I read from the brochures that while the GY-HM700 offers limited variable frame rate shooting, the GY-HM100 apparently does not.

Since the cameras seem to have the same new processor (according to the descriptions), is the variable framerate feature simply disabled in the HM100.

If this is the case, that is truly unfortunate. If in fact there is a difference in the processor in the two cameras, what is the difference, and is the processOR in the HM100 somehow inferior in other ways as well?

On a side topic, can anyone who has used the HM100 verify whether the zoom is smooth or not. On the HM100 I saw at a show, the zoom showed a marked delay when the zoom wheel was turned, it was jerky while zooming, and was generally not usable exact to reset the focal length for non-zooming shots. When I saw this the camera had wide angle attached, so this may have been the problem. I don't know.

I don't know about the variable speed functionality with the 100, although it isn't such a big deal to achieve these same effects with a run through an application like FCP's cinema tools to "conform" a faster frame rate to your master rate - without any transcoding.

I suspect the issue you saw with zooming would be issues only with that pre-production prototype camera. I'm confident JVC will operate very smoothly given the lens design parameters.

You are correct. The variable speed function seems to be reserved for the HM700.

As Sean mentioned you can still use the old methods in post-production to conform 50p or 60p down to 24, 25 or 30p. It's just unfortunate that you won't get the instant feedback.