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  • Introduction

  • Product Tour

  • Color & Noise Performance

  • Motion & Sharpness Performance

  • Low Light Performance

  • Compression & Media

  • Manual Controls

  • Still Features

  • Handling & Use

  • Playback & Connectivity

  • Audio & Other Features

  • Sony HDR-CX100 Comparison

  • JVC GZ-HM200 Comparison

  • Canon HF20 Comparison

  • Conclusion

  • Photo Gallery

  • Specs and Ratings

  • Introduction
  • Product Tour
  • Color & Noise Performance
  • Motion & Sharpness Performance
  • Low Light Performance
  • Compression & Media
  • Manual Controls
  • Still Features
  • Handling & Use
  • Playback & Connectivity
  • Audio & Other Features
  • Sony HDR-CX100 Comparison
  • JVC GZ-HM200 Comparison
  • Canon HF20 Comparison
  • Conclusion
  • Photo Gallery
  • Specs and Ratings

Introduction

The HMX-H106 is part of a series from Samsung that also includes the cheaper HMX-H105 (32GB internal SSD) and HMX-H104 (16GB internal SSD).

Product Tour

 

**Lens & Imaging System**


 

The Samsung HMX-H106 has a rather large lens on its front and it did better in our wide angle test than most models (54 degrees). The shape of the camcorder is built around the circular lens barrel, which gives the H106 a round, stout design. The lens has a built-in cover that automatically opens when you turn the camcorder on (and closes when you turn it off).

 

**Front**


 

**Right**


 

 

 

**Back**


 

 

 

**Left**


 

 

 

**Top**


 

 

 

**Bottom**


 

 

 

**In the Box**


 

 

Color & Noise Performance

 

**Color***(9.36)*


The Samsung HMX-H106 did quite well in our bright light color accuracy test. The camcorder earned a color error of 3.74 with a saturation level of 80.71%. This saturation level may be a bit low for people who like especially vivid colors, but others may enjoy the more subtle color tones produced by the H106. (More on how we test color.)

Despite its lower saturation level, the HMX-H106 still managed to produce solid colors, and its color accuracy was above average for a camcorder in its class. Looking at the error map above, you can see the camcorder did extremely well with color accuracy on certain reds and blues, although greens, browns, and purples gave the camcorder some trouble.

The Samsung HMX-H106 doesn't have any color settings or image controls. So, if you don't like the way the camcorder renders colors you can't do much to change it. This lack of color controls isn't all too unusual for a mid-range camcorder, however. Of the camcorders we used as comparisons below, only the Canon HF20 offered color modes and a few limited color customization options.

The JVC GZ-HM200 had, by far, the best color accuracy of this bunch, and we must say the colors in its bright light test image looked spectacular. In comparison, the image from the H106 looks a bit bland and washed out, although it is somewhat similar to what the Sony HDR-CX100 produced. The Canon HF20 rendered a bright, colorful image in this test, but its color accuracy was actually slightly worse than that of the HMX-H106. Check out the close-up comparisons below for a better idea of the color rendering differences with these camcorders.

What constitutes 'good color rendering' has a lot to do with personal preference, so we suggest you take a good look at our test images to determine which camcorder you think does the best job with color. What we can say is the JVC GZ-HM200 had the most accurate colors of any camcorder we've tested this year—and its saturation level was a spot-on 102%. Still, the other camcorders in this set weren't bad either, and the Samsung HMX-H106 managed a good color accuracy score compared to most mid-range camcorders.

 

**Noise***(8.68)*


The Samsung HMX-H106 averaged a bit more noise than the Sony CX100 and JVC HM200, but the results of the three camcorders were very close. The Samsung registered 0.695% noise, which is a pretty good score for a camcorder of its class. The Canon HF20 had the worst noise levels of the camcorders in this set, averaging 0.93% noise. (More on how we test noise.)

Looking at the crops above, you can see the HMX-H106 produced a very sharp image in our bright light testing. Compared to the other mid-range camcorders, only the Canon HF20 showed a sharper video image. You can see quite a bit of blur and discoloration in the vertical trumpet from the GZ-HM200's image, and the Sony CX100 produced a slightly less sharp image than both the Canon and Samsung (notice how the lines blur together at the bottom of its vertical trumpet).

