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  • Performance

  • Format

  • Auto / Manual Controls

  • Still Features

  • Handling and Use

  • Audio / Playback / Connectivity

  • Other Features

  • Comparisons / Conclusion

  • Photo Gallery

  • Performance
  • Format
  • Auto / Manual Controls
  • Still Features
  • Handling and Use
  • Audio / Playback / Connectivity
  • Other Features
  • Comparisons / Conclusion
  • Photo Gallery

Performance

The Samsung SC-HMX10C is equipped with a single CMOS sensor measuring 1/4.5 inches. The gross pixel count is 1,610,000. The specs sheet states the effective pixel count as 1,560,000, but does not state if this is with the electronic image stabilization on or off.

For general indoor shooting, the camcorder is pretty good. Under the right conditions, this version of H.264 does a better job of hiding its compression artifacts than certain AVCHD camcorders. Don’t get too excited, though. There are plenty of compression artifacts. They can best be seen in areas of high contrast, or large, flat areas of black, where the massive grid-like structure of chunky blocks is easy to see. In more complex shots, such as outdoor shooting on a busy street, the artifacts are less noticeable. What that setting does reinforce, however, is the poor dynamic range.

Rarely could this camcorder capture any detail in the shadows if a brightly lit area was dominant. Unfortunately, there is no option to change the auto metering method, which appears to be in a "whole frame evaluative" mode. If the SC-HMX10 could be shifted to center-weighted or spot metering, it would be easier to work around the deficiency. Also, there was a fair amount of haloing which may stem from over-aggressive sharpening.

We went out and took identical outdoor shots minutes later with the Canon HV30 (recording in 1080/60i), which helped draw out just how different interlaced HDV is from progressive H.264. The HV30 rendered an incredibly sharp picture when the action is still. Fast moving objects, however, often experienced less blurring with Samsung’s progressive recording. You may not even notice it in side-by-side comparisons of the footage. But freezing the image shows a sharpness that HDV couldn’t match. This could be important for those users that frequently have to pull out usable frame grabs (i.e., law enforcement, surveillance, sports). In slow moving objects, the HDV model was better by far due to the increased resolution. It’s a compromise – what kind of shooting is most important to you? In our experience, the vast improvement in resolution and color that the HV30 offers is more than worth it.

In the lab, we shoot a DSC Labs ChromaDuMonde color chart at an even 3000 lux. Under these more-or-less ideal conditions, the SC-HMX10 looks good. It clearly lacks the resolution of more expensive 1920 x 1080 camcorders, but Samsung has done a good job producing a "budget HD" camcorder.

One clear issue made itself known early on in testing. The SC-HMX10 has a hard time keeping the entire frame in focus. Most of the testing shots showed a significant drop-off around the edge (see image below). Typically family shooting and backyard frolics will not suffer too much from this. However, any serious shooters will find this reason enough to avoid Samsung as their HD of choice.

A 100% crop of the chart in its native 1280 x 720. Note the focus drop-off at the edge.  

The closest competitor to the SC-HMX10 (that we’ve tested) is the Sanyo VPC-HD2. While the Sanyo appears to have more resolution, in fact it simply pushed the in-camera sharpening to a much stronger degree than is typical. On the whole, the Samsung produced a better, less saturated color and more natural amount of sharpening. Of course, Samsung had the problem of focus drop-off, which Sanyo did not.

The solid state camcorders that record in 1080i, such as the Sony HDR-CX7, offer a much better performance. The resolution tested much higher, and the picture looks much cleaner and sharper to the eye. Sony did a brilliant job with the color performance; a tad oversaturated, but not excessively. The price difference between the CX7 and the HMX10 is significant, but the performance boost is worth the money. However, readers should be aware that the CX7 records in 1440 x 1080, and is then anamorphically stretched to 1920 x 1080. Most 2008 Sony camcorders now record in full 1920 x 1080. A replacement for the CX7 was not announced in January 2008, so it seems likely that the follow-up model will appear later in the year.

Video Resolution* (9.03)*

The video resolution is determined by shooting a DSC Labs video resolution chart at an even, bright light, then looking at the playback footage on a high definition monitor. We found the SC-HMX10 produces a horizontal resolution of 425 line widths per picture height (lw/ph) and a vertical resolution of 425 lw/ph.

This score was significantly lower than HDV camcorders and the AVCHD camcorders we have tested so far, all of which record in 1080i (either 1920 x 1080, or 1440 x 1080 that is anamorphically stretched for playback). The Samsung SC-HMX10 records in 720P (1280 x 720). As we described above, progressive shooting is better for certain kinds of shooting – ESPN prefers to broadcast sports in 720P, for example – but the consumer camcorder industry has clearly sided with 1080i. Sony, Canon, Panasonic, and JVC all use 1080i. So far, only lower-cost camcorder manufacturers like Samsung, Sanyo, and others have sided with 720P. Our own testing has shown a marked drop in resolution in the 720P camcorders.

