JVC Everio GZ-HD300 Camcorder Review

Low Light Performance Summary
• Terrible low light sensitivity • Low light color and noise levels are average • Image is fuzzy, blurred, and doesn't capture much detail in low light.
	Motion & Sharpness Performance	(Page 5 of 17)	Compression & Media

Low Light Sensitivity (0.31)

When the lights get dim, the JVC GZ-HD300 starts having some very real problems. The camcorder's low light sensitivity is simply awful. In our test, it required 29 lux of light to measure 50 IRE on the waveform monitor. This abysmal performance means the camcorder won't be able to deliver the goods unless you're filming with an adequate light source. Now, to be fair, both the Panasonic HDC-HS20 and Canon HF20 also showed poor low light sensitivities in our test, but the results of those two camcorder's weren't quite as bad as what the GZ-HD300 gave us. (More on how we test low light sensitivity.)

Required Illumination *

* the lower the lux required, the better the performance

The only camcorder in this set that offers a good low light sensitivity is the Sanyo VPC-HD2000, which needed only 9 lux to peak at 50 IRE. This is a very good score and it makes the Sanyo VPC-HD2000 one of the best low light performers we've tested this year. Unlike the other camcorders in this set, the JVC GZ-HD300 does not have a 24p or 30p record mode. These alternate frame rates usually boost a camcorder's low light performance by a significant margin because the slower rates allow more light to enter through the lens. The JVC GZ-HD300 does have a slow shutter option, which allows the camcorder to drop down to a shutter speed of 1/30 of a second, but we don't use this setting in our testing as it produces motion trails and choppy images.

Low Light Color (7.12)

The GZ-HD300 didn't capture colors nearly as accurately in low light as it did in bright light. The results weren't too bad—5.15 color error with 55.87% saturation—and they are fairly average for a camcorder of its class. The Canon HF20 had a very similar color error in low light, while the Sanyo VPC-HD2000 did much better. The Panasonic HDC-HS20 was the worst low light color performer in this set of camcorders. (More on how we test low light color.)

Auto Low Light Color Performance
Color Test Chart (above), Color Error Map (right)
The JVC GZ-HD300 produced a color error of 5.15 and a saturation level of 55.87% in our low light color testing. (The map on the right is a diagram of the color error. The length and direction of each line indicates how the camcorder processed each particular color.)

You can see in the error map above, how poorly the JVC did with low light color accuracy. The camcorder's image appeared somewhat faded and dull in low light, although it wasn't as dark as the Canon HF20 or Panasonic HDC-HS20. Colors lacked pop and depth, especially when compared to how vivid the JVC's image looked in bright light.

Low Light Comparison
JVC GZ-HD300	Panasonic HDC-HS20
Canon HF20	Sanyo VPC-HD2000

The only camcorder that really stands out in this group is the Sanyo VPC-HD2000, which produced very strong colors in low light and offers an excellent low light capability all-around. Notice how much richer its colors look compared to the other camcorders in this bunch.

Low Light Color Score Comparison

Low Light Noise (9.08)

The JVC GZ-HD300 has a very fuzzy image in low light. The camcorder's image is dull and captures little detail (see crop below). This fuzziness isn't entirely made up of noise, although the camcorder did average 1.315% noise in our low light testing. The soft image also comes from the HD300's inability to capture a sharp image and its poor low light sensitivity. It simply isn't showing as strong an image as some of the other camcorders in this set. (More on how we test low light noise.)

Noise at 60 lux Auto
JVC GZ-HD300 100% Crop	Panasonic HDC-HS20 100% Crop	Canon HF20 100% Crop	Sanyo VPC-HD2000 100% Crop

Of the camcorders shown above, the one with the most noise in low light is the Canon HF20. It has a fine layer of noise over an otherwise sharp, crisp image. The Panasonic HDC-HS20 has the least amount of noise, although its image isn't very detailed or sharp (it also has a lot of artifacting). The JVC and Sanyo camcorders both measured similar amounts of noise, although the Sanyo has a far better image in low light.

Low Light Noise Score Comparisons