JVC GR-D395 Camcorder Review

Ease of Use (5.0)
For a camcorder with a decent number of manual features, the GR-D395 succeeds in keeping those features both close at hand and easy to understand and adjust. For a camcorder that is geared towards point-and-shooters, this is an important characteristic. Manual controls that are accessible and easy to use are less intimidating than they might otherwise be, making it more likely that novices using this camcorder will try out manual control features like focus and exposure control – and become better shooters.

Sony’s engineers seem almost hostile to the idea that an average user would want to control their camcorder manually, and bury controls like focus in an encyclopedic list-style menu. To make matters worse, many manual controls in the Sony HC series are set in-menu, so achieving a good image can feel like programming a computer. To its credit, Sony excels at producing camcorders that perform very well in Auto mode and are exceptionally easy to use.

There are, of course, other approaches to designing a manual control interface: Panasonic’s joystick-based controls are comparable in terms of approachability to the JVC, and Samsung provides a Quick Menu button on its SC-D365, which brings up a host of manual controls with one push. As a good camera on which to learn manual controls, the GR-D395 is near the top of the pack.

The camcorder also ships with an extremely long life battery that means fewer battery changes, and it has a battery level checker that is second-to-none.

In other respects, the GR-D395 falls short. Its zoom toggle is poorly designed and ergonomically challenged, so performing accurate zoom movements is not as easy as on the other camcorders mentioned in this article. Its tape compartment is bottom-loading, so changing tapes is impossible when it’s tripod mounted. And, although it features a prominent Auto button that puts the camcorder in full-auto mode, performance in auto is relatively poor, as it makes aperture and focus adjustments slowly. In other words, in a low-contrast situation where the Sony HC26 could still capture a good image, the JVC GR-D395 will likely struggle. Thus, the range of environments in which this camcorder can perform well in Auto mode is narrow, necessitating more reliance on manual controls. It’s a good thing this JVC has a user-friendly manual control interface – users of this camera will need to resort to it more often than they might hope.

Handling (6.5)
The GR-D395 looks and handles like most other consumer camcorders, but, as they say, the devil is in the details. Compared to the other camcorders mentioned in this review, the JVC is not comfortable to grip or operate due to an underpadded hand strap and a zoom toggle positioned just out of comfortable index-finger reach. The viewfinder, like others on the market, is difficult to use with a small, uninviting, hard plastic eyepiece. Yet, because the GR-D395’s viewfinder does not extend beyond the battery, it’s even more difficult to use than most.

Control access is generally good and the touchpad makes for efficient menu navigation. Unfortunately, many important buttons are located inside the LCD cavity and therefore, are inaccessible when using the viewfinder. Then again, few users would find any reason to use the GR-D395’s viewfinder, given its incompatibility with the bulky long-life battery.

This is not a camcorder to choose for its excellent handling. Relative to the feel-good Sony HC26, the elegant Canon Elura 100, or the manual-friendly Panasonic PV-GS39. The GR-D395 is an ergonomic ugly duckling, albeit one with an optical zoom that leaves the others in the dust.

Portability (8.5)
The D395 measures 59 x 94 x 114mm (2 5/16” x 3 11/16” x 4 1/2”) and 480g (1.06 lbs.) with the battery and tape. Compared to camcorders of the same price and class, this runs on the small side. You could almost fit it in your pocket if not for the enormous battery, which juts out more than an inch beyond the viewfinder.

The mode dial on the rear right side has the unfortunate tendency to shift between modes with only a light touch, and it could potentially turn on and off inside a purse or bag without your knowledge. Beyond those issues, it’s a very portable little machine.

LCD/Viewfinder (7.5)
The LCD screen on the GR-D395 measures 2.5” and produces a relatively bright and sharp image. As with most consumer camcorders with a similar shape, the screen opens to 90 degrees from the camcorder body, swivels through 270 degrees, and folds LCD-out into its cavity to permit monitoring from the left side. Pulling at the screen’s back edge, at a scalloped indentation in the camcorder body, opens it. Framing for 16:9 mode is especially difficult because this is a 4:3 aspect ratio display. In 16:9 mode, the image is squeezed horizontally and, due to poor design, it is also slightly cropped horizontally and vertically on the LCD screen. This means that framing properly while shooting in widescreen entails learning the limitations of the LCD’s 16:9 display through trial and error. This camcorder’s widescreen capability suffers considerably from the fact that JVC hasn’t equipped it with a widescreen capable LCD.

A +/- 5 scale in the menu adjusts the LCD screen’s brightness. This feature may be useful in either very dark shooting situations where a bright LCD could be distracting or very bright situations where users want to avoid solarization.

The GR-D395 also has a .33” electronic color viewfinder. Its image quality resembles that of the LCD screen. The viewfinder extends from the camcorder body and is clearly supposed to extend beyond the battery pack. This camcorder, however, ships with an extremely long-life battery that the viewfinder doesn’t clear. The long-life battery is a great addition to this camcorder, but it renders the viewfinder practically useless for hand-held shooting. If JVC had simply enabled the viewfinder to hinge upwards as well as extend, it would have retained its utility. Sadly, today’s world is one in which camcorder manufacturers increasingly treat viewfinders as vestigial organs and put all their eggs in the LCD basket. In the case of the GR-D395, JVC mated a huge battery with a camcorder whose viewfinder was not designed for it.

Battery Life (18.2)
The GR-D395 ships with the BN-VF714U battery. We tested the battery for its duration by shooting continuously with the LCD open, the image stabilization on, and no zoom or manual control engaged. In total, the battery lasted an incredible 182 minutes and 4 seconds (3 hours, 2 minutes, and 4 seconds). This unusual battery life is thanks to the extended life battery pack, which is a premium add-on for stepping up to the D395. The entry level D350 ships with the BN-VF707U, which we tested at the much shorter life of 112 minutes.

The ultra-long life of the battery is the sole distinguishing feature of this camcorder, and if that's good enough for you - great. Congratulations, your search has ended. But we recommend finding a camcorder with stronger performance and tossing an extra battery into the bag.