Low Light Performance* (2.39)*

The scoring for low light is based on the testing in our labs, which takes place in three stages. First, we shoot our DSC Labs ChromaDuMonde at an even 60 lux and 15 lux, then compare those shots with the competition. At 60 lux, the Samsung SC-HMX10 did not appear much darker than its more expensive solid state HD counterparts, the Sony HDR-CX7 and the Panasonic HDC-SD1 (we did not test the second-gen HDC-SD5). However, the noise was significant, enough to put a real dent in the fine detail resolution.

By comparison, the Sanyo VPC-HD2 (also 720P) produced a much, much brighter image at 60 lux, but it didn’t look good. The noise was too high and the image too fuzzy. The Sony HDR-CX7 was certainly not free from noise, but looked remarkably sharper than the Samsung SC-HMX10. Color retention was excellent. The Panasonic HDC-SD1 produced a decidedly "softer" image than the Sony, but was much cleaner and sharper than the Samsung.

At 15 lux, the Samsung’s image is pretty well kicked. The color retention is low and the noise is very high. Fine detail retention is virtually nil. Only high contrast detail can be discerned from the mess. This is not uncommon in consumer camcorders, though we tend to have higher standards for HD. Under the same conditions, the Sanyo VPC-HD2 pushed the saturation to its limit, but the color it produces appears false, almost painted on. The Sony HDR-CX7 hardly did better with color, though the fine detail retention was better. The Panasonic HDC-SD1 fended off a lot of noise and managed to retain a good amount of color.

The second part of the test involves shooting a GretagMacBeth Color Checker chart at an even 60 lux, then running frame grabs through Imatest imaging software to determine color accuracy. We found the Samsung SC-HMX10 to produce a color error of 12.5, which ranked very well against the competition. The noise score, 1.88 percent, was merely average. The saturation measured 65.72 percent.

Finally, we tested the camcorder’s sensitivity by slowly and steadily lowering the light while watching the outputted IRE levels on a waveform monitor. IRE levels are a measurement of exposure, typically ranging from 5 to 100. We lower the light until the camcorder is outputting a max of 50 IRE. The Samsung SC-HMX10 produced 50 IRE at a light level of 21 lux. This was an unimpressive score, but not unexpected considering the size of the imaging chip (1/4.5 inches). The low score also put a hurt on the overall score for Low Light Performance.

Shooting out of the lab showed the Samsung SC-HMX10 to be a mediocre low light performer. The imaging chip was simply not up to the task of catching a lot of light. The lack of compensatory controls only exacerbates the problem. The manual shutter speed can’t dip below 1/60 of a second. There is no special low light shooting mode, nor any manual gain control. In a dark room, the exposure compensation is boosted as high as it will go, so making a manual adjustment is fruitless. The camcorder is equipped with an LED light, which is good for a few feet. Yet for some unfathomable reason, there is no way to turn it on while you’re shooting. You have to turn it off and go to the second tab of the Main menu, then toggle through three screens of options until you see the "LED Light" selection. It seems this could have been better placed in the easily accessible Q.Menu.

Stabilization* (3.96)*

The SC-HMX10 is equipped with Electronic Image Stabilization (EIS), a system inferior to Optical Image Stabilization (OIS), which is found on nearly all Panasonics and high-end Canons and Sonys. EIS creates a digital buffer around the frame to compensate for shake, while OIS stabilizes the lens itself, so as to not sacrifice pixels. Unfortunately, the SC-HMX10’s high speed shake prevention fell flat on its face.

We tested the SC-HMX10 at two speeds using our custom-built shake emulator. Speed One is equivalent to typical stationary handheld shake, while Speed Two simulates a light jog or rollercoaster ride, camcorder in hand. At Speed One, the SC-HMX10 exhibited a 66.67 percent shake reduction, while at Speed Two it yielded a measly 11.11 percent shake reduction. The SC-HMX10’s EIS simply cannot handle fast motion.

Wide Angle* (10.0)*

We tested the SC-HMX10’s maximum field of view by placing the camcorder on a tripod with the zoom pulled back fully and EIS disabled. A vertical laser was used to measure the left and right angles and the footage was later interpreted on an external monitor in order to obtain a true aspect ratio. The SC-HMX10 displayed a wide angle measurement of 50 degrees, which is on the high end.

