JVC Picsio GC-FM1 Camcorder Review

Manual Controls Summary
• The GC-FM1 only has a couple of controls—zoom, video/photo size options, and a normal/macro focus switch. • There are no scene modes or low light modes on the camcorder either. • The auto controls worked quite well, particularly auto white balance. • The camcorder has no optical zoom, only a 4x digital zoom.
	Compression & Media	(Page 7 of 17)	Still Features

Auto Mode (4.50)

Since there are no manual controls on the GC-FM1, auto mode is really the camcorder's only mode. The only thing you really have control over is the digital zoom, video/photo size, and normal/macro focus setting. The good news is the FM1 handles most automatic controls quite well. The camcorder's auto white balance was stellar under a variety of different lights—something that many ultracompact camcorders have trouble with. The FM1 also did a good job with auto exposure, producing smooth, even adjustments between different light levels.
The focus on the GC-FM1 is fixed, which means the camcorder doesn't have an autofocus mechanism. You can, however, switch between normal and macro focus settings using the slider on the left of the camcorder. With the macro setting you can film close-up shots in focus (up to 3.9mm away). The normal setting is for regular shooting and has a much longer focal range.

Low Light Modes
The GC-FM1 has no low light modes and it doesn't appear to have any automatic slow shutter speeds either (shutters below 1/60 of a second). In its defense, the GC-FM1 may not need any low light modes—the camcorder did rather well in our low light testing without them.

Scene Modes
There's no scene modes available on teh GC-FM1. The only ultracompact camcorders to include scene modes are the Sony Webbie HD models, the MHS-PM1 and MHS-CM1. The Sanyo VPC-CG10 also has a few scene modes.

Zoom (3.00)

The FM1's digital zoom is controlled using the up and down arrows on the camcorder's d-pad. Because zoom is controlled with these buttons, there is no variable speed control for the zoom. The buttons are also somewhat difficult to push because they don't have much give. We prefer the more flexible zoom buttons featured on the Flip UltraHD.

Zoom is controlled via the up and down buttons of the dpad.

As you zoom with the GC-FM1 a bar appears at the bottom of the LCD that shows your zoom progress. There are no numbers to tell you how far you've zoomed, so the bar is your only system of zoom measurement. Since the camcorder doesn't offer much zoom to being with (only 4x) this isn't that big of a deal.

Zoom Ratio (0.0)

The GC-FM1 has no optical zoom, but does offer a 4x digital zoom. Most ultracompact camcorders come with some sort of digital zoom, but a few also have an optical zoom. The horizontally-shaped Sony MHS-CM1 has a 5x optical zoom, as does the Sanyo VPC-CG10.

Focus (0.0)

The GC-FM1 has no autofocus mechanism because the lens is always in a fixed position. You can switch the focal length of the lens between normal and macro recording. The macro setting (applied by sliding a switch on the left side of the camcorder) allows you to focus on close-up subjects, but not on things that are far away. The normal settinggives you a much larger focal range and allows distant obects to be crisp. The ultracompact Kodak Zi6 also offers this feature.

Exposure (0.0)

There are no manual exposure options on the JVC GC-FM1.

Aperture (0.0)

The JVC GC-FM1 has a fixed aperture of f/2.8. This means you can't change the aperture on the camcorder manually, nor can the camcorder adjust the aperture automatically—it is always set at f/2.8.

Shutter Speed (0.0)

As with exposure and aperture, there are no manual shutter speed options on the GC-FM1. The camcorder doesn't even appear to have an auto slow shutter that kicks in during low light shooting.

White Balance (0.0)

White balance on the GC-FM1 is entirely automated—there are no presets or manual options. The camcorder's auto white balance did do a good job under a variety of lighting conditions, however.

Gain (0.0)

Gain cannot be controlled manually on the GC-FM1.

Color & Image Controls (0.0)

There are no color or image controls on the GC-FM1, which is par for the course amongst ultracompact budget cams.

Other Manual Controls (0.50)

The JVC GC-FM1 doesn't really have many controls other than video size options. There is a switch on the camcorder's left side, however, that allows you to adjust the camcorder's focal length between normal and tele macro.

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