The three-chip JVC GY-HM650 professional camcorder is a workhorse for news production. It offers an integrated FTP connection and Wi-Fi connectivity that allows the end user to send their footage online, while still recording by using a wireless mobile hotspot. DoP Stefan Randjelovic puts the camera through its paces When I was handed this camera […]
The three-chip JVC GY-HM650 professional camcorder is a workhorse for news production. It offers an integrated FTP connection and Wi-Fi connectivity that allows the end user to send their footage online, while still recording by using a wireless mobile hotspot. DoP Stefan Randjelovic puts the camera through its paces
When I was handed this camera for review, I was briefed that this was not your typical DoPs camera. If youre shooting a TVC or a feature film, this might not be the first camera you would reach out for. However, this camera comes with a lot of features designed for news reporters on the field and those shooting documentaries.
The three-chip JVC GY-HM650 is a professional camcorder, light enough to be operated for several hours if needed. But after a certain period of time, it does get a little bit heavy, so using a tripod will be
a must.
As with all JVC cameras, the GY-HM650 has all the features you require on the fly on its camera body.
The camera has a FULL AUTO and MANUAL mode. We have tested it in full manual mode, where we could control the focal length, focus, gain, white balance and shutter speed. There are three ND filters built in that range from 1/4 to 1/64 and we found this extremely useful shooting here in sunny Dubai.
The functions on the camera are pretty standard with a MENU/Thumbnail button to guide you through the setting and Thumbnail playback.
This is what is great about this camera. JVC has paid great attention to the small details with this camera. You have the same set of controls on the LCD menu display with a joystick that makes it incredibly easy to navigate through all of your settings.
The LCD is 3.5″ 920,000-dot and the picture is very sharp and bright. Underneath, once you open the LCD, you will find all of the controls for audio.
Everything on this camera seems to be intuitive and easy-to-use and that is the most important thing for run-and-gun videography.
You even have a top record and zoom control on this camera. I found this very convenient for low-angle shooting.
SENSOR SENSITIVITY
One of the main features of this camera is the new custom-made sensor from JVC. It is incredibly sensitive to low light, considering the fact that its a 1/3″ sensor. F11 is the sensitivity measurement.
It actually does not have only one sensor but three 1/3″ 12 bit CMOS sensors. The details are crisp and the colour rendition
is perfect.
Under low light conditions, this camera performs incredibly well.
It will present you with two modes “standard” or “extended”. With standard, you will get a perfect picture in the dark even on 6db of gain, but with extended, you will get even more but with a little bit of extra noise.
It even has a “low lux” button that boosts the sensitivity of the sensor even without going to the menu. This can be particularly useful if you find yourself stuck in complete darkness, and after our tests, you can really see even when your eyes dont see in
the dark.
We have to be realistic here. The picture, even when on 6db, wont be completely noise free, but for a sensor size of this size,
I was pleasantly surprised with the
resulting image.
LENS
The camera comes with a Fujinon 23x optical zoom lens, which has a nice wide aperture from f/1.6-3.0. Its focal length is 23x, f=4.1-94.3mm (35mm conversion:29 to 667mm).
It has a built-in image stabiliser that works well when shooting handheld.
On the lens itself, you will find manual IRIS, FOCUS and ZOOM rings that are essential for easy manual control in
the field.
The zoom rocker will provide you with a fast zoom, and I was again pleasantly surprised that the auto focus works very well; its very fast and convenient at times.
Again here, we see how much attention JVC has paid to detail. One thing that I particularly like is the lens cover that is conveniently made so that it opens and closes but still remains attached to the lens. You can remove it if you want to, but this feature makes a world of difference on the field. You most definitely dont want your lens to get scratched.
RECORDING MODES AND FRAME RATE
This camera gives you the ability to record in different codecs including AVCHD,QUICKTIME ( H.264), QUICKTIME (MPEG2), MP4 (MPEG2), MXF (MPEG2).
In full HD 1920X1080 video, you have the option to shoot in 24p,30p or 60i.
If you decide to drop to HD 1280X720, it supports 60p, 30p and 24p frame rates.
