Review: JVC GY-LS300 4KCAM Handheld S35mm Camcorder, Part 1: Lens Support, Functionality, and Usability

An alternative to this would be to use an ENG lens, as on JVC’s 700/800 series and use the grip on the lens while the camcorder rests on the shoulder. Then the camcorder could provide a viewfinder in the proper place, easily reachable knobs and buttons, and even an earpiece to monitor the audio while the camcorder is on your shoulder. Time and again throughout this review process, I felt the LS300’s ergonomics should have evolved out of the 700/800 series.

I'm not going to rehash the knobs, buttons, switches, and ports because all this is readily available on brochures and photos about the camcorder. I want to focus on what you can't learn from those materials.

For instance, while the screen measures 3.5" and has a decent resolution, what you can't divine from literature is that the Focus Assist (monochrome with peaking) is available only on the camcorder's screen and viewfinder--and not in the HDMI out (Figure 11, below). Moreover, while I prefer to utilize a waveform scope to assess my image and determine whether it’s actually clipping or not, I’ve become accustomed to using the histogram on my DSLR to help me gauge my image. Sadly, I could find neither such objective image-assessment tools on the LS300.

Figure 11. Video outs in the LS300 LCD (and attached monitor). Click the image to see it at full size.

It has Zebra stripes, which can be set anywhere from 5% to over 100%- and the bottom and top ranges are independently adjustable. So you can include everything from 60-80%, or just from 100% to Over, depending on how you like to use Zebra stripes.

Trying to judge faces on the built in LCD was not easy. While the LS300’s LCD is bigger than the screen on my GH4, I found its color representation to be far less accurate than the good-looking footage I recorded (Figure 12, below). I liked the footage I shot, but while shooting, the LCD screen never had me believing that my footage was looking that good. But when the exposure was too bright, the faces washed out very quickly and looked awful on the screen, so I compensated and that kept me in-line with what the camcorder could do. This, at least, was accurate and welcome.

Figure 12. Color representation on the LS300’s flipout LCD. Click the image to see it at full size.

One very handy feature was the ability to punch in with a magnified view by hitting a button in front of the zoom rocker (assignable wherever you want) and being able to magnify my view for critical focus--while shooting 4K. Capitalized lettering appears on screen letting me know this is a “Magnified View,” and one tap brought me out to the full shot.

There are 10 user-assignable buttons, all pre-labeled with features JVC thinks should be handy. But things like a Super Low Light mode will likely not find much use in the professional streaming world. Moreover, some things I wanted to assign to buttons were not available to be assigned. You can only choose from a subset of features for the user buttons.

These 25 items include, “None,” “Bars,” “LoLux,” “Marker,” etc. I find these to be of limited use these days. Other features, such as OIS (Optical Image Stabilization), or Preset Zoom 1, Preset Zoom 2, and Preset Zoom 3, or Auto Focus Lock, apply only to lenses that have these capabilities. Some items like Load Picture file amd Clip review are useful only for playback, not recording.

Features like Live Streaming, Expanded Focus, Focus Assist, Zebra, and AWB are definitely among the more useful ones. Being able to separately trigger a backup recording device (presumably sent out over SDI) can also prove handy for those that use it. Overall, the buttons can be rearranged to be more useful and more logically placed depending on how you’ll use the camera (live streaming vs. cinematic production), and what the camera is connected to (autofocus/ stabilized lens, external recorders, etc.).

I will say that I found the two vertical switches for gain and white balance to be a little too recessed for my taste, but they worked fine once I learned to go at them with my fingernail and not try to flip them with my finger. And it was nice to have the manual white balance where I expect it to be (a button on front of the iris knob) and have it work the way I expected it to, without having to think about it. Changing the preset white balance, though, takes a deep dive into the menu--far more difficult than it needs to be.