| |
Model
|
| JVC GZ-HM400 | Sony HDR-TG3 |
| Picture ? | | |
| Manufacturer | JVC 
| Sony 
|
| Name | GZ-HM400 | HDR-TG3 |
| European name ? | GZ-HM400E | HDR-TG3E |
| US name ? | GZ-HM400 | HDR-TG3 |
| lowest US price | 559 $ | 979 $ |
| On the market since | September 2009 | May 2008 |
| Manufacturers URL | link to JVC | link to Sony |
|
|
Test preview
|
| [ top ] | JVC GZ-HM400 | Sony HDR-TG3 |
| slashCAM rating ? | Good
 | Satisfactory
 |
| test picture 1200 Lux | | |
| Test image 12 lux auto-mode | | |
Video
|
| [ top ] | JVC GZ-HM400 | Sony HDR-TG3 |
| Video formats ? | AVCHD
| AVCHD
|
| Recording Medium | SDHC card built-in flash memory
| Memory Stick PRO Duo
|
| video resolutions EU ? | AVCHD 1920 x 1080/50i
| AVCHD 1920 x 1080/50i
|
| video resolutions US ? | AVCHD 1920 x 1080/60i
| AVCHD 1920 x 1080/60i
|
| Max Bitrate ? | 24 Mbit/s | 16 Mbit/s |
| Compression format ? | MPEG4
| MPEG4
|
| on-board memory ? | 32 GB | |
| Optics |
| Optics Manufacturer ? | Konica Minolta
| Carl Zeiss
|
| Optical Zoom ? | 10 x | 10 x |
| Wide Angle 16:9 ? | 48 mm | 42,9 mm |
| Filter diameter ? | 46 mm | |
| Image Stabilization ? | optical
| electronical
|
| ND Filter ? | No
| No
|
| Exchangable optics ? | No
| No
|
| Image Sensor |
| Number of sensors ? | 1 | 1 |
| Size of image sensor ? | 1/2,33 inch | 1/5 inch |
| image sensor effective pixel count 16:9 ? | | 1430000 Pixel |
| Image Sensor Type ? | CMOS
| CMOS
|
| Controls |
| White Balance ? | auto manual presets
| auto manual
|
| Focus ? | | auto manual
|
| Minimum shutter time ? | 1/4000 | 1/auto
|
| Maximum shutter time ? | 1/2 | auto
|
| Apperture control ? | auto manual
| auto manual
|
| Infrared recording ? | No
| No
|
| Expanded Focus ? | No
| No
|
| Peaking ? | Yes
| No
|
| Signal Processing |
| Zebra ? | Off 70% 100%
| 70% 100% |
| Histogram ? | No
| No
|
| adjustable sharpness ? | Yes
| No
|
| Adjustable color ? | No
| No
|
| Cinegamma ? | No
| No
|
| Black Strech ? | No
| No
|
| Knee ? | No
| No
|
| Colorbars ? | No
| No
|
| Misc. |
| Shot Transition ? | No
| No
|
| Custom Presets ? | No
| No
|
| Set Time Code ? | No
| No
|
Configuration
|
| Connections |
| [ top ] | JVC GZ-HM400 | Sony HDR-TG3 |
FBAS ? synonymous: RCA, composite | Out
| Out
|
YC ? synonymous: S-Video | No
| via accessories
|
YUV ? synonymous: Component Signal | Out
| Out
|
| HDMI ? | Out
| Out
|
DV / HDV (FireWire) ? synonymous: ILink / IEEE-1394 | - | |
| USB ? | USB 2.0
| USB 2.0
|
| Microphone / Audio input ? | Mini-jack
| No
|
| Headphones ? | Mini-jack
| No
|
| Lanc ? | No
| No
|
| Time-code interface ? | No
| No
|
| Genlock ? | No
| No
|
| Accessory shoe ? | Standard
| No
|
| HD-SDI ? | No
| No
|
| Misc. |
| Weight (without battery) | 400 g | 240 g |
| Weight (with battery) | 485 g | 300 g |
| Battery type | JVC BNVF815U
| Sony NP-FH50
|
| Battery capacity | 1460 mAh | 900 mAh |
| Charger ? | internal
| internal
|
| Remote control | Yes
| No
|
| Size |
| Height | 67 mm | 32 mm |
| Width | 72 mm | 119 mm |
| Depth | 135 mm | 63 mm |
| Relative Size ? | 6 | 2 |
| Viewfinder |
| Viewfinder available ? | No
| No
|
| Color Viewfinder ? | - | - |
| Viewfinder format ? | - | - |
| Viewfinder pixels ? | | |
| Display |
| Display available ? | Yes
| Yes
|
| Color display ? | Color
| Color
|
| Display size | 2,8 Inch | 2,7 Inch |
| Display format ? | 16:9 | 16:9 |
| Display pixels ? | | 211200 Pixel |
| Touch Screen ? | No
| Yes
|
