Link: http://www.
pcworld.
ca/news/product-review/759acff2c0a800060021a44e151187b6/pg1.
htm
Samsung H M X - R10 high-definition camcorder review
B Y Ted Kritsonis Thursday, July 16, 2009
In a unique twist on design and usability, Samsung has crafted an HD camcorder that is
reasonably priced and effective at what it s meant to do, albeit with some sacrifices.
That s
saying something in an economy where luxury gadgets like camcorders might fall by the
wayside for those looking to be a bit thriftier.
At $599 CDN MSR P, the HM X-R10 is in
the middle between what a point-and-shoot digital camera and high-end camcorder cost,
which is to say that it s a pretty good price for what you get.
And what do you ultimately get with this unit? For starters, it s got a pretty compact
form factor, though not quite diminutive enough to start throwing in and out of your
pocket (unless you have a purse or jacket).
This is probably why it comes with its own
protective pouch.
It is light, too, weighing in at just a bit over eight ounces, so
portability isn t an issue here.
It has a 2.
7" LCD touchscreen that comes in handy, as
most user controls lie within the onscreen interface.
And last but not least, it can
capture footage in HD at 1080p at 60 fps, 1080p at 30 fps and 720p at 60 fps.
It also
does standard-def at 480p and VGA for the Web.
It records the footage in H.
264 in
MP4 and saves it to SD or SDHC memory cards, so there is no internal storage.
The
lens also has an 8x zoom and electronic image stabilization.
Looking at the body of the HMX-R10, you ll notice that it doesn t have too many
buttons or nooks and crannies that might offer you extra functionality.
The Photo
button at the top allows you to snap still JPEGs with the 12-megapixel image sensor (it
can even utilize a built-in flash that is right next to the lens).
The Record and Zoom
buttons are at the back, while the HDMI output is right below.
But the most obvious aspect that stands out is the lens.
It lies on an upward angle,
which means that holding the HMX-R10 steady horizontally will basically capture what s
25-degrees above your field of vision.
The camcorder was designed with different
ergonomics in mind, so that you don t have to hold it straight and strain your wrists.
Older - and larger - camcorders always had that strap on the side that helped
stabilize your hand and ensure that you didn t drop them accidentally.
This one is too
small to have that, but Samsung did include a wrist strap, which I ll touch on.
For me,
this was an adjustment, as I ve actually become more accustomed to camcorders and
pocket video cameras that have an upright form factor.
I tried following the action of a
hockey game with the HMX-R10 and sometimes found it difficult to stay with the action
because I was still trying to figure
out the angle of the lens.
I m sure
this is just a basic learning curve,
so I didn t think it was a detriment
to the overall usability of the unit.
[Less]