25x Optical Zoom - 800x Digital Zoom - Electronic IS - MPN: GRD250US
Strengths: CHEAP, easy to use
Weakness: Poor sound quality
Good entry level digital camcorder. My basic use is videoing my kids sports. Seems good for outside daylight shooting, little dim indoors, but haven't read the manual yet (oops!). Just turn it on and record. Easy playback. Haven't downloaded to create DVD's yet, but that was my main purpose in going digital.
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TopStrengths: low price, 25X optical zoom.
Weakness: Poor video quality in low light.
As an entry level camcorder in $200 price range, this is a good camcorder to have. It does a good job recording video under good light. And it does not use SD card to record pictures, which help bring the price down. It records still picture to the tape. The function in camcorder to shoot
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TopI bought this Mini DV from Dell recently. It's very compact, just as big as the palm. It's easy to use and quality is good. I just wish it includes a firewire cable.
However, it started ripping off my tapes the second time I used it. It had to be sent to manufacture center for repair, which took 6.5 weeks. My broken tapes are not covered by the warranty. Very bad experience. :-(
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TopStrengths: cheap, light, easy
Weakness: No good for night
I love it because it is really cheap and i can afford it, also it has a lot of functions. Light weight makes more convenient for trip. The menu is easy to operate for me who is not good at electric.
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TopStrengths: Low price. Small and light.25X Optical Zoom
Weakness: No S-Video out. Weak battery.
I used to have bulky JVC camcorder, which was purchased 3 years ago. This unit is almost half in size and weight. Considering its price (I got it at around 200 bucks), it's an excellent choice. It lacks S-Video output though. Also the included battery is weak. Guess I need a high capacity battery.
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TopStrengths: Price...price!!
Weakness: Battery life is pretty weak...at 60mins, doesnt have a slot for storing digital stills on an external card.
For the price, its VERY hard to find a better camcorder. Many might think twice about the JVC brand, however, I think they have an excellend product (for this price range). I dont miss the fact that it doesnt have a shoe to attach external lighting or the SD card. All in all great video quality . Am Happy!
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TopStrengths: low budget, super 25X optical zoom & 800x Digital zoom
Weakness: low light shooting is a pain.
It is one of the best entry-level Mini-DV camcorder. We considered Canon ZR100 and other Panansonic models before buying this one. Its 25x optical zoom and 800x digital zoom is really amazing when shooting outside. However, be prepared when using indoors. Low light shooting using this camcorder is really painful. Overall, good product with a comfortable price tag. Excellent entry-level Mini-DV camcorder from JVC.
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TopStrengths: Price, Lightweight, Point & Shoot, Controls, and Menu
Weakness: Changing settings, Hand strap
I purchased the 250us to film my daighter's softball games and volleyball games and cherrleading. I've filmed four hours final DVD product and have sent it out to the grandparents and family and picture is clear.
Filming inside a gym was not too bad, but I had to look up a few pointers on the net to get it fine tuned. Now all it takes is a couple of setting changes and I can shoot anywhere.
Outdoor pictures are clear and crisp. Purchased a wide angle lens and tripod. Now I can get the pitcher to the plate and first base in one view. These items are a must. Along with an extra battery.
I purchsed this on line on e-bay for $212 shipped. NIB and no problems. If I had to buy it at the market price, I wold get the Cannon ZR200 or the 300 which has the wideangle len with it.
I am no professional. I just wanted a corder to point and shoot in a gym and field. I narrowed my choices down to the Sony HC-21, Cannon ZR200, and the JVC250 or 270. Finding the 250 at such a low price did it for me. I purchased the wide angle lens, bag, two miniDV tapes, and tripod for under $100 at Wal-Mart. Like I said , I'm no pro and if I can't run down to Wally World to get what I need then I don't need it. The batteries are new, and costed $90 shipped from the JVC Store. The Cannon felt the best in the hand, and The Sony was the easiest to control, but the JVC won out due to the price.
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TopHi Jerry:
Would you share some tips to fine tune the JVC GR-D250?
Thanks
Derek
Strengths: Design,Price,Portability
Weakness: Low light weakness
Not a camcorder for a real gadget freak but a decent camcorder for the price I paid.Video is decent, sound is acceptable.Light as a feather, feels good in the hand.I got a rock bottom price, clearanced for under $125. How could I complain ?
