Samsung SC-MX20 Camcorder Reviewby Kaitlyn ChantryPublished on Oct 17, 2008 10:00 AM
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Ease of Use (8.25)
Even for a camcorder that is marketed to a more casual consumer, the Samsung SC-MX20 is remarkably easy to use. Much of the accessibility is due to the clear and intuitive menu system, accessed via the Menu button and navigated with the directional pad. The directional pad may not be as responsive as a joystick, but it's certainly adequate.
The quick menu, accessed by pressing the button at the center of the directional pad, gives easy access to four commonly used functions: focus, exposure, shutter speed, and voice mute. We might have preferred to see white balance on there instead of voice mute, but the main administrative menu is so easy to navigate that everything is equally accessible. Plus, all four of these quick menu options are replicated in the admin menu, so you never have to stumble around trying to remember which features are in which menu. This is a case of redundancy used well.
The one baffling feature is the EasyQ mode, which seems to do nothing except disable the menu functions. We're not really sure why anyone would want to do this, since the menus are so easy to use and actually contain some beginner-friendly items. Strangely, even features that can be used in EasyQ mode (such as Guidelines) can only be activated or deactivated outside of EasyQ mode. If you decide to use a grid and then change your mind, you'll have to exit EasyQ, deactivate the grid, then re-enter EasyQ. This is a lot of needless shuffling about just to have a mode that prevents accidental menu activation. We would like to see an EasyQ mode where some basic menu features are still enabled.
Take our advice: don't use EasyQ mode. The SC-MX20 is a great camcorder for learning the basics of manual controls like exposure, focus, shutter speed, and white balance. We recommend shooting with everything in auto and playing with one or two manual controls at a time. And start with manual white balance—the MX20's auto white balance leaves much to be desired.
Handling (7.25)
If you've handled any of the other recent Samsung camcorders, the MX20 will be a familiar tool. What you have, essentially, is a little torpedo that fits right in the palm of your hand. It's small and light, without an internal hard drive or DVD drive to bulk up the right side of the camcorder. This absence makes the MX20 more portable, but it also means there's less to grip—with hard drive camcorders, you're often wrapping your fingers around the top of the drive for added leverage. Fortunately, Samsung is quickly becoming the best in the business for hand holds: not only have they widened the hand strap for increased stability, but they've increased the rotation on their unique swivel grip. You now have a complete 180-degree rotation for finding all those strange shooting positions you never thought possible. We're big fans of the "flashlight" grip, which lets you rest your camcorder comfortably below shoulder level. For long shoots that are likely to tire out your arm, this is a fantastic feature.
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| The Samsung SC-MX20 can be held like a traditional camcorder... | ...or you can use the swivel grip to experiment with alternate hand holds. |
In several different positions, the main controls are in easy reach. In the traditional upright hand hold, the record button rests easily under the thumb and the zoom toggle under the index finger. Both the record start/stop and zoom functions are duplicated on the LCD panel, for easy two-handed shooting at almost any angle. (We found this to be the easiest way to operate the camcorder from our favorite "flashlight" grip position.) Plus, the LCD panel and swivel grip axle are both solidly constructed and move smoothly and easily; the Samsung SC-MX20 encourages you to experiment, without fear of wear and tear breaking the most important components. A few silver and glossy black surfaces are prone to greasy fingerprinting, but at least there's no touch screen to attract untold grime.
If you anticipate using any of the manual controls on the SC-MX20, you'll be relying entirely upon the directional pad mounted to the camcorder's LCD panel. It's a fairly responsive control and easy to use, but it isn't quite as reliable as a joystick or as finely tuned as Sony's cam control dial or Panasonic's multi-function ring. Sometimes, it's hard to get your thumb in there to click on the d-pad, especially when you're aiming for the right arrow with your left hand. (We would sometimes click the center button instead of the right button, causing some annoying backtracking through the manual controls.) Fortunately, the menus and the manual adjustments are all very straight-forward, so there's minimal cause to struggle with the d-pad.
Menu (8.0)
The Samsung SC-MX20 has some of the most easily navigated menus that we've seen this year. With consumer camcorders adding more features every generation, the menus seem to be getting more convoluted. Fortunately, the MX20 features a single, straight-forward menu system that packs all the features into one intuitive, tabbed structure. Unlike some of the competing camcorders, there's no need to use guesswork or rifle through three different menus in order to find the feature you want. Plus, the MX20 allows you to change your menu color (options include blue, pink, purple, orange, and green) and to set your menu transparency so you can keep a better eye on your subject while navigating the menus (choose from 0%, 20%, 40%, or 60% transparent).
