Introduction

Update: The Everio GZ-HM200 was ultimately selected as our 2009 Mid-Range Camcorder of the Year. To see why we selected it and read about our other 2009 awards, check out the 2009 CamcorderInfo.com Select Awards.

Design

Front

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Back

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Left

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Right

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Top

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Bottom

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Size & Weight Comparison

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In the Box

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Performance

Color

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The JVC GZ-HM200 put up spectacular numbers in our bright light color test. The camcorder measured a color error of 1.93 and a saturation level of 102%. JVC has shown us very accurate colors on most of its models this year, but the GZ-HM200 takes home first prize in this test. These color scores are excellent, and they are better than the numbers we've gotten from every other camcorder we've tested this year. More on how we test color.

In the Error Map shown above, you can see the GZ-HM200 produced nearly all the colors in our test chart with sublime accuracy. It was most accurate with greens and yellows, but it did very well across the board. The HM200 has no color modes, so what you see in auto mode is what you get as far as color is concerned. Below is a sample image taken from our color testing.

In the comparison images below you can see the GZ-HM200 captured a similar image to the JVC GZ-HM400. The HM200, however, produced more vivid colors and had better color accuracy in our testing. Both the Canon HF20 and Panasonic HDC-SD20 were farther behind in this test, but neither fared poorly.

Determining how well a camcorder captures colors has a lot to do with personal preference. Some people like lots of saturation, some people like bright colors, and some people like more faded tones. What we can tell you is the JVC GZ-HM200 captures very accurate colors with strong and even saturation levels. The only downside is the fact that the camcorder doesn't offer any color adjustment controls—something that the Canon HF20 and Panasonic HDC-SD20 both offer in at least a limited capacity.

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Low Light Color

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The GZ-HM200 showed a significant drop in color accuracy when we lowered the lights for our low light color test. This is normal, however, and the camcorder's 5.17 color error is actually better than average for a mid-range model. In low light, the HM200 showed us faded colors and it registered a saturation level of just 55.39%. This is a little below average for a camcorder of its class. More on how we test low light color.

Looking at the comparison images below, you'll see the HM200 isn't alone in producing a washed-out and faded low light image. The rest of the camcorders in this set had even worse color accuracies than the GZ-HM200, with the closest competitor being the Canon HF20, which retained a fair amount of saturation and color depth.

Though the low light performance wasn't as strong as the color in bright light, we were far from disappointed. We should note, however, that the GZ-HM200 had a slight off-color tone in its low light image—something we noticed on the JVC GZ-HM400 and GZ-X900 as well. The HM400 was a worse offender; you can actually see agreenish-yellow tone in the gray parts of the HM400's crop above.

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Noise

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The GZ-HM200 averaged 0.6175% noise in our bright light testing. This is a good showing for the camcorder and it is roughly the same amount of noise we measured on the GZ-HM400. More on how we test noise.

Being a mid-range camcorder, it shouldn't be surprising to see the GZ-HM200 capture a less sharp image than the JVC GZ-HM400. The crops above really tell this story better than we can describe. The most impressive thing to note about the images above is the amount of detail captured by the Canon HF20. The HF20 is one of Canon's mid-range HD camcorders, yet it captures a much sharper image than both the Panasonic HDC-SD20 and the JVC GZ-HM200. Of course, it's also quite a bit more expensive than these two models.

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Low Light Sensitivity

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JVC has shown a trend this year of manufacturing camcorders that are excellent in bright light situations, but have some severe problems when shooting under less-than-ideal lighting conditions. The JVC GZ-HM200 is not the worst offender in this case (that award goes to the HM400's cousin model, the JVC GZ-X900), but it still didn't put forth a good effort in our low light sensitivity test. The camcorder required 29 lux of light to reach 50 IRE on our waveform monitor—roughly the same amount of light required for the JVC GZ-HM400 to reach the same levels.

Both the Panasonic HDC-SD20 and Canon HF20 did better in this test, but they aren't elite low light sensitivity performers either. In fact, most of the mid-range camcorders we've tested this year have had problems with low light sensitivity. Only certain high-end models—like the HDC-HS300 and TM300 from Panasonic, and the Sanyo VPC-HD2000—have done very well on this test in 2009.

Still, we cannot deny that the HM200's performance in this test is sub par. The camcorder does offer an auto slow shutter feature (engaged by setting the gain level to auto), which will boost low light performance. However, using this feature produces motion trails and choppy footage whenever the camcorder decides to let the slow shutter kick in (the shutter speed drops to as low as 1/30 of a second with auto slow shutter turned on).

In the HM200's defense, we did get some rather good scores in our low light color and low light noise testing with the camcorder. So, as long as you're not filming in very low light situations, the camcorder should still be able to capture a colorful image without too much noise. Read the next two sections of this review for complete details. More on how we test low light sensitivity.

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Low Light Noise

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The GZ-HM200 put up very respectable numbers in our low light noise testing. The camcorder averaged 1.28% noise, which is roughly half the amount of noise recorded by the Canon HF20. Unexpectedly, the high-end JVC HM400 also had more noise than the HM200. Of the comparison models below, on the Panasonic HDC-SD20 measured less noise than the HM200. More on how we test low light noise.