 

 

 

 

Format

Compression* (4.0)*

The Samsung SC-HMX10 outputs video in the H.264/MPEG-4 format (the file extension is .MP4). This highly-compressed video codec should not be confused with the competing AVCHD format. AVCHD is a type of H.264/MPEG-4 codec, but the version Samsung employs is different, with both benefits and drawbacks.

For the infrequent shooter who only needs a camcorder for a few yearly family events, the MPEG-4 video from the SC-HMX10 is adequate. Yes, we saw a fair amount of compression artifacting (blocky bunches of pixels) that superior formats like HDV can better stave off. However, this type of MPEG-4 is space efficient and less processor-intensive to edit than AVCHD. These are key criteria for those who just want to capture the moment and are less concerned with creating the perfect video.

The SC-HMX10 offers five quality settings, three high definition and two standard definition: Super Fine (HD), Fine (HD), Normal (HD), Standard (SD), and Economy (SD).

Media* (8.0)*

The Samsung SC-HMX10 offers two choices for recording media, both solid-state. The primary media is a non-removable 8GB flash media. Using only this media, you’ll get approximately 88 minutes of video in the highest quality and 533 minutes in the lowest quality.

The second media option is a removable SDHC card. The SC-HMX10 is compatible is capacities up to 16 GB. SDHC cards range in price depending on capacity, and the prices are always falling. Though no card comes included with the camcorder, it’s certainly a good idea to pick one up. A 4GB card can hold around 44 minutes of video in highest quality and 267 minutes in the lowest quality.

their files, splitting them apart into component files. This requires you to use a shoddy, middle-man software to put them back together (muxing them). No such trouble here, which is a blessing for point-and-shooters that have enough trouble simply wrapping their minds around editing video. The .MP4 files can be dropped right into timelines on most editing software.

Secondly, the H.264 files are not as processor-intensive as AVCHD. Working with the Samsung’s video still requires a relatively robust computer, but a two- to three-year-old computer should be fine.

 

 

 

 

Auto / Manual Controls

Picture & Manual Control
Automatic Control (3.0)

Samsung has clearly tried to develop a camcorder that meets the accessibility needs of the point and shoot crowd. The Easy Q button on the back is a take on Sony’s ubiquitous Easy button, locking the camcorder into full idiot-proof mode. In this setting, all decision making for image quality is placed in the hands of the camcorder, which proves to be adept, but not exceptional.

The auto exposure is the slower than comparably-priced models from Sony, Canon, and others. Some might actually prefer this, as pro camcorders often transition more slowly than snappy consumer models. However, as this is clearly a consumer product, it’s not meeting expectations. The auto white balance is even slower. Making major transitions, such as fluorescent indoor to cloudy outdoor, takes as long as 20 seconds.

The autofocus proves to be problematic at times. Much of the time, transitioning from one focal distance to the next is smooth, taking 2 to 4 seconds on average. Then, inexplicably, the SC-HMX10 suddenly has a very difficult time, taking as long as 10 seconds to find its focus. This problem is exacerbated when the zoom is pushed to about 5x. A middling autofocus, combined with a poor manual focus system, makes for a poor combination in an HD camcorder, where focal errors are much more evident than standard definition.

There are several Scene modes, though oddly, they are not found in the more accessible Q.Menu. Instead, they’re located in the Main menu at the very top of the list. Scene modes offered are Auto, Sports, Portrait, Spotlight, and Beach/Snow – a rather short list compared with most manufacturers. Samsung missed an opportunity here to make it an even better choice for point-and-shooters. The average equivalent camera has two to three times this number of options.

*

Overall Manual Control (5.0)*

Making manual adjustments on the Samsung SC-HMX10 is better than Samsungs of the past, that’s for sure. The company has clearly pushed to improve the user experience, and now offers one of the most straightforward menu systems. Of course, part of the simplicity stems from the lack of manual controls. On board, you’ll find only the basic controls – exposure, focus, white balance, and shutter speed – along with a smattering of common one-touch corrections like Backlight Compensation and Tele macro. This is by no means a powerhouse camcorder, and certainly not one aspiring filmmakers would wish to own. However, the tools it does offer are well-implemented and neatly presented.

Lacking a joystick or d-pad, the touch screen is used for nearly all interfaces. This, it seems, is yet another concession to Sony’s dominance in the camcorder marketplace. If you can’t beat them, join them. Touch screens are, in fact, easy to use and generally intuitive. They present problems, however, when the shooter needs to extend themselves beyond Auto mode. Making shutter adjustments is not too taxing, but an accurate manual focal adjustment is near impossible on this camcorder, due to a cluttered screen space and fingerprint smudges. If powerful manual control is a personal requirement, move on to a Panasonic, Sony, or Canon, all of which offer some level of superiority in this capacity.

