Samsung SC-HMX10 Camcorder Reviewby David KenderPublished on Feb 11, 2008 10:00 PM 
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Comparison
Sanyo VPC-HD2 (Review, Specs, Recent News, $585.36)
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 (Review, Specs, $329.99) (Review, Specs, $499.99), but the VPC-HD2’s video showed very heavy in-camera sharpening. In a side-by-side, the Samsung SC-HMX10 (Review, Specs, Recent News, $0.00) 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 (Review, Specs, Recent News, $0.00) (Review, Specs, Recent News, $882.95)
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 (Review, Specs, Recent News, $1119.99)
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 (Review, Specs, Recent News, $0.00)) 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 (Review, Specs, Recent News, $903) 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.