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.
Product Tour
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.
Color & Noise Performance
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.
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 thsn 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.
Motion & Sharpness Performance
Low Light Performance
**Low Light Sensitivity***(0.31)*
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. (More on how we test low light sensitivity.)
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.
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.
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).
Compression & Media
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.
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).
The GZ-HM200 does not feature any internal flash memory, so you do need to make sure you have a couple of memory cards on hand if you want to start recording video right out of the box. With two decently-sized SDHC cards you can record for quite a while with the JVC GZ-HM200. This chart below lists the various record times offered by the camcorder (based on video quality settings and memory card size):
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.
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.
Manual Controls
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.
Scene Modes
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).
Zoom is controlled by using the small toggle on the top of the GZ-HM200. The toggle is well-positioned, feels comfortable, and works reasonably well. Our only complaint is that it's a bit difficult to control the zoom speed with the toggle. The camcorder offers variable zoom speed control, which means the harder you push the toggle, the faster it will zoom. There is a fine line, however, between a very fast zoom and a very slow one—so you have to apply just the right amount of pressure to obtain your desired zoom speed.
If you don't like using the toggle, you can control zoom using the Laser Touch strip. By pressing the upper portion of the strip two zoom icons appear on the LCD. You can then press the corresponding portion of the strip in order to zoom. This zoom control is very finicky and we don't recommend using it (unless you hate the regular zoom toggle). The Laser Touch zoom controls are also locked at a specific, medium-level zoom speed.
While zooming, a graphical display appears on the LCD that shows you where you are in the camcorder's zoom range. There is also a numeric display that references what current zoom ratio you are set at (i.e. 5x, 8x, etc.). These displays are great if you're trying to recreate a specific zoom setting on various shots.
The GZ-HM200 is equipped with a 20x optical zoom lens. This is quite a lengthy zoom for such a compact camcorder (the average consumer HD camcorder has between a 10x - 15x zoom). So, if you're crazy about using optical zoom, the HM200 has one of the best zoom ratios in the consumer HD camcorder market. There are, however, a number of standard definition camcorders that carry optical zooms ranging from 35x - 50x.
You can also use an 80x or 200x digital zoom on the GZ-HM200, but doing so will result in degraded image quality. We recommend sticking with the 20x optical zoom most of the time.
While you can perform a manual focus on the GZ-HM200, the interface isn't great. If you have a strong affinity for manual focus, you may want to check out a camcorder that has a lens ring or adjustment dial (like the JVC GZ-HM400, or a high-end model from Canon, Panasonic, or Sony). Setting manual focus on the GZ-HM200 is done entirely via the Laser Touch strip. You slide your finger up and down on the strip to change focus, which is simple enough, but doesn't offer the precise adjustment of a ring or control dial. On the other hand, the Laser Touch strip is easier to use and works better than using a touchscreen to focus your image.
The HM200 also has a focus assist tool that provides a peaking option for helping out with manual focus. Peaking gives the edges of your subject a grainy coloration that allows you to focus easier (the more in-focus an image gets, the more specks of color appear). You can set the peaking color to red, green, or blue, but you must do so by going through the Display Settings submenu.
Exposure can be adjusted manually on the GZ-HM200, but it is labeled as Brightness control. The camcorder offers 13 increments of brightness adjustment (from -6 to +6) and the method for adjusting is quite simple (using the Laser Touch). There's good graphical and numeric display while you adjust as well, although we would have liked to see a few more exposure increments.
Unfortunately, the GZ-HM200 has no manual aperture control. Aperture control is available on many camcorders, although a number of them only have the option in aperture-priority mode (where you select the aperture, but the camcorder adjusts shutter speed accordingly). The JVC GZ-HM400 and Canon HF20 both have aperture-priority modes, while the Panasonic HDC-SD20 offers independent aperture and shutter speed adjustment.
Despite lacking a full manual aperture control, the GZ-HM200 offers a lot of shutter speed options. The shutter can be set to as slow as 1/2 a second, as well as offering four other shutter speeds slower than 1/60 of a second. Using these slow shutters will boost low light performance, but also produce blur and trailing whenever an object moves within the frame (or if you move the camcorder while shooting). On the other end, the fastest shutter on the camcorder is 1/4000 of a second.
There are three white balance presets on the GZ-HM200—Fine, Cloud, and Halogen—as well as a manual option. We found the manual white balance to work the best, but it is a bit tricky to use. You must select the manual option, point the camcorder at a white or neutral background, then hold down the OK button on the LCD panel until the white balance registers. The thing is, the camcorder doesn't do anything to let you know that you have to hold down the OK button for a few moments in order to activate the white balance. Most first-time users will probably think all you have to do is tap the OK button to engage the manual white balance. If you do this, however, the camcorder will not calibrate white balance correctly.
The JVC GZ-HM200 doesn't have precise gain control, but you can turn Auto Gain Control (AGC) on and off. So, if you want to shoot video without any gain boost (which will limit noise) you can simply turn AGC off. With AGC off, however, the camcorder is extremely poor in low light—even moderately low light. Footage shot under normal indoor light will appear very dim and sometimes may not even be usable. You can also set the AGC to auto, which allows the camcorder to use its auto slow shutter feature (a 1/30 shutter speed kicks in during low light shooting).
**Color & Image Controls***(2.0)*
There are no color or image controls on the HM200 that allow you to adjust things like color depth, sharpness, etc. Both the Canon HF20 and Panasonic HDC-SD20 have a few controls like these, although they aren't extensive. Still, it is far more than what the GZ-HM200 offers.
**Other Manual Controls***(1.0)*
Still Features
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. (More on how we test still color.)
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. Check out the color comparison images below to make up your own mind about which camcorder has the best colors in their still images.
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. (More on how we test still noise.)
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 camcorder instead of using the GZ-HM200 to snap photos. (More on how we test still sharpness.)
Handling & Use
Playback & Connectivity
There's nothing incredibly unique about the GZ-HM200's playback options. When you're in playback mode clips are arranged as thumbnails and you can select an individual clip to view at full screen. The touch sensitive buttons on the LCD panel act as VCR controls for fast forwarding, rewinding, etc. The buttons don't work incredibly well for this purpose, as it means little icons for each VCR control must appear on the LCD itself (thus taking up valuable screen space during playback).
One of the touted playback features on the GZ-HM200 is its 1080p up-converted output. Video that is output via the HDMI terminal on the HM200 is up-converted to 1080p when played on compatible televisions. The video shot by the GZ-HM200 is still recorded at 1080/60i, but it is simply up-converted to 1080p during the output process. Sony also includes this feature on some of its new HD camcorders (like the HDR-CX500).
The Playback menu features a few options for internal editing, adding wipes/faders to your videos, and creating playlists. The GZ-HM200 seems to have more internal editing features than most consumer camcorders, but the options are difficult to use with the camcorder's limited controls (you have to make edits using the Laser Touch strip).
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.
The table below lists all the GZ-HM200's connectivity options, as well as the options featured on its comparison models. Note the Canon HF20 is one of the few mid-range camcorders to feature an accessory shoe, external mic input, and headphone jack (this is part of the reason why it costs more than the SD20 and HM200).
Audio & Other Features
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:
One 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.
Panasonic HDC-SD20 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.
Canon HF20 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.
JVC GZ-HM400 Comparison
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.
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Jeremy is the video expert of our imaging team and Reviewed.com's head of video production. Originally from Pennsylvania and upstate NY, he graduated from Bard college with a degree in film and electronic media. He has been living and working in New England since 2005.
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