Product ReviewsDigital cameras
JVC's latest addition to its popular Everio range of HDD camcorders is the GZHD40, the first of two models from the company to offer AVCHD high-definition recording and playback. Along with its sister product, the GZ-HD30, its introduction signals a change of direction for a company that seemed committed to an Mpeg-2 TS-based (Transport Stream) HD format. It's evident that JVC appears to have been studying the market carefully by its inclusion of both AVCHD and Standard Definition (Mpeg-2 TS) recording and playback. Recording media options are a 120GB internal hard disk drive, or an optional MicroSD/SDHC flash memory card, with the added option of being able to move files from one medium to the other individually, or as part of defined playlists. It's thanks to the GZHD40's 1/3in Progressive Cmos image sensor that its picture quality is so good, not only when shooting sunny exteriors, but also in darker interiors. Users have a choice of saving its 2.68-megapixel image sequences to HDD or MicroSD card, using either AVCHD (based upon the increasingly popular Mpeg4 AVC/H.264 compression system), or Mpeg-2 TS, which is very similar to that used by standard DVD and digital TV. A basic 10x optical zoom (f = 4.5mm to 45mm) lens is supplemented by a digital zoom that offers up to 200x range by digitally enlarging the longest optical
Five video recording modes are offered. The highest XP quality AVCHD mode writes to the chosen medium using a data rate of 17Mbit/sec VBR (Variable Bit Rate). This compares favourably with competing models from Sony, Panasonic and Canon. At the highest of two settings, FHD, standard definition recording is possible at an impressive 26.6Mbit/sec VBR. AVCHD audio is recorded at 48kHz and 256Kbit/sec, whereas its Mpeg-2 TS audio uses 384Kbit/sec at 48kHz. In addition to movie recording, the HD40 and HD30 will both allow digital stills shooting in five Jpeg modes, the highest producing a resolution of 2432 x 1368 pixels. The camcorder offers comprehensive connectivity thanks not only to its necessary HDMI and component digital outputs, but also AV output (for standard TV playback) and USB 2 in addition to a microphone input and dedicated headphone output. Also supplied is a handy Everio Docking Station, which acts as both a charging station and an additional multiple connection port. We particularly liked the range of controls that are mounted on the side of the 2.8in colour LCD frame, too. As JVC's first foray into the world of AVCHD, the company couldn't have done a more impressive job. Output from the Everio GZHD40 camcorder is impressive, as is its styling and ease of use - its fabulous quality HD clips import to iMovie 08 on an Intel Mac effortlessly. We'd like to have seen a record button on the LCD frame and maybe even a viewfinder, but such comments don't detract from what is quite possibly the best consumer camcorder JVC has yet produced. By Colin Barrett
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