*

Zoom (5.0)*

The zoom toggle is located on the top of the body near the back. As is the case with many ultra-compacts, the zoom is not terribly comfortable. First, a good zoom toggle should fall under the index finger, while this one falls under the middle finger. This does not make for impossible handling, but it’s less than ideal. The toggle itself feels cheap. It’s only possible to get two zoom speeds – medium and fast. There is no way to get a good crawl, which really hurts the HMX10’s chances of being used as a serious tool.

When zooming, a scale appears in the lower part of the screen to give a rough estimate of where in the zoom range you are. There is no numerical value assigned, making it hard to repeat a shot.

Zoom Power Ratio (10.0)

The optical zoom on the Samsung SC-HMX10 extends to 10x. Samsung deserves praise for being one of the few manufacturers to keep on the conservative side for digital zoom, only 20x.

Focus (3.0)

For a high-definition camcorder, the manual focus is incredibly weak. It seems as though Samsung has gone so far out of its way making this a point-and-shoot camcorder that certain key features like focus were lost. There are two methods to access the manual focus: the Q.Menu and the full menu. When activated, two icons appear on either side of the screen, a person on one and a mountain on the other. In order to adjust, you push on the touch screen button and hold it until the picture looks to be in focus. That’s right, you’d better have a great pair of eyes and a lot of faith, because there is no other means of divining the correct focus. There is no focus assist tool like instant zoom or peaking. There is no viewfinder to double-check against the fingerprint-smeared LCD. Testing this feature hands-on proved to be an exceptionally frustrating exercise.

Exposure & Aperture (6.3)

The exposure, like the focus, is accessible by both the Q.Menu and the Main menu. This is a very simplified manual control perfect for beginners. When activated, a large scale appears on screen, with a minus button on one end and a plus button on the other. There are clearly marked increments, ranging from zero to 29.

The Samsung SC-HMX10 does not offer direct control of the aperture. However, it does have shutter speed control, which would allow you to lock the shutter, then use the exposure control to adjust only the aperture. Even in this case, the camcorder won’t provide the f-stop values.

Shutter Speed (6.2)

Shutter control works just like the exposure control, accessed via the Q.Menu and the Main menu. When activated, a scale appears with plus and minus buttons on either side. There are eight settings for the shutter: 1/60, 1/100, 1/250, 1/500, 1/1000, 1/2000, 1/4000, and 1/8000.

It’s unfortunate that Samsung does not offer a slower manual shutter speed, which would have been a boon for low light shooting.

White Balance (5.5)

For the full selection of white balance options, you must use the full menu, accessed by pushing the icon in the lower right corner. White balance options include: Auto, Daylight, Cloudy, Fluorescent, Tungsten, and Custom WB. The number of settings is on par with most manufacturers, and better than some – though considerably fewer than Canon. When you access white balance through the Q.Menu, your only choices are Auto and Custom.

Making a manual white balance adjustment is not very reassuring. On most camcorders, when this option is selected, there is some sort of "lag time" between hitting the button and when the image appears adjusted. With the SC-HMX10, simply touching the Custom button automatically readjusts the picture. The lag time is probably more a psychological comfort – as we see the processor pause and consider the color – than it is a computing necessity. But from a practical perspective, it gives you some time to aim at your white or gray target area before you tell the camcorder to adjust. It doesn’t help that the manual white balance does not look very accurate.

Gain (0.0)

There is no gain control on the Samsung SC-HMX10.

Other Manual Controls (2.0)

Guideline - The Samsung SC-HMX10 offers the option for several types of screen guidelines to help you align a shot. There are three options: a single vertical and single horizontal line dividing the screen into quadrants, a small crosshairs in the center of the screen, and two sets of vertical and horizontal lines dividing the screen into nine segments.

Tele macro - The manual states that the Tele macro feature should be used for shooting "a distant subject that is approaching." This varies from the usual description of shooting detailed objects up close, such as flowers and insects. Our shooting experiences indicate this setting doesn’t do much. The focal distance in this mode is about 50 to 100 centimeters (19.7 to 39.4 inches).

Backlight Compensation - Located in the Main menu, this feature is meant to correct for heavy backlighting that can cause your subject to appear in silhouette. It boosts the overall exposure to bring out detail in the subject. This tool should not be mistaken for the LCD Brighten function, which is an external button located in the LCD cavity.