 

Motion & Sharpness Performance

Low Light Performance

 

**Low Light Sensitivity***(4.34)*


Our low light sensitivity test has been like kryptonite to many consumer camcorders this year, but the Samsung HMX-H106 actually didn't do that poorly here. The Samsung required 14 lux of light—less than the three camcorders we used as comparisons—to measure 50 IRE on our waveform monitor. This is quite a good performance when you consider most of the camcorders we've tested this year required between 15 and 30 lux of light. Only the high-end models from Panasonic (9 lux), as well as the Sanyo VPC-HD2000 (also 9 lux) required less light than the Samsung HMX-H106. (More on how we test low light sensitivity.)

Now, the Samsung HMX-H106 doesn't have any alternate frame rates for recording 1920 x 1080 HD video, so we only tested its low light sensitivity using its 60i frame rate setting. The Canon HF20, on the other hand, scored much better in our low light sensitivity test when we shot using its 24p and 30p frame rate options. Still, we use the camcorder's default 60i frame rate for scoring purposes because we feel that is what most users will end up shooting with.

 

**Low Light Color***(7.75)*


Not surprisingly, the Samsung HMX-H106 showed a significant drop in color accuracy and saturation level when we brought the lights down to 60 lux for our low light testing. The camcorder earned a color error score of 4.65 with a saturation level of 66.53% in this test, which are fairly average numbers for a camcorder of its class. (More on how we test low light color.)

The Sony HDR-CX100, JVC GZ-HM200, and Canon HF20 each managed a similar saturation level to the Samsung H106 in low light, although the JVC was the worst with 55.39%. As for color accuracy, the Samsung was actually the best of the bunch, but not by much. See the score chart at the bottom of this section for complete score comparisons with this test.

You can see that the JVC GZ-HM200, the stand-out champ in our bright light color testing, rendered the most washed-out and faded colors of the camcorders in this set. The rest of the models retained a good deal of color depth, although the Canon HF20 produced an image that was a bit too dark. For some of these camcorders, noise becomes a significant detriment in low light, so continue reading to the next section below for further data.

 

**Low Light Noise***(6.44)*


The Samsung HMX-H106 averaged 1.9025% noise in our low light testing, which is slightly below average for a mid-range model. The Sony HDR-CX100 and JVC GZ-HM200 both had a bit less noise in this test, while the Canon HF20 had more. (More on how we test low light noise.)

The Samsung's noise performance in low light wasn't terrible, but you can see more splotchy discoloration in its image than, say, the Sony CX100 (see above). The JVC GZ-HM200 produced a very faded image in low light, and you can see a prime example of what we're talking about in the crop above. The Canon HF20, despite having the noisiest image of the bunch, retained a lot of detail and sharpness in its low light image. Still, its did have a fine layer of noise mucking up its image, which may be seriously distracting for some users.

We feel the Sony and Samsung are the best overall low light performers in this set. The HMX-H106 bested the HDR-CX100 when it came to low light color accuracy and sensitivity, while the CX100 had the better noise performance. Some may prefer the sharp image captured by the Canon HF20 in low light, but we felt its high noise levels and poor low light sensitivity weren't up to snuff.

 

Compression & Media

 

**Compression***(8.0)*


Samsung is one of the few manufacturers to not use the AVCHD format on its HD camcorders. Instead, Samsung uses a regular MPEG-4 codec, which is the same codec used with AVCHD, but it doesn't include any of the extra information or standards that AVCHD compression requires. The main difference with using regular MPEG-4 is that the video files from the HMX-H106 can simply be 'dragged and dropped' from a memory card (or the camcorder's internal SSD) onto a computer. Unlike AVCHD files, the MPEG-4 clips don't have to be imported with special software before you can watch them on a computer. With Samsung's MPEG-4 files, you can simply double-click on the files to play them right off the bat.

