Samsung SC-HMX20C 8GB High Definition Camcorder with 10x Optical Zoom

Samsung is well known for devices such as LCD TVs and cell phones. However, not many people know that Samsung makes pretty decent digital cameras and camcorders. I came from the country where Samsung started and heard about Samsung's optical products. Although they do not have a reputation like Canon or Sony, Samsung comes pretty close to the level of other popular makers of cameras and camcorders. I think the HMX20c from Samsung shows a good evidence of this. I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of this camcorder and started to use the HMX20c more than any other camcorder I have. So, here goes my story for you.





First of all, the HMX20c is a very Mac-friendly camcorder. The other HD camcorders that I have use AVCHD codec to record the video, and you might need to do additional jobs to work with iMovie. AVCHD files recorded in the camcorder need a conversion process to be used by iMovie, and it takes up so much space. I have a Canon HG10 hard drive based AVCHD camcorder and iMovie always converts the AVCHD files to AIC (Apple Intermediate Codec) to use in iMovie. So I gave up using iMovie and used the Ulead DVDFactory on a Windows PC. However, the HMX20c records files on a flash memory (SDHC card) in H.264/MPEG4 format that iMovie loves to handle. AVCHD files alone from the HD camcorder cannot be recognized by iMovie without the conversion, however, MP4 files from the HMX20c have no problem being used directly on iMovie. I really like this and thank Samsung for choosing H.264/MPEG4 codec.





The weakness of the consumer level HD camcorder is the performance in low light. The HMX20c uses a comparatively larger CMOS (1/1.8 inch) than other HD camcorders (1/2.5 to 1/5 inch CMOS or CCD). This means the HMX20c is better in low light performance since the size of the CMOS (or CCD) is critical to accept lights, and it uses a 49mm lens, which is pretty big for a camcorder like this. So the HMX20c shows a pretty decent performance in indoor shots. I shot the video in our living room and church side by side with the Canon HG10. The HG10 also is a very good camcorder for indoor shot, however, the HMX20c is a lot better. I could notice that the shots from the HMX20c shows less grainy picture than the HG10. I take most of my videos indoors, so this is a very important factor for me. Also, I do not have any complaint about the picture quality of daylight shots. Most full HD camcorders that I see on the market already provide more than spectacular pictures and the HMX20c is no exception. The 6.4 mega pixel CMOS really does the job.





The HMX20c is a very beautiful camcorder. Its piano gloss barrel shape body looks great, and I have been always asked about the camcorder whenever I use it in public. It is very easy to grip and fits my in my hand nicely. And the user interface of a rotating LCD screen is pretty intuitive. The control menus that I use the most (white balance, video resolution, storage option, etc) are located on the root so I can use them in a single touch (LCD is a touch screen type). Some people might prefer the jog-dial like control, however, I prefer the touch screen interface because it is quick to access the features.





Another convenient feature that the HMX20c offers is that it allows to record the video in 480p SD (standard definition). Most HD camcorders only allow to record in HD and this SD recording feature can be very convenient if you want to take the video for web pages or other occasions that do not require highest resolution video recording. And the ability to take slow motion shot for 10 second is a plus for me. I will use this feature to monitor my golf swing.





There are a few drawbacks of the HMX20c. It does not have a HDMI port in it. If you want to connect the HDMI cable, you have to connect it to a cradle. And you cannot use a thick, high capacity battery because the battery is inserted inside of the camcorder and the space is already fixed for a battery. Unless the battery can have more capacity in a given size, you cannot expect to use a long lasting high capacity thick battery.





I was concerned about the lacking of optical image stabilization (the HMX20c uses a electric image stabilization) in the first place. Fortunately, I take most of my videos on a tripod so I did not recognize it. Even when I did not use a tripod, my shots were great and I do not miss optical image stabilization now.





Overall, the HMX20c is a great flash memory camcorder. I really like the low light performance and bright lens (f1.8-2.5). No motorized part inside gives very silent video without any buzzing noise. I have sold other HD camcorders that I had, and I do not miss them. The HMX20c is my only camcorder now, and this shows how much I like the HMX20c. Good job, Samsung.Samsung SC-HMX20C 8GB High Definition Camcorder with 10x Optical Zoom