JVC Everio GZ-HM400 Camcorder Review

Low Light Performance Summary
• Low light capability is definitely a weakness of the GZ-HM400. • The camcorder did a better job than the GZ-X900, particularly with noise and sensitivity. • Colors appeared a bit washed out and the manual white balance gave the image a slight green hue in our low light testing. • Noise was definitely noticeable in low light testing, but the levels weren't that bad.
	Motion & Sharpness Performance	(Page 5 of 17)	Compression & Media

Low Light Sensitivity (0.21)

Going by the terrible low light sensitivity we measured on the GZ-HM400's cousin model, the GZ-X900, we didn't have high hopes for the camcorder's low light capabilities. The GZ-HM400 did do a much better job, yet it still didn't make the cut to be considered an adequate low light camcorder. The HM400 required 31 lux of light to reach 50 IRE on our waveform monitor—an amount of light that is much higher than both the Canon HF S11 (17 lux) and Panasonic HDC-TM300 (9 lux) needed. (More on how we test low light sensitivity.)

Required Illumination *

* the lower the lux required, the better the performance

While the GZ-HM400 does represent a big improvement over the GZ-X900's low light performance, it is still far below average for a high-end HD camcorder. As you'll see in the next two low light sections, the GZ-HM400 measured a lot of noise and produced a green hue during our low light testing. To boost the camcorder's low light performance you can engage its slow shutter feature (setting AGC to Auto), but this will result in the camcorder capturing choppy, jittery motion.

Low Light Color (5.67)

The JVC GZ-HM400 didn't do very well in our low light color testing. It measured a color error of 6.27 and a saturation level of 60.11%, both of which are large drops from the camcorder's bright light color numbers. In addition to its poor color accuracy, the camcorder had an off-color hue in its low light image that gave the picture a slight greenish-blue tint. This discoloration was present even when we used the camcorder's manual white balance function. The camcorder did perform better than the GZ-X900, however, which is a pleasant surprise. (More on how we test low light color.)

Auto Low Light Color Performance
Color Test Chart (above), Color Error Map (right)
The JVC GZ-HM400 produced a color error of 6.27 and a saturation level of 60.11% in our low 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 HM400 had trouble with all colors in low light. A few of the browns were captured with decent accuracy, but everything else was very off. As you can see in the comparisons below, the GZ-HM400 did manage a brighter image than the GZ-X900 and Canon HF-S11.

Low Light Comparison
JVC GZ-HM400	JVC GZ-X900
Panasonic HDC-TM300	Canon HF S11

Low Light Color Score Comparison		Compare the JVC GZ-HM400 to the JVC GZ-X900
		Compare the JVC GZ-HM400 to the Panasonic HDC-TM300
		Compare the JVC GZ-HM400 to the Canon HF S11

Low Light Noise (7.14)

Noise was a big problem with the JVC GZ-X900 in low light, but the GZ-HM400 handled things a bit better. The camcorder still measured a lot of noise—1.7475% to be exact—and its low light image did suffer as a result. The 100% crop images below give you an idea as to how the GZ-HM400 stacked up to the competition. (More on how we test low light noise.)

Noise at 60 lux Auto
JVC GZ-HM400 100% Crop	JVC GZ-X900 100% Crop	Panasonic HDC-TM300 100% Crop	Canon HF S11 100% Crop

As you can see, the Panasonic HDC-TM300 and Canon HF S11 have far cleaner low light images compared to the two JVC models. The GZ-HM400 retained a lot more detail than the GZ-X900 due to its lower noise levels, but it still captured a fine layer of fuzz in its image. The Panasonic HDC-TM300 produced the cleanest image by far and it is one of the best low light camcorders we've reviewed this year. Notice the slight discoloration on the GZ-HM400's image. It isn't as pronounced as on the GZ-X900, but it is definitely present.

Low Light Noise Score Comparisons		Compare the JVC GZ-HM400 to the JVC GZ-X900
		Compare the JVC GZ-HM400 to the Panasonic HDC-TM300
		Compare the JVC GZ-HM400 to the Canon HF S11