Things aren't all sunshine and rainbows with Samsung's MPEG-4 clips, however. The files are still extremely large (as most HD videos are), and most editing programs will require you to render the clips before they can be viewed on the editing timeline. This rendering process can be very time consuming, and will often eat up as much time as it takes to import an AVCHD file. Still, if you have no plans to edit your videos, then the MPEG-4 system is much simpler for consumers.

The Samsung HMX-H106 has three formats for recording video. The Full HD setting records at a 1920 x 1080 resolution and a 60i frame rate, then there's a 1280 x 720 option that shoots with a 60p frame rate, and rounding things out is a standard definition setting that records at a 720 x 480 resolution and a 60p frame rate. Each of these formats also has three quality settings called Super Fine, Fine, or Normal. Samsung doesn't say what the difference between these quality options are, but we expect it has something to do with bitrate. Super Fine is the highest quality setting, while Normal is the lowest. All of our testing was done in the 1920 x 1080 format with the Super Fine quality setting.

**Media***(9.42)*


The HMX-H106 is loaded with a huge 64GB Solid State Drive (SSD). SSDs, for all intents and purposes, are the same as internal flash memory. Samsung may say their SSD offers faster write speeds than internal flash memory, but the truth is we noticed no difference when recording video or transferring files from the camcorder. Since the release of the HMX-H106 both Canon (the HF S11) and Sony (the HDR-CX520V) have released models with 64GB of internal flash memory (and Panasonic has the HDC-TM350 available in Japan). Internal flash memory is definitely the trend camcorders are heading in right now, so we expect to see many models in the near future that include large amounts of internal flash memory or SSDs.

For now, however, 64GB is the most internal memory you can get on a consumer camcorder, unless you go for a model that records to an internal hard drive. The thing is, hard drives can be bulky and are easily corruptible, so we tend to recommend camcorders that record to internal flash memory or Solid State Drives—like the HMX-H106—instead. In addition to its 64GB SSD, the H106 can also record to SD/SDHC memory cards that load via a card slot on the bottom of the camcorder.

The HMX-H106 has a bunch of recording options. You can record video in three different resolutions (1920 x 1080, 1280 x 720, and 640 x 480) and each of these resolutions has three quality options (Super Fine, Fine, and Normal). The table below shows the approximate record times you can get when recording to various SD/SDHC card sizes or the internal SSD. As might be expected, the lower quality settings enable you to record more video.

Shooting standard definition video instead of HD takes up a lot less space on your memory card or internal SSD. The table below shows the record times when recording with the H106's 720 x 480 standard definition format.

  

**Editing***(9.15)*


The Samsung HMX-H106 comes with Intelli-studio software, but instead of providing the software on a disk it comes loaded right on the camcorder. We like this design because it means you never have to worry about losing your software installation disk. This is the same software Samsung included on the HMX-R10, and overall we're pretty satisfied with Intelli-studio. The only big drawback is the fact that the software doesn't work on Macs.

Just because Intelli-studio comes loaded on the HMX-H106 doesn't mean you can simply double click and start the software the first time you plug the camcorder into your computer. You still have to install the software on your computer, which can be a somewhat tedious process (but you only need to do it once). After you install Intelli-studio the software will automatically open whenever you connect the H106 to your computer, but you can turn off this feature in the camcorder's menu.

When you first open the Intelli-studio software a message pops up that prompts you to import all the footage from the H106 to your computer. If you import footage at this point the software will copy everything over to your computer, but you can also wait and import files manually later. If you have lots of footage on the HMX-H106 importing can take a while, but it isn't as time-intensive as importing AVCHD clips.

 

  • *The editing features on the Intelli-studio software are good and plentiful. There's movie effects, brightness, contrast, and saturation control, transition effects with adjustable duration, and text, image, or sound insertion. You can also trim and splice your clips with the Intelli-studio software.

 

For the most part, we found the Intelli-studio software to be easy to use. We were a bit disappointed by its YouTube upload feature, which is fairly limited, but we were happy to see the feature included nonetheless. The Samsung HMX-H106 also has the ability to combine or split clips right on the camcorder itself—without requiring the use of Intelli-studio.

