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Gag Gifts, Occasion Gifts - Samsung SC-HMX20C 8GB High Definition Camcorder with 10x Optical Zoom
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List Price: $849.99
Our Price: Too low to display
Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
Manufacturer: Samsung
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Average Customer Rating:  
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Batteries Included: 1
Binding: Electronics
Brand: Samsung
Color: Black
Display Size: 2.7
EAN: 0036725302099
Feature: Full HD Camcorder with 1080P Progressive Mode
Has Red Eye Reduction: 1
Is Autographed: 0
Is Memorabilia: 0
Label: Samsung
Manufacturer: Samsung
Maximum Focal Length: 63
Minimum Focal Length: 6.3
Model: SC-HMX20
Optical Zoom: 10
Publisher: Samsung
Studio: Samsung
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Features
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Full HD Camcorder with 1080P Progressive Mode
8GB Built In Memory
6.4M CMOS, 10X zoom
Docking Cradle
SD-MMC Slot
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Editorial Reviews:
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Featuring Full HD and a 1080p mode with 30 frames-per-second recording capability, the SC-HMX20C's flash-based design makes this camcorder compact and easy-to-use. Furthermore, users are able to connect the SC-HMX20C to their laptop or PC via a USB connection and share their home movies with family and friends quickly and easily. For added value and convenience, this multifunctional HD camcorder also delivers among the best still camera functionality within a camcorder on the market - up to 8-megapixel size through pixel-rising technology.The SC-HMX20C's outstanding performance is the result of cutting-edge design coupled with innovative technologies in HD recording. The SC-HMX20C features a 6.4-megapixel CMOS with electronic image stabilization so even action-packed scenes come through with clarity. Featuring an HDMI-CEC (Anynet+) high-quality connection to HDTVs and other devices, consumers can easily control the camcorder through their Samsung HDTV remote while viewing movies - just one more feature that strives to make life easier.With the unique feature of high speed capture and super slow motion playback, the SC-HMX20C allows consumers to record fast motion at 300 frames per second for up to 10 seconds and then drastically slow down the playback of the recording. Perfect for sports fanatics looking to tape and analyze their golf-swing in slow motion, or anyone interested in getting the detail of fast-flying events that otherwise would be undetectable to the human eye; this special function opens up a world to users.
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Spotlight customer reviews:
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Customer Rating:
Summary: The Best Camcorder I've Owned
Comment: OUT OF THE BOX
What a treat it was to get this camcorder! It comes with a charging stand, which I prefer to just plugging directly into a wall. It took about 1 ½ hours to charge and I have about 90 minutes of recording time on my battery. That is so nice.
I have a choice of memory cards, either SDHC or MMCplus -- or I could go with the internal memory, which gives me 75 minutes in superfine mode. That is a huge plus. There have been many a time when I've brought my camera or camcorder with me only to find I've forgotten to put a memory card in or the memory card is full. No need to worry here. I have a built-in backup.
The filmed images at night under incandescent light is somewhat grainy, but I haven't found a camcorder which wasn't grainy at night. The graininess is less than my other camcorders, so it's better than I expected.
The sound is clean and crisp, no static or distortion. I have no complaints.
When I zoom, the image is shaky. Whatever stabilization feature the camera has, it's not enough. I would need a tripod to help with that. Even at wide angle, it takes effort to keep the image stable. My son keeps asking why I'm shaking the camcorder so much. I'm not trying to shake the camcorder.
Daytime video quality is good. It does take a little time to focus sometimes, but it was fast enough to not bother me. Except for the shakiness, I do like the quality when viewed on my television.
The menu is intuitive. I have no problem navigating the touchscreen and I realize this isn't always the case with camcorders. It's well thought out and I appreciate the ease of use.
CAMERA FUNCTION
I can take photos as I film. What a marvelous feature. There have been countless times when I wanted to do both and had to choose. Or maybe I was filming and realized that was a Kodak moment that I missed. I can now do both, and boy have I utilized that feature. This has to be the absolute strongest selling point of this camcorder.
The flash pops up out of the camcorder and gives plenty of light, but it doesn't happen if I am taking photos in filming mode. For that, I need to be in camera mode. The red eyes appear less noticeable than in other cameras and there is a strobe feature to reduce red eye.
