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http://www.thinkcomputers.org/index.php?x=reviews&id=778
1. Reviewed:
Article by:
Michael Kwan
Product was submitted by:
Introduction
revolutionized the consumer photography scene and it seems that we are currentlyundergoing a similar revolution in the arena of
have been too expensive for the average consumer. With products like the Samsung SC-MX10 FlashMemory Camcorder, it just got a heck of a lot easier for Joe Public to transform into the next StevenSpielberg or Martin Scorsese. Oh, I guess you should have some movie-making talent before you canmake that leap.
Key Features
The Samsung SC-MX10 may be an entry-level camcorder designed for the fashion-consciousconsumer, but it does come with a decent feature set that will make video recording an absolutepleasure. Among some of the highlights on the feature list and spec sheet are the following.- Starts up in just three seconds- Compact and lightweight- Stylish design with high gloss black finish- Hidden, removable battery- 150 degree swivel hand grip- Designed for the Internet with MPEG video encoding-
Specifications
- 34x optical zoom- 1200x digital zoom- Schneider lens with F 1.6-4.3- 2.7-inch widescreen color LCD- Maximum recording resolution: 720 x 480 pixels- Auto focus
1/5
- Auto white balance- Built-in image stabilization- ADPCM audio format at 22050Hz sampling rate- Dimension: 60.0mm x 62.5mm x 121.0mm- Weight: 280g
What's in the Box
Aside from the Samsung SC-MX10 camcorder itself, inside the box you will find an audio-video cable(composite and S-Video) for connecting the camcorder to your TV, a USB cable, AC wall adapter, user manual, installation CDs, battery, and a protective
.It would have been nice of the AV cable had the option to output the video via a componentconnection, especially since the SC-MX10 is capable of recording at 480p. The protective camera bagis little more than just a pouch, so don't expect it do very much protecting. Realistically, it just makes iteasier to transport the camcorder around.
Design and Interface
This
camcorder is very pleasing to the
. A good portion of the body has a matte silver finish, but the flip-out
display and the front portion of the camcorder has Samsung's signaturepiano black finish. The
display can rotate a full 270 degrees, ensuring that you can have a verycomfortable angle no matter what vantage point you are using for your video.Further to this comfort level, the provided hand grip can also rotate 150 degrees. If you're the
of person who enjoys making
from a worm's
view, for example, this swiveling hand grip cancome in very handy.Conveniently located next to where your thumb would rest from the hand grip are the power slider andthe "record" button. Next to this is a small mode button and the EasyQ button. The mode button, whichis used to switch between recording and playback mode, is a little awkward to press. I would havepreferred a more proper button for this purpose. At the top of the camcorder is a rocker that controlsthe 34x optical zoom.
2/5
The menu is accessed by using the button next to the LCD display. Below the menu button is a fiveway navigator, which can also be used to control the optical zoom function, as well as a second recordbutton. This second button is handy for when you have the hand grip in a position that makes theprimary button hard to access.The menu itself is very straightforward. After hitting the menu button, you move left and right to gothrough the various options, and then you go up and down to adjust the settings to your liking. Amongthe customization options are the video resolution, anti-shake feature, white balance, and digitaleffects.
Video Quality
Considering that the SC-MX10 can be had for less than $300, I didn't exactly go in with the highest of hopes. In this way, I was reasonably pleased with the results that this camcorder provided. Although itis not capable of doing anything in
, you can crank the settings up to superfine and480p widescreen resolution. For the purposes of sharing videos on YouTube or for watching on an
, this camcorder works just fine. It's DVD quality.The anti-shake feature makes for a very fluid recording experience. The resulting video can look veryorganic, but it can take a little getting used to, because the anti-shake essentially slows down your movements to minimize shaking. I should also note that the video came out somewhat grainysometimes, especially under less than ideal lighting conditions. Standard indoor lighting in the eveningis particularly disappointing.Videos are saved onto a memory card that you insert into the bottom of the camcorder. Videos areencoded using a proprietary codec by Samsung, so you will need to install the codec and the driverson your computer before the videos are playable. Even after doing so, I found the videos failed to playin VLC (I only got the audio), but they worked in Windows Media Player.
3/5
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