Manual Controls

 

**Auto Mode***(7.02)*


Samsung has a dedicated auto mode on the HMX-H106 called Easy Q and it is activated by pressing a button inside the LCD cavity. For the most part we found the H106 to function well in auto mode. Its autofocus may be a bit slow at times, but it wasn't much different than most camcorders. Auto exposure adjustments were smooth, quick, and transitioned very well between light and dark scenes. For more advanced users, there is a backlight compensation feature that can be turned on to help illuminate subjects that have a strong light behind them. We were also generally impressed by the auto white balance on the H106: it worked well under various light sources.

The HMX-H106 doesn't have face detection, which is becoming such a common feature that we almost didn't notice it was missing. We're not too concerned about this lack of face detection, however, as the feature is really more gimmicky than anything else.

Low Light Modes

There are no low light modes on the HMX-H106. The camcorder doesn't even have an auto slow shutter feature that allows the shutter speed to drop to 1/30 of a second. This is somewhat surprising, considering the Samsung HMX-R10 had a slow shutter feature called C. Nite that could be used effectively.

Scene Modes

The HMX-H106 has a number of scene modes that function for both videos and photos: Sports, Portrait, Spotlight, Beach/Snow, Food, Candle Light, and Indoor. Some of these scene modes make adjustments to shutter speed, while others adjust color and exposure effects.

 

**Zoom***(6.0)*


The zoom toggle on the HMX-H106 is adequate, but it can be a bit difficult to control zoom speed variably. The toggle is very thin and sensitive, so you have to apply just the right amount of pressure to get the zoom speed you desire. This is better than what Samsung offered on its HMX-R10, however, as that camcorder didn't have any variable zoom speed control.

If you use the HMX-H106 with the rotatable strap tilted back (so you're holding it like a flashlight), you'll probably be more comfortable using the secondary zoom toggle on the LCD panel. We usually aren't crazy about zoom buttons or toggles on the LCD panel, but Samsung gets the design right. The toggle feels good and is large enough to control easily with your thumb. Zooming with the toggle here produces a constant, medium-paced zoom speed.

**Zoom Ratio***(3.77)*


The H106 is equipped with a 10x optical zoom lens, which can be expanded to 100x using a digital zoom function. We recommend sticking with the 10x optical, however, as the digital zoom can severely degrade your image quality—especially if you zoom in a lot. A 10x optical zoom isn't great for a mid-range HD camcorder, but it isn't too far behind the competition. The Canon HF20 has a 15x optical zoom and the JVC GZ-HM200 has 20x optical zoom, while the Sony HDR-CX100 has a 10x zoom just like the HMX-H106.

 

**Focus***(3.5)*


There are two ways to set focus manually on the HMX-H106. There's a traditional manual focus that is set by pressing buttons on the LCD touchscreen and there's something called Touch Point, which is just like Sony's Spot Focus. The Touch Point feature works well with the touchscreen as it allows you to tap the portion of the screen that you want to bring into focus. It works fairly quickly (in about one second) and it is easy to use.

We're not nearly as pleased with the regular manual focus option on the H106. There's no numeric display when you adjust the focus and the two buttons for changing the focal length take up a good portion of the screen. While you're setting the focus your fingers block the LCD, making it far too difficult to tell whether or not your subject is in focus. You can adjust focus manually while recording, but you must go into the camcorder's menu and select focus to do so—there's no ring or dial for quick adjustment. One thing that does help on this front a little is the fact that focus is part of the Quick Menu on the HMX-H106, so it is easier to access than some features.

 

**Exposure***(6.5)*


Regular exposure control is available in the H106 menu under the EV menu option. You can set exposure from -2 to +2 in 1/2 EV increments. Adjusting exposure is rather simple and it is done entirely with the touchscreen. The thing that makes exposure easier to adjust than focus, however, is that a full bar display with numeric increments is shown on the LCD when you adjust.

You can set exposure while recording video and it, like focus, is part of the Quick Menu, which makes it easy to access. Still, we aren't crazy about using a touchscreen to adjust anything while recording is taking place—the taps and pressure applied to the screen are likely going to make your shot look unsteady.