The photo resolution is better than any other camcorder I own. I have yet to get my photos back from developing and will update my review when I get them.
HANDLING
The size and shape would make the grip a bit awkward, but the swivel grip helps with that. I just wish the record button wasn't so far down low to the right. It's just difficult for me to reach that position with my right thumb. It would have been better to locate that button somewhere near the top of the camcorder,
SOFTWARE
The software included is Cyberlink DVD Suite. I don't know what's wrong, whether it's my computer or a softward glitch, but I just can't get it to work. Actually, it's most likely my ancient computer. I have a Compact Presario SR1930NX with 960 MB of RAM. I work a long time to get the video I want and then it won't burn the CD and it's very frustrating. I tried MediaShow and that worked, but it has fewer bells and whistles.
THE FINER POINTS -- details which would make life nice
The camcorder is missing a neck/shoulder strap. I'm not sure if that is a plus or minus. I found myself wanting one yesterday, when I was lugging it around to film a birthday party. Then again, the strap on my other camcorder was an annoyance. Putting it in and out of the bag, it just kept finding a way to get stuck on Velcro. It was nice not to have a strap to get in the way. I find myself going either way on this feature.
The lens opens and shuts automatically as needed.. I like that because I never have to remember to close it.
A small annoyance is the shell is just too shiny on the side with the screen. It just gets covered in my fingerprints. Wish they have made it more like the rest of the body.
Something I never expected to have but is a nice plus is the slideshow feature. I am used to scrolling through my photos. This is the first time I could play a slideshow to music with fading effects on the camera at the touch of a button That's so cool. The music only plays when the photos are on the internal memory. Still a nice feature.
Pros:
+Nice video quality
+Good sound
+Lens opens and closes automatically
+Take photos while filming
+Internal memory with about 75 minutes of recording time in superfine mode
+Long battery life
+Slideshow feature
+Pop-up flash
+Choice of optional memory cards SDHC or MMCplus
+Good photo quality
+Intuitive menu
Cons:
-Image can be grainy at night
-Image stabilization could use improvement
-Record button located in an awkward position
-Shell is a fingerprint magnet
-Software didn't work for me
Overall, this is a fantastic camcorder. I highly recommend it.
UPDATE: I got the photos back from Snapfish. They are good and I wouldn't know they came from a camcorder. Even the ones I took while in filming mode were good. The ones I took in camera mode were better, but only ever so slightly so when taken in daylight. Very nice photo quality, especially for a camcorder.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Excellent Compact High Definition Camcorder
Comment: I am finally replacing my Mini-DV camcorder with a wonderful True HD Camcorder. The portability and capacity of SDHC cards makes this medium a more feasible form of media and this camera makes an excellent travel companion.
I also have the Samsung SC-MX20 which is an excellent entry level camcorder that is great for Youtube video and makes a great format for any other online video site like Swing Academy (for golfers out there).
Samsung SC-MX20 Flash Memory Camcorder w/34x Optical Zoom (Black)
WHAT IS IN THE BOX?
Camcorder
Drawstring pouch
User Manual CD
Quick Start Guide
Software CD (Cyberlink DVD Suite: PowerDVD 7.3, Power Producer 4.2 and Power Director 6.0 for HD)
Battery Pack
AC Power Adaptor
Multi-AV cable
Component cable
USB cable
Infrared remote control
Cradle
Core filters
To read the actual manual, you will need to load the Manual on CD. Most of the functions are explained in the Quick Start Guide.
THE SOFTWARE SUITE:
Hardware requirements (sorry, not Mac compatible):
Microsoft Windows XP or Vista
Pentium 4, 3.2 Ghz or greater/AMD Athlon FX, 2.6 Ghz or higher
Nvidia Geforce 7600GT or higher/ATi X1600 series or higher
Cyberlink Power Director is a robust video editing program for a bundled software package. You can adjust photographic settings, add special effects, trim clips, add titles, picture in picture, transitions, etc. I cannot believe software like this accompanies such a great camera. It is more than functional for a casual user, like myself.
Cyberlink Power DVD is a video player. Power Producer allows you to author a DVD.
In summary, the software suite was a very nice surprise for me. It is no Adobe Premiere but it is more robust than many software programs that accompany digital cameras and digital camcorders. Thanks, Cyberlink and Samsung. You made me a happy customer!
DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION:
Battery life indicators are an important feature of all cameras and camcorders to me. This can be seen in the indicator screen or by pushing the iCheck button. The battery indicator level, estimated duration of battery life in minutes and duration of time for recording is also shown.
Given that I have the SC-MX20, I will use it for comparison. The unit measures 2 3/4" x 2 5/8" x 5 3/8" compared to 4 3/4" x 2 1/2" x 2 1/4" of the SC-MX20. The housing hard plastic black with silver highlights. It is stylish and more solid in feel and heavier in weight than its counterpart. This is a bullet shaped camcorder with a pop up flash in the top of the unit. The strap is a suede lined velcro strap with a rotating handle that goes about 135 degrees (my guess) - unlike 180 degrees by the SC-MX20.
The flip out LCD rotates 180 degrees and the frame has a Quick Menu Button, Zoom button and record button. The housing has a button for toggling screen information, flash (for the camera function) and the EasyQ button. A small sliding panel hides the AV and USB ports.
The top of the unit has the zoom button, camera shutter button, and mode key with indicator light. The Battery door is opened with a sliding latch lock housing the battery and the MMC/SDHC memory card. A second sliding door conceals the AC plug port. The underbody has a tripod receptacle and a cradle receptacle.
Given the more round shape on the bottom, the camcorder can roll off of the table when charging directly into the camera, so I advise using the cradle. The SC-MX20 is flatter on the bottom and does not require a cradle.
Dual microphones are at the underside of the lens housing.
The LCD touch screen is a welcome feature and is intuitive to operate. If you want to customize your video. EasyQ functions with a point and shoot mode so that taking videos is so simple that any person of any level of videography experience can start using this camcorder immediately. The LCD screen is crisp and vivid and is a lot better in quality over the SC-MX20.
Another feature that I love about this camera is that there is a lens cover that opens and closes when the power button is turned on and turned off, respectively. The SC-MX20 requires the user to manually open and close the cover.
With 8 GB of built-in memory with the capacity to add more capacity, with memory cards, the SC-HMX20C is great for many applications.
The remote is compact in size, sleek and buttons are well marked. The remote control is responsive. With the remote, you can control everything (photograph, toggle on screen display, fast forward, slow motion, play, stop, record, zoom, menu, quick menu), including toggling between video/photo and review images. You can do everything with the remote! The remote works great if you are using this to record your golf swing, self recording or reviewing the videos. The remote is the icing on the cake!
OPERATION:
The unit turns on in about 6 seconds and is slightly faster in activation than the SC-MX20. The Mode button in the back of the unit allows the user to record video, take photos or review photos/video clips with an indicator light letting the user know exactly what is going on.
With the redundancy of the zoom and record buttons, the user can operate with a one or two handed operation. The record button at the back of the unit is awkward to push with the thumb (while the hand is in the strap) but this is no deal breaker. I find the record button easier to push with my index finger. Zoom is responsive but too quick for fine tuning.
Playback mode is facilitated through the touch screen. Tabs at the top of the screen allow the user to view SD video, HD video and photographs. A menu button on the screen gives access to features such as the slide show, delete, protect, music slide show, slide show intervals, copy, and resize functions. There is a touch screen return button. The touch screen is easy to operate, accurate and responsive. Deleting photo(s)is easy: Just select delete selected, touch the pictures to delete, click OK, and a confirmation is asked.
Taking videos is easy with the EasyQ button. Camera shake is activated, white balance, color, shutter speed, etc. are set. All you have to do is adjust your zoom and push record. This is a easy way to have foolproof operation.
For more advanced users, turn off the EasyQ button and you can access the Menu. There are 10 iScene buttons for various situations: Auto, Night, Sports, Portrait, Spotlight, Beach/Snow, Manual. You can toggle Digital Zoom off (which I recommend since there is too much pixelation with digital zoom) but 10x zoom is standard for many cameras in this tier. Guide lines are available to frame your video in 3 modes: Off, Cross, Grid and Safety Zone. Super C.Nite (Normal,Super) has excellent low light sensitivity with good color saturation. Anti-shake is decent but not entirely effective (especially with highest zoom). Focus can be set by selecting Auto, Manual or Touch object (cool!). Manual shutter can be set from 1/10,000 to 1/30. Guidelines allow a 9 segment grid, 4 quadrant grid and central zone.
