JVC HM360 Camcorder

JVC HM360 Overview

JVC is marketing the HM360 as a camera for wedding and event videographers. And why shouldn’t it be? The handheld HD Memory camcorder is light and features an ergonomic form which really comes in handy when covering events that may require lots moving, lifting, and changing of settings. On top of that, the camcorder is filled with versatile features that make it the ideal companion for capturing moments during special occasions.

Design & Features

The JVC HM360 features a stylish design, a professional layout, and user-friendly operations. This camcorder is built for handheld use which is why it was designed in such an ergonomic manner to ensure that videographers are satisfied when using this to cover different kinds of events. Shooting scenes is made easy with the 3 Rec Trigger button while smooth zooming is accomplished through the Zoom Seesaw lever. Other switches and buttons used for shooting include iris, gain, focus, and white balance – all of these are conveniently located on the left side panel which really helps when a user wants to quickly change settings.

The HM360 can support up to 11 customizable functions which will be assigned to seven buttons located on the camera body while the other four are on the cross-shaped buttons on the LCD. The camera also allows image parameters such as gamma and color-matrix to be customized and stored in internal memory and SD card.

With a ½.3-inch 18.9M pixel back-illuminated CMOS sensor, the HM360 can capture high-resolution recordings. Together with the Dynamic 19x F1.2 Bright GT Lens from JVC, this camcorder can achieve great results with really good sensitivity even in low-light conditions; scenes captured in low-light environments feature less noise as well. All these features combined makes the JVC HM360 quite the convenient camcorder as no additional lighting is needed to record events, social functions, and weddings.

The HM360 supports many of the popular codecs and file formats. Thanks to the high-speed picture processing FALCONBIRD engine of JVC, the camcorder can support major file formats, such as MOV (Apple Final Cut Pro), MP4 (XDCAM EX cameras), and MTS (AVHCD compatibility). The camcorder also supports high-definition images in MPEG-2 35Mbps and AVHCD 28Mbps (Progressive) formats. With the FALCONBIRD processor, the HM360 is also able to support the H.264 video format in 50Mbps extreme high quality (XHQ) mode; this format allows the capture of subjects moving at a high speed as well as achieving no block noise.

Like many other camcorders, the HM360 supports dual SD card slots which can be used for relay recording. Simultaneous recording, which is where the same footage is recorded to the two SD cards, is supported with this camcorder. In addition, backup recording is also supported where two different recordings are kept; this works by using the REC trigger to stop and record to halt recording on one card and continue filming on the other.

Event videographers know how adjustments need to made quickly, especially when the light changes suddenly. This is done easily with the Scene Select function, which allows the user to choose the optimum shooting mode with just a flick of a switch.

Focusing on the face forms a big part of event videography and the HM360 offers a couple of functions to make faces really shine including Face Recognition Auto Focus and Beautiful Skin Mode.

Audio is another important element of event coverage and the HM360 offers cutting-edge connectivity including XLR audio input. There are two inputs available and one can be used for mic while the other for LINE input of external audio equipment.

Pros and Cons

Pros

• It performs well in low-light conditions. This is helpful because it reduces the amount of gear a videographer has to take with them on shoots. A well-performing camera in low-light environments limits the need for additional lighting.
• It is lightweight and user-friendly. Flexibility is important to event videographers and this camera offers a lot of that from its ergonomic design down to its features.

Cons

• It can only shoot in HD. Although 4K is still in its early stages, a number of cameras – including portable ones – are slowly embracing the technology. Even though the HM360 only shoots in HD, the video results are still of good quality.

Final Thoughts

JVC marketed the HM360 as a camcorder for use in social functions, events, and weddings. The camcorder is indeed the perfect size for that and it comes with features that let users cover an event effectively. The video result is good, although not 4K, and it has good audio support as well. Overall, it’s a camcorder that lets a user do their job well.

User Reviews