**Aperture***(6.0)*


Aperture can be adjusted on the HMX-H106 in an aperture-priority mode (when you adjust the aperture, shutter speed is set automatically). Setting the aperture is done in a similar manner to exposure—you tap two different buttons on the LCD to open or close the aperture and aperture can be controlled manually while recording is taking place.  The aperture range on the HMX-H106 is f/1.8 to f/16.

One strange thing we noticed is that the HMX-H106 has a significant drop in exposure when you switch from auto aperture control to manual—even when the aperture is fully open. This drop doesn't really make sense because a fully-open aperture should produce the brightest video possible. We noticed the same thing when we switched to manual shutter speed control. Our best guess is that this has something to do with gain, and that when you switch to manual aperture or shutter speed the camcorder's auto gain setting is lowered for some reason.

 

**Shutter Speed***(5.6)*


Shutter speed options on the HMX-H106 range from 1/60 of a second to 1/10000. This is a decent range (especially at the faster end), although we're disappointed to see any shutter speeds slower than 1/60 of a second. In fact, the HMX-H106 doesn't even offer an auto slow shutter or slow shutter scene mode. So, the slowest shutter you can get on the camcorder is 1/60 of a second.

Shutter speed is set just like the other manual controls using the touchscreen. We also noticed the same dimming effect that occurs when manual shutter speed is engaged (just like we noticed with manual aperture). This dimming is so significant that it essentially renders the manual shutter and aperture control useless if you're shooting indoors or under anything less than bright lighting conditions.

**White Balance***(8.0)*


The HMX-H106 offers a good set of white balance presets and we found them to work adequately in most kinds of light. Some manufacturers only offer two WB presets—one for indoor, one for outdoor—while Samsung takes in a larger gamut by offering four (Daylight, Cloudy, Fluorescent, Tungsten) in addition to its manual white balance option.

The manual white balance is easy to configure and it works on the strengths of the touchscreen. You just point the camcorder to a white or neutral color and press the custom white balance button. This system is nearly identical to the 'one-push' white balance features found on Panasonic and Sony camcorders (it is also very similar to Canon and JVC's system, but they don't use touchscreens).

We did notice some odd color temperature fluctuation when we had the manual white balance set and we zoomed in and out on the HMX-H106. The color changes were slight, and they only occurred while we were zooming, but they were definitely something we noticed.

 

**Gain***(0.0)*


There's no manual gain control on the HMX-H106. Panasonic is one of the few manufacturers to offer gain control on its mid-range camcorders, but the camcorders are limited to setting gain only when the aperture is fully opened. JVC also has an option to turn off auto gain control on its cams (including the GZ-HM200).

The strange exposure shifts we referred to when we switched to manual aperture or shutter speed control on the HMX-H106 may be related to gain control, but we're not sure. It is possible that the camcorder turns off its gain boost when you switch to either aperture-priority or shutter-priority mode. This would explain the significant dimming that occurs when you switch to these manual modes. Still, this is only speculation, and it is very possible the exposure drop is caused by something entirely different.

 

**Color & Image Controls***(0.0)*


There aren't any color or image controls that work in video mode on the HMX-H106. There is a photo sharpness setting, but it is for still images only. There's also a few digital effects and faders, which are discussed in our Other Features section.

**Other Manual Controls***(2.0)*


 

 

Still Features

 

**Still Features***(9.4)*


The HMX-H106 isn't loaded with still features, but it has a few unique settings. The camcorder has no dedicated photo mode, so to take photos you simply press the photo shutter button when you're in regular record mode. You can hold the shutter button down halfway to focus, and then press it fully to take a photo. Since there is no separate mode for photos, all of the camcorder's still image controls are located in the same main menu that houses the rest of the camcorder's controls. You can set aperture, focus, shutter speed, white balance, and use scene modes for photos—just like you can with videos on the HMX-H106.

The HMX-H106 does have a built-in flash located above the lens. This flash is controlled by a small button inside the LCD cavity and can be set to Auto, Red-Eye Reduction, On, or Slow Sync (which is meant to be used in conjunction with slow shutter speeds).