Part of the reason the GZ-HM200 did so well with this test probably has to do with the fact that the camcorder captured such a blurred image in low light. The camcorder didn't show nearly as much detail in low light as the Canon HF20 or JVC GZ-HM400. Both the HM200 and SD20 had both blurry images and low noise in this test: blurring obscures desirable details as well as undesirable details (like noise).

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Low Light Color

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The GZ-HM200 showed a significant drop in color accuracy when we lowered the lights for our low light color test. This is normal, however, and the camcorder's 5.17 color error is actually better than average for a mid-range model. In low light, the HM200 showed us faded colors and it registered a saturation level of just 55.39%. This is a little below average for a camcorder of its class. More on how we test low light color.

Looking at the comparison images below, you'll see the HM200 isn't alone in producing a washed-out and faded low light image. The rest of the camcorders in this set had even worse color accuracies than the GZ-HM200, with the closest competitor being the Canon HF20, which retained a fair amount of saturation and color depth.

Though the low light performance wasn't as strong as the color in bright light, we were far from disappointed. We should note, however, that the GZ-HM200 had a slight off-color tone in its low light image—something we noticed on the JVC GZ-HM400 and GZ-X900 as well. The HM400 was a worse offender; you can actually see agreenish-yellow tone in the gray parts of the HM400's crop above.

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Motion

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The JVC GZ-HM200 only shoots 1080/60i video, but the camcorder does offer a 1080/60p up-conversion when using its HDMI output. This does not mean the camcorder shoots at 1080p (it is still 1080i); there is simply a conversion process that allows the video to play as 1080p on compatible televisions. Sony has also begun implementing this feature on its new flash-memory camcorders, like the HDR-CX500V.

The GZ-HM200's motion looked good in our testing, but keep in mind that our motion videos are shot under bright, even lighting conditions. The camcorder's footage doesn't look nearly as good when the lights get dim. Still, we found the camcorder to capture very smooth motion in our testing. Unsurprisingly, it also had more artifacting and less detail than the higher-end consumer HD camcorders. As far as motion is concerned, we didn't notice any real difference between the GZ-HM200 and its sister model, the JVC GZ-HD300 in this test.

Based solely on 1080/60i recording, the JVC GZ-HM200 actually captured slightly better motion than the HDC-SD20. The SD20 wasn't as smooth, had about the same amount of artifacting, and produced a bit more blur than the HM200. The HDC-SD20, however, does offer a 24p mode (called Digital Cinema). This gives you an extra frame rate option that is not present on the JVC GZ-HM200.

The Canon HF20 is a step above the JVC GZ-HM200 and the Panasonic HDC-SD20 when it comes to motion and sharpness. The camcorder has a larger sensor than most mid-range models and it makes good use of its enhanced specs. The camcorder had much less noticeable artifacting than the SD20 and HM200 and it also captured a sharper, more detailed image. In addition, the HF20 offers both a 30p and 24p recording mode (as well as regular 60i), making it one of the most versatile mid-range camcorders on the market when it comes to frame rates. Keep in mind, the Canon HF20's superior motion and sharpness performance doesn't come cheap—the camcorder is a couple hundred dollars more expensive than the Panasonic HDC-SD20 or JVC GZ-HM200.

We were very impressed with the JVC GZ-HM400's ability to render smooth, fine motion. The camcorder kept artifacting to an absolute minimum and it produced some of the cleanest footage we've seen all year. The only downside is the HM400 doesn't have a 24p or 30p mode for recording HD video. The camcorder does have some low quality, high-speed frame rate options (120fps, 300fps, and 600fps), but the videos captured in these modes have strict time limitations and very low resolution. If you choose to spend the extra money for an HM400, motion is definitely one area in which you'll get your money's worth. More on how we test motion.

Video Sharpness

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Even though the JVC GZ-HM200 is a mid-range camcorder, it was able to capture a good amount of detail and a fairly sharp image in bright light. In our testing, the camcorder measured a horizontal sharpness of 500 lw/ph and a vertical sharpness of 600 lw/ph. These numbers are slightly better than average for a camcorder of the HM200's class, and they are better than what the Panasonic HDC-SD20 earned in the same test. Of course, high-end models like the JVC GZ-HM400 can get you a significantly sharper image—as can the Canon HF20, which put forth one of the best video sharpness performances we've seen this year. More on how we test video sharpness.

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Testing Samples

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Usability

Ease of Use

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Just like the JVC's other mid-range HD camcorder, the GZ-HD300, the GZ-HM200 should be quite easy for beginners to use. The camcorder is sparsely populated with only a few buttons, the menu system is simple and easy to navigate, and the auto mode is a good alternative if you don't like setting manual controls. The HM200 does lack a dedicated 'easy' mode like you see on Sony and Canon camcorders, but the auto mode should suffice for most users. In auto mode you still have access to some of the HM200's menus, but you cannot open the Manual Settings submenu.

The GZ-HM200 does have its difficulties. Primarily, we're talking about the Laser Touch strip. The strip can be frustrating to use and difficult to get used to—especially if you aren't used to the system. We did find it useful for scrolling through long lists of menu options and the operation sounds (a small beeping tone) help you recognize when the Laser Touch is responding. For manual controls, however, the Laser Touch can be unwieldy and frustrating. In a lot of ways, the Laser Touch is like a touchscreen: some people will love working with it, while others will detest it.

