The USB output lands up front, directly underneath the light and the mic, and headphone inputs stand to the right of the lens. This can present an issue for Videomaker-recommended tripod shooting.

The battery attaches on the back side, and the microSDHC slot resides on the bottom, neighboring the tripod inserts. The HDMI, A/V and component cables all plug in along the back side, directly under the Record button, along with the power cord. The power button resides on the inside of the LCD display screen, which eliminates the headache of accidentally turning off the camcorder while attempting to press Record. It is easy to hold, but the small size may lead to instability at first. Perhaps the GZ-HD40’s most impressive feature is its pocket-like size, which, true to form, actually fits insides a pants pocket or jacket sleeve. The GZ-HD40 offers impressive color saturation, due to the addition of a new CMOS imaging chip and the optional extended color space of x.v.Color.

The MPEG-2 modes offer an HDV-compatible mode (1440 CBR) and the full HD (1920×1080) alternative. Weighing in at only 1.20 pounds (including battery), the GZ-HD40 shoots in high definition in both AVCHD and MPEG-2. JVC’s first-ever dual-format camcorder gives shooters a nice alternative, if the bulky professional-grade monsters tend to get on your nerves. The $1,300 MSRP price tag justifies its dual-format AVCHD/MPEG-2 addition, and prosumers may view the small size as a benefit.

With a 120GB hard disk drive, the dual-format GZ-HD40 will allow its amateur cinemaniacs up to 50 hours of AVCHD Full HD video recording. JVC’s Everio GZ-HD40 is the equivalent of a marathon runner.

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