JVC GZ-HM340

Still Features (7.61)

Let’s be clear, the GZ-HM340 is not a good camcorder for taking still photos. Its sensor is very small, which means it doesn’t have a very high pixel count for still images (its effective pixel count in still image mode is between 0.56 and 1.09 megapixels depending on what aspect ratio you shoot with). You are guaranteed to get better still images from even a cheap digital camera. Still, if you’re in a pinch you can capture photos with the GZ-HM340 and the camcorder even has a dedicated still image mode.

You can take photos in three sizes with the HM340: 1920 × 1080, 1440 × 1080, or 640 × 480. The thing is, only the 640 × 480 setting is a native resolution—the other two are interpolated because they use more pixels than the camcorder has available. The camcorder has no built-in flash, but you can capture still images during recording. See the table below for the full list of still image features.

The GZ-HM340 did well in our still color testing: the camcorder measured a color error of 4.00 and produced a saturation level of 108.5%. These numbers are similar to what the camcorder earned in our bright light video testing, which means there shouldn’t be much of a difference in color between photos and videos captured by the GZ-HM340.

All four of the camcorders shown below only capture still photos with a 16:9 aspect ratio. The HM340 has much deeper colors than the Samsung HMX-H106, but it also captured a slightly darker image than the rest of the models.

The 0.75% noise we measured on the GZ-HM340’s still images isn’t the best score, but it’s not awful. We would have liked to see a noise level that was more akin to what the camcorder earned in our bright light video testing (around 0.58% noise). Still, the HM340’s still noise performance was roughly on par with the JVC GZ-HM200 and Samsung HMX-H106.

The GZ-HM340 doesn’t capture high-resolution still images, so it should come as no surprise that the camcorder flunked our still sharpness test. At best, the HM340 measured a horizontal sharpness of 718 lw/ph with 23.6% oversharpening and a vertical sharpness of only 458 lw/ph with 24.1% undersharpening. These numbers are simply no good—even for a mid-range HD camcorder—and they are significantly lower than what we measured on last year’s JVC GZ-HM200. Still, we can’t really fault the GZ-HM340 for doing poorly on this test. The camcorder really doesn’t have the photo specs to succeed as a still image camera.

Other Features (2.70)

Auto Record

New to JVC’s 2010 lineup, this function is known by some as the ‘Nanny Cam.’ You can set up the camera in a specific location and it will automatically start recording when a new subject enters the frame. Use it for sneaky video surveillance. Or self-recording.

Seamless Recording

Known on many camcorders as ‘relay record,’ seamless recording allows you to automatically switch over and record to a second media type when your current media is full. On the HM340, this means that if you fill up the internal memory, the camcorder will automatically continue recording on the memory card.

Time Lapse Recording

You can take short video clips at set intervals over an extended period of time. It’s not quite suited to filming the changing colors of autumn foliage, but you can capture changes over a shorter period. Available intervals include: 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 40, and 80 seconds.

One Touch Upload

The GZ-HM340 carries over only one of JVC’s standard ‘one-touch’ features from 2009: one-touch upload. The button is located in the LCD cavity and is designed to make upload to YouTube easy. Unfortunately, the process it’s as easy as it should be. You have to install JVC’s provided editing software before you can use this feature, and the ‘one-touch’ button must be activated before you start recording. Read more about this feature in our article: ‘Video Editing Software For Your Camcorder’.

Quick Restart

Like most consumer camcorders, the HM340 can be powered up more quickly by simply opening the LCD panel. This allows you to turn on the camcorder and start recording in just a couple seconds.

Info

The power button inside the LCD doubles as an Info button. Press this button to see information on remaining recording time (based on the available capacity of the internal memory). There’s also a tab for viewing remaining battery life.

Digital Effects

Jazz up your footage with a cheesy digital effect. Choices include sepia, black and white, classic film, and strobe.