 

 

 

 

Still Features

Still Features* (8.0)*

There’s not much in the way of photo options on the SC-HMX10. You can capture stills to internal memory or SDHC/MMCplus card in three sizes: 2048 x 1536, 1440 x 1080, and 640 x 480. All manual controls apply in Photo mode, aside from shutter speed. You can also capture stills from Video mode in 1280 x 720 (HD) or 720 x 480 (SD). A Continuous Shooting mode is available and allows for capture of up to 15 images in a rapid fire stream. The SC-HMX10 is DPOF compatible, meaning images can be printed directly from the camcorder. This is common to nearly all camcorders.

The Photo Q. Menu is identical to the Q. Menu in Video mode, but the Administrative menu is altered and whittled down, containing the following options:

 

 

During Playback, images are arranged in icons that can be selected and viewed within the entirety of the LCD screen. You can zoom in on an image using the zoom toggle. The Photo Playback Menu consists of the following items:

 

 

Still Performance* (9.13)*

The still performance of the Samsung SC-HMX10 was tested by shooting a GretagMacBeth Color Checker chart at an even, bright light, then running the stills through Imatest imaging software. At best, the camcorder is able to produce a color error of 6.57, which is on par for a camcorder of this price range. The camcorder manages to keep the noise fairly low, at 0.805 percent. The saturation measured 105.9 percent.

Outside the lab, the pictures prove to be a lot noisier in less than ideal light. The sharpness leaves something to be desired, as well. However, the color performance looks acceptable.

Still Resolution* (12.17)*

The still resolution of the Samsung SC-HMX10 was tested by shooting an Applied Image ISO 12233 resolution chart and running those stills through Imatest imaging software. At best, the camcorder is able to produce a horizontal resolution of 955.5 line widths per picture height (lw/ph), with an undersharpening of 0.589 percent. The vertical resolution measures 773.3 lw/ph, with an undersharpening of 8.74 percent.

In order to get this best score, we had to take the camcorder out of Auto mode and into Manual mode. The simplest and most effective tool in the camcorder’s arsenal is the exposure function, which has a straightforward scale and whole number increments. The best score we found had an exposure setting of 13. The EXIF data revealed this to be an aperture value of f/2.8 and a shutter speed of 1/100.

 

 

 

 

Handling and Use

Ease of Use* (7.25)*

This breed of camcorder excels in the looks department and delivers a fairly adequate HD image. It’s also exceedingly user friendly. Samsung has adopted Sony’s touch screen interface and put its own spin on it. The interface is flashy, well-organized, and simplified. The sub Q. Menu places all manual controls right at your fingertips in an instant, and all controls are governed onscreen.

For those who feel like letting the SC-HMX10 do all the work, there is an Easy Q button, which places the camcorder in a lockdown state. The level of security is fierce here. When the SC-HMX10 is placed in Easy Q mode, shooters can no longer access the Q Menu or Administrative menu. All adjustments are made automatically—this is the definitive autopilot.

As far as media goes, the SC-HMX10 is very compatible and easy to work with. All MP4 and JPEG files can be dragged and dropped on a PC and recognized by most major editing software. Playing back footage is a snap, as well. All clips are represented as icons and can be accessed simply by pressing on the icon.

There are a couple bugs, though. When adjusting exposure in Photo mode, the shooter must rifle through four menu pages in order to reach the slider. If you want to take a series of pictures in multiple exposure levels, you have to repeat the process over and over. Canon keeps the slider on the main display pane, allowing you to adjust the exposure instantly after each capture.

Also, the placement of the LCD cavity ports is a bit awkward when shooting with a tripod—the cables tend to gang up on the confined area. However, not many shooters—especially in this particular market—will be using a live HDMI preview, so this is a minor issue. The onscreen buttons are a royal pain to press, though. It may take multiple attempts just to access a menu or option. At times, we were almost calling for a stylus.

Handling* (4.0)*

Once upon a time (about three or four years ago), a high-definition camcorder was required borrow as much as possible from their professional-grade cousins, either in the level of manual controls, or the feel, or the look. Now that HD has been firmly planted in consumer’s minds as the technology of today and not the technology of tomorrow, the restrictions are beginning to loosen.

The Samsung SC-HMX10 is far from a pro camcorder in nearly every regard. The body is extremely compact, simple to operate, and falls shy of the quality of camcorders only slightly more expensive. Yet, the camcorder remains a solid performer in its own category of "budget HD." Its competitors, the Sanyo Xacti series (including the VPC-HD2), Aiptek, and others tend toward an upright pistol-grip design that typically causes a lot of handling issues. The horizontal form factor of the SC-HMX10 is one thing Samsung definitely did right.