In addition to the built-in flash, there are some other features on the H106 that work with photos only. Among them are a continuous shot function that takes 8 photos in succession when you  press the shutter button, and a photo sharpness setting that allows you to choose between Normal, Soft, and Sharp for your still images. There's also a 10-second self-timer, but this feature also works in video mode (it delays the start of recording or taking of a photo for ten seconds after you press the shutter or record button).

The HMX-H106 only has two still image resolution options: 2880 x 1620 (4.6 megapixels) and 1920 x 1080 (2 megapixels). The camcorder's effective pixel count is just over 2 megapixels, which means the larger photo resolution option (2880 x 1620) is interpolated and won't get you any higher-quality images than the 1920 x 1080 setting (the photos will just be a larger size).

 

**Still Color***(11.04)*


The HMX-H106 did very well on our still color test managing slightly more accurate colors than it did in our bright light video test. The camcorder produced a still color error of just 3.17 with a saturation level of 97.97%. These are strong numbers, and, as the color error map below will show you, the camcorder was pretty accurate across the board with various color tones. (More on how we test still color.)

 

Of the camcorders shown below, only the Sony HDR-CX100 managed better color accuracy than the Samsung HMX-H106 in its still images. The JVC GZ-HM200, which was such a strong performer in our video color testing, produced a supersaturated still image with only average color accuracy. The Canon HF20 was the worst performer in this test, with its colors having a near-fluorescent quality and a 5.36 color error.

 

**Still Noise***(6.72)*


The Samsung HMX-H106 did fine in our still noise test with an average of 0.68% noise. This is a better noise performance than any of the camcorders we used as comparison—by a rather significant margin. The Sony HDR-CX100 registered 1.01% noise and the Canon HF20 was right behind it with 1.15% noise. Only the JVC GZ-HM200 came close to matching the HMX-H106, as it measured 0.82% noise in this test. (More on how we test still noise.)

**Still Sharpness***(0.0)*


We consider still sharpness the most important of our still image tests because it gives you an idea of how much detail the camcorder can capture in its still photos. Unfortunately the HMX-H106 flunked this test, which puts a damper on its good results from our still color and still noise tests. The H106 managed a horizontal sharpness of 933 lw/ph with 17.1% undersharpening and a vertical sharpness of 576 lw/ph with 23.7% undersharpening in our still sharpness test. (More on how we test still sharpness.)

These numbers aren't great, and the other three mid-range models we compared to the H106 fared better in this test (although the JVC GZ-HM200 wasn't very good either). The thing is, the Samsung HMX-H106 can only take 2-megapixel still images natively (its 4.6 megapixel photo setting is interpolated), which attributes to its poor still sharpness performance. Most digital cameras take upwards of 9-megapixel photos, so you'll definitely be better off using a cheap digital camera to snap photos than the Samsung HMX-H106.

Keep in mind, Samsung does allow for some manual adjustment to photo sharpness on the HMX-H106. These images were captured with the photo sharpness set to Normal, so if you switched this setting to Sharp you may be able to get more detail and a higher still sharpness rating out of the HMX-H106.

Handling & Use

Playback & Connectivity

 

**Playback***(4.5)*


 

If you've ever used a camcorder with a touchscreen LCD before, then the playback system on the HMX-H106 should look very familiar. Clips are arranged as thumbnails in playback mode and you simply touch the clip you want to play. The problem with touchscreen playback systems is that the VCR controls are all displayed on the screen as you watch your clip (the controls will disappear after a few seconds, but they reappear every time you tap the screen). These controls can take up a good portion of the screen, and it means you have to have your fingers all over the LCD while you're trying to pause, fastforward, or rewind your videos. In its defense, the HMX-H106 does have a lot of VCR controls (like slow motion and frame-by-frame), but the touchscreen buttons are very small and can be difficult to use. We recommend using the provided wireless remote for any extensive video playback on the camcorder.

 

The HMX-H106 has a few other playback features up its sleeve, but none of them are that impressive. There's a quick view option that allows you to playback a video right after you've recorded it and there is a highlight playback setting. The highlight playback takes short segments from recent videos you've recorded and combines them into one clip. It isn't nearly as extensive or as entertaining as the highlight playback feature offered by other manufacturers.

