It’s $537 on Amazon… but if you click the link to the “newer model” - you’ll see the newer model is only $230. Must just be $537 from its original list price…
From CNET -
With some of the worst video quality I’ve seen in an HD camcorder of late, the best I can say about JVC’s entry-level HD Everio camcorder models is that they’re small and cheap. Though they’re $60 to $100 less than HD competitors, they’re defined by a tiny, insufficient-resolution-for-HD sensor, a 20x zoom lens with no optical image stabilization (only electronic), and the lowest-resolution LCD display in their class.
Because Sony manufactures it and sells it under the Konica Minolta name, probably to avoid brand confusion. They probably also made the CCDs and display.