The camera can also record in a plethora of different formats and resolutions including:
*HD MPEG2 (35/25/19Mbps)
*AVCHD 1920×1080 60i
*SD H.264
*480×270 H.264 (web)
*960×540 H.264 mode
One of the main aspects of this camera is perhaps the possibility to record in dual codecs. This is ideal for HD and a proxy file.
It records on affordable SDXC/SDHC memory card recording (two slots for dual-backup, continuous recording). Just make sure that you are using a class 6 card or higher. Our testing was done on a class 10 card.
Of course, the standard interval recording is there so you will be able to create very interesting time lapses.
The MXF is a very good file format for metatagging. It makes the editing workflow a breeze.
SOUND
Two-channel balanced audio inputs (mic/line switchable) w/phantom power supply is provided.
There are two XLR Audio inputs and a Shotgun mic holder. However, the biggest disappointment is that there is no shotgun mic with this camera something that comes standard with other packages.
But all is not lost as it does have a built-in stereo microphone. This worked extremely well in capturing ambient sound. However, if you do consider doing interviews, which is very relevant for this specific camera, you should consider using a directional mic.
The camera has only one vent unlike most other cameras that have two or even, three. It is, however, nearly noise free and very quiet.
Other features of this camera include a headphone jack for monitoring audio and a 3.5 mm jack if you are not working with XLR audio.
FTP UPLOADING
Getting information on the scene is one thing, sending it back to the edit bay is another ball game altogether. This is where this camera truly impressed us.
We used a Wi-Fi hotspot at a local coffee brand shop to upload the files we recorded. You can also use a cell adapter with the cell phone but we didnt have the opportunity to test it out.
It works like a charm. Thanks to the dual codecs, we were able to send our low-res, internet-ready files to the editing bay, and once we came back to the edit suite, we were able to update the proxy files with the hi-res in a snap.
This is a process that takes some time to set up in the camera but once it is set, we had no problem uploading two minutes of footage from the field; the upload time itself was only a couple of minutes.
This is really the feature that sets this camera apart from all the others in the same class such as the Sony NEX-50 or the Canon XF300.
REMOTE CONTROL
You can use any of your smartphone devices, tablet or even a computer to control the camera remotely.
The camera has an IP address that you put in your browser on your smart device. This enables you to access the zoom and record functions of the camera without even being in the room.
It works well and is a very interesting feature especially if you want to put your camera in a weird angle and cannot access the controls.
It is important to note that this feature is not live, but it can be useful if you connect multiple JVC 650 cameras and it will allow you to monitor all of the cameras.
LIVE STREAMING
The camera does have the option of live streaming but we did not have the opportunity to test it out. But this feature opens up incredible opportunities because you can record an event and stream it directly to YouTube, for instance.
CLIP TRIMMER
The trimming option in the camera enables the end user to shorten their video clips if they do not want to upload the entire footage to the server.
FLASH BAND COMPENSATION
This camera even has a feature for flash bands. What is this? When you have a strong light source like one from a photography camera coming straight at your lens, normally, the bright light tends to be recorded over two frames, creating a banding effect that is not particularly cool. With this camera, you have a compensation option that restricts the banding to one frame only. So if you are shooting a live event with a lot of paparazzi, you wont have that issue anymore if you enable this feature in the menu.
OUTPUTS and BATTERY
The battery life on this camera is pretty incredible. You will be able to record for several hours in the field without the need to power up.
At the back of the camera near the battery is also a composite output and HDMI output, SDI.
At the front of the camera, you will also find a RCA input output for time code.
CONCLUSION
For run-and-gun shooting or new event gathering, I would say this camera is a great contender. You might not get the cinematic quality that you will potentially get with cameras that have a larger sensor or interchangeable lens, so this camera may not be a top choice for filmmakers.
But for documentaries or news professionals, this is a camera that has all of the functions required for a one-man operation making you immediately well equipped to report from the field.
You will find all of the tools that you need at your fingertips. The added advantages of Wi-Fi connectivity, FTP-upload and dual-coded recording makes this an instant hit for news professionals.
In essence, this is a true broadcast camera that doesnt need a satellite
truck.
Stefan Randjelovic is Head of the Film Department at SAE Institute Dubai
