JVC Everio GZ-HM340 Camcorder Review

JVC GZ-HM340 versus JVC GZ-HM200
• The GZ-HM340 and GZ-HM200 performed on a similar level, despite their different CMOS sensors. • We feel the HM200 is the better camcorder—it felt stronger, has more manual controls, and it did better in our stabilization test. • The GZ-HM340 does have some extra features, however, like Time Lapse Record and Auto Record. • The HM200 features two SD/SDHC card slots, but no internal memory.
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Even though it came out last year, the JVC GZ-HM200 is really not much different than the GZ-HM340. Despite the fact that the camcorders have different CMOS sensors, the two models performed similarly in our testing. The GZ-HM340 came out on top in low light, while the GZ-HM200 had better still image performance and stronger color accuracy in bright light. It's somewhat tough to pick a winner between these two when it comes to performance.

The GZ-HM200 does have a few more manual controls than the GZ-HM340, although it is missing features like Time Lapse Record and Auto Record that are both available on the HM340. One of the few concrete advantages of the GZ-HM340 is the fact that it contains 16GB of internal flash memory compared to none on the HM200. The GZ-HM200 does have two SD/SDHC card slots, however, and it has the same seamless recording function that is featured on the GZ-HM340.

The design of these two models is nearly identical, with the HM340 being a tad smaller and roughly 50g lighter than the HM200. If you're shopping based on price, you probably won't notice much of a difference either—the GZ-HM200 lists around $60 more than  the GZ-HM340, but you can probably find an HM200 on the cheap if you shop around.

Overall, we'd probably have to give the GZ-HM200 the advantage here. It was, after all, our pick for best mid-range camcorder last year. We simply didn't feel JVC made any significant improvements with the GZ-HM340 for it to warrant higher praise than the GZ-HM200. Is the GZ-HM340 still a good entry-level or mid-range model? Sure, but we like the GZ-HM200 a little more.

	Comparison Specs
	JVC GZ-HM340	JVC GZ-HM200
Price	$499.95	$579.95
Primary Recording Media	16GB internal flash memory	SD/SDHC memory card
Secondary Recording Media	SD/SDHC memory card	SD/SDHC memory card (two slots)
Image Sensor	1/5.8-inch CMOS	1/4-inch
Effective Pixel Count	1.09 megapixels	2.8 megapixels
Mic Input	None	None
LCD	2.7 inches with 123,000 pixels	2.7 inches with 123,000 pixels
Viewfinder	None	None
Weight	255g (9 ounces) with battery	310g (11 ounces) with battery
Dimensions	52 x 62 x 110mm (2.1 x 2.4 x 4.3 inches)	54.5 x 65 x 112.5mm (2.15 x 2.56 x 4.4 inches)
HD	Yes	Yes
Frame Rates	1080/60i	1080/60i
Compression	MPEG-4 AVC/H.264 (AVCHD)	MPEG-4 AVC/H.264 (AVCHD)
Maximum Bitrate	24Mbps	24Mbps
Optical Zoom	20x	20x
Stabilization	Digital (with two settings)	Digital

100% Crop Comparisons at 3000 Lux
JVC GZ-HM340 100% Crop	JVC GZ-HM200 100% Crop

Low Light Color Score Comparison