JVC GR-D395 Camcorder Review

Widescreen/16:9 Mode (6.5)
Switching the D395 between 4:3 and 16:9 is a simple process, thanks to an external button in the LCD cavity. Unfortunately, the camcorder does not have a widescreen LCD. The screen is 2.5” and 4:3 in its aspect ratio. This is a real shame, as the camcorder does shoot in true 16:9 widescreen. You just can’t see it. In addition to the horizontal squeeze the picture undergoes when it is displayed, the LCD is poorly manufactured and crops the image several degrees smaller than the CCD is actually capturing. While there is always some discrepancy between the actual capture and the LCD display, the D395 is particularly bad.

Scan Rates/24p (0.0)
The camcorder does not have any additional scan rates beyond its 60i native rate.

Other Features (7.5)
Data Battery - Among the strong points of the JVC GR-D395 is its Data Battery feature, which is the best battery level indicator on the consumer camcorder market. The Data Battery system is accessed only while the camcorder is switched off by pressing ad holding the Set/Data button in the center of the touchpad. After a few seconds, a battery power display including percentage of charge used and remaining operating life appears. This measurement is both more detailed and more accurate than any other battery power display available on the consumer market, and better than many prosumer or higher systems.

LED Light - A bright LED light is located at the front of the GR-D395 just below the lens. It can be set to Off, Auto or On and is primarily useful as an assist for zero lux situations where no other illumination is available. In combination with AGC gain control, and Night Alive, the LED light offers a variety of options for shooting in low light.

Live Slow - Live Slow enables the user to record and playback footage at a slower than normal speed. Live Slow only operates for 1.5 seconds when it has been activated in either Record or Play modes.

Night-Alive - Night-Alive is JVC’s automatic slow shutter speed adjustment. Night-Alive cannot be adjusted manually and will produce brighter images that do not suffer from gain-induced noise. While using Night-Alive, the GR-D395’s ability to auto focus is compromised so manual focus and a tripod are necessary to achieve the best image quality.

AGC (Auto Gain Control) - AGC is the JVC GR-D395’s automatic gain control feature and increases the brightness of the recorded image electronically. Images recorded with AGC enabled can look far grainier then images recorded in normal mode, and are a useful addition to eh camcorder’s decent low-light performance in normal mode..

Digital Image Stabilization - The GR-D395 features digital Image stabilization, a common feature that helps to stabilize the video image and is particularly helpful for reducing hand shake. Digital image stabilization has an impact on video image quality, and is inferior to the analog optical image stabilization systems found on more expensive camcorders.

Wipe and Fader Effects - The JVC GR-D395 includes four in-camcorder fader effects that can be applied while recording to the beginning and ending of clips. The wipe and fader effects are listed in the function menu and should only be used when the footage is not going to be edited on a computer-based system. Editing programs like Apple iMovie and Avid Free DV offer more and better wipe and fader effects than are available in this or any other in-camcorder function set. Nonetheless, these effects could do the trick in a pinch.

Video Effects - Video effects for the JVC GR-D395 are found in the function menu while in manual mode and include settings for Sepia, Monotone B/W, Classic, and Strobe. These effects aren’t new – and pale in comparison to what can be done in post – but some users will have fun with them.