The 'one-touch' buttons located inside the HM200's LCD cavity are meant to make the uploading, exporting, or DVD burning process easier, but they don't do a very good job. The buttons must be activated before you start recording in order to take advantage of their 'one-touch' ability. You also have to install and work with JVC's provided editing software to export, upload, or burn your video clips. Overall, we found the 'one-touch' buttons didn't save much time because you can easily perform the same actions by using the editing software alone (without ever touching the 'one-touch' buttons).

The menu system on the GZ-HM200 is simple in design—one long list of menu options with a few categorized submenus. This means all the camcorder's features are located under the same main menu system, which is a much different design than we've seen on some other camcorders (that use two or three separate menu interfaces). The problem with this setup, however, is that the HM200's list of menu options is very long and you cannot see every option on one page. You must scroll through lists in order to find the specific setting you are looking for—this, at least, is something the Laser Touch strip is well-designed for.

The Main menu is accessed by pressing the Menu button on the HM200's LCD panel. If you're in Manual Mode, you'll see a Manual Setting submenu right at the top of the Main menu. This submenu has most of the camcorder's manual controls like shutter speed, focus, exposure, etc. The Manual Settings submenu does not appear when the camcorder is in Auto Mode. Near the bottom of the Main menu you have four more submenus: Display Settings, Basic Settings, Connection Settings, and Media Settings. Each of these submenus houses options that fit under those categories, although the placement of some options is a bit confusing (like putting Focus Assist color under Display Settings).

In playback, the camcorder has two separate menus for Video Mode and Still Mode. The menus aren't completely different, but there are a few options that are unique for each. The menus in Playback Mode are accessed by pressing the Menu button—the same way you access the menu in Record Mode.

Overall, we like the menu design on the GZ-HM200, but it isn't perfect. The list of options is long and if you don't know where you are supposed to be looking it is quite easy to scroll past a specific option without knowing. The Laser Touch does work well for quickly navigating the menus, but it isn't great if you want to slowly pick through the menu options. JVC does include a small bit of text at the bottom of the menu screen that tells you some information about the option you are selecting. This 'help' text is a great idea, but the fact that it scrolls slowly along the screen can make it difficult to read at times.

Auto Mode

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The GZ-HM200 is a fairly simple camcorder, and you can let the camcorder do most of the work by running it in auto mode. The HM200's auto mode isn't a 'simple' or 'easy' mode like you'll see on other camcorders. It doesn't lock you out of the menu system or bar you from adjusting every control—it simply puts every function on auto and blocks access to the Manual Settings submenu. You can still go into the main menu and make adjustments to things like zoom, stabilization, AGC, as well as display and media settings.

Unfortunately, not all of the camcorder's automatic controls functioned at an ideal level. The autofocus was generally good, but we noticed it taking a bit too long when we shot in dimmer lighting conditions (in bright light it worked great). There's also a face detection feature, which certainly didn't hurt matters, but didn't seem to help much either.

The auto exposure on the camcorder was also flawed. It sometimes took 3-4 seconds to adjust to a change in environment—far too long if you plan to use auto mode a lot. In manual mode, you can switch between Whole Screen and Spot evaluation to determine how the camcorder measures exposure levels (Spot measures the light at the center of the frame and adjusts exposure accordingly). If you find yourself shooting a subject with a strong light behind them, you can turn backlight compensation on to help the camcorder accommodate.

The camcorder's auto white balance had trouble adjusting the color temperature correctly under indoor lights. Certain lights gave the image a warm, orange tint, while others gave the image a cool, blue tone. Using the HM200's manual white balance solved this problem, but how many novice users are ever going to take the time to white balance their camcorder?

Low Light Modes - The GZ-HM200 has a built-in video light that can be set to off, on, or auto. With the auto setting, the light will turn on whenever you film in relative darkness. We found the auto setting to work a bit slowly, especially when we stopped shooting in low light (it took a while to turn off). The light also has an extremely limited illumination range of about one foot.

You can boost the HM200's low light performance by turning on its auto slow shutter (setting AGC to auto). This will result in some funny looking motion when the slow shutter kicks in (like motion trails, blur, and choppy footage). The auto slow shutter only allows the shutter to drop to a 1/30 of a second shutter speed, however, so the choppiness of the footage isn't as bad as using a very slow shutter like 1/8 or 1/4 of a second.

Scenes - There aren't too many scene modes on the GZ-HM200, but most common options are included: Night, Twilight, Portrait, Sports, Snow, and Spotlight. The Night scene mode is like auto slow shutter, except it uses even lower shutter speeds than 1/30 of a second (thus resulting in more blur and motion trails).

Other Auto Features

Handling

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The JVC GZ-HM200 handles much like its sister model, the GZ-HD300. Both camcorders share a similar compact design and both are roughly the same size and weight. The main difference, however, is that the GZ-HM200 features a different hand strap, and its right side grip is rounder and smoother. The HD300 records to a 60GB internal hard drive, which gives a bit more bulk to its right side.

We're not crazy about the HM200's hand strap one bit. It is flimsy, cheap, uncomfortable, and provides nearly no support whatsoever. The strap is made out of a flexible, rubberized material that simply doesn't feel good against your skin. This thing is a far cry from the soft, padded straps you see on high-end models from other manufacturers. Still, the HM200's strap isn't that much worse than the JVC GZ-HD300's—the only difference is the material that the strap is made out of (the HD300 has a softer, non-rubberized strap).