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Topto EvlEmpire
Where did you find this camcorder for under $125.00
Strengths: economical - a very good digital camcorder for the money-- takes excellent video and very easy to use in automatic mode
Weakness: This camcorder only shoots stills on the minidv tape and does not have a seperate memory card for stills
I am very happy with my GR_D250 MiniDV Digital Camcorder. It has a 25x optical zoom, 800x digital zoom. The 2.5 inch LCD works fine and is easy to view in almost all light situations. I like being able to set the camera in automatic mode and just shoot my pictures without having to worry how parameters are set--just point and shoot !!!
It is a good camera for its price range!!
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TopStrengths: Low Price; Easy to Use; Good Video Quality
Weakness: No Light; Too tall; Battery Position
I compare this one with another miniDV digital camcorder that I have - Sharp VLZ3U - since they are about the same price ($190-$200 shipped) (after rebate). The most important feature that I like this JVC GR-D250 is : it has better vedio quality in terms of color. Besides that, I like the Sharp design better. Because it hide the battery inside and put the lence on the left side, overall height is shorter (but fatter). I am not saying this is a bulky camcorder, it is still a small camcorder. JVC GR-D250's outside painting is not that elegant-i.e. the cotroller keys' purple panal. Other than that, I consider this is a very nice miniDV camcorder around $200. Highly recommand beginners to start with this one. It does not have too many key to control, so it is easy to use! With a better quality, I think it wins!
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TopStrengths: small, light, optical zoom
Weakness: the night mode doesnt work as well as i was expecting
overall i think this is a great video camera for the price(I paid a little over 200$ for it). it has many features and is easy to use. the lcd screen has great quality and can be rotated up and down depending on how you want to take your videos.
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TopStrengths: this JVC camcorder stood up (and sometimes outshined) in just about every category, such as handling, resolution, zoom, colors, etc. As for this price, you can't want more.
Weakness: the resolution is too low. It don't have a night light and usb port. And you can't take still photo with it.
This JVC camcorder stood up (and sometimes outshined) in just about every category, such as handling, resolution, zoom, colors, etc. Although it don't have a night light,the D250 held up fairly well even in low-light conditions. In fact JVC is quite well known for having strong handling in low-light conditions compared to the other brands. It is a pretty good camera as a starter unit, one to learn on, or perhaps a secondary one for the kids, etc. Unfortunately, this camcorder don't have usb port. If you don't have a Firewire port on your computer, you can easily buy a PCI Firewire card for about $10 from Newegg or many other retailers.
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Top05/06/06
"I LOVE MY JVC GRD250U CAMCOREDER"
This is my first time owning a camcorder ever. However, I purchased my mini camcorder @ a local pawn shop here in Lubbock, TX so that I will have one when for family reunion in July. I must say that I like it very much and it only cost me @ the E-Z PAWN SHOP $170.00.
I am yet going through my camera menu to learn all the functions, because there isn't a manual available. I also had to make a separate purchase for the Fire Wire Card & Cable, because this camera isn't equipped for a USB Cord.
I believe once I have learned all the pro's and con's of this mini JVC GRD250U I can later graduate to a more superiority camcorder because I will be more familiar & experienced. For right now this is a great camera with a great value on my wallet.
If anyone happens to still have or come across a manual for this camera please submit it to the AMAZON web site, that is where I've been searching for a duplicate manual.
also if there is one available could someone please tell me where the "MEMORY CARD" is located on this camera?
I am hoping to have fun down loading my movies into my computer & converting them into DVD's making copies for our 2006 family reunion for everyone to enjoy later.
STRONGLY RECOMMEND (for beginners like myself).
Strengths: Compact Size Easy to follow point and shoot camcorder GREAT as a starter camcorder!
Weakness: Picture taking quality is poor Camcording at night is poor
I have to say, this is a great camcorder for me to start with! It is very compact, easy to use, and great quality for it's use as a point and shoot camera (outdoors). Although it's quality is poor for taking picture or nightshots, it does it's job for me when I tape outdoor activities. I took it on a trip to San Francisco this past week and was able to get great shots of the Golden Gate Bridge and Alcatraz. Highly recommended for beginners!
