Samsung SC-MX20 Camcorder Reviewby Kaitlyn ChantryPublished on Oct 17, 2008 10:00 AM
|
Advertisement
|
|||||||||||
Picture & Manual Control
Automatic Control (4.25)When we sit down with a standard definition "YouTube camcorder," our expectations for automatic controls are pretty high. Most people who buy these camcorders don't want to bother with manual adjustments—they want to turn it on and shoot good video. So, it's with some disappointment that we encountered the automatic controls on the SC-MX20.
In order for the auto controls to kick in, you can set the various options to Auto or engage Easy mode—we found no discernible difference between shooting with all options set to Auto and shooting in EasyQ mode. The bonus/downside to Easy mode is that it completely disables any access to manual settings, putting them blessedly out of the way or annoyingly inaccessible, depending on your viewpoint.
For the most part, the MX20's automatic focus was responsive, but from time to time the camcorder would have difficulty deciding where to focus, especially in areas of high contrast or in low light. Even more painful was the long deliberation that often took place while the automatic exposure adjustment was happening. There are certainly benefits to a slow and gradual exposure shift, but there are downsides as well—such as missing out on key events while the camcorder struggles to select the proper exposure. As for white balance, the MX20 fared well in natural light, but had a hard time adjusting in most indoor lighting—especially fluorescent.
There are also a number of one-touch correction features that are useful for anyone who doesn't care to get bogged down in individual manual controls. Ironically, even these tools are considered too complicated for EasyQ mode; they are accessed through the menu, which is entirely unavailable while in EasyQ. Probably the most useful of these features is the iSCENE mode, which tells the camcorder to automatically adjust exposure, shutter speed, and focus depending on the scene selected. Options are: Sports, Portrait, Spotlight, Beach, Snow, High Speed, Food, and Waterfall. There are also four custom white balance settings, face detection, and back light compensation. These tools all use the camcorder's internal workings to do the brunt of the work for you, leaving manual controls to the more savvy user.
 |
| The directional pad on the LCD panel is used for making all one-touch automatic adjustments and using the camcorder's manual controls. |
Overall Manual Control (5.0)
Even the high definition Samsungs don't offer a wealth of manual controls, so it comes as no surprise that their standard definition lineup would carry just the bare minumum. All manual adjustments are made using the directional pad on the camcorder's LCD panel—no fancy joysticks, touchscreens, control dials, or lens rings here. Since most of the adjustments are made in fairly large increments, the directional pad is usually more than enough control.
We also like that you can access several manual controls in two places: the quick d-pad menu and the main administrative menu. Placing them in two places might seem redundant, but it's better than splitting all your functions into separate places; this way, you'll usually find what you're looking for no matter where you look. On the Samsung SC-MX20, you'll find manual focus, exposure, shutter speed, white balance, and the various one-touch controls mentioned above.
Zoom (5.0)
There is one thing about Samsung camcorders that never ceases to disappoint: the zoom toggle feels like most zoom toggles out on the market, but only adjusts zoom at a single, fast, nonvariable speed. Even when you think you're toggling very lightly, a slow zoom just isn't possible. Considering that zoom is the most common "manual control" used on entry-level consumer camcorders, we're surprised that Samsung hasn't remedied this sad state of affairs for the MX20. It's especially frustrating when compared to the level of control offered by the Canon FS100, which lets you choose between three fixed zoom speeds and a pressure-sensitive variable zoom.
Since the zoom on the SC-MX20 is only capable of moving at one quick speed, there's no real advantage to using the toggle over the directional pad for zoom control. Either one will get the job done, and how you control the zoom will probably just come down to personal preference. With either the toggle or the d-pad, zooming will cause a small scale to appear on the LCD; your zoom progress will be marked at one of 14 intervals on the scale. Unfortunately, the scale is not numbered and many different zoom ratios belong to each interval, so shot replication is a bit tricky.
Zoom Power Ratio (34.0)
The Samsung SC-MX20 has a 34x optical zoom, which is about average for a standard definition, consumer camcorder. It might seem baffling that the far more expensive SC-HMX20 from Samsung has only a 10x optical zoom... this is a question of optics. Larger sensors need longer barrels to get a powerful zoom. Camcorders with a small 1/6-inch sensor, like the MX20, can reach a 34x zoom in much less space. So, on the higher end camcorders, you get less zoom power, but a higher resolution sensor. On these less expensive standard def camcorders, the performance isn't as good, but you get a lot more zoom. Science!
Just remember that the more zoom you use, the more you'll want a tripod or impressively steady hands. At 34x zoom, you'll notice shakiness even more; the MX20's digital image stabilization isn't up to the task of that much correction. If the 34x optical zoom isn't enough for you, you can activate the up to 1200x digital zoom. But this will decrease image quality significantly and even the slightest shake will make your subject go completely out of frame. Stick to the optical zoom.
