Samsung SC-HMX20C Camcorder

The Samsung SC-HMX20C is one of the very few solid state camcorders capable of recording full 1080 progressive video directly into flash memory. It comes with a decent 8GB of built-in memory and an SD/SDHC memory slot. I was able to use a 16GB SDHC card (class 6) with no problems. It is about the size and shape of a standard soft drink can, and weighs a little over 1 lb ready to shoot. The handle on the side is articulated and flips down, which makes it extremely convenient to hold at various heights, such as waist-level for better point-of-view when fiming children. The controls are simple and clearly laid out. The most common controls (movie/still/playback, zoom, power, record) are immediately accessible and conveniently located. A few other simple hard buttons can be found once you open up the flip viewfinder, as well as a USB and AV/HD connector behind a little sliding door. Most of the controls and settings are accessible via the touch screen menu, which is a mixed blessi... Read more

Like other reviewers have mentioned, this Samsung SC-HMX20C camcorder is absolutely excellent for those using Mac OS X, as it uses .mp4 files which are natively played by OS X with no plugins needed. You can even use the Quicklook function of OS X Leopard to play the files with the space bar. I'll add some pros/cons to this model so those camcorder hunting get some more info! Pros: + Quite a small device + Quality is PRETTY good for 1080p + Also does standard definition video + Menus are VERY easy to navigate. Most people will NOT need to consult the manual + Files are easily found on internal storage/memory card and aren't proprietary, so very easy to get them off onto your computer. + Nice little carry pouch included + Battery and memory card easy to access + External microphone jack (a must for anyone making "movies") + Easy interface for playing back the movies on the camera itself + You can turn off the blinking "Recording" light so people won't feel as self-cons... Read more

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 stabilizat... Read more