Resolution can be set at 2 levels of definition: Standard (480p/60p and Slow motion) and High definition (1080/30p and 1080/60i). The fader can be toggled. Backlight for subjects in front of intense light can also be adjusted.
One of my favorite features on this camera is the Digital Effect function where you can set Black and White, Sepia, Negative,Cosmetic, and Cinema Tone can be set for a more artsy touch without requiring post-processing.
Recommended battery charging time is 100 minutes.
INTERFACE:
The A/V cable or the multi AV cable can be used. But if you want 1080p, you need to use the multi AV cable or an (optional) HDMI cable. You can watch video clips or record while attached. The LCD flips out and inverts so you can have the camcorder shut with the LCD menu out to watch your videos. The remote control is a great feature of this camera.
Additionally, the docking station has ports for power, the USB cable, component, HDMI cable or Multi AV cable.
PHOTOGRAPHIC FEATURES:
This camera functions at 4 Megapixels which allows the user to print a 4x6 photograph or smaller. That is the only size I print (despite the fact that I have a 9.1 MP digital camera, also).
The pop-up flash works well and even in low light, I get a high quality photograph. In my personal experience, this functions like a 2nd or 3rd generation digital camera. Even with zoom, the picture clarity and color was quite accurate. This makes a very good companion for a traveler since it functions as a solid camera, in addition to a camcorder (well done, Samsung!).
VIDEO/SOUND QUALITY (settings in 1080p/60):
My house has low light and this camera handles that well at standard settings with accurate color saturation and image quality. The Super C.Nite activation (normal and super) even enhance low light conditions. Given this fact, this is great as both an indoor and outdoor camera. The caveat is if you are filming in low light with a bright back light (say from a lamp), the auto-focus is unable to function. At normal C.Nite, the auto-focus works better but the color saturation is slightly diminished.
This camera handles fast motion well (i.e. moving target, like my dog or my daughter).
1080p/30 is less responsive regarding faster motion in my informal test and color saturation is less in low light. So, I will keep it at 1080p/60. To be honest, I don't know what either does, but when I moved it to 1080/60, I had a better result. Standard definition is good but if I have an HD camcorder, I will use HD. I have the other camcorder for standard definition (SC-MX20).
PRACTICAL ISSUES:
This camera works well both indoors and outdoors. Capturing my memories in video and photographs will be facilitated easily and well with this combination unit.
To view HD on your television, although the multifunction AV cable works, I prefer HDMI inputs (since I have a free port in my Plasma):
You can only charge this camera by plugging in the unit. It would be more ideal if the battery can be charged, instead.
You will really need an additional memory card and a backup battery for this unit.
PROS:
Excellent video and photographic picture quality
Excellent sound
Simplicity in design and operation
Intuitive Touch Screen
Very good in low light situations
Easy to use menu system
Comes with an Infrared remote
Docking station has ports for outputs
Excellent software bundle for editing videos, authoring DVDs and watching videos
CONS
Average/Slightly below average Anti-shake capability
Software not compatible with Mac
Drawstring pouch necessitates a real camera case
VERDICT:
For the money and simplicity of this camera, this camcorder/camera combo is an excellent value.
For a casual user, Prosumer, beginner and even intermediate videographer would be happy with this camera. This makes a great travel camera and camera/camcorder for first time parents.
Given the utilization of flash memory, this camera is the finest of this new generation of cameras.
I highly recommend this item! Don't walk. Run to the store to get one this holiday season! You will not be disappointed.
EDIT (GOLF APPLICATION):
I decided to try to mount this unit on a tripod and see my golf swing. It is amazing how you see what you do during a golf swing versus what you think you are doing.
I just recorded my golf swing using the remote, instead of having to push a button and running back to the 'station'. The remote access works well from about 15 feet in daylight. There is an indicator sound that beeped to let me know that the video started and there is a red light that also confirms the recording. The camcorder was very responsive to pushing the record button when I terminated the video. That was impressive!
SPECIAL OFFER (I did not take advantage of this offer, personally):
This is a $54.95 value for the year.