| External controls |
| Manual Zoom ? | Rocker
| thumb wheel
|
| Manual Focus ? | bi-functional focus or aperture wheel
| Menu
|
| Manual Aperture ? | bi-functional focus or aperture wheel
| Menu
|
| Focus switcher ? | No
| No
|
| ND Filter ? | No
| No
|
| Exp Lock ? | No
| No
|
| Gain ? | No
| No
|
| White balance ? | No
| No
|
| Push AF ? | No
| No
|
| Audio Levels ? | No
| No
|
Custom Keys ? synonymous: User buttons | 1 | No
|
Audio
|
| [ top ] | JVC GZ-HM400 | Sony HDR-TG3 |
| Audio Formats ? | Dolby AC-3 Digital 2 channel 48 KHz
| AC-3 Dolby Digital 5.1 640 kbit max. Dolby AC-3 Digital 2 channel 48 KHz
|
| Microphone ? | Stereo internal Mini-jack external
| 5.1 Internal
|
| Audio Control ? | auto manual
| auto
|
| Audio levels ? | Screen
| No
|
Still
|
| [ top ] | JVC GZ-HM400 | Sony HDR-TG3 |
| Recording Medium ? | SDHC card
| Memory Stick Duo
|
| Medium included ? | No
| 4 GB
|
| Effective pixels ? | 1037000 Pixel | |
| Resolutions ? | 3456 x 2592 max
| 2304x1728 |
| Standard ? | JPEG Exif 2.2
| JPEG Exif 2.2
|
| Flash ? | Yes
| Yes
|
Misc.
|
| [ top ] | JVC GZ-HM400 | Sony HDR-TG3 |
| Specials | | Outside Europe the Cam is named Sony HDR-TG1 |
Product Shots
|
| [ top ] | JVC GZ-HM400 | Sony HDR-TG3 |
| View 1 | | |
| View 2 | | |
Test results
|
| Test pictures |
| [ top ] | JVC GZ-HM400 | Sony HDR-TG3 |
| luminance resolution | | |
| chrominance resolution | | |
| lens distortion | | |
| test small ISO image | | |
| noise / internal microphone | | |
| test picture 1200 Lux | | |
| Test image 12 lux auto-mode ? | | |
| Test image 12 lux optimized ? | | |
| slashCAM rating |
| Lowlight ? | Satisfactory | Satisfactory |
| Resolution ? | Good | Satisfactory |
| Color performance ? | Very good | Good |
| subj.Picture impression ? | Good | Good |
| Optical Zoom ? | Sufficient | Sufficient |
| Wide Angle ? | Poor | Poor |
| Configuration / image ? | Good | Sufficient |
| Configuration / sound ? | Satisfactory | Poor |
| Handling ? | Good | Satisfactory |
| Portability ? | Very good | Excellent |
| Photo function ? | Satisfactory | Sufficient |
| Optics ? | Good | Good |
| Dynamics ? | Good | Good |
| Conclusion slashCAM |
| slashCAM rating ? | Good
 | Satisfactory
 |
Total score ? (maximal 570) | 336 | 288 |
| Pros | + manual controls for shutter, focus and aperture + Custom Key
| |
| Cons | - manual controls are a bit slow
| |
| Conclusion | The GZ-HM400 got one of the sharpest images of its classToo bad you can no longer adjust the colors.The external controls will be interesting for people who like to manually adjust things and be in control.In addition to the slowness of the parameters, when filming, the user has to decide whether to use the fast white balance, focus help or custom keys.Otherwise it is back to the menu via laser touch controls | While the new Exmor CMOS technology and the Bionz signal processor provide great results with the SR-12, their benefits are leveled by the smaller chip area of the TG3.Demanding filmmakers will find too many compromises in terms of lowlight, ports and manual controls, preventing them from using the camera seriously.Ambitious filmmakers on the other hand will like the nice interface via touch screen. |
More information
|
| Reviews and Forums |
| [ top ] | JVC GZ-HM400 | Sony HDR-TG3 |
| slashCAM Review | | |
| external reviews/tests | | |
| Forum posts | Test: JVC GZ-HM400
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