Samsung SC-MX20 Camcorder Review

- IA-BP85St battery pack
- AA-E9 type AC power adapter
- AV cable
- USB cable
- Software CD (Cyberlink MediaShow)
- User manual CD
- Quick Start guide
- Pouch (optional)

You'll need to stock up on memory cards, since the MX20 doesn't come with any internal or external memory. And you may want one or two spare batteries if you plan on going out of a long shoot. The optional pouch will only protect the camcorder from dirt and scratches—we recommend a padded bag or case.

Other Features (5.0)
Digital Effect - The MX20 comes with a slew of mostly useless digital effects, including: Black & White, Sepia, Negative, Art, Emboss, Mosaic, Mirror, Pastel, Cosmetic, Stepprinting. While we can see some people playing with the black and white, sepia, or art effects, some of the options here are just silly. Mosaic, Mirror, and Stepprinting are sadly unavailable in 16:9 Wide or C.Nite modes. You'll have to turn off wide screen and shoot in bright light if you want to take advantage of the creepy mirror effect:

An example of the "Mirror" digital effect, from the Samsung SC-MX20 user guide.

Interval Recording - You can use the SC-MX20 to do a sort of time lapse still photography by activating Interval Recording. The camcorder will record a single still image at specific intervals and store the series as a movie file. It's a fun little tool for watching the changing weather or the blooming of a flower. The available intervals are 1, 3, 5, 10, 15, and 30 seconds. Stills can be taken in these intervals for a duration of 24, 48, or 72 hours. (There's also an infinite option, which will have the camcorder take stills until the memory card is full.) Keep in mind that you'll want the power adapter plugged in and a mighty large memory card if you plan to do interval recording for a long expanse of time. Stills are recorded as 800 x 600 JPEGs.

C.Nite - The MX20 has a special mode for low light conditions. C.Nite has three possible settings: Auto, 1/30th shutter speed, and 1/15th shutter speed. Even according to the User Manual, this is more useful for achieveing a "slow motion like effect" than for improving ordinary low light footage. (See Low Light Performance.)

Fader - The usual fading effects. The MX20 lets you fade in, fade out, or fade in at the beginning and out at the end.

iCHECK - A quick tap of the iCHECK button (located in the LCD cavity) will toggle on and off the typical display information: how long a clip has been recording, what mode you're in, what manual options you're using, etc. But holding down on the iCHECK button for about 4 seconds will bring up a very useful screen detailing precise battery life and remaining storage capacity.