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The Proof is in the Pudding
The proof is in the pudding.

I shot an entire feature-length documentary using a JVC GZ-HD7U, a pair of Schriber shotgun mics (Model SA-568ZM) strapped to it and plugged into its stereo input jack using a Y connector, and a GLIDECAM 2000 Pro.

The documentary subject required RAPID deployment of camera and sound equipment on location with little or no advanced notice. The portability of this camera made it ideal for these demanding shooting schedules.

The site where the majority of shooting was done required extreme mobility in small spaces. This camera was small enough and light enough to maneuver around with, even when the shotgun mics were strapped to it and all of that rig was mounted on the GLIDECAM.

With the documentary being shot in multiple locations - indoors and outdoors - using only available lighting (no additional artificial lighting was required for any part of the documentary shoot), this camera performed perfectly well for all lightng situations encountered.

Having limited idle-time intervals between shooting sessions - typically as little as 1 hour - downloading recorded video from the camera to mass storage (I used 4 1-terabyte WINBOOK drives hooked up to a Toshiba Satellite laptop) was a breeze.

As for battery capacity, I managed just fine using only two JVC Battery Packs (BN-VF823U) and one JVC AA-VF8 charger. Battery level indicators on the camera were delightfully obvious. Shooting schedules for the documentary typically ran from sunup to well beyond sundown and by always having one of the batteries in the charger while shooting with the other - switching batteries as needed - I never, in more than 100 hours of shooting for the documentary, found myself holding a useless camera with no juice available to operate it.

Durability of the camera was excellent. It never got dropped but it did get its share of bumps during the shoot and none of them damaged or negatively affected its performance whatsoever. It was operated in extreme temperature situations ranging from freezing to +100 degree, high-humidity summer temps without a hitch or glitch.

I have never rated any product I have purchased before in my life 100% five stars across the board. I can make these ratings for the Everio GZ-HD7U with complete confidence and just cause derived from long hours of hands-on, heavy field use in shooting the documentary.

Want to see the pudding? Just watch the documentary "Harley & Annabelle - Living Legends in Erick, Oklahoma" available at [...] to see how well this camera performed for the project.

I would recommend this camcorder!
I searched high and low for a good HD camcorder that wouldn't break my bank and I finally found the JVC Everio GZ-MG360 for a decent price. I took it with me on a trip the day after I got it and have just now been able to see the finished product. Here's my eval of it:

Pros:
-VERY easy to use... if you're the least bit tech savy then you can figure out how to use everything by just simply clicking through the buttons.
-Nice, functional design - lightweight, small, and very stylish!
-Even on the highest 'ultra fine' setting I got 8 hrs of video.
-Transfer between the camcorder and PC is a piece of cake... when you plug it in... it takes over!

Cons:
-Even though they do not lie about it... the battery life is only around 1hr or so... I would recommend buying a second battery... I had access to an outlet so no biggie.
-I wish there was an automatic lens opener on it because I kept forgetting to open and close the lens... it does remind you however!
-Not that this is a big deal but WMP does not recognize the 16:9 aspect ratio so you will need to use DIVX or RP to play the vid files with the correct aspect ratio.

Summary: Overall I am VERY pleased with this camcorder and would highly recommend this for anyone wanting a low end price memory snapper! :)

Tough as Nails
I've had this camera for three years. I've dropped it twice onto hard-packed dirt. One impact landed directly on the lens from about four feet and resulted only in a stiffening of the front focus ring. No other detectable damage. Another time I was steadicaming with it, running down a steep trail and I tripped. The camera went flying and landed again right on the lens, but this time, NO damage! What an awesome camera! And it takes beautiful 24p widescreen images and clear sound. You couldn't ask for more.

Miserable PC connectivity and irritating software
I own this camera for 12 months now. I agree to the positive reviews about the video quality and light handling. However when it comes to PC connectivity this camera simply - don't! The only way to get your videos on your PC is through the supported software. You can't stream live video and you can't use common software such as Movie Maker or Windows Media Encoder to capture live video or to immediately edit the recorded video (on the HD). The computer seems to recognize the camera as an AVC compliant device - but nothing more than that. And when it comes to using the supported software - is sucks! The software is very cumbersome to use, it uses a quite rare video format (some MAC type of TOD files) and the video editor software has very limited options for even the basic edits. If you need to edit your videos on your PC - be prepare to for a tedious job.

not compatible with Windows Vista
this is video camera is not compatible with Window's vista. the program that comes with it. STINKS! I didn't try to download and try until after the warranty had un be known to me expired. I bought an expensive DVD player that only plays what is on this camcorder. on the look again but will NOT buy a JVC.