It appears JVC doesn't think many HM200 users are going to be using the hand strap in the first place (which is probably why they didn't put much effort into making a quality strap). On the right side of the camcorder is a groove where the strap can be tucked in—thus making the right side flat and streamlined. This is the reason JVC chose to make the strap out of the rubbery material, as it can fit into the groove much easier than a thicker, softer strap would be capable of.

We actually found the GZ-HM200 to be more comfortable when using the camcorder without its hand strap. The camcorder fit very well into our palm, although the grip wasn't very strong. The GZ-HM200 isn't quite light enough to use it for a long day of shooting without some kind of support—and that's where the necessity of a strap comes in. JVC really just didn't get this right. You need to either put a comfortable strap on your camcorder, or make the body small and light enough to be able to grip it strongly without the aid of a strap.

Of course, the GZ-HM200 has a couple of other handling issues worth mentioning. Its Laser Touch strip is finicky to use, but you can get accustomed to it with some practice. It is a bit better than using a touchscreen when it comes to adjusting manual controls, but it has some of the same problems. The GZ-HM200 is also cheaply constructed, which we noticed first-hand with the breaking of two port covers during our time with the camcorder.

Portability

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The JVC GZ-HM200 is lighter and smaller than most mid-range camcorders (including the Panasonic HDC-SD20 and Canon HF20). It has the same smooth, compact body design that is featured on all of JVC's mid-range 2009 models. In fact, the camcorder is close to being small enough to fit in your pocket—well maybe a tight squeeze into a large pocket. Still, the HM200 is quite compact for a camcorder of its class, and its 310g weight means it is nearly as light as some camcorders that are designed specifically with portability in mind, like the Sony HDR-TG5V, the Sanyo VPC-HD2000, and the JVC GZ-X900.

Adding to the HM200's portability benefits is the fact that the camcorder offers two SD/SDHC memory card slots. This allows you to pre-load the camcorder with two memory cards, so you don't have to remember to pack an extra card along with you. It may sound like a minor detail, but the second card slot does make the camcorder more convenient, versatile, and portable.

Battery Life

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The GZ-HM200 offers a pretty good battery life with its provided BN-VF808U battery pack. The camcorder lasted for 112 minutes in our battery test (1 hour, 52 minutes), which is a bit longer than most mid-range camcorders last. This performance is nothing, however, compared to the 163-minute battery life achieved by the JVC GZ-HM400. More on how we test battery life.

If you want longer battery life with your camcorder, JVC does sell some larger, longer-lasting batteries that are compatible with the GZ-HM200. The camcorder has an open battery compartment design, so you don't have to worry about the camcorder not being able to accommodate larger batteries.

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LCD

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The GZ-HM200 has a 2.7-inch color LCD with a 123,000-pixel resolution. These are rather lackluster specs, although this is the same LCD you'll find on the JVC GZ-HD300 as well as all of JVC's standard definition camcorders. Being such a compact camcorder, it shouldn't come as a surprise that the HM200 does not include a viewfinder.

While the LCD isn't very big and doesn't have a high pixel count, it can be rotated up to 270-degrees, which is customary for a consumer camcorder. You can also manually set the brightness of the LCD (with 11 increments of adjustment), and you can adjust the LCD backlight (with settings for brighter, standard, and auto).

On the left side of the LCD is JVC's Laser Touch operation strip, which is found on all of JVC's 2009 models. The strip is used to navigate menus and adjust most of the HM200's manual controls. As we discussed more in the Handling section of this review, the Laser Touch strip can be difficult to get used to and some people may find it a complete annoyance. It does, however, keep your LCD free from greasy fingerprints—something a touchscreen system is not capable of doing.

Stabilization

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The JVC GZ-HM200 is equipped with a digital image stabilization system (DIS), which is the same system found on all of JVC's mid-range models (the GZ-X900 and GZ-HM400 feature optical image stabilization). The problem with digital stabilization is that it can result in degraded image quality when used because it uses a digital pixel-shifting process to reduce the shakiness of your video. Nevertheless, we found the system to work quite effectively on the HM200. The camcorder's DIS reduced 54% of the shake in our low shake testing and 56% in our high shake testing. More on how we test stabilization.

The charts above show the HM200's stabilization effectiveness quite clearly. The blue lines represent the camcorder's motion without DIS engaged, while the more condensed orange lines show its movement with stabilization turned on. You can see the camcorder managed roughly a 50% shake reduction in each of our tests. Also notice how little the camcorder shook even with DIS turned off. This means the HM200 is weighted quite evenly and is a rather stable camcorder to begin with. Below is a video of the GZ-HM200's stabilization system in action:

For those who have a strong dislike of digital stabilization systems, you should check out the Panasonic HDC-SD20. It did slightly better than the JVC GZ-HM200 in this test, but it is equipped with an optical stabilization system (OIS). This means turning the SD20's stabilization on shouldn't result in any loss of image quality. The Canon HF20 also has an optical stabilization system, but we didn't find it to be very effective. The GZ-HM400's optical system was quite good, although it produced similar results to the HM200's digital stabilization system.