The camcorder’s handling has two features that make it stand out. First, it uses a touch screen interface, hitherto the exclusive domain of Sony. Touch screens draw a lot of criticism. We’ve written about it so often with Sony that it rolls right off the tongue: touch screens pick up fingerprints that grease up the screen. Not only is this ugly, but it makes it difficult to evaluate focus, especially when there’s no viewfinder to fall back on. Secondly, unless the screen is quite large (3.0 to 3.5 inches) the onscreen buttons tend to be too small. Particularly on the Samsung SC-HMX10, we were routinely hitting the wrong buttons by mistake due to size and close proximity to one another. That said, touch screens are intuitive, and have helped lock Sony’s reputation as the camcorder of choice for point-and-shoot. It’s certainly not the worst strategy in the world to swipe something from the winning team.

The second, and certainly less useful, feature is the swivel grip. This bizarre bit of engineering allows the camcorder to be pivoted at the axis of the hand grip either up or down, giving about 135 degrees of rotation. It doesn’t negatively affect the camcorder to have it there, though we see little benefit. The LCD screen already swivels on its own, so this just gives you more swivel. And how much swivel do you really need? In addition, the action on the swivel is tight, and snaps into place in a few positions, which means you can’t have a shot with a smooth, steady swivel from one end to the other. At best, this is a cheap gimmick you’ll use a few times. Of course, the swivel grip runs the risk of snapping right off if you yank it too hard, as seen below.

Menu* (7.0)*

The SC-MX10’s menus mirror the camcorder’s stylish architecture—they’re fast, sleek, and compact. Sony used to be the only manufacturer to feature touch screen LCDs, but Samsung has done a good job of making the touch screen its own. Menus are animated and fly at you. Information is organized in the familiar file folder tab format. When selected, each option is accessed instantly, assuming you hit the button in just the right spot, which can be tricky. The downfall of Samsung’s touch screen interface is its small size. Buttons must be pressed numerous times in order to take, and those with wide fingers will have a heck of a time attempting to select an option. We saw similar problems with Sony’s 2.5-inch screens, though their 2.7-inch screens seem just large enough.

There are two primary menus on the SC-HMX10—the Q. Menu and the Administrative, or Main, menu. The Q. Menu is accessed by pressing the Q. Menu button located on the LCD panel. Think of the Q.Menu as the "greatest hits" version of the Main menu. When accessed, a mini menu appears containing options for Storage, Focus, Exposure, Shutter Speed, White Balance, and Guidelines. These are the controls that Samsung assumes you’ll want right at your fingertips. Everything else is buried in the larger Admin menu.

The Q.Menu

The Administrative menu is accessed by pressing the Menu button, a touch screen button located in the lower right hand corner on the screen. The Administrative menu offers everything you see in the Q.Menu, plus many more options:

 

 

 

Portability* (7.0)*

The SC-HMX10 is closely linked to a compact JVC Everio in terms of size. This midnight Casanova will not fit in a pocket, but it’s petite enough to find its way into a clutch purse or messenger bag. This camcorder looks so hot, you’ll probably want to keep it in your hand all night anyway. The SC-HMX10 measures 61.5 x 67.5 x 120.5mm (2.42 x 2.66 x 4.74 inches) and weighs in at 330 grams (11.64 ounces). Be sure to pack extra SDHC cards for when the 8 GB of internal storage runs out. You’ll definitely need extra battery packs due to the enclosed battery design’s constraint on upgrading to a bigger pack. All in all, the SC-HMX10 will travel well.

 

**

LCD and Viewfinder*** (3.0)*

The SC-HMX10 is equipped with one of the sturdier 2.7-inch LCD screens we’ve seen. It features a rubberized LCD panel and thick, rugged construction. The LCD screen swings out 90 degrees from the body of the camcorder and rotates up to 270 degrees. Coupled with the swivel grip, you can achieve a full 360 degree rotation, which is great for hard-to-reach angles. The screen does an excellent job warding off solarization at steep angles and is accompanied by Q. Menu, Zoom, and Record Start/Stop buttons. The screen resolution is a standard 230,000 pixels, which is good, but not great.

There is no viewfinder on the SC-HMX10.

**

Battery Life*** (9.1)*

The Samsung Sc-HMX10 ships with the IA-BP85ST battery pack. We tested this battery for longevity by continuously shooting to the internal memory. The LCD was open and no manual controls were engaged during operation. In total, the battery lasted 91 minutes and 22 seconds (1 hour, 31 minutes, and 22 seconds).

 

 

 

 

Audio / Playback / Connectivity

Audio* (6.0)*

Although audio options are slim, the SC-HMX10 includes a Mic jack mounted to the back of the camcorder. There is no accessory shoe to hold a boom in place, so you would have to have someone hold it or invest in the magic of duct tape—though it would be a pity to gum up the SC-HMX10’s gloriously glossy visage. The built-in stereo microphone is mounted to the front of the camcorder, which is a choice placement. Of course, there is a Wind Cut feature, but don’t expect professional results. There are no other audio options on the SC-HMX10.

