Samsung SC-DC173 Camcorder Reviewby Michael PerlmanPublished on Aug 23, 2007 4:40 PM
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Comparison
Samsung SC-DC164
Samsung’s revamping of last year’s SC-DC164 ($499 MSRP) amounts to a perplexing tradeoff of good and bad features. The SC-DC164 is equipped with a 1/4.5-inch sensor and spouting a 680,000 gross pixel count. Larger pixels should lead to better low light, but the SC-DC164 spirals downward with a blurry mess of an image. Sadly, this year’s SC-DC173 produced a slightly worse image due to its 1/6-inch chip with 680,000 gross pixel count.
Video performance aside, let’s talks about some peculiar handling traits that were dropped or gained. The SC-DC164 featured a mic jack, extendable viewfinder, 800 x 600 max stills, and an organized column of ports located within the LCD cavity. The SC-DC173 offers a more organized LCD cavity, LCD panel controls, and a video light (though only in conjunction with C.Night mode). This is a pretty sorry offering as far as enhancements go. Yes, the SC-DC173 is cheaper, but is it worth any green? In this case, you’re stuck between worse and worst. Our advice? Don’t buy these Samsungs.
Sony DCR-DVD108
Sony’s DCR-DVD108 ($399 MSRP) is a $30 price leap, but it’s worth every penny. Though both camcorders are equipped with 1/6-inch chips with a 680,000 resolution, the DCR-DVD108 produces superior color balance and sharpness. Low light is weak, like any camcorder within this price range, but not much better or worse than the SC-DC173. The DCR-DVD108 also features an extendable viewfinder, touch screen LCD, and classic Easy button. It also touts a whopping 40x optical zoom, trumping the SC-DC173’s 34x optical. In this case, what it all comes down to is quality. Sony has produced a better entry-level DVD camcorder. Roll up an extra $30 in change and spring for the DCR-DVD108.
Canon DC220
The Canon DC220 ($449 MSRP) gave a good color performance in bright light with its 1/6”, 680,000 CCD, but low light was heightened by abounding noise and blur. Still, the DC220’s video performance quelled that of the SC-DC173’s. So now it’s down to handling and manual controls. The DC220 features a handy rear-mounted joystick, which makes menu navigation a breeze. However, the DC220 does not include a distinct Easy mode and is strapped with an enclosed battery design, no video light, and a more complex menu. Point-and-shooters with more experience will opt for the DC220 because of its more advanced manual controls, in addition to a host of Program AE settings. Also, the DC220 has a maximum still capacity of 1024 x 768, accompanied by a histogram and other useful stills features. An $80 price gap is a bit of a stretch, but there’s no question here. It’s Canon all the way.
Hitachi DZ-GX5020A
Both the Hitachi DZ-GX5020A ($349 MSRP) and the SC-DC173 camcorders are saddled with a 1/6-inch imager with a 680,000 gross pixel count. Only Hitachi makes matters worse by going without a joystick, which is one notch down from the SC-DC173’s square, side-mounted joystick. The DZ-GX5020A does feature an extendable viewfinder, quick menu, and convenient finalize button, but that’s about it. Both camcorders are relatively comfortable to hold—that’s another plus. The bottom line is that neither of these entry-level contenders are adequate performers. Stick with a Sony or Panasonic.
Who It’s For
Point-and-Shooters
The SC-DC173 resonates “point-and-shooter” from miles away. Between the Easy.Q button, quick menu, and massive zoom, mom and dad will have a field day.
Budget Consumers
At $369, we’re not talking big dollars here, but in this case you get less bang than you should for your buck. The SC-DC173 under-delivers to the highest degree. Protect your piggy bank, budget consumers.
Still Photo / Video Camera Hybrid
The highest still resolution you get with the SC-DC173 is 640 x 480. You can record video and stills to an SD/MMC card, but the quality is just dreadful. We’re not seeing it here, either.
Gadget Freaks
Nothing about the SC-DC173 will pique the hyperactive interest of the gadget freak.
Manual Control Freaks
This may be the one category the SC-DC173 performs fairly well in. Between focus, shutter speed, white balance, and exposure, the SC-DC173 is well equipped for an entry-level point-and-shooter.
Pros / Serious Hobbyists
Hah!
Conclusion
The Samsung SC-DC173U (the “U” is for U.S. release) is a marginal effort, which is not surprising in entry-level camcorders. There’s so much compromise at this price point that it really requires the consumer to know what they want in order to pick the right brand. No one camcorder can do it all. Under $500, Sony dominates ease of use, with Canon a close second. Canon often has the best image quality, but not always. Panasonic packs in the manual controls. Thus it has been for years.
So where does that leave Samsung. The SC-DC173 is a potpourri of all three, excelling at none. The manual control suite is good, but the button and joystick placement is poor. The camcorder is easy to use, but in order to the best picture quality, the shooter needs to intercede, and the camcorder’s Easy Q mode is too restrictive to do so easily. We were pleased to see that the image quality was not too bad, at least not compared to other camcorders in its range. The image certainly lacked definition, but the color performance was better than expected. Handling is the biggest problem with the SC-DC173, which is not a simple fix for Samsung to correct in next year’s model. Putting nearly every control on the left side of the camcorder is a strategy that nearly every manufacturer has left behind over the last few years. To see the same error made again makes no sense.
The Samsung SC-DC173 is not for everyone, but the redeeming qualities make it one of the better offerings from a company outside the major DVD camcorder manufacturers, Sony, Canon, and Panasonic.
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