Manual Focus

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Manual Exposure

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Miscellaneous Controls

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Tele Macro

Changes the camcorder's focal range to let you focus clearly on close-up subjects.

Audio Controls

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If you're looking for a camcorder with special audio features, stay away from the JVC GZ-HM200. As far as audio controls, all the camcorder really has is its built-in, 2-channel microphone that is located just under the lens. In its defense, the microphone is well-placed and out of the way from wandering fingers or noisy controls. The only other audio control on the camcorder is a wind cut feature that reduces noise from rustling wind. It has no external mic jack, headphone output, or manual audio controls.

While it is common for mid-range camcorders to lack many audio controls, the comparison models listed below all offer more audio features than the GZ-HM200. The Canon HF20 includes an external mic jack, a headphone output, manual audio level adjustments, and a Canon-proprietary accessory shoe. The JVC GZ-HM400 has nearly the same features, although its audio level adjustment range isn't as extensive as the HF20's. The Panasonic HDC-SD20 has good audio level controls, but it doesn't have an external mic jack. The chart below lists all of the audio features found on these four camcorders:

Editing

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The GZ-HM200 ships with Everio Media Browser HD—the same editing software that comes with all of JVC's consumer HD camcorders. The software only works on Windows computers, but it allows you to do a variety of actions with your video footage. You can upload to internet sites like YouTube, export files to iTunes, create DVDs (if you have a DVD burner), and organize your media.

Since the HM200 records HD video using AVCHD compression, you'll need to use some kind of software to transfer the video from your memory card to a computer. The video files cannot simply be 'dragged and dropped' from the card into a media player, but the Media Browser HD software can handle the transfer process for you (as can any professional editing program and numerous other video converting programs). This is probably the most important function of the Everio Media Browser HD program and it handles the task quite well.

The software's advanced features, including the ability to export files and upload to YouTube, are also quite simple to use. We did run into some problems, however, with the software crashing on a number of occasions and failing to recognize our connected camcorder a few times. With the software, you can select which files you'd like to upload to YouTube, export to iTunes, or burn to a DVD—it is a simple drag and drop system of selecting which clips you'd like to apply these actions to. For an overview of the software that ships with this and other camcorders, see our article: Video Editing Software For Your Camcorder{{product.brand.name}}-Included-Software.htm.

JVC's included 'one-touch' features on the HM200 are designed to make these processes even simpler, but we found they didn't help all that much. The 'one-touch' features on the body of the camcorder require you to press buttons before you start recording video. Also, even if you remember to press the Upload button before you shoot your video, you still need to connect the camcorder to a computer and open the Media Browser HD software. So, all the 'one-touch' buttons do is save you the few seconds it takes to select what clips you want to upload, export, or burn to disc while you're using the Media Browser HD software.

In addition to the Media Browser HD software, the GZ-HM200 has a few internal editing features. In playback mode you can make minor edits, add wipes/faders, and create or edit playlists. These features are a bit difficult to use with the camcorder's limited navigation system (the Laser Touch), but they are more extensive internal editing features than are usually found on consumer models.

Features

Compression

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The GZ-HM200 records video in the AVCHD format, which uses the MPEG-4 AVC/H.264 codec. This is the same compression system used on all of JVC's consumer HD camcorders (with the exception of the Picsio pocket cams). AVCHD is very common amongst consumer HD camcorders that record to memory cards, internal flash memory, or internal hard drives. The format was developed by Panasonic and Sony, but it has since been adopted by both Canon and JVC as well. Only Samsung and Sanyo stand out as major manufacturers who do not use AVCHD. (They use generic MPEG-4 AVC/H.264 compression without the AVCHD container.)

As we say in all our reviews of AVCHD camcorders, AVCHD footage captured by the GZ-HM200 can be very difficult to work with. AVCHD clips hold a lot of information, which means they can run sluggishly on any operating system and can take a while to transfer from the camcorder to a computer. Also, AVCHD files must be imported using special software or an editing program that is compatible with AVCHD. Most new editing programs can handle AVCHD, however, so you shouldn't have any trouble as long as your software is up-to-date.

The GZ-HM200 has four quality options for recording HD video, but the camcorder has no standard definition recording option. Each quality setting uses a different bitrate, with the camcorder topping out at 24 Mbps—the maximum bitrate allowed for AVCHD. Read more about the advantages and disadvantages of various high definition compression types.

Media

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The GZ-HM200 features two SD/SDHC memory card slots that can both be loaded with memory cards simultaneously. The camcorder only records video to one card at a time, but you can arrange the HM200 to automatically switch over to the second card once the first one fills up—with no loss of data or stoppage of recording in between.

This is a very smart feature for JVC to include, since it increases the maximum storage capacity on the HM200 to 64GB (with two 32GB cards loaded at the same time). Camcorders that only offer one memory card slot have a maximum capacity of just 32GB. This also means you can save some cash by purchasing lower-capacity SD/SDHC cards and doubling them up (i.e. going for two 16GB cards rather than one 32GB card might save you some money). Read more about the advantages and disadvantages of various media types.

Slow Motion Modes

Still Features

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Compared to any dedicated still-image camera, the GZ-HM200 doesn't offer much. The camcorder takes photos at a maximum resolution of 1920 x 1080, which is just over 2 megapixels. This isn't very impressive, even for a mid-range camcorder. The HM200 also has no built-in flash (as well as no accessory shoe to mount an external flash), no ISO control, and very few photo size options.