Focus (4.0)
The manual focus on the SC-MX20 will not impress experienced users, but it is servicable. The tool is accessed by either the administrative menu or the quick d-pad menu. Left and right on the directional pad will allow you to make fine adjustments, though it happens slowly and you have only the image on the LCD to use for judging accuracy. There is no focus assist tool or viewfinder to help you when doing a manual focus, but at least the sliding scale is on the bottom of the screen, instead of right in the middle—as it is on the Samsung SC-HMX20 and many other camcorders from other manufacturers.
 |
|
The MX20's manual focus is actually quite good. |
Since the MX20 has no touch screen, it doesn't offer the excellent TouchPoint focus you find on Samsung's high definition model. This is a feature that Samsung seems to have copied from Sony and we couldn't be happier. On the MX20, though, you'll have to rely on the slow d-pad focus or just stick to automatic. In most scenarios, this is more than sufficient. We suggest switching to manual only when something in the foreground or background is drawing the auto focus away from your intended subject.
Exposure & Aperture (6.0)
The manual exposure tool on the Samsung SC-MX20 is very similar to that found on Samsung's high definition model, the SC-HMX20. It is incredibly easy to find and to use. Using either the d-pad menu or the administrative menu, you select Manual and a slider will appear at the bottom of the screen. Use the left and right buttons on the directional pad to select one of 30 numbered increments that are available.
 |
| The SC-MX20 has 30 increments for adjusting exposure. |
This manner of controlling exposure is happily straightforward and should serve as a model to other manufacturers. Sony has a similar control, but the scale is un-numbered, making shot replication difficult. Canon, JVC, and Panasonic all have fewer increments and on both Canon and Panasonic camcorders, the exposure tool is buried in the menus.
The SC-MX20 does not offer direct control over aperture, which comes as no real surprise: the high definition Samsung SC-HMX20 doesn't have it either. As for the competition, it's a mixed bag. Some Panasonics and JVCs at this price point offer aperture control, while equivalent Canons and Sonys do not.
Shutter Speed (6.2)
Shutter speed can be adjusted manually just as quickly and easily as exposure. Using either the d-pad menu or the administrative menu, you can bring up the slider that is the main interface of the shutter speed control. Using left and right on the directional pad, you can select one of eight different shutter speeds: 1/60, 1/100, 1/250, 1/500, 1/1000, 1/2000, 1/4000, 1/10000. Using the MX20's C.Nite mode will grant you access to speeds of 1/30 or 1/15, but once you've entered this mode, access to manual shutter speed disappears.
 |
| Eight shutter speeds are at your disposal. |
White Balance (6.75)
With only four functions available on the d-pad menu, we were surprised to find that white balance is not one of them. This menu gives you quick access to manual exposure, shutter speed, focus, and... voice mute? So, you'll have to go delving into the menus to access the white balance settings. Fortunately, Samsung makes the MX20 menus a breeze to navigate—it won't take you long to locate the manual white balance, which we recommend using over any of the other white balance settings available.
 |
| Since white balance isn't part of the quick directional pad menu, you'll have to go into the menus to adjust it manually. |
Unfortunately, the auto white balance isn't always accurate, especially in any kind of unnatural, indoor lighting. If you want to try playing with the various white balance options, you can traipse into the menus and try out Daylight, Cloudy, Fluorescent, or Tungsten. Inside the labs, we always rely on the most accurate option: manual white balance. We were disappointed to find that even the manual white balance just wasn't very good.
Gain (0.0)
Like every manufacturer except Panasonic, Samsung does not offer gain control on any of its consumer camcorders.
Other Manual Controls (2.5)
Guidelines - Like most cameras and camcorders these days, the SC-MX20 offers a couple options for using guidelines to help line up your shots. These lines appear only on the LCD and not on your final recorded footage. The choices this time around are Cross, Grid (for rule-of-thirdsy goodness), and Safety Zone. The last is an interesting one: a small crosshair denotes the center of the screen and a box marks approximately the middle two-thirds of the screen as "safe." Presumably, auto mode will make sure anything in this box will be properly exposed and in focus. The guidelines can be used while in EasyQ mode, as long as you activate the lines first, then EasyQ.
Face Detection - Another feature getting thrown onto just about every camera and camcorder these days. Face detection supposedly identifies faces, then adjusts to make sure those faces have appropriate color balance, exposure, and focus. The manual doesn't tell us how many faces the MX20 can detect, but it does give us a number of caveats about the feature not working in some conditions, not detecting profiles, and not being available for EasyQ mode, iSCENE settings, manual shutter or exposure, Digital Effects, or C.Nite modes.
Backlight Compensation - As long as you're not in EasyQ mode, you can activate backlight compensation whenever your subject is getting overshadowed by a bright background like a ski slope or sunny window. Backlight compensation will brighten the foreground considerably, often with a washed out look. It doesn't make for great footage, but it's better than having your subject entirely obscured in shadow.
|
Advertisement
|