JVC Everio GZ-HM340 Camcorder Review

Color & Noise Performance Summary
• Color accuracy was good in bright light, which is what we've come to expect from JVC. • Saturation level was also good in our testing. • Noise levels were low in bright light and the camcorder scored roughly the same as the other models in this set.
	Product Tour	(Page 3 of 17)	Motion & Sharpness Performance

Color (10.8)

JVC camcorders often do extremely well in our color accuracy tests and the GZ-HM340 was no exception. The camcorder managed a color error of 3.24 and a saturation level of 90.22%—both very good scores. Now, a number of JVC's camcorders from last year produced even more accurate colors than this (like the GZ-HM200), but this is a top-notch score nonetheless. (More on how we test color.)

Color Accuracy Performance
Color Test Chart (above), Color Error Map (right)
The JVC GZ-HM340 produced a color error of 3.24 and a saturation level of 90.22% in our bright 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.)

The color error map above shows the GZ-HM340 had much better accuracy with reds and blues than it did with most yellows and greens. The sample image below shows how the HM340 captured deep, vibrant colors in our bright light test (a point that is accentuated by the 90% saturation level measured in our test). Unfortunately, the JVC GZ-HM340 does not have any manual color controls or picture modes, so you are stuck with the type of color performance you see in the sample image below.

JVC GZ-HM340 Color Example
Auto	100% Crop

In the comparisons below, notice how the JVC GZ-HM200 produced a slightly more saturated image than the GZ-HM340. Also notice the difference in color tones—particularly with blues and purples—between the two JVC camcorders and the Panasonic and Samsung models. The color patch comparisons that are further down this page will give you a better idea of the color rendering differences offered by these four camcorders.

JVC GZ-HM340 Color Comparisons
JVC GZ-HM340	JVC GZ-HM200
Panasonic HDC-TM10	Samsung HMX-H106

	Close-Up Color Comparisons
	Ideal	JVC GZ-HM340	JVC GZ-HM200	Panasonic HDC-TM10	Samsung HMX-H106
Red
	Ideal	JVC GZ-HM340	JVC GZ-HM200	Panasonic HDC-TM10	Samsung HMX-H106
Green
	Ideal	JVC GZ-HM340	JVC GZ-HM200	Panasonic HDC-TM10	Samsung HMX-H106
Blue
	Ideal	JVC GZ-HM340	JVC GZ-HM200	Panasonic HDC-TM10	Samsung HMX-H106
Skin Tone 1
	Ideal	JVC GZ-HM340	JVC GZ-HM200	Panasonic HDC-TM10	Samsung HMX-H106
Skin Tone 2

We like the colors produced by the JVC GZ-HM340 in bright light, and the colors were very accurate in our testing, but you should remember that judging colors has a lot to do with personal preference. Some people may prefer the less saturated tones produced by the Panasonic HDC-TM10 or the Samsung HMX-H106, while others may like the more vibrant colors typically captured by JVC camcorders. Check out the samples and decide for yourself what you think looks best.

Color Score Comparison		Compare the JVC GZ-HM340 to the JVC GZ-HM200
		Compare the JVC GZ-HM340 to the Panasonic HDC-TM10
		Compare the JVC GZ-HM340 to the Samsung HMX-H106

Noise (10.06)

The JVC GZ-HM340 also did well in our bright light noise test, with the camcorder averaging 0.5825% noise. This performance is roughly on par with the rest of the camcorders in this set, although the Samsung HMX-H106 was a bit behind the rest of the pack. (More on how we test noise.)

Noise Comparisons
JVC GZ-HM340 100% Crop	JVC GZ-HM200 100% Crop	Panasonic HDC-TM10 100% Crop	Samsung HMX-H106 100% Crop

In addition to showing off the presence of noise and artifacting, the crops above act as a good sharpness comparison. The JVC GZ-HM340 actually captured a sharper image than last year's GZ-HM200 in some ways, but it also showed some significant blur along the bottom of the horizontal trumpet (the HM200 didn't have this problem). It appears JVC also cleaned up some of its discoloration errors that we noticed on last year's HM200, which you should be able to see above (look at the off-color hue in the white portion of the vertical trumpet). From the images above, you can also see that the Samsung HMX-H106 absolutely kills the other camcorders in this set when it comes to sharpness.

Noise Score Comparison		Compare the JVC GZ-HM340 to the JVC GZ-HM200
		Compare the JVC GZ-HM340 to the Panasonic HDC-TM10
		Compare the JVC GZ-HM340 to the Samsung HMX-H106