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Introduction
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01.Product Tour
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02.Colour & Noise Performance
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03.Motion & Sharpness Performance
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04.Low Light Performance
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05.Compression & Media
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06.Manual Controls
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07.Still Features
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08.Handling & Use
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09.Playback & Connectivity
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10.Audio & Other Features
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11.Sanyo VPC-HD2000 Comparison
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12.Panasonic HDC-HS300 Comparison
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13.JVC GZ-HD320 Comparison
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14.Conclusion
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15.Photo Gallery
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16.Specs and Ratings
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17.Comments
JVC GZ-X900
Previous: Part 12
Panasonic HDC-HS300 ComparisonNext: Part 14
Conclusion
JVC GZ-X900 versus JVC GZ-HD320
• GZ-HD320 has similar menus, controls, and features to the X900.
• Even though HD300 is technically the step-down model, we found its overall performance to be better than the X900.
• The GZ-HD320 records to a 60GB internal hard drive and has a MicroSD card slot.
Before the GZ-X900 came along, the GZ-HD320 was JVC's top HD camcorder for 2009. The GZ-HD320 is significantly cheaper than the X900 (by more than £200) and it has a stouter, more traditional design. When we reviewed the HD300 we liked it for what it offered—decent video performance for a reasonable price. It also has quite a few manual controls, although not quite as many as the GZ-X900. The GZ-HD320 records to a 60GB internal hard drive and has a MicroSD card slot for storing additional footage.
What really shocked us, however, is that the GZ-HD320 actually outperformed the GZ-X900 in most of our tests. Sure, the X900 had a sharper image and better motion, but the HD300 had much better low light performance, more accurate colours, and less noise. The HD300 is limited when it comes to still images, however, which is an area where the GZ-X900 shines.
Our recommendation is to go with the GZ-HD320 over the GZ-X900 unless still image capability is very important to you. The rest of the GZ-X900's advantages aren't significant enough to justify spending the extra money.
| Comparison Specs | ||
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| JVC GZ-X900 | JVC GZ-HD320 | |
| Price | £720 | £499 |
| Primary Recording Media | SD/SDHC memory card | 120GB internal hard drive |
| Secondary Recording Media | None | MicroSD memory card |
| Image Sensor | 1/2.33-inch CMOS | 1/4.1-inch CMOS |
| Effective Pixel Count | Unknown (video) 9-megapixel (stills) |
3.05 Megapixels |
| Mic Input | None | None |
| LCD | 2.8-inch with 207,000 pixels | 2.7-inch with 123,000 pixels |
| Viewfinder | None | None |
| Weight | 298g (0.66 lbs) with battery | 370g with battery |
| Dimensions | 37 x 66 x 124mm | 53 x 68 x 113mm |
| HD | Yes | Yes |
| Frame Rates | 1080/50i | 1080/50i |
| Compression | AVCHD (MPEG-4 AVC/H.264) | AVCHD |
| Maximum Bitrate | 24Mbps | 24Mbps |
| Optical Zoom | 5x | 20x |
| Stabilisation | Optical | Digital |
| Scores | ||
| JVC GZ-X900 | JVC GZ-HD320 | |
| Colour | 8,86 |
17,16 |
| Noise | 11,89 | 10,29 |
| Video Sharpness | 12,53 |
8,89 |
| Low Light Sensitivity | 0,0 |
0,45 |
| Low Light Colour | 4,42 |
7,24 |
| Low Light Noise | 5,11 |
12,75 |
| Bright Light Comparisons (3000 lux) | |||
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| JVC GZ-X900 100% Crop |
JVC GZ-HD320 100% Crop |
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| Video Sharpness Score Comparisons |
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