Playback* (6.75)*

In order to play back clips on the SC-HMX10, simply press the Playback button located in the bottom left corner of the LCD screen, or shift into Playback mode by pressing the Mode button. In Playback mode, a series of up to six icons appears in a tabbed menu. Each icon represents a clip that, when pressed, begins playing that clip within the entirety of the LCD screen. Playback controls are accessed by tapping anywhere on the playback screen. A series of buttons appears: Volume, Previous Clip, Next Clip, Rewind, Play/Pause, and Fast Forward.

The Playback menu is accessed by pressing the Menu button in the bottom right corner of the LCD screen. The Playback menu consists of the following options:

 

 

Connectivity* (7.0)*

Samsung has done an admirable job concealing the ports on the SC-HMX10, but accessibility is another story. The DC input and Mic Jack are located in the back of the camcorder, housed by inconspicuous covers made of flashy plastic. It’s difficult to slide a nail under the thin gap allotted for prying off the cover. In addition, mounting a Mic jack to the back of a camcorder is not the best idea because the cable will interfere with operation.

The rest of the ports are located within the LCD cavity, residing behind a wafer-like plastic shield that swings out along the bottom. Here, the HDMI, Component/AV, and USB terminals line the base of the LCD cavity. If you plan on shooting with a tripod and hooking up the SC-HMX10 for a live view or for export purposes, it will be a bit tight.

The SC-HMX10 also ships with a cradle/docking station that features DC in, USB, and AV out terminals. The SC-HMX10 even sits in the cradle on a bizarre and awkward 45-degree angle. Big props to Samsung, however, for placing the same ports from the cradle on the camcorder itself, freeing you from having to cart the thing around wherever you go.

 

 

 

 

 

Other Features

What’s in the Box?

The SC-HMX10 ships with the following items:

  • IA-BP85ST Battery Pack

  • AC Power Adapter

  • Multi-AV Cable

  • Component Cable

  • USB Cable

  • User Manual

  • Quick Start Guide

  • Button Type Battery

  • Remote Control

  • Cradle

-Software CD (Cyberlink DVD Suite v5)

-Pouch

Samsung offers quite a stocking. Serious shooters will need an HDMI cable, backup batteries, and SDHC cards.

Other Features* (3.0)*

*iCHECK - *Remaining battery life can be monitored by pressing and holding the iCHECK button located in the LCD cavity. A black screen with blue text and a green battery meter will appear, displaying the remaining percentage of battery life, record mode, and remaining record time.

*Anynet+ (HDMI-CEC) - *This feature allows you to operate the SC-MHX10 with certain Samsung universal remotes controls.

*Digital Effect - *If you don’t plan on throwing your footage into an NLE for the ultimate video effects, the Samsung has provided some classics: Black and White, Sepia, Negative, and Art.

*Fader - *To start off scenes with a mysterious tone, use the Fader effect to eerily or romantically fade into the action.

*LED Light - *We’ve seen penlights with more juice. The LED light is pain to get to as well, nestled deep within the Administrative menu.

 

 

 

 

Comparisons / Conclusion

Comparison
Sanyo VPC-HD2
The Sanyo Xacti series of compact HD camcorders have been on the market for three years. The VPC-HD2 is the most recent to have gone through our testing labs. Sanyo chose an upright design, which saved on space but led to handling issues. The camcorder employed a poor joystick and an obtuse menu system that pretty much precluded enjoying the shooting process. The video performance was better than the first generation VPC-HD1, but the VPC-HD2’s video showed very heavy in-camera sharpening. In a side-by-side, the Samsung SC-HMX10 proved to have more natural color and sharpening. Samsung also topped the VPC-HD2 in handling and ease of use, covering both the enthusiast and point-and-shoot camps. Winner, Samsung.

Sony HDR-CX7
We’ll start the comparison by declaring Sony the winner, and use the rest of this space to explain why. The Samsung SC-HMX10 is in what we’re calling the "budget HD" class of camcorders. Even though there’s only a few hundred dollars difference, the Sony HDR-CX7 is in a different class altogether. The HMX10 records in 720p in a lackluster H.264/MPEG-4 codec. The CX7 records in 1080i in the (slightly) better AVCHD codec. A side-by-side comparison showed a huge increase in quality with the Sony CX7. Samsung has the ability to record to both removable and internal flash memory, while Sony only records to removable MemoryStick PRO Duo cards. However, Sony also offers a hot accessory shoe and more manual controls, making it a more powerful tool for videographers. Combine that with better performance and you’ve got a completely different, and superior, camcorder.

