JVC Everio GZ-MC200

JVC's Everio GZ-MC200 is one of the first hard disk-based 'digital media' camcorders. Instead of recording to a video cassette it stores footage on a removable 4GB Hitachi Microdrive.

The bundled disc stores an hour of DVD-quality video, or 900 images at 1,600 x 1,200. We were very impressed with the clarity and detail in our test shots, which were on a par with those produced by a more traditional DV camcorder.

The Everio's 2.1megapixel lens also produced good still photos, though it's no match for a modern digital camera.

JVC has gone to great lengths to make things as attractive as possible. The GZ-MC200 has a very compact design and can fit easily in a pocket. Its buttons can be fiddly though, and if you have large fingers you may have difficulty operating the camcorder.

The image stabiliser was also disappointing - if you plan to make use of the 10x optical zoom, you'll need to invest in a tripod or have a very steady hand.

One of the major advantages of using a miniature hard disk instead of a DV tape is that the Everio can save each video sequence as a separate mpeg file. This reduces the need to fast-forward through a tape to find a specific point, as each new shot can be previewed in a thumbnail gallery.

A USB2 interface makes transferring video to your PC just as simple - once connected the Everio acts like an external hard drive.

The Everio GZ-MC200 is an impressive camera that offers great performance in a compact package. Standard DV cameras offer the same image quality for less money, but the hard disk-based storage gives it some clever additional features that many users will appreciate.