The GZ-HM200 does have a self-timer function that can be set to 2 seconds, 10 seconds, or Face Detection. The Face Detection timer automatically snaps a photo when the camcorder registers a new face within the frame. The function works surprisingly well and it is useful when you're trying to take a large group photo. The HM200 also has a continuous shooting mode that lets you take photos for as long as you hold down the shutter button. JVC doesn't list any specs about how many shots per second the camcorder will take in this mode, but, in our testing, it seemed like the camcorder took about 4-5 photos per second.

Most of the manual controls that are available in video mode can also be used in photo mode. Scene modes, focus adjustment, exposure control, shutter speed, white balance, digital effects, backlight, photometry area, and tele macro are all functional in photo mode. You can also use the video light in photo mode, although it doesn't work very well (and isn't nearly as helpful as a built-in flash would be).

The GZ-HM200's still color scores weren't bad, but we expected much better considering the camcorder did so well in our video color testing. The HM200 measured a color error of 4.53 with a saturation level of 115.7% in its still images. These numbers are average for a mid-range camcorder, but the Panasonic HDC-SD20 and the JVC GZ-HM400 both did better on this test.

This isn't to say the HM200's still photos didn't look good. They certainly did, and the colors rendered by the camcorder were very strong and vivid (perhaps a bit over saturated). The camcorder had better color accuracy than the Canon HF20, which captured neon-like blue tones, and the colors looked stronger than the what the Panasonic HDC-SD20 managed.

The GZ-HM200 didn't do too bad in our still noise testing either, though it had higher noise levels here than in our bright light video test. The camcorder measured 0.82% noise, which is better than the Canon HF20 and JVC GZ-HM400, but worse than the Panasonic HDC-SD20.

With a maximum photo resolution of 1920 x 1080, we didn't expect the GZ-HM200 to do much with our still sharpness test. The camcorder measured a horizontal sharpness of 898 lw/ph with 14.4% oversharpening, and a vertical sharpness of 720 lw/ph with 4.6% oversharpening. In reality, these numbers aren't that bad for a camcorder that offers such a low maximum photo resolution. These are better numbers than the Panasonic HDC-SD20 was capable of and that camcorder also tops out with 1920 x 1080 stills. Of course, this is nothing compared to some of the supreme photo/video hybrid models out there. The JVC GZ-HM400, with its 8-megapixel photo capability, captured much sharper still images (2329 lw/ph horizontal, 1800 lw/ph vertical). You'd also get a much better still performance by simply purchasing a cheap, low-end, digital camera instead of using the GZ-HM200 to snap photos.

Lens & Imaging System

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The JVC GZ-HM200 is equipped with a 20x optical zoom lens. Since the average consumer HD camcorder has a zoom between 10x and 15x, this is quite a long optical zoom for an HD camcorder. The lens also has a built-in cover that retracts when you turn on the camcorder (by opening the LCD panel). The CMOS sensor inside the GZ-HM200 is 1/4-inches in size, which is the same size sensor featured on the JVC GZ-HD300. This sensor is a good deal smaller than what is found inside JVC's high-end models, the GZ-X900 and GZ-HM400.

LCD

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The GZ-HM200 has a 2.7-inch color LCD with a 123,000-pixel resolution. These are rather lackluster specs, although this is the same LCD you'll find on the JVC GZ-HD300 as well as all of JVC's standard definition camcorders. Being such a compact camcorder, it shouldn't come as a surprise that the HM200 does not include a viewfinder.

While the LCD isn't very big and doesn't have a high pixel count, it can be rotated up to 270-degrees, which is customary for a consumer camcorder. You can also manually set the brightness of the LCD (with 11 increments of adjustment), and you can adjust the LCD backlight (with settings for brighter, standard, and auto).

On the left side of the LCD is JVC's Laser Touch operation strip, which is found on all of JVC's 2009 models. The strip is used to navigate menus and adjust most of the HM200's manual controls. As we discussed more in the Handling section of this review, the Laser Touch strip can be difficult to get used to and some people may find it a complete annoyance. It does, however, keep your LCD free from greasy fingerprints—something a touchscreen system is not capable of doing.

Connectivity

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The JVC GZ-HM200 has limited connectivity options, although it has all the necessary ports a mid-range camcorder should have. In our short time with the camcorder, two of its port covers have broken—something that does not bode well for the HM200's durability.

Three of the camcorder's ports are located inside the LCD cavity: AV-out, HDMI, and Component-out. The AV-out port is unprotected (although it is covered by the LCD when closed), while the HDMI and Component-out terminals are covered by a thin, flexible piece of plastic. This port cover did not break when we played around with it, but it definitely did not feel exceptionally sturdy. The HDMI output is capable of transmitting 1080p video output, in which the camcorder up-converts its recorded 1080/60i footage to 1080/60p.

Also on the left side of the camcorder are the HM200's dual SD/SDHC card slots. Both are located beneath a sliding door mechanism that is built into the camcorder's body. This door is an interesting design because it melds with the camcorder's body, but it also doesn't feel very sturdy (and if it breaks, then you're memory cards become exposed to the elements).

