Samsung HMX-H300 Camcorder Review
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- COMP 3
COMP 3
As you can probably tell by its model name, the HMX-H300 is Samsung's replacement for last year's HMX-H200 camcorder. Samsung stuck with the idea of making a very affordable, bare-bones model, as both the H300 and H200 have no internal memory and are suggested for retail at under $400. In our testing, we found Samsung made a variety of improvements over last year's H200, but the company also took a step backwards in some areas.
Let's start with the improvements. The HMX-H300 is smaller, lighter, and has an overall better design than the HMX-H200. It also has a larger LCD than its predecessor, significantly improved battery life, and better image stabilization. All of these are welcomed improvements, particular the slight design modifications that end up making the HMX-H300 more comfortable and easier to use.
But there were also a few areas where Samsung either didn't improve anything or showed signs of a slight downgrade compared to last year's HMX-H200. The color accuracy and noise levels on the new camcorder were generally worse than last year's model, and the overall quality of the HMX-H300's low light video was actually worse than that of the HMX-H200. Basically, we wanted to see an increase in video performance and quality from the HMX-H300, but the camcorder showed us nothing of the sort.
This lack of improvement leaves us very disappointed, and makes us weary about recommending the HMX-H300 to perspective buyers. Since the low light video from the HMX-H200 actually looked better to us (and it did a bit better in our sharpness tests as well), we'd recommend looking for a cheap HMX-H200 for sale instead of going with the H300. Since it is an older model, you may be able to find it at a bargain price, and you can be confident you're getting a camcorder that is just as good, if not better, than the Samsung HMX-H300.
