JVC GR-X5US MiniDV Digital Camcorder (1.33MP, 10x Opt, 300x Dig, 2.5

The boxy design also means that you'll need two hands for anything more than basic operation. While the zoom, still photo, and record buttons fall comfortably under the fingers of the right hand, most of the other controls require the left hand, as they're located on the left side of the camcorder body. These include buttons for setting the exposure mode, controlling manual focus, and accessing the on-screen menu. You alter the settings and move through the menu via a control dial on the front-left side of the camcorder--another interesting idea that doesn't quite work in practice: Twisting the dial involves awkwardly reaching around the camcorder.

Nonetheless, the GR-X5US is comfortable to hold, and the main control buttons are easy to reach without moving your hand, which is good for steady video capture. At 1 pounds, 2 ounces, this camcorder is also pretty light.

The video we captured in our tests with the GR-X5US looked great, with strong, bright colors and plenty of detail. Though we didn't rate it as highly as the video that Panasonic's PV-GS500 captured, it did very well in both our normal- and low-light tests, capturing attractive video in both situations. The three-CCD design of the camcorder no doubt helped here (the PV-GS500 also has three sensors); with one sensor each for red, blue, and green, the camcorder can capture more color and detail than single-sensor models.

The GR-X5US also captures still images at a 5-megapixel resolution (the highest of the camcorders in this test group), and its still images looked very attractive. A camcorder such as this isn't going to replace a dedicated still camera, but it's nice to have the option of shooting acceptable-quality still photos. You can't, however, capture both video and high-resolution stills at the same time.

The JVC GR-X5US has an interesting design, but its setup may not be to everyone's taste, and its poor battery life and lack of a viewfinder are serious problems. At $1300, it's also the most expensive camcorder we looked at in this roundup. While its video quality and still-image quality are undeniably better than many of the other models, the GR-X5US really isn't worth the extra cash: Most people would be equally well served by a less-expensive camcorder, and could buy a decent point-and-shoot camera with the money saved.

Richard Baguley