JVC Everio GZ-HD40 Camcorder Review

The JVC GZ-HD40 ($1299 MSRP)  is a more than a simple update in the Everio line of hard disk drive (HDD) camcorders. You wouldn't know it from a casual glance, but a lot of changes have occurred under the hood. For the first time, JVC has switched from CCD chips to a single CMOS. Let us assure, this is huge and beneficial change for performance, and low light performance in particular. That's not the only first. The GZ-HD40, along with the near identical GZ-HD30 ($999 MSRP with a smaller hard drive), record in both MPEG-2 TS and AVCHD compressions. While it certainly doesn't simplify operation for the average consumer, it opens up a whole new world of compatibility with editing systems. It also assures the widely-recognized assumption that AVCHD is the new standard for consumer formats, with JVC joining Sony, Panasonic, and Canon.

We really liked the GZ-HD40. It has its drawbacks. The menu design is a bit of mess, and the some of the controls are too small. We also sorely miss the focus ring from way back on the GZ-HD7, which could have made the GZ-HD40 a killer camcorder. Overall, this is the best HD Everio yet.

The Front (7.75)
JVC's latest branch on the sprawling family tree of Everios has shed the GZ-HD6's lens hood and borrowed the GZ-HD3's LED video light. In front, you'll find the GZ-HD40's 10x optical zoom lens with a 43mm filter diameter. The GZ-HD40's lens has an aperture range of f/1.8 - f/2.2 and a focal length of 4.5mm - 45mm. JVC is a diehard fan of manual lens enclosures, and the GZ-HD40 follows the trail blazed by its ancestors. To open and close the lens cover, there is a small switch to the bottom right of the lens.

To the lower left of the lens you'll find the USB terminal, housed by a frail plastic block that extends via two slender strips. This port cover will yank out with a moderate tug, so treat it gently. JVC needs to go to school on Sony's port designs.    

Front of the JVC Everio GZ-HD40

The Right Side (5.75)
The right side of the GZ-HD40 is like a plain bagel without cream cheese. There's not much of anything here. JVC carried over the Mic and Headphone jacks, which are located toward the lens end of the camcorder. Of course, both jacks are shrouded by a plastic port cover that's tethered to the body by two sadly thin plastic strips.

Now let's discuss this hand strap. There's no padding or breathable material--all you get is a cheap nylon fabric that feels like a cheese grater along the back of your hand. The anchor straps slice into your hand and may cause blueness in your extremities. This is the worst hand strap out of all the top of the line HD camcorders we've seen this year.

Right side of the JVC Everio GZ-HD40

The Back (7.0)
In back, the GZ-HD40 borrows its design from the GZ-HD3 and GZ-HD6. This is characterized by a battery jutting out the middle with a colony of ports running along its sides. The GZ-HD40 has only one strip of ports located to the right of the battery: AV, Component, HDMI, and DC. The ports are concealed by--you guessed it--by flimsy plastic covers that are difficult to fit back into place without a hellbent struggle. JVC nixed the Mode Dial this year in order to accommodate the GZ-HD40's size reduction. All that is left is a minute Mode switch that can be set to Video or Photo. Beneath the microscopic switch is the Record Start/Stop button, which is placed next to a crevice, making your thumb fight to access it. The battery release tab is located on the bottom of the camcorder. This is a no frills assortment back here--just the bare essentials.

Back of the JVC Everio GZ-HD40

The Left Side (6.25)
The left side showcases the GZ-HD40's glossy black paneling and outer LCD panel. From this angle, you can see the minor reductions in dimension and weight from the GZ-HD6. The GZ-HD40's 2.7-inch LCD screen flips open to reveal an LCD cavity with buttons in a nearly identical configuration to the GZ-HD6. The Select/Play/Rec, Auto/Info, Delete, Direct Backup/Quick Review, Direct Disc/Focus Assist, and Power buttons are all located in the bottom right corner in the shape of a right triangle. This is an awful lot of buttons to put out the line of sight of the shooter. Granted, you don't need to see all of them while you're actually shooting, but some sort of intuitive design for purely tactile interface would be smart. Right now it seems too completely arbitrary.

The LCD panel contains the Index and Menu buttons, as well as the Joystick. JVC's LCD-mounted joysticks are small and difficult to operate when compared to Canon's Joysticks or Panasonics of the past. When not engaged in a menu, the GZ-HD40 Joystick can access 4 different controls--Backlight Compensation, Program AE, Focus, and Video Light.

Left side of the JVC Everio GZ-HD40	... and a peek behind the LCD.

The Top (5.0)
The top of the GZ-HD40 is home to one minor but really stupid design mistake -- an unattached accessory shoe cover. It's just a piece of plastic that comes right off of the camcorder. We saw the same error on the Canon HV20. "Oh, I'll just set this down on the table and remember it later." Then, of course, the cat swipes it under the couch or the baby swallows it. It's only a matter of time before the accessory shoe cover is lost.Bad design.

The built-in stereo microphone rests at the lens end. Luckily, the microphone is safe from the grip hand fingers thanks to the HDD bay on the right side. Toward the back end, the Zoom toggle and Photo button are within the vicinity of the index finger. JVC's zoom toggles are average. They lack the smooth refinement of a Sony and could stand to be about 20% larger in size.

Top of the JVC Everio GZ-HD40