JVC GR-DVL40 > Reviews > Not as good as the GR-DVX4

Author's product rating:   

Ease of use	Satisfactory
Recording quality	Good
Picture quality	Poor
Sound quality	Good
Value for money	Satisfactory

Advantages:	Good zoom
Disadvantages:	Poor additional features

Recommend to potential buyers:

yes

Full review

This was my old camcorder before I replaced it with the GR-DVX4. What initially disappointed me was how ineffective and unnecessary all the zoom was. Also the viewfinder and LCD screen despite at first appearing like a good compromise got in the way of me recording and the viewfinder was barely used as the screen was easier to use and bigger. In practice the battery life was dreadful and after two attempted fixes, I gave up on the store and chose the GR-DVX saving myself about £50 in the refund exchange. But what was most agitating was the dire editing tools and its seeming reluctance to cooperate with my PC. Also unlike my new camcorder, I could not, at least without a lot of effort, put my recording onto VHS to hand out to all my friends.