You get a complementary unlimited membership from www.phanfare.com/samsung. This allows secure online file storage to share your photos and videos, slideshows, embed photos and videos on your blog, upload videos to Facebook
The offer expires: 5/31/2009.
Customer Rating:
Summary: good hd camcorder
Comment: --------------
General specs
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-flash-based design has 8GB of internal memory which allows ~71 minutes of recording time (but you can also use a SDHC memory card if you want)
-the camera uses MPEG-4(.mp4) which is MAC OSX friendly
- shoots in 4 resolutions : 1080p/30p , 1080i/60i, 480p/60p an 300fps SlowMotion
-10x optical zoom
Camcorder Sensor Resolution- 6.4 Megapixels
-Continuous still image capture during video recording: up to 5 pictures per second.
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Image Capture
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Image Format JPEG
Max Vertical Image Resolution -1728 pixels
Max Horizontal Image Resolution -3268 pixels
Built-in Auto Flash
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Battery Life- 1.5 hours from regular battery
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best thing is this camera is easy to use with macs
because the canon vixia hf100 was a little difficult to use with mac software
Customer Rating:
Summary: Best camcorder for impatient dads and nub owners / has simple menus but tons of features
Comment: This review is going to be a description of this camcorders ease of use and application of features and isn't meant to be comparison to other camcorders in the same price class. Contextual references to other camcorders and cameras may be included for basis of perspective.
+ The menu tree structure is flat, in other words the menus are laid by selecting a feature like "Enhancements" and underneath it are choices like "Color", "B&W", "Sepia" then apply the function and without more sub choices to memorize.
It has about 24 features with just a few choices under each. Other cameras have steeper menu trees forcing the owner to start with just four - six features, then memorize and drill down into more choices, sub choices of sub choices until you find the function you wanted or just compromise in frustration.
The fact the menus are laid out in this matter underscores the evolution of implementing customer feedback. This feature alone could be a decider for me.
+ It is ready to go right out of the box, the battery arrived with a 70% charge and it took only 30 minutes on the charger to fully charge, the grip thumb buttons almost make single handed use a reality.
+ The touch screen menus are created in a hierarchal outline of functions instead of the tree of features like those found Nikon SLR's. The Samsung has four menu items per page and six pages totaling 24 features with simple "Yes / NO" or "On / OFF" options. A Nikon and othe cameras have menus that require you to drill down to sub menus and sub sub menus and the Samsung avoids this frustration.
+ Crystal clear clarity even in low light conditions the Samsung performed admirably and in 1080 / 30p, or 1080/60i, or 480/60p.
+ Great battery life, we've been shooting video for intermittent periods for two days and the battery held up longer than we expected and took only an hour to fully recharge. The charging cable can be used in the cradle or mainlined to the camera, it doesn't seem we can use the camcorder in shooting mode while simultaneously charging the battery, but you battery recharges while the camcorder is off. THE ADAPTER CAN POWER THE CAMERA W/O AN INSERTED BATTERY and this may seem trite but it seems some camcorders won't power on a cable w/o an inserted battery just like most cell phones.
+ Anti shake and facial focus are better than others I've used, we shot almost perfect videos with these functions turned on, the facial focus feature even started locking onto the faces of our TV screen that was over 30 feet away and zoomed in.
+ Black & White and Sepia mode for video and still mode, the B&W and Sepia effects were just as nice as our Nikon D80 SLR which cost three times as much as this Samsung.
+ Worked with every SD card we tried, cards more than 5 years old worked perfectly along with our latest SDHC Transcend Transcend TS16GSDHC6 16GB SDHC card (SD 2.0 SPD Class 6) and SanDisk MicroSD SanDisk 8GB microSDHC Card CLASS 2 (SDSDQ-8192, Bulk Package) with adapters all worked seamlessly and hassle free.
+ Almost water resistant, all of the slots such as battery cover, external microphone, USB and AC adapter port are covered with easy to open but flush fitting port covers, the open and close with the same ease of the doors on a BMW sedan and would almost tempt you take it outside into the rain since all access covers close with a satisfying and tactile "click"
Nothing is absolutely perfect, and there some quirks you should consider especially if they are important parts of your selection criteria:
- Speed of focus when rapidly shifting to closer objects. This is most prominent if you're standing in the end zone of football or soccer field and tracking the ball as it is passed closer to you. The Samsung isn't the fastest when auto-focusing, but we noticed it seemed slower than acceptable when rapidly shifting to advancing objects. This shortcoming will be observed when filming oncoming soccer balls and approaching vehicles.
