Anything we haven't seen before?
