JVC's versatile GY-HM710U ProHD Compact Shoulder Camcorder with Canon 14x Lens is a professional ENG camera that uses the same 3x 1/3" CCD sensors and compact shoulder-mount form factor as the GY-HM790. Designed for professional field-recording applications such as newsgathering, event videography, documentary filmmaking, and digital cinema, the GY-HM710 comes equipped with a Canon 14x zoom and is capable of capturing full-HD 1080i/p video as native MP4 or MOV files. Standard-definition AVI and MOV file formats (480i) can also be directly recorded for legacy SD applications. All this makes the camera tops in its ability to output ready-to-edit files for such NLEs as Final Cut Pro and Adobe Premiere.

If you don't particularly need studio-control options, the HM710 is an excellent, economical camcorder choice that includes all the features you've come to expect from a professional camera. There are XLR inputs with manual control, HD/SD-SDI output for monitoring or recording to an external unit, and 1920 x 1080 recording at 24p, 30p, and 60i to dual hot-swappable SDHC cards (media sold separately).

In addition, the ProHD camcorder provides some nice surprises. The supplied interchangeable lens is a high-definition Canon 14x zoom that features minimal chromatic aberration and starts at 4.4mm (equivalent to 32mm in the 35mm world) on the wide end. The camera features a generous 20-second pre-record cache, preventing missed shots – this is especially helpful for projects that thrive on spontaneity, such as special events and documentaries. Its 35 Mb/s maximum bit rate and 4:2:2 HD-SDI output produce files and signals that can withstand postproduction processes well. And with the GY-HM710's convenient native file recording options, your shoot-to-edit workflow couldn't be simpler.