As the third cheapest camera on test - only the Sanyo VPC-CG9 and HD700 cost less – we didn’t expect the JVC GZ-MG330 to offer the same features and quality as the pricier, award-winning Sanyo HD1000 or Panasonic HDC-HS9.

Despite this, its specifications look remarkably good. The 30GB hard disk is large, and the JVC’s modest maximum resolution of 720 x 576 will let you fit more than seven hours of footage on it. Compared with the $221-cheaper CG9’s stingy 40MB, this is great value, especially since microSDHC cards can be used if needed. We would have preferred to have seen SD cards compatibility, but this is picking holes in an otherwise exemplary storage offering.

The camera also has a powerful 35x optical zoom, but unfortunately the electronic image stabilisation leaves much to be desired, so images can quickly become unwatchable unless you’re using a tripod at longer focal lengths.

And, once you begin to use the JVC, it becomes clear that the optical quality doesn’t match the impressive storage either. The 1/6in CCD is the smallest sensor on test, and our low-light tests showed the impact this had on colour reproduction in dark conditions. The low resolution also looked grainy at times when compared with the HD resolutions offered by its rivals, while the larger sensors of models such as the HF10 and HF100, with their 1/3.2in CCDs, produced far more accurate colours and handled less favourable lighting conditions more capably.

There is also little flair in the design of the JVC. The body slavishly follows the styling of hundreds of camcorders that have gone before and the silver finish scratched relatively easily, even during the couple of weeks that we used it. The menu is similarly unimpressive, while the “laser” touch navigation system – which requires you to run your finger down a column of blue LEDs to scroll through menus – is a frustrating gimmick.

Compared with the poor video test results of the CG9, the JVC represents a great leap in quality for a small jump in money, but unfortunately, spend $300 less and you get an increase in resolution from 720 x 576 to 1280 x 720 from the Sanyo HD700, and far better image quality as well.
The JVC is therefore a poor choice among its competitors. Its vast storage doesn’t atone for lower quality video.