The SC-HMX10 is Samsung’s first attempt at a high 
definition (HD) camcorder, and it's done a 
good job. Samsung, for all its strength in other electronics areas, simply has not been able to compete in camcorders with juggernauts like Sony, Canon, and Panasonic. It wisely decided to aim a little lower and create the best “budget HD” camcorder it could. The result is a great little point-and-shoot that will satisfy those looking chiefly for simplicity, portability, and style. More advanced users should strongly consider upgrading to juggernaut-status.
The Samsung SC-HMX10 comes equipped with a single 1/4.5-inch CCD with a gross pixel count of 1,610,000. When shooting in adequate light, the image quality is better than expected. Samsung’s track record has been less than stellar in standard definition, but the HMX10 produces a pleasant balance of color and sharpness that stacks up favorably against competitors like the Sanyo VPC-HD2. One serious gripe, however, is the fall-off of focus around the edge of the frame. This is only slightly less forgivable in standard definition, but HD exaggerates focal errors because it’s so much sharper. In low light, the camcorder performs as well as can be expected – don’t plan on this being a powerhouse performer during nighttime barbeques.
Ease of use is one of the SC-HMX10’s strengths, with one of the simplest menu systems we’ve seen. Most operation is performed via the touch screen LCD. Touch screens are clearly intuitive and great for beginners, but the accumulation of greasy fingerprints will tire even that crowd. Advanced users will feel the sting of the tiny on-screen buttons, which can be hard to press.
The manual controls are simple and straightforward, a blessing for the general masses. Making the image darker or brighter requires no cryptic knowledge. However, simplicity comes at the cost of serious control. Camcorder enthusiasts will bemoan the fact that the SC-HMX10’s shutter speed cannot be adjusted below 1/60, making it all but impossible to correct its remedial low light performance. The manual focus is entirely reliant on the touch screen – yes, the same touch screen that has your fingerprints all over it. Camcorders from Canon, Sony, Panasonic, and other top-tier manufacturers all offer better features in this regard.
The SC-HMX10 records 720p video (1280 x 720 progressive frames at 30 times per second), as opposed to 1080i (1920 x 1080 interlaced fields at 60 times per second), which is the more popular flavor of HD for consumer camcorders. Video clips are outputted in the H.264/MPEG-4 format, standing out from the two more popular formats, HDV and AVCHD. HDV is tied to tape, and is therefore slowly dying, despite offering the highest video quality. AVCHD is widely recognized as the format of choice for non-linear media such as DVD and solid state memory. However, the files from the SC-HMX10 are markedly easier to work with on a PC than AVCHD files. Each movie clip is a self-contained .MP4 file that can be easily imported into most up-to-date editing software.
The general rule of technology shopping is this: buy the best you can afford at the time. The Samsung SC-HMC10 may be the best you can afford, if you have a line in the sand at $799, but we strongly urge you save up a little more cash and upgrade to better offerings. The Sony HDR-CX7 and Panasonic HDC-SD5 are both flash memory camcorders of similar size that offer better video quality in the AVCHD format. The Canon HF10, due out in spring 2008, is a slightly larger take on the same type of camcorder that has an excellent pedigree for performance – its HDV cousin, the Canon HV20, was the best camcorder of 2007. If appearance is the overriding concern, and bone-simple operation is a must, the Samsung SC-HMX10 is an acceptable choice.
2008 The Washington Post Company and Reviewed.com
Source from http://reviews.washingtonpost.com/product/Samsung/SC-HMX10.htm
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