camcorder has full 1080p output, but I can't verify that for sure.
I've had a chance to take some more still images both in video and in the dedicated photo mode. Given the right lighting images in both modes are usable. Images taken in dedicated photo mode are of higher quality, which is to be expected since they are 9MP images instead of the ~5MP images you get in video mode.
All in all, I'm more satisfied with camcorder now then I was when I initially posted this review. I'd rate it at 4 1/2 stars if possible.
Showing reviews 1-5 of 8
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