The JVC GZ-MG680 is an affordable and very compact camcorder that allows you to record video or still images to either a 120 GB hard drive or a micro SD flash card. Even though this JVC Everio camcorder is tiny, about the size of my fist, it captures good looking video and provides a nice set of features including manual optical and digital zoom options, several manual overrides, built in light, and software that makes it easy to transfer your captured videos and images to your computer, burn to a DVD or to transfer to an online video hosting site  JVC GZ-MG680 Camcorder Review.

Even though the GZ-MG680 is not a HD camcorder and only captures SD quality video, it offers an integrated HD up conversion capability that takes the camcorders' standard definition video recording and then converts it, allowing a HDMI connection for HD televisions. Using the standard video and audio cables, I watched the video back on a regular definition TV and it looked fine. I did notice some video compression artifacts on a busy backgrounds but nothing that would be overly objectionable. The audio captured with the internal mike sounded clear.

That’s a lot of video! If you choose to record at a lower quality level, you can double or triple that. The choice of recording to hard drive or flash card provides some extra flexibility for video storage and for those traveling with a camcorder. The camcorder  JVC GZ-MG680 Battery Charger  is very easy to use, and offers some very cool features for the home video maker and video hobbyist. Power on is simply opening up the camcorder’s flip out view screen. Within seconds, the camera is ready to record. Closing the viewfinder turns the power off.

The battery is built in to the camcorder. This is both good and bad. It makes it hard to lose the battery but at the same time, once the battery is drained you cannot switch it out for a new fully charged battery. As the battery is built in, this means you need to connect the power supply directly to the camcorder to charge up the camcorder battery

The JVC HZ-680 also includes what they call “Laser Touch Operation” on the fold out viewfinder. When setting up and operating the camcorder, including zooming, you can use the “laser touch” feature which means the camcorder senses your fingers and you barely touch the camcorder at all. This could useful when shooting at very extremely zoom ratios and you want to avoid any camcorder vibration. It took me to understand how to use it smoothly but my kids had it figured out within a moment.

Another cool feature is Digest Playback, which offers an easy and entertaining way to check the content residing on the JVC GZ-MG680’s hard drive or flash card. The function automatically selects highlight scenes from among the recorded content using  JVC Battery Charger  proprietary algorithm and plays back what looks like a “coming attractions” trailer for a movie. Sixty minutes of footage is condensed into five minutes of highlight scenes.