On the right side of the HM200 are the USB and DC-input ports, both of which have terrible port covers. After the third or fourth time we opened the camcorder's DC-input cover we found that we couldn't get it to close again. The plastic tether that attaches the cover to the camcorder's body simply wouldn't retract anymore. Chalk this up to poor design and cheap construction on JVC's part. What really miffed us was the fact that the USB port cover broke as well—the second time we opened it! Its plastic tether simply snapped off, which means the cover was no longer attached to the body of the camcorder. Maybe it's a good thing the GZ-HM200 doesn't offer too many connectivity options, as this makes for fewer port covers that can be broken.

Battery

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If you want longer battery life with your camcorder, JVC does sell some larger, longer-lasting batteries that are compatible with the GZ-HM200. The camcorder has an open battery compartment design, so you don't have to worry about the camcorder not being able to accommodate larger batteries. Find out how the product:model/product:model performed in our battery life test.

Media

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The GZ-HM200 features two SD/SDHC memory card slots that can both be loaded with memory cards simultaneously. The camcorder only records video to one card at a time, but you can arrange the HM200 to automatically switch over to the second card once the first one fills up—with no loss of data or stoppage of recording in between.

This is a very smart feature for JVC to include, since it increases the maximum storage capacity on the HM200 to 64GB (with two 32GB cards loaded at the same time). Camcorders that only offer one memory card slot have a maximum capacity of just 32GB. This also means you can save some cash by purchasing lower-capacity SD/SDHC cards and doubling them up (i.e. going for two 16GB cards rather than one 32GB card might save you some money). Read more about the advantages and disadvantages of various media types.

Still Features

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Compared to any dedicated still-image camera, the GZ-HM200 doesn't offer much. The camcorder takes photos at a maximum resolution of 1920 x 1080, which is just over 2 megapixels. This isn't very impressive, even for a mid-range camcorder. The HM200 also has no built-in flash (as well as no accessory shoe to mount an external flash), no ISO control, and very few photo size options.

The GZ-HM200 does have a self-timer function that can be set to 2 seconds, 10 seconds, or Face Detection. The Face Detection timer automatically snaps a photo when the camcorder registers a new face within the frame. The function works surprisingly well and it is useful when you're trying to take a large group photo. The HM200 also has a continuous shooting mode that lets you take photos for as long as you hold down the shutter button. JVC doesn't list any specs about how many shots per second the camcorder will take in this mode, but, in our testing, it seemed like the camcorder took about 4-5 photos per second.

Most of the manual controls that are available in video mode can also be used in photo mode. Scene modes, focus adjustment, exposure control, shutter speed, white balance, digital effects, backlight, photometry area, and tele macro are all functional in photo mode. You can also use the video light in photo mode, although it doesn't work very well (and isn't nearly as helpful as a built-in flash would be).

The GZ-HM200's still color scores weren't bad, but we expected much better considering the camcorder did so well in our video color testing. The HM200 measured a color error of 4.53 with a saturation level of 115.7% in its still images. These numbers are average for a mid-range camcorder, but the Panasonic HDC-SD20 and the JVC GZ-HM400 both did better on this test.

This isn't to say the HM200's still photos didn't look good. They certainly did, and the colors rendered by the camcorder were very strong and vivid (perhaps a bit over saturated). The camcorder had better color accuracy than the Canon HF20, which captured neon-like blue tones, and the colors looked stronger than the what the Panasonic HDC-SD20 managed.

The GZ-HM200 didn't do too bad in our still noise testing either, though it had higher noise levels here than in our bright light video test. The camcorder measured 0.82% noise, which is better than the Canon HF20 and JVC GZ-HM400, but worse than the Panasonic HDC-SD20.

With a maximum photo resolution of 1920 x 1080, we didn't expect the GZ-HM200 to do much with our still sharpness test. The camcorder measured a horizontal sharpness of 898 lw/ph with 14.4% oversharpening, and a vertical sharpness of 720 lw/ph with 4.6% oversharpening. In reality, these numbers aren't that bad for a camcorder that offers such a low maximum photo resolution. These are better numbers than the Panasonic HDC-SD20 was capable of and that camcorder also tops out with 1920 x 1080 stills. Of course, this is nothing compared to some of the supreme photo/video hybrid models out there. The JVC GZ-HM400, with its 8-megapixel photo capability, captured much sharper still images (2329 lw/ph horizontal, 1800 lw/ph vertical). You'd also get a much better still performance by simply purchasing a cheap, low-end, digital camera instead of using the GZ-HM200 to snap photos.

Other Features

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The JVC GZ-HM200One Touch Upload, Export, Direct Disc

The GZ-HM200 has JVC's standard 'one-touch' features inside the LCD cavity. The features aren't a simple as JVC makes them out to be—you must install JVC's provided editing software before you can use them, and the 'one-touch' buttons must be activated before you start recording. Read more about these features in our Editing section.

Video Light

The GZ-HM200 is equipped with a tiny video light, but it doesn't provide much illumination in a dark room. The light has a range of about a foot and a half, which means you have to stand right in front of your subject to get any benefit from the video light.

Digital Effects

A collection of digital effects are available on the GZ-HM200: Sepia, Monotone (black & white), Classic Film, and Strobe. The Classic Film setting mimics old-style film with a slow shutter effect. Strobe uses an even slower shutter, but it doesn't produce the motion trails usually associated with a slow shutter.