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TopStrengths: Light weight, easy to use, easy to transfer movies.
Weakness: The mini disc are limited in size.
Overall this is a great camera, it is light weight and easy to use, it is only limited by the small size of the mini disc. This camera is great for both the experianced and novice user.
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TopStrengths: price size weight
Weakness: no light, no analog video input
I try to find an entry level camcorder with necessary feature to take the video of my new born son and got this one due to the price and cute appearance.
Because it is my first camcorder, I really don't know how's this video quality compared to other models, but I feel it is good enough for new born video recordering. It is of course not a good camcorder if you plan to take video at extream environment, as very low light.
As for the features of the camcorder, I notice it can not take memory card to take digital photos. I'm not care of this alot since I've already have a dedicated digital camera. This one also doesn't have analog video input so you can not use this one to transfer your analog video to digital format. Because I didn't have an analog camcorder before so this is also not a necessory feature for me.
In summary, if you are not picky, this is a great as an entry level camcorder.
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TopStrengths: good picture for the price...but built like a toy..a cheap toy at that.
Weakness: won't last long...mine simply stopped working after about five hours of operation as did my first JVC miniDV camera.
Don't buy it. While this camera seems a good value while it operates, be assured that you will be very lucky to still have a video camera a year after its purchase. This was my second JVC video camera. My first, a GR-D30, simply quit 'seeing' anything 6 months after the warranty ran out. Everything else works fine...but it now thinks the lens cap is always on...
I ran out and bought the GR-250 in a panic when the GR-30 went blind on the day of a testimonial dinner for my dad that I HAD to tape....bad mistake.
Now...7 months later, the tape loading mechanism has siply stopped working. The camera has never been abused in any way, and has only been used to record 3 tapes and play them back once each for computer editing.
If you are willing to pay 2 to 3 hundred dollars for what is essentially a throw away camera, this is the product for you. If you want to have a dependable video camera available to capture those precious memories...go ahead and spend some more money on a better brand. It'll be cheaper in the long run.
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With an MSRP of US$429.95 and a street price of $330, the JVC GR-D250 is JVC’s entry level model in the low-end consumer camcorder market. The model replaces last year's GR-D33, which received much praise for its handling of low light. Sadly, the feature that enabled the camcorder to process and reproduce color at incredibly low light levels has been removed. JVC did not include 3D noise...
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The 2005 entry level camcorder for the JVC GR-D200 series, the GRD-250, is 30 percent smaller than last year’s models, the GRD33. JVC's approach for this current GR-D series seems to be an emphasis on style, accentuated by functionality. This model's buttons, and ports layout make the camcorder easier to use. Unfortunately, with the slimmer design is the absence of much needed features and...
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Video is Average according to 6 Camcorder experts. -- "The camcorder produced rich and vibrant colors, but the overall image displayed some noise."-easycamcorders.com -- "this camera is equipped with the 3-D Noise Reduction technology"-camcorderinfo.com -- "overall more precise image quality"-camcorderinfo.com Read more to find expert opinions on more features like Optics, Battery, Interface, etc.
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Jvc Gr-d250 Mini Dv Digital Camcorder receives an overall TopTenREVIEWS score of 2.67 out of 4.00. It is ranked the #65 MiniDV camcorder of all time. The overall rating represents an intelligent balance of features, value as a function of price to features, and a summary of reviews from a variety of sources. The TopTen REVIEWS' formula gives a picture of important consumer features, market value,...
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Excellent Deal
Strengths: Low Price, High Quality
Weakness: Entry Level
Keep in mind that this is an entry-level camcorder. However, according to every review I read (and I read many!) this is top-of-the-line when it comes to its price range. JVC has built a quality camcorder at a low price for those of us who are just getting into the MiniDV market. It works very well, has a great zoom, beutiful picture quality. You can use a firewire cable to connect to your PC and transfer videos for editing or burning to DVD if you have a burner. It's very easy to use as well. Note that it doesn't have a memory slot for still pictures, but camcorders aren't made for that anyway. In all the reviews I read, JVC beat out Sony, Canon, and other brands in this price range!
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