The main administrative menu is accessed via the Menu button on the LCD panel and contains the following options:
| Administrative Menu |
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| iSCENE | Auto, Sports, Portrait, Spotlight, Beach, Snow, High Speed, Food, Waterfall, Manual |
| White Balance | Auto, Daylight, Cloudy, Fluorescent, Tungsten, Custom WB |
| Exposure | Auto, Manual (0-29) |
| Shutter | Auto, Manual (1/60, 1/100, 1/250, 1/500, 1/1000, 1/2000, 1/4000, 1/10000) |
| Focus | Auto, Face Detection, Manual |
| Anti-Shake (HDIS) | Off, On |
| Digital Effect | Off, Black & White, Sepia, Negative, Art, Emboss, Mosaic, Mirror, Pastel, Cosmetic, Stepprinting |
| 16:9 Wide | Off, On |
| Resolution | TV Super Fine, TV Fine, TV Normal, Web & Mobile |
| Wind Cut | Off, On |
| Voice Mute | Off, On |
| Back Light | Off, On |
| Interval REC | Off, On |
| C.Nite | Off, Auto, 1/30, 1/15 |
| Fader | Off, In, Out, In-Out |
| Guideline | Off, Cross, Grid, Safety Zone |
| Digital Zoom | Off, On |
| Settings | Storage Info, Format, File No. (Series, Reset), Time Zone, Date/Time Set, Date Format, Time Format, Date/Time, LCD Brightness (-15 - +15), LCD Color, Beep Sound, Auto Power Off, TV Display, Default Set, Version, Menu Color, Transparency, Language, Demo |
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| The main administrative menu of the Samsung SC-MX20 | Plenty of less important options are filed under the Settings tab. |
There is also a quick menu accessed via the center button of the directional pad. This menu gives easy access to four commonly used functions. All four of these features can also be accessed via the main administrative menu, so there's no fear of trying to remember which menu to use. It's nice to have quick access to these controls, but we might have suggested replacing voice mute with white balance—especially since the auto white balance is not usually the best setting to use. The directional pad's quick menu contains the following options:
| Quick Menu |
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| Shutter | Auto, Manual (1/60, 1/100, 1/250, 1/500, 1/1000, 1/2000, 1/4000, 1/10000) |
| Exposure | Auto, Manual (0-29) |
| Voice Mute | Off, On |
| Focus | Auto, Face Detection, Manual |
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| The four options on the quick "d-pad menu" are: Exposure, Shutter, Voice Mute, and Focus. |
Portability (8.25)
The Samsung SC-MX20 is small and light, owing largely to the lack of internal memory and viewfinder; this camcorder is a lens barrel and that's about it. The result is a camcorder that weighs just 272.16g (0.6 lbs.) and measures just 66.04 x 60.96 x 124.46mm (4.9 x 2.6 x 2.4-inches). This is certainly one of the smallest traditional camcorders that's come through our labs. It's still a bit too large for tossing into your back pocket, but it's small and light enough that you could carry it around all day without much of a bother.
The surfaces are all fairly rugged and seem resilient to most scratches and fingerprints, but Samsung has also includes an optional carrying pouch to protect the camcorder further. This isn't the kind of carrying case that would protect the MX20 from a drop or hard knock, but it's better than tossing it in your bag unprotected.
Adding to the portability, the SC-MX20 records entirely to SD/SDHC memory cards, a highly compact, portable, and shock resistant medium. There are no tapes to clutter up your bag, no discs to get scratched, and no hard drive to fail you after one too many bumps. Unfortunately, the MX20 is not equipped with any internal flash memory, so you'll have to stock up on memory cards or transfer your footage constantly. Relying on memory cards does help decrease the price of the camcorder, which is why you can now find standard definition, card-only models from Canon, JVC, and Panasonic.
One small flaw: the battery compartment is entirely enclosed, so there's no chance of purchasing a longer lasting battery. If you plan to be out recording all day, you might want to have a spare.
LCD and Viewfinder (3.0)
The Samsung SC-MX20 comes equipped with a 2.7-inch LCD that flips out from the left side... as usual. The screen resolution is 112,000 pixels, which is low even compared to other standard def camcorders. While it's always nice to be surprised by your video quality when you see it on the big screen, a low resolution LCD can spell trouble when you're trying to perform a manual focus.
There is no viewfinder on the SC-MX20, which is pretty common for standard definition, flash memory camcorders. When you're buying a camcorder in this class, just remember that you won't have that glare-free, battery-saving viewfinder on long, sunny days.
Battery Life (18.1)
We tested the efficiency of the SC-MX20's IA-BP85ST rechargeable battery pack by recording continuously in Auto mode with DIS disabled and the LCD flipped open. The battery performed admirably, lasting a total of 181 minutes and 11 seconds (3 hours, 1 minute, 11 seconds). That's a solid duration for such a small battery.
Since the battery compartment is enclosed, however, you won't be able to upgrade to a larger battery. We recommend just buying one or two spares if you plan on taking the camcorder out for a long day of shooting.
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| The IA-BP85ST battery and enclosed battery compartment of the Samsung SC-MX20. |
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