Register Event

You can assign event titles to your footage on the GZ-HM200 to make organization of clips easier. The camcorder has 30 different event titles that can be assigned (three versions of 10 different titles like Vacation, Baby, Son, Daughter, Graduation, etc.). This feature is can be good for organizational purposes, but it's mostly useless.

Canon Vixia HF20 Comparison

The Panasonic HDC-SD20 is a very good comparison model for the GZ-HM200. Both camcorders are under $600, each has a relatively compact design, and they both record solely to SD/SDHC memory cards. The GZ-HM200, however, does have the added benefit of a second SD/SDHC card slot (the HDC-SD20 only has one). There are benefits to the Panasonic SD20 as well—it has more manual controls, includes optical image stabilization, it offers a 24p record mode, and it feels more comfortable in your hand.

The GZ-HM200 is a bit smaller and lighter than the HDC-SD20, but with its smaller design comes some severe handling issues. The HM200's hand strap is downright uncomfortable and using the camcorder without a strap doesn't allow you to get a very good grip. We also found the HM200's overall construction to feel a bit cheaper than that of the HDC-SD20. A couple of port covers broke on the GZ-HM200 in our time with the camcorder—and both times it happened due to normal, every-day use.

The GZ-HM200 does have a larger CMOS sensor than the HDC-SD20 and it was able to produce a sharper picture than the Panasonic in bright light. The GZ-HM200 also excelled in our color accuracy tests, although the SD20 had lower noise levels in both bright and low light.

If you don't mind the GZ-HM200's handling issues, we think it is the better camcorder here. It has a slight edge when it comes to video performance and the inclusion of two SD/SDHC memory card slots is a good move by JVC. If you shop around, both camcorders can be found for around $500—not a bad price for a decent mid-range HD camcorder.

JVC GZ-HM400 Comparison

The Canon HF20 costs around $200 more than the GZ-HM200. For this extra cash you get 32GB of internal flash memory (as well as an SD/SDHC card slot), better sharpness and motion performance, and two alternate frame rate options (24p and 30p). The Canon HF20 also offers a sleek design, comfortable handling, a Canon-proprietary accessory shoe, and an external microphone jack.

The thing is, even though the HF20 costs a lot more, it didn't do much better than the GZ-HM200 in overall performance. It did have much better sharpness and motion scores, but in low light the two camcorders were roughly equivalent. The HF20 does have optical image stabilization, but the GZ-HM200 actually outperformed it in our stabilization testing.

The HF20 handles better and feels more durable than the HM200, but it isn't as compact as the JVC. The GZ-HM200 also has a longer optical zoom (20x) compared to the Canon (15x). Our feeling is to go with the JVC GZ-HM200 here—unless you want to pay extra for the superior sharpness and detail the Canon HF20 is capable of in bright light. The thing is, if video quality is that important to you, it would probably be best to skip over the HF20 and spring for a high-end model instead. So, if you want to stay in mid-range territory, go with the GZ-HM200 to save some cash.

COMP 3

The GZ-HM400 is one of JVC's top-of-the-line camcorders for 2009. It beats out the GZ-HM200 in nearly every testing category (except color accuracy) and it is a much better camcorder overall. The GZ-HM400 has some handling quirks (as all JVCs seem to), particularly with its uncomfortably-shaped right-side design. The camcorder is quite large—it is a high-end model, after all—but it comes with 32GB of internal flash memory and a very large CMOS sensor.

The GZ-HM400 isn't the best high-end camcorder on the market, but it is definitely in the discussion. It is a bit cheaper than the high-end models from Canon, Panasonic, and Sony, so we feel it is one of the better deals out there. It has more manual controls than the GZ-HM200, and it includes a control dial beneath it lens that can be used to precisely adjust things like focus, exposure, shutter speed, and aperture. The GZ-HM400 does still utilize JVC's Laser Touch strip for navigating menu , but you don't need to use the strip to make every adjustment like you do on the GZ-HM200 (that's what the control dial is for).

Basically, the GZ-HM400 is a much better camcorder than the GZ-HM200 and is worth the extra cash. It does cost a lot more money, however, but we feel like the GZ-HM400 is a pretty good deal for what you get. Most high-end camcorders from other manufacturers sell for $100 - $300 more than the GZ-HM400.

Conclusion

There are a ton of HD camcorders on the market that range between $400 and $800. Picking the best out of that bunch is a difficult task, but the GZ-HM200 is definitely a solid prospect. The camcorder offers an excellent value with an MSRP of $579, and it performed well in most of our video testing.

The GZ-HM200 does have plenty of weaknesses, although no mid-range camcorder is perfect. In our testing, the camcorder had some trouble with low light sensitivity, and it doesn't offer much in the way of still image capabilities. We also weren't crazy about the GZ-HM200's cheap construction—two of the port covers broke while we were using it—and its right-side hand strap wasn't very comfortable.

We found the GZ-HM200 to be quite simple to use, although JVC's Laser Touch strip can be frustrating at first. The camcorder has good button layout, a straightforward menu design, and most controls worked adequately in auto mode. While models from other manufacturers do have their benefits, the JVC GZ-HM200 offers solid performance at a fairly low price.

Photo Gallery

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