JVC GY-HM170UA 4KCAM Compact Professional Camcorder with Top Handle Audio Unit
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Not good cam
No good with low lighting, need to keep light on the face of people if you are an events videographer. I dont recommend buy this camera at all
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
Lighting is terrible
Like a previous review stated, light control in a medium, to low light setting was horrific. we performed a multicamera shoot with this camera, a canon g30 and an older canon xh a1... The JVC, the newest camera by 10+ years, performed the worst with iris/shutter control and the lighting for the indoor environment. Will not buy again for upgrade to the fleet.
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
Amazing Camcorder!
I actually bought this camcorder to get us by for now but after using it I have decided to keep it. The picture and clarity is professional. I would have to spend about 10k more than the price of this camera to see a noticeable difference in picture. Which is why I'm set.
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
Excellent quality
I'm a Football Video Coordinator and I use this camera to film on game day, this camera is used at multiple programs throughout the NCAA. Very reliable and gives you an excellent shot. Would highly recommend.
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
Cheap professional camcorder but small sensor
There are better options for a little bit more money. Con: The sensor compared to other cameras today is tiny and gets noisy in dark situations. Pro: All the function buttons and xlr handle are great and built in NDs are great for filming outdoors.
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
Disappointed!
In February I purchased the JVC GY-HM 170 new. Right out of the box I could not record good video. I kept trying thinking it was me that just did not understand the proper settings. In spite of my efforts the video became worse and the time invested took me past the B&H 30 day return period. The camera was shipped to JVC at my expense of over $40. JVC informed me that the main board and another board had to be replaced. This is the first JVC product I ever purchased. The price persuaded me to try this product.
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
Blurry shots
Unfortunately, we have had problems with this camera from day one. At first we thought it might be user error, but after extensive testing it appears to have some major focus issues. it does not hold focus and auto focus does not work so about 75% of our shots are not crisp. I would not recommend this camera at all.
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
Serious autofocus problems
I have been using this camera for a couple of years in a part-time ENG capacity. Business has not been good enough to purchase a new camera, otherwise I would have replaced the GY-HM170UAlong ago. I have been limping along with it, and its problems have cost me several good shots. First, the good. The image quality is acceptable in daytime conditions. I have no issues with the menu/buttons/switches. The capacity of the dual memory slots is enou... Show More
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
NICE SO FAR.
Great value for the price. Using it as a third camera for cut away shots at weddings. My only complaint is the menu/arrow button is a little difficult. With a little practice, its really not too bad, though.
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
A Little Powerhouse
If you're don't need an SDI interface or network capabilities, the JVC GY-HM170UA is a little powerhouse with great capabilities. The controls are easy to use, the viewfinders are very good and it's nice to have XLR inputs, although you can simply plug in the top-mounted microphone or use the built-in mics for convenience. I would prefer to have the mic inputs on the camera body, but given the size of the unit this would have been difficult to do... Show More
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
Don't buy!
Our agency purchased 2 JVC GY-HM170U camcorders. After shooting quite a bit with these cameras, they are just really poorly made. They have back focus issues which no fixed lens camera should. The image quality is awful and they perform poorly in low light. After 20 years in the business, I can honestly say these are the worst cameras I have ever used. I did the firmware update, but that has not resolved the problems. This is not camera specific as both cameras exhibit the same issues. I contacted JVC about these issues and never got a response. Save yourself the headaches and avoid.
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
Terrible in all conditions.
Thank God for B&Hs return policy. This camera is terrible in all conditions, but specially in low light. Mine came with two broken sitches and returned it, but having testet it first, I decided to bail in what once was a great camera manufacturer JVC. At the core of its problems are a small 1/2 sensor (too small for 4K) and poor build quality. I admit, on paper it sounds good, but this camera is good for nothing. Youll be better off with any of B&H other offerings fron Canon, Sony or Panasonic.
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
Adding a third one
After having been a strictly Sony house for decades, we looked at the cost/benefit ratio of the HM170 and then bought one to try within B&H's return window. We put it to work right away in our east coast studio and used it daily for a couple of weeks. It worked well for our purposes. The massive manual for this feature-laden camera is only marginally helpful, so even experienced operators have some learning to do. However, even newbies who put th... Show More
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
Bought 2 so far and adding a third
After having been a strictly Sony house for decades, we looked at the cost/benefit ratio of the HM170 and then bought one to try within B&H's return window. We put it to work right away in our east coast studio and used it daily for a couple of weeks. It worked well for our purposes. The massive manual for this feature-laden camera is only marginally helpful, so even experienced operators have some learning to do. However, even newbies who put th... Show More
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
Horrible; dirt cheap for a reason!
I returned this camcorder the nex day. Very desapointed with JVC. It feels hallow and bottons are poor quality, so bad that my unit came with two of them malfunctioning. I returned it right away (thanks B&H for your return policy). Besides the poor construction, performance is just OK when in good light, but horrible in low light. The only good thing is its price, and the now included top hanble, but remember, its dirt cheap for a reason!
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
If you are not getting good results, it's you, not the cam.
I have used this camera to record outdoors and indoors with low light. Although I have not used it enough to master the camera, I have used it enough and toyed with the setting enough to realize that the camera is only as good as the human using the camera. Isn't that all cameras? It seems it does better in 4K mode than HD mode as far as low light, but you can still do well by using the gain setting properly without adding too much grain. And giv... Show More
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
Ok camera
For the price its a OK camera. Absolutely nothing impressive about this unit. Very poor viewfinder, its hard to find focus.
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
Work well for my purposes and have been functioning great!
Excellent cameras, I have 3 just be careful in low light! Quality degrades so be prepared to light situations, outdoor quality is excellent, indoor is very good with decent light. Low light is not an option!
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
I loved these.
Bought two of these for a documentary and workhorse video work and they were amazing. Reliable, great image quality - fantastic color and audio ports that work great. Wish they came with battery chargers. Sold them to upgrade to the LS-300 when I decided to stop doing two-camera work.
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
Good value
I purchased this camera for a specific project that needed run and gun capabilities...fast and accurate auto focus, image stabilizer, XLR audio in... in short the type of camera I had for many years prior to DSLR / separate audio recording. I am a one-man-band so to speak. I was hesitant because of the low-light worries and other negative comments, I even had sales people directing my to a much better camera at near the price. However the light w... Show More
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
Est? bien por el precio
Me decepcion?? la calidad , sab?a que no era como la de una dslr , pero esperaba un poco m?s. Tiene much?simas funciones , much?simos ajustes. La construcci??n es floja. todo pl?stico y los botones y potenciometros se ven muy d??biles , sobre todo los de volumen manual de micr??fono
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
Great camera!
This is my second JVC that I have purchased from B and H. Once again great price, great camera. Easy to use!
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
Great Camera
This is a very great deal. its not that expensive but it is 4K and works well. For this price you cannot beat this deal. Awesome buy
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
Very capable camcorder
I've owned a lot of pro camcorders in the last 20 years. I've owned high end pro Sonys, Panasonic, and JVCs. Not one of those camcorders were perfect. They all had their problems in one way or another. Well I wanted to get into 4K video without breaking the bank. So I read all the 4K camera reviews and the JVC GY-HM170UA got my interest. So I took a chance and bought it. The JVC turned out to be a real surprise. It has so many great features for ... Show More
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
