Samsung's taking its sleek smartphone stylings and applying them to its debut entry into minicamcorder territory. Looking a bit like the Memoir, but with the lens section angled slightly upward for (presumably) more comfortable operation, the HMX-U10 combines an eye-catching design with some--but not all--of the features necessary to succeed in the competitive direct-to-Web camcorder market.
It certainly takes the lead by offering 1920x1080 30fps video; the Flip UltraHD, Creative Vado and Kodak Zi6 all do only 1280x720 720p. And while the CMOS sensor is relatively large compared to the Flip and Kodak--1/2.3 inch vs. 1/4.5--it also crams in boatloads more pixels to be able to claim 10-megapixel still photos.
Like its compatriots, the U10 will allow for USB battery charging--however the USB cable isn't built in--and ship with in-camcorder software for editing and direct-to-YouTube uploading. The U10 does offer an SD card slot, a useful feature which the Flip lacks, but has a smaller 2-inch LCD. Like its cohorts, the U10 has a fixed focal-length lens. But it's a pretty slow one, f3 compared to Flip's f2.4 and Kodak's f2.8, which, especially in conjunction with the high-resolution sensor, doesn't bode well for low-light video quality.
With dimensions of 2.2 x 4.1 x 0.6 inches it's slightly wider than the Vado but smaller than the rest. That doesn't seem to include the lens, which pokes out from the body a bit. It's one of the lightest at 3.4 ounces, though.
So what's missing? A catchier name, for one. When it ships in September, in silver, red, greet and black, Samsung will be asking $199.99 for it, putting it at the pricey end of the spectrum.
Read more from http://reviews.cnet.com/digital-camcorders/samsung-hmx-u10-purple/4505-6500_7-33765931.html?tag=mncol;lst
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