 

In playback mode you can also combine or divide your video clips right on the camcorder itself. The camcorder also has a unique Quick Menu in playback mode that offers six easy-to-access options: Storage, Highlight, Playlist, Delete, Edit, and File Info.

 

**Connectivity***(3.25)*


The Samsung HMX-H106 keeps its connectivity features very simple. All of the ports and terminals are located on the back side of the camcorder just beneath the mode button and they are protected by a hard-plastic covering that is tethered to the camcorder via a small tab. Stuffed into this small collection of ports are the USB terminal, HDMI-output, DC-input, and the dual AV-out Component-out port.

While we do praise Samsung for keeping all the ports together in one location, things can get a bit crowded when you have multiple cables connected at one time. The fact that the port cover doesn't do a very good job keeping out of the way can also add to the clutter. The camcorder has no external mic input or headphone jack, nor does it offer an accessory shoe.

A switch on the bottom of the H106 can be slid open to reveal the camcorder's battery compartment and SD/SDHC memory card slot. Putting the battery compartment and memory card slot down here does give them good protection, but it also means you'll have trouble swapping out the card or battery if you have the HMX-H106 mounted on a tripod.

The chart below lists all the connectivity features on the HMX-H106 and its comparison models. Notice that the Canon HF20 is the only camcorder in this set to offer an external mic port, headphone jack, and accessory shoe.

 

Audio & Other Features

 

**Audio Features***(1.5)*


If you want lots of audio controls on your camcorder, you shouldn't be looking at the Samsung HMX-H106. The camcorder doesn't offer any audio connectivity features (like an external mic jack), and it only has one manual audio control—wind cut. The wind cut feature is a high-pass filter that limits the amount of rustling noise picked up by the onboard microphone on a windy day. It can be a somewhat useful feature, but it's nothing to write home about.

The built-in mic on the H106 is decently placed, so we give Samsung kudos for that. The mic is located on each side of the lens, much like on Canon's HF S series of camcorders. This puts the microphone out of the way from wandering fingers or noisy controls. The built-in mic records in stereo and the camcorder compresses the audio using the AAC compression system.

So, that's all the H106 has when it comes to audio features. You can't adjust audio levels manually, nor can you connect an external mic to the camcorder. When it comes down to it, the Canon HF20 has the best audio controls of any mid-range camcorder. It offers complete manual audio level adjustment, a hot accessory shoe, a headphone jack, and a 3.5mm external mic input. Panasonic also offers manual audio controls on its mid-range cams, but none of them have external mic inputs (you have to go to the high-end models for that).

 

**Other Features***(3.0)*


Time Lapse Record

This nifty little feature is useful for capturing scenes over a long period of time—like a sunrise or a plant growing. You set the interval for recording (options are 1, 3, or 5 seconds) and you can set the maximum time limit the camcorder will record for (options are 24, 48, or 72 hours). One second of video is captured at every interval you selected and since all video is recorded at 720/60p with this mode (no audio is captured during Time Lapse Record).

Quick On Standby

The HMX-H106 can be left in standby mode when you close the LCD but do not power down the device. This allows the camcorder to quickly turn on when you open the LCD panel, although this only saves a few seconds as compared to turning the camcorder on regularly. You can set the H106 to stay in standby mode for 5, 10, or 20 minutes, after which it will shut down completely.

Digital Effect and Faders

The camcorder has a number of digital effects including Black & White, Sepia, Negative, and Art. In addition to these effects, the H106 also has built-in fader settings. You can fade in, fade out, or fade in and out when you press the start/stop record button.

Sony HDR-CX100 Comparison

The Sony HDR-CX100 is significantly cheaper than the Samsung HMX-H106, but this price difference is mainly due to the fact that the H106 comes with 8x more internal memory than the CX100 (64GB vs. 8GB). Both camcorders performed well in our video testing, putting up better-than-average results for mid-range camcorders. They did each have some problems, however: the Samsung struggled in our stabilization and still sharpness test, while the Sony had disappointing color accuracy scores in both bright and low light. Still, for mid-range camcorders these two models are capable of capturing high-quality video.

