The
last time I picked up a video camera it was the
size of a suitcase, took VHS tapes, and I
struggled to bear its weight as one of my
parents fought to replace its car battery-sized
powerpack.
How things have changed, without me taking much
notice. So when Samsung's catchily monikered
SC-HMX20 was handed to me, all I could say was
"wow", followed by "what is it?".
Apparently, this is Samsung's second generation
camcorder, replacing something from last year
called the SC-HMX10, which made headlines
absolutely nowhere. Now, the boffins have lifted
the bonnet, made some tweeks and changes, and
returned with more than a handful of
improvements, not all of which are obvious.
For one thing, the SC-HMX20 is larger than its
predecessor, but only a little. It retains its
ultra-stylish desirable looks, and surprisingly
useful swivel grip on the hand strap, which
means the camera can be pointed to the sky,
while your hand remains comfortably in the
horizontal position.
As for the technology, Samsung has staged a tiny
revolution. The SC-HMX20 (to be known as "it"
from now on) features a huge 1/1.8in CMOS
sensor, dwarfing the previous generation's chip.
The boost means vastly improved performance,
especially in low-light conditions. The
high-definition picture is seriously impressive
– and delightfully easy to get off the camera
and onto a TV or computer – and with the flick
of a switch, the camcorder turns into a still
camera, although taking snaps is a little bit
odd with a camcorder.
To add to this gadget's many charms, it is
incredibly easy to use, even for this beginner,
with idiot-proof 2.7in touch-screen navigation,
and so few buttons even the hard-of-learning
could not be deterred, making it a good choice
for beginners.
Compared to the HMX10, Samsung has nixed the LED
video light, leaving the façade of this
camcorder strictly lens-orientated, and
decidedly smart. The automatic lens cover opens
when the camcorder is powered on or off, but I
feel such a delicate mechanism may fail over
time – surely, you can't beat a manual lens cap
for longevity.
Its 1.8 F-stop 10x optical zoom lens has a focal
length of 6.3mm to 63mm. The record lamp is
stationed at the top right of the lens and can
be switched off manually. Lastly, a built-in
microphone, tucked underneath the lens barrel
and facing the ground, strays in design from the
more-typical mic position found on most other
camcorders.
As for the fine-tuning of images, most
adjustments can be made manually, but much of
the operating system allows such annoying
trivialities to be handled automatically, with
buttons marked Easy Q and iCheck. However, one
smart option is the ability to record fast
motion at 300fps for up to 10 seconds and then
drastically slow down the playback of the
recording, offering crystal clear results of the
most fast-moving of events.
All things considered, this is a seriously smart
piece of kit, and Samsung has really upped its
game of late to offer beautifully designed
gadgets that produce sensational results.
The
last time I picked up a video camera it was the
size of a suitcase, took VHS tapes, and I
struggled to bear its weight as one of my
parents fought to replace its car battery-sized
powerpack.
