JVC GZ-HM340

Lens & Imaging System

The GZ-HM340 has a very small CMOS sensor for an HD camcorder, which is why we consider it an entry-level model. The sensor is quite a bit smaller than JVC’s mid-range camcorders from last year (like the GZ-HM200 or the GZ-HD300), while the lens has the same 20x optical zoom. One difference with the lens on the GZ-HM340, however, is the fact that it does not have a built-in cover (a removable lens cover does ship with the camcorder).

Lens
Filter Diameter	0.0mm
Focal Range	3.0–60.0mm
Focal Range (35mm equivalent)	46.4–928.0mm
Maximum Aperture	f/1.8–3.5
Optical Zoom	20x
Advanced Zoom	0x
Lab-Tested Wide Angle	45.0°	How we test wide angle

Sensor
Type	CMOS x 1
Size	1/5.8 inches
Pixel Count (Gross)	1.37 megapixels

Zoom Ratio Examples
Wide Angle	Mid Zoom	20x Zoom

LCD (7.17)

The GZ-HM340’s LCD isn’t anything special. It has the same 2.7-inch screen and 123,000-pixel resolution as last year’s GZ-HM200. These specs aren’t fantastic when you consider most other manufacturers offer LCDs with much higher resolution, although the 2.7-inch size is standard for a mid-range camcorder. The GZ-HM340, like most mid-range models, does not include a viewfinder.

You can adjust the LCD by setting the backlight to auto, standard, or brighter. You can also select one of eleven specific LCD brightness levels. Adjusting these settings can help you conserve battery life, but they can also make it difficult to know whether your videos have proper exposure levels.

Feature	JVC GZ-HM340	JVC GZ-HM200	Panasonic HDC-TM10	Samsung HMX-H106
Display Size	2.7 in.	2.7 in.	2.7 in.	2.7 in.
Display Resolution	123000 pixels	123000 pixels	230400 pixels	230000 pixels
Touch Screen	✗	✗	✓	✓
Viewfinder	✗	✗	✗	✗

Connectivity (3.38)

Connection	JVC GZ-HM340	JVC GZ-HM200	Panasonic HDC-TM10	Samsung HMX-H106
A/V output	✓	✓	✓	✓
Component output	✓	✓	✓	✓
HDMI	✓	✓	✓	✓
USB	✓	✓	✓	✓
FireWire	✗	✗	✗	✗
Headphone jack	✗	✗	✗	✗
External microphone	✗	✗	✗	✗
Wireless Remote	✗	✓	✗	✓
DC Power	✓	✓	✓	✓
WiFi	✗	✗	✗	✗
GPS	✗	✗	✗	✗

The connectivity features on the GZ-HM340 are limited, but the camcorder has all of the important ones. Inside the LCD cavity you’ll find an HDMI terminal, Component video output, and a standard AV-out port. None of these ports have any covers, but they do get some protection when the LCD panel is closed.

On the back of the camcorder you’ll find a little plastic flap above the battery pack. Flip this up and you find a USB port and a DC-input. We like the fact that these ports are protected, but the plastic flap that covers them doesn’t feel very strong and we felt like it was only a matter of time before its flimsy tether fell apart. These two ports are also rather close together, which made things a little cramped when we had both a USB cable and a power cable plugged in at the same time.

The only other connectivity feature on the GZ-HM340 is its memory card slot that accepts SD or SDHC memory cards. The card slot is on the bottom of the camcorder behind a long, flip down door. The door provides adequate protection, but it really doesn’t have to be as long as it is (it looks like it was built to accommodate for two card slots).

All of the mid-range camcorders shown below have very similar connectivity features. None of them include external mic jacks, headphone outputs, or accessory shoes. If you desire those sorts of connectivity options, you should check out Canon’s mid-range models or spring for a high-end consumer camcorder.

Media (7.61)

The GZ-HM340 has two options for recording media: 16GB of internal flash memory and an SD/SDHC memory card slot. The 16GB of internal flash memory isn’t a lot—there are many models out there with upwards of 64GB of internal flash memory—but it is still a good feature to have.

With the memory card slot as a backup, you can also take advantage of JVC’s ‘seamless recording,’ which will automatically continue recording on the memory card once you’ve filled up the internal memory. The table below lists the approximate record times for the GZ-HM340: Read more about the advantages and disadvantages of various media types.