Price differences aside, these two camcorders are very similar in the amount of features they offer. Both can be very easy to use (each has a dedicated 'easy' mode), while the Samsung offers a few more manual controls than the Sony HDR-CX100. The CX100 is significantly more compact, but it doesn't offer the unique handling system that is possible with the HMX-H106. We'd have to say the Samsung is the easier camcorder to use overall, due to its excellent embedded software and the fact that it doesn't record using the confusing AVCHD compression system.

A more comparable model to the Sony HDR-CX100 is probably the Samsung HMX-H104, which is identical to the H106 except it only has a 16GB internal solid state drive (and costs just $579.99). If you have the extra cash, however, the Samsung HMX-H106 is a very good mid-range camcorder and holds a slight edge over the Sony HDR-CX100 in nearly all of our testing categories.

 

 

 

 

JVC GZ-HM200 Comparison

The JVC GZ-HM200 won our mid-range camcorder of the year award due to its simple design, easy-to-use functions, and excellent bright light performance. The camcorder includes no internal memory, but it does have two SD/SDHC memory card slots. This means you could have up to 64GB of flash memory loaded into the camcorder at once (with two 32GB SDHC cards). It isn't as convenient as having 64GB of internal memory like the Samsung HMX-H106, but the two card slot idea is definitely a good one.

We like the JVC GZ-HM200 because it has everything a mid-range camcorder should—a decent price, excellent bright light performance, and simple handling. The camcorder does have its faults in low light, however, and the Samsung HMX-H106 is the superior camcorder when it comes to sharpness. There are also some users who may dislike JVC's Laser Touch system that uses a touch sensitive strip for menu navigation and manual control adjustment. Even though it could be frustrating to use at times, we felt the strip offered more precise control than an LCD touchscreen.

While the Samsung HMX-H106 does have the edge in low light and sharpness over the JVC GZ-HM200, we still have to go with the HM200 here. Its design is more compact and its vivid bright light image had the best color accuracy we've ever seen. The GZ-HM200 also did better than the HMX-H106 in our stabilization test, despite the fact that the JVC uses a digital stabilization system (compared to the optical one on the Samsung).

Update: **The Everio GZ-HM200 was ultimately selected as our 2009 Mid-Range Camcorder of the Year. To see why we selected it and read about our other awards, check out the 2009 CamcorderInfo.com Select Awards.**

 

 

 

 

 

Canon HF20 Comparison

The Canon HF20 may be the most similar mid-range model to the Samsung HMX-H106. Their prices aren't that much different (the Samsung is $50 bucks more than the Canon), and the performance of the two camcorders was similar in a number of our tests. The main difference to note is the Canon HF20 has only 32GB of internal flash memory, while the Samsung has a 64GB internal solid state drive. Both camcorders can also record to SD/SDHC memory cards.

If you don't like touchscreens, the Canon HF20 is your best choice for a mid-range camcorder as it is the only model to not include some sort of touch-sensitive system (JVC has its Laser Touch strip). It also performed exceptionally well in our video sharpness and motion test and it is one of the few mid-range camcorders to offer alternate frame rates (the HF20 includes a 24p and 30p mode).

The HMX-H106's big advantage is in low light, in which it outperformed the Canon HF20 in every category. The Samsung is also slightly easier to use than the Canon, but the HF20 is smaller and has a more traditional design. This is a tough call here, but we think the HF20 is the better model. It's touchscreen-free controls and exceptional video sharpness results put it over the top.

Update: **The Vixia HF20 was ultimately selected as our 2009 runner-up for Mid-Range Camcorder of the Year. To see why we selected it and read about our other awards, check out the 2009 CamcorderInfo.com Select Awards.**

 

 

 

 

 

Conclusion

Specs and Ratings

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Meet the tester

Jeremy Stamas

Jeremy Stamas

Managing Editor, Video

@nematode9

Jeremy is the video expert of our imaging team and Reviewed.com's head of video production. Originally from Pennsylvania and upstate NY, he graduated from Bard college with a degree in film and electronic media. He has been living and working in New England since 2005.

See all of Jeremy Stamas's reviews

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