JVC Picsio GC-FM1 Camcorder Review

by Kaitlyn Chantry and Jeremy Stamas
Published on Oct 12, 2009 10:01 PM

 
Intro
 Product Tour
Color & Noise Performance Motion & Sharpness Performance
Low Light Performance Compression & Media
Manual Controls Still Features
Handling & Use Playback & Connectivity
Audio & Other Features Flip UltraHD Comparison
Sony MHS-PM1 Comparison Kodak Zx1 Comparison
Conclusion Photo Gallery
Specs and Ratings


Introduction

The JVC GC-FM1 The newly announced JVC Picsio GC-FM1 (MSRP $199) arrives on the camcorder market with a bit less glitz than the metallic surface it sports. At first glance, the Picsio is just another Flip clone, trying to carve a piece out of the ultracompact camcorder marker. Beneath the surface, the Picsio provides some impressive quality video that is, unfortunately, accompanied by a body design that lacks durability and reliability.

Update: The Flip UltraHD was ultimately selected as our 2009 Ultracompact Camcorder of the Year. To see why we selected it and read about our other awards, check out the 2009 CamcorderInfo.com Select Awards.
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Section The Good The Bad
Product Tour Smaller than many competing models A cheaply constructed macro switch sometimes makes good focus impossible
Color & Noise Performance Good color accuracy High noise levels
Motion & Sharpness Performance Some of the best sharpness we've seen in a budget camcorder 720p motion looks horrible
Low Light Performance Clear, bright image in low light Nothing in particular
Compression & Media SD/SDHC memory cards are convenient... ...but easy to lose, compared to internal flash memory.
Manual Controls Automatic white balance is quite good. Like most ultracompacts, it lacks any kind of manual control.
Still Features The high resolution sensor results in good quality still photos. It's strangely difficult to tell when you've actually taken a photo.
Handling & Use It's easy to use and comfortable to hold. The menu and record qualities are hard to access.
Playback & Connectivity Standard playback thumbnail navigation is intuitive. Fast-forward and rewind controls are unresponsive.
Audio & Other Features Stereo audio recording is a slight advantage. Audio quality isn't great—as is the case on all ultracompacts.

 

JVC GC-FM1 Comparisons
the Flip UltraHD the Sony MHS-PM1 the Kodak Zx1
Flip UltraHD Sony MHS-PM1 Kodak Zx1



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