JVC GY-HM170 Camera

Introduction

The JVC GY-HM170 series is a fully functional high performance camera capable of shooting exceptional footage for news, sports and independent productions. It can even record 4K Ultra HD recordings directly to SD memory cards. This camera is designed for fast-paced ENG production work, offering superb low-light capabilities, a long wide-angle zoom lens and multiple encoding formats.


The JVC GY-HM170 records in dual SD card slots. You will need to purchase your own cards. This camera uses a Class 6 or higher card – Class 10 is preferred. Try to get at minimum 16 GB cards that will record roughly 80 minutes of footage, or 32 GB, which will record about 160 minutes. It's also preferable to get a fast card that reads HD footage, once such as a 90 MB/s card is ideal.

NOTE: JVC issues one word of caution about SD cards: using cards other than those from Panasonic, TOSHIBA or SanDisk may result in recording failure or data loss. 

Getting to Know the Camera

First, get to know the camera bag and its contents.

Included in the camera bag you will find:



Battery Charging Unit and AC cable

NOTE: This camera kit comes with only 1 AC cable










Batteries

NOTE: Take care of the batteries - don't drop them because impacts could cause problems with the battery holding a charge. Upon check-out, find out immediately whether the batteries are fully charged. You will be given only two batteries upon checkout. 






AC Power Adaptor

NOTE: The DC cable is attached to the adaptor. 


Other accessories that you will need to request upon checkout include:

Stick Microphone and XLR cable

NOTE: The stick microphone is also referred to as a hand microphone. When doing interviews, hold the microphone about a foot away from the person's mouth to get optimal sound. 



Wireless Microphone kit

NOTE: These kits reproduce excellent voice sound for interviews and are great for hands-free reporter stand-ups. 

Explore the camera parts to find the following:

  • Lens cap (don’t lose this)
  • SD Card slots
  • Audio Input 1 and Input 2 terminals
  • The LCD flip open monitor
  • The MENU button
  • The Power Switch
  • The Recording Switch
  • The Focus Ring
  • The Iris Ring
  • Full/Auto Button 

These are just a few parts that will become more familiar to you with use. But before you start using the camera for real, spend some time getting to know how it works. Take the camera out for a “test drive” and actually shoot some video and record audio. Don’t wait to learn how to use the camera when you’re doing an assignment. The more time you spend with the camera, the less time you’ll spend on troubleshooting and more on creativity.