Welcome to the JVC GS-TD1 3D Camcorder Review. The Panasonic HDC-SDT750 may have been the world’s first 3D video camera. However, the JVC GS-TD1 wins the honors for being the 1st 3D camcorder with Full HD. The JVC GS-TD1 receives honors for being the 1st consumer-oriented 3D video camera with optical zoom (in 3D mode) as well. The release of the camcorder was announced on January 6th, 2011 and released to the market in March 2011.
JVC GS-TD1 is a Full HD 3D video camera with 5X optical zoom
The GS-TD1 came with two major features the HDC-SDT750 lacked.
- Optical zoom in 3D mode – with the Panasonic SDT750, the optical zoom could only be used in the 2D mode. The GS-TD1 automatically adjusts the parallax level while zooming so that the 3D depth looks natural.
- Full HD resolution (1920 X 1080) – the GS-TD1 also has a pair of 3.3 MP CMOS sensors, one for each lens. In contrast, the Panasonic HDC-SDT750 only had one common sensor for both lenses limiting its maximum resolution in the 3D mode to 960 X 1080.
NOTE: The Sony HDR-TD10 improved on both above features by taking the resolution up to ‘Double Full HD’ and improving the optical zoom up to 10X. For more information please read our Sony HDR-TD10 3D video camera review.
JVC GS-TD1 3D camcorder review – other noteworthy features
No 3D conversion lens to worry about with this JVC GS-TD1
Unlike in the case of the Panasonic HDC-SDT750, the JVC 3D TWIN HD GT lens is built-in.
3D still images
Neither the Panasonic HDC-SDT750 nor the Sony HDR-TD10 are capable of taking still 3D pictures. In contrast, this JVC 3D camcorder lets you take up to 2 Megapixel (1920×1080) resolution 3D photos. The GS-TD1 also offers ’3D High-Speed Motor Drive Shooting’. This means that you can shoot up to 12 still images at approx. 12 frames per second (fps) in the 3D mode. Smile meter and Smile Touch are also available in 3D mode.
The JVC GS-TD1 has optical stabilization in 3D mode
Optical Axis Automatic Stabilization System for disparity control gives depth to 3D images.
3D playback on the LCD screen
Similar to the Sony 3D video camera, the GS-TD1 has a 3.5 inch LCD display which is able to playback 3D video and you won’t need 3D glasses to watch the three dimensional video on this LCD screen (aka glasses-free 3D). The LCD panel achieves this by using a parallax barrier to split up the left and right images so that our brains are able to see the illusion of 3 dimensions!
Manual controls during 3D recording
Among the major 3D camcorders available, the JVC GS-TD1 offers the largest selection of manual controls in 3D mode. They are listed below.
- up to 5X Optical zoom – mentioned earlier (up to 10X in 2D mode)
- Focus – using the touch-screen or the adjustment dial at the back
- Exposure – again using the touch-screen or the control dial
- Aperture priority (f/1.2 to f/5.6)
- Shutter speed (1/2 to 1/4000 seconds)
Scenic modes in 3D
Recording in dim-light
Very good recording under low light conditions thanks to ‘Super LoLux’ mode with F1.2 Super Bright Lenses. That is approximately twice as brighter as conventional camera lenses.
Other features of the JVC GS-TD1
- 3D audio features – JVC’s BIPHONIC Technology; wind cancelling; 2 channel stereo mic
- 64GB built-in memory
- Outputs/inputs – HDMI® Output (Mini), USB port, AV-output and SD/SDHC/SDXC memory card slot (up to 64GB)
- 3D time-lapse recording
- Everio MediaBrowser 3D for Windows – allows simple 3D movie editing and easy upload to YouTube™ and Facebook (HD Compatible). Also lets you playback 3D videos on your computer (if you don’t have a 3D TV)
- Two 3D recording modes
- 1920×1080 Full HD resolution using the L/R Independent Format
- Side-by-Side Format – allows you to burn 3D videos to AVCHD DVD or Blu ray discs
Go here for more on the JVC GS-TD1
Hope this brief JVC GS-TD1 3D video camera review was helpful. Expect a comprehensive comparison between the JVC GS-TD1 and the Sony HRD-TD1 and Panasonic HDC-SDT750 soon. The official page can be found on http://everio.jvc.com/gs-td1/
