David Kender

Here\'s a surprise. It\'s been a while since we\'ve seen a strong camcorder from Samsung. Then the SC-HMX20 comes along and all we can say is \"wow!\" Samsung\'s second generation HD camcorder, the HMX20 is the replacement for last year\'s lackluster SC-HMX10. The generational differences are unexpected, and not all obvious ones. For one thing, the new SC-HMX20 is actually larger than its predecessor, but only a little. It retains its ultra-stylish looks, and surprisingly useful swivel grip on the hand strap. Under the hood, however, Samsung staged a tiny revolution. The SC-HMX20 features a huge 1/1.8-inch CMOS sensor, dwarfing the previous generation\'s chip. The performance boost was simply enormous, particularly in low light, where Samsung has shot to the top of the list. To add to its charms, the SC-HMX20 is incredibly easy to use, making it a good choice for beginners. It may not have all the bells and whistles of its competitors, but this camcorder is definitely worth investigating.

The SC-HMX10, released in 2007, is Samsung’s first high definition camcorder. Employing a 720P H.264 compression, the company is well behind the competition in its technology, but the SC-HMX10 has a certain appeal. The compact body, stylish curves, and uber-simple menu will catch the eyes of the fashionable crowd. For a “budget HD” camcorder, this is perhaps the best we’ve seen. But for a few hundred dollars extra, far more enticing camcorders are within reach. Can the SC-HMX10 justify its value? Only for a very specific type of user, we believe.

Canon Vixia HG20 Camcorder Review

The Canon HF100 ($899 MSRP) comes from a good pedigree. It\'s nearly identical to the Canon HF10, which received our seal of approval earlier this year. The HF100 offers all the same image quality, manual controls, and form factor, but loses the 16GB internal memory of the HF10. Sure, you save $200, but think about what you\'re losing first. The HF10 only records to removable memory cards, like the Panasonic HDC-SD9 or Sony HDR-TG1. Card memory is portable and easy to use, but those cards fill up quickly, and they\'re not particularly cheap. It\'s better to have a secondary recording medium if you\'re on a long vacation or far from a camera shop.

The Canon HF10 is among the most anticipated camcorders in recent years, due no doubt to the outstanding reception of its HDV predecessor, the HV20. There are several key differences, however. The CMOS chip is not the same as last year’s Canon HD camcorders; in fact it’s smaller, with a higher pixel density. The HF10 records in the AVCHD format, heretofore riddled with performance problems. This is Canon’s third try on an AVCHD camcorder, and the format appears to finally be coming into its own. Full 1920 x 1080 output, a new 17Mbps bitrate, and 60i/24P/30P frame rates make this the best AVCHD camcorder we’ve seen to date. Prepare to be surprised.

The Canon Vixia HF11 is, in many ways, a minor update to an already highly regarded camcorder. The previous generation HF10 produced some of the best looking video of the year, and definitely the sharpest. The new HF11 promises to outdo even that by increasing the bitrate, making it the first consumer camcorder to record at the AVCHD spec\'s ceiling of 24Mbps. In truth, the result is a very minor increase in video quality, and most consumers will probably not see a difference. The more compelling value-add may be the increased flash memory capacity, doubling from 16GB to 32GB. Certainly not failing to live up to its pedigree, the Canon HF11 makes a compelling camcorder.