Panasonic HDC-SD1
The HDC-SD1 is the first generation AVCHD camcorder from Panasonic that records to flash memory SDHC cards. Since then, Panasonic has cycled through a second (the HDC-SD5) and an upcoming third (the HDC-SD9) generation. Like the Sanyo VPC-HD2, Sony HDR-CX7, and Samsung SC-HMX10, the SD1 is compact and portable. Panasonic shows its advantage in manual controls, offering far more than any of the aforementioned camcorders. The SD1 and its antecedents all record in 1080i using the AVCHD codec, which offers a sharper image than the Samsung SC-HMX10. Like the Sony CX7, this is a totally different class of camcorders from the Samsung, and well worth the expense in upgrade.

Canon HF10
The Canon HF10, new for 2008, is speeding its way to the CamcorderInfo.com offices as of publishing time. The AVCHD camcorder records in full 1920 x 1080, outputted as 1080i, which is expected to far exceed the video quality of the Samsung SC-HMX10. The body is not so compact, but again, this is a different class of consumer HD. The Canon is equipped with three frame rates: 60i, 30P, and 24P, making it a potentially very powerful tool for budget filmmakers. Unfortunately, Canon has chosen to employ a new, proprietary-fit accessory shoe. Given its predecessors – including the Canon HV20 and Canon HG20 – this is anticipated to be among the best HD camcorders of the year.

Who It’s For
Point-and-Shooters

It’s got class, style, and sophistication. Point-and-Shooters will flock to the SC-HMX10’s swivel grip like bears to a honey jar. But looks aren’t everything, right? To a novice they’re everything, and this hot camcorder has their number.

Budget Consumers

This is the best of the "budget HD" camcorders we’ve seen so far. Even so, the price gap between this camcorder and the better offerings from Canon, Sony, and Panasonic is relatively small. Serious shooters should save their cash for an extra few months and step up to the next level when then can afford it.

Still Photo / Video Camera Hybrid

Stills can be captured up to a max resolution of 2048 x 1536, but the still features are lacking on this camcorder. You can save to either the 8 GB internal memory cache or SDHC/MMCplus cards, which is a perk.

Gadget Freaks

Mmm, that swivel grip and OS X Leopard-like LCD touch screen interface are enticing. Check out that glossy black LCD screen! Can you imagine the camera angle you can get with this thing!? However, 720p video is quickly losing ground to the new group of full 1920 x 1080 camcorders for 2008.

Manual Control Freaks

All the basics are there—focus, exposure, shutter speed, and white balance—but they’re quite ... basic. The white balance is just OK and you have to continually access the menu to switch exposures, which is a pain in the behind. The shutter speed won’t even dip below 1/60. To top it all off, all manual controls are governed via the finicky touch screen LCD.

Pros / Serious Hobbyists

This is the professional club hopper’s camcorder of choice, which is about the only type of pro that will touch the SC-HMX10.

Conclusion

The Samsung SC-HMX10 is clearly the leader in a burgeoning class of camcorders we might call "budget HD." That is to say, among those camcorders not made by Canon, Sony, and Panasonic – all of which hover near or above the $1,000 mark – the HMX10 is the best we’ve tested. To what extent is this a useful accolade? That’s difficult to say, and depends largely on how much money the consumer is willing to spend. The SC-HMX10 officially retails for $799, but can be found for less online. The most compelling models that record in flash media include the Sony HDR-CX7 and Panasonic HDC-SD1 / HDC-SD5. These camcorders can be found for only a few hundred dollars more, if that, and offer far better video quality. If you can get that kind of cash together, the upgrade is clearly worth it. But some people have a hard spending limit that we can respect.

You’re choice is this. Either sit on your money until the camcorder you’ve had your eye on is replaced and goes on sale, or settle for a Samsung. Chances are, if you’re like most people and are only using your camcorder a few times a year, you’ll like what you see from the SC-HMX10. The video is better than we expected, and the interface is very user friendly. However, a side-by-side with a full 1920 x 1080 Sony or Canon camcorder will have you crying in your beer with remorse, so prepare thyself.

 

 

 

Meet the tester

David Kender

David Kender

Editor in Chief

@davekender

David Kender oversees content at Reviewed as the Editor in Chief. He served as managing editor and editor in chief of Reviewed's ancestor, CamcorderInfo.com, helping to grow the company from a tiny staff to one of the most influential online review resources. In his time at Reviewed, David has helped to launch over 100 product categories and written too many articles to count.

See all of David Kender's reviews

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