JVC GC-FM1 HD pocket camcorder

The GC-FM1 HD shoots great bright-light video, but is hampered by its build, finicky controls and execution of marquee features

PC World (US online)

  • Review
  • Specs
  • Images
  • User Reviews
  • Buy Online

On paper, the JVC GC-FM1 is loaded. Specs-wise, it has only one rival in the HD pocket camcorder realm: the excellent Kodak Zi8.

Pros

  • Excellent video in optimum lighting, good 4x digital zoom and macro mode

Cons

  • Poor low-light performance, cheap plastic finish, too expensive for what it offers

Bottom Line

The JVC GC-FM1 HD pocket camcorder shoots some of the best bright-light video we've seen, but it's hampered by its plastic build, its finicky controls, and the execution of its marquee features.

Would you buy this?

  • Price

    $ 299.00 (AUD)

But pocket-camcorder championships aren't won on paper.

Like the Zi8, the GC-FM1 shoots 1080p video and offers digital image stabilisation, two positive distinguishing factors in the now-crowded HD pocket camcorder market. And just as the Zi8 does, this JVC pocket camcorder has a landscape/macro toggle, the ability to shoot still photos (8 megapixels, versus the Zi8's 5-megapixel sensor), an HDMI-out port for viewing footage on an HDTV (no HDMI cable is included, however), and an SDHC card slot for storing videos and still images.

However, the GC-FM1's feature set is much better in theory than it is in practice. Since this device has no flip-out USB connector, you have to offload clips and images to your PC via an included USB cable. It also falls short of its pint-size competitors in usability, durability, audio quality, and controls -- and that's frustrating, because JVC's first pocket camcorder shoots some of the best-quality bright-light video we've seen to date.

In head-to-head video tests with competing pocket camcorders, the JVC GC-FM1 turned in above-average footage in well-lit situations. It showed better highlight definition than the Kodak Zi8 and the Flip Video MinoHD -- two of the best pocket camcorders we've tested in terms of video quality -- and its video looked a bit sharper than clips shot with the second-generation MinoHD.

Colors looked more muted and less vibrant than in footage from the Zi8 and MinoHD, and the MinoHD seemed to capture video with smoother motion. All in all, the JVC GC-FM1 earned a video-quality score of Very Good in comparison with the pocket-camcorder competition.

The JVC GC-FM1 shoots .mov files at about 88GB per minute of footage.

Unfortunately, footage shot in low light with the JVC GC-FM1 is another story entirely. The GC-FM1 received a low-light score of Fair, clearly outmatched by the low-light footage that the second-generation Flip Video MinoHD produced.

Even if you're willing to sacrifice low-light video quality for the sake of the GC-FM1's much-better bright-light footage, this pocket camcorder has a handful of disappointing drawbacks. A big one is the audio quality: The on-board microphone picked up a lot of hiss in our test footage, making the audio tracks for clips sound as if they were being played back on a cassette deck.

I also didn't have much luck with the GC-FM1's digital image stabilisation feature. If it worked at all, it did so only with the slightest of movements; still photos taken while I slowly moved the camcorder from side to side came out blurry.

And when you use the GC-FM1 in still-photo mode, it offers no "click" noise or any visual indication that you've captured a photo. The screen simply blinks a bit, and you don't see a preview of the image you've just shot unless you dive into the playback menus and scroll down to find it.

Perhaps the main drawback is the build quality of the device itself. The JVC GC-FM1's flashy, reflective faceplate, ribbed silver edges, and colorful back panel are all made of very lightweight plastic, and the entire device feels too light and fragile to be durable. The buttons on the back are all plastic, as well, and they're too small for anything but the smallest hands to use effectively. You get a power button, a playback button, a delete button, a still/video toggle, a menu button, and a four-way navigation pad/record button that also controls the GC-FM1's 4X digital zoom.

The power button is not very responsive; I had to hold it down for a few seconds or press it more than once to turn on the device. The menu button isn't entirely useful, either: It works only when you hold down the delete button while pressing it.

On top of that, the menu options are surprisingly limited. You can adjust the time display, toggle between the PAL and NTSC formats for video-out, check your firmware version, or format your SDHC card -- and that's it. You get none of the frame-rate controls or other tweakable settings that you do on the Kodak Zi8.

On a bright note, the 4X digital zoom worked smoothly, and full-zoom footage looked notably better than what we've seen from the half-baked digital zooms on nearly all other pocket camcorders. The landscape/macro toggle on the left side of the camcorder also worked fairly well, and the macro mode worked at a slightly closer distance from the subject than did the macro mode on the Zi8.

All in all, the JVC GC-FM1 costs too much to recommend, considering its shortcomings compared with the Kodak Zi8. Its video quality in good lighting is among the best we've seen, and its highlight definition is a strong suit. However, the build quality, buttons, audio quality, and controls all detract from the device's usability, and the 1080p-shooting Zi8 allows much greater flexibility with your video.

Keep up with the latest tech news, reviews and previews by subscribing to the PC World newsletter.

Read more on these topics: jvc, pocket camcorders, digital video, camcorders

Be the first to comment.

Post new comment

Users posting comments agree to the Good Gear Guide comments policy.

Login or register to link comments to your user profile, or you may also post a comment without being logged in.

Most Popular

Tethering tutorial: How to use your iPhone as a modem
LCD vs plasma vs LED TVs buying guide
How to pick the right size TV for your living room
Capacitive vs resistive touchscreens
Buying guide: Ovens, cooktops and freestanding cookers (upright ranges)

Best Deals on PCWorld

Digital VideoView all »
Digital CamerasView all »
NotebooksView all »
Desktop PCsView all »
TabletsView all »

Compare & Save

« 1 of 14 »
Deals powered by WhistleOut
Use WhistleOut's technology to compare:
Mobile phone plans & deals
Mobile phone models
Mobile phone carriers
Broadband plans & deals
Broadband providers
Deals powered by WhistleOut
Guides and Articles
National Broadband Network NBN 100Mbps Plans
Visualising Mobile Phone Plans
SIM Only Mobile Phone Plans
National Broadband Network NBN 25Mbps Plans
iPhone 5, 4S & iPhone 4 Plans - Compare Deals &...
Deals powered by WhistleOut
WhistleOut