Aiptek Camcorder Manual

Product Review: Samsung SC-HMX10 High Definition Camcorder

Surprisingly, Samsung has priced their new HD camcorder at a moderate price of about $500, though it can be found new for as little as $350. The price seems nice, but does it say anything about the video quality? Rarely do companies offer high-quality gadgets at a low price.

The Samsung SC-HMX10 is a high-definition camcorder that records in AVCHD, which means true high definition that has been down converted to a wide screen format. The features are average, and will please average consumers. If this seems like it may be the camcorder for you, read on to find out if the quality matches the low price.

Body

The body of the Samsung SC-HMX10 is made of plastic and is light, with minimal, non-intrusive features and easy to access controls. The SD card slot is on the top of the device, and the handle is located on the right side.

Features

This camcorder features 20x digital zoom and 10x optical zoom. The recording format is MPEG 4 using the H264 codec, which means a high video-to-capacity ratio; you will be able to get a lot of video in a little space.

The sensor is CMOS and the stabilization is nill, which makes videos jumpy, though not distorted. The max shutter speed is 1/1000 second, and there is a still photo mode for the occasional snapshot.

There is a great deal of manual controls with this camcorder, including control over shutter speed and focus, both of which are rare and welcomed.

Video Quality

Video quality is okay, but you'll be disappointed if you were looking for awesomeness in a cheap package. It is average, and will look best for web videos where the resolution will be low. The audio comes in clear, and the video is sharp - the color just isn't spectacular.

Issues

The auto focus is slow. It jumps around a little, which can definitely be noticed on recorded video. There is not image stabilization - not even digital - so the videos are shaky and make the auto focus issue worse.

In addition, exposure goes wonky at times and makes for bright spots where there shouldn't be any, and dark areas where you may not want them. When this happens, you have to move the camera into a bright area to get it to 'recalibrate'.

Conclusion

If you're going to invest in an HD camcorder and you have the means to do it, I highly recommend saving for a little while longer and purchasing a higher quality camcorder. The Samsung SC-HMX10 is simply a teaser for what it could be, the potential of a device that it isn't. For the quality of this camcorder, you'd be better off buying the Aiptek A-HD+ for a little over $100.