- The still camera is barely better than a cell phone camera, this really doesn't qualify as a criticism since you aren't considering this camcorder as a still camera, the quality of the image is substandard enough that it makes us wonder why even include it but since it doesn't add any extra weight to the camcorder then it doesn't really matter. If you are looking for a good camcorder / still camera combo then compare the Samsung to other makes and models before you commit.
- MP4 video format requires Apple Quicktime, the video files crashed Quicktime on two of our computers when played directly on our desktop. Apple owners can rejoice around this but we don't prefer Apple over Windows just because Mac and Apple isn't Windows doesn't make it a better choice.
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We skipped the users manual and had it up and running in less than three minutes and shooting satisfactory video, this is a fairly straightforward camcorder and its features didn't intimidate anyone in our house from the novice to super techs.
There are White Balance settings and manual shutter and aperture settings to create infinite combinations for those who want to tweak and tune.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Compact and Easy to Use HD Camcorder
Comment: I've been researching HD camcorders for sometime now and was thrilled to get this one. Of course with everything there is good and bad and I'll explain it all, there's a bit to cover.
First, the camera is heavier then it looks, which for me is ok because I know that its made with metal parts and not all plastic. Its very sleek looking and compact, smaller then I thought. Its a shiny metallic black which is also a fingerprint magnet.
The swivel handle grip is comfortable but I find that holding your hand with your fingers pointing down and using your thumb to control the buttons makes things more stable and comfortable in the long run. The buttons for the most part are placed well, the power button is a two hander but is out of the way so there is no accidental shut off.
The LCD screen...is a touch screen....WOW, its great, works very very well. Its very accurate and only needs a light touch. Yep another fingerprint magnet but its expected. All the settings and configurations are done thru the touch panel and are very easy to configure. Its got beeps and noises like the bridge of the Enterprise from Star Trek. The 2.7 inch display is super super sharp, I was very impressed with it. It also has a set of controls for W/T zoom and start/stop record which is great because you don't have to use your hand that is holding the camera steady, although there are the same controls for that hand too.
Its got loads of features the main one being its full 1080P HD (1920x1080) plus a standard mode and even a slow motion. It has a 4mp still camera (with flash), in a pinch its good, test photos looked sharp but your limited with settings so stick to your separate D.C. for stills. There's a photo shutter button for snapping photos. I did find that you can't have both at the same time, meaning either still camera or video, It would have been nice to take a still of what your videoing.
It comes with 8 GB of memory built in which is enough for around 70 minutes of full HD recording. You can expand it with a simple SD card (not included). The camcorder has an array of settings like Scene mode, white balance, exposure, anti-shake (i'll mention this later), digital effects, and manual settings for all the majors.
I did some test video both indoors and out and for the most part it was all pretty good. The colors were on the money and looked great. They were very accurate. Low light shots got a bit grainy but most camcorders have that issue. There's no infra red for night shots only a scene setting that helps a little. Daylight shots were vibrant and well detailed and well exposed using all the auto features.
The Anti-Shake feature is a joke...ahhh man, this is the big disappointment of the camera. Anti-shake has been around for so long and I had really hoped it would have been good on this camera but its not. The big reason I stick with still cameras is because of the shake. Most of my videos made me sick from the shake. Being the small size of the camera i think has to do with it but its really bad. The shake was bad zoomed out and horrible zoomed in.
It also comes with a docking station that has all the external ports like USB, HDMI and AC this way you can basically plug-and-play. It was very easy to connect to a TV. My test videos for the most part looked sharp with no noise/grain and true colors but I didn't get that HD wow. Maybe I'm expecting too much? I'll have to test it some more but honestly I didn't see that HD WOW. The quality in general was way better then my Canon DV camcorder which is a few years old now but I guess I expected HD like the Discovery Channel.
Is it worth $600 bucks...mmmm not really, $400 yes, the video is good but just not great. Again, this is only after a days messing around and in the Fall season so most of anything nice isn't around to further test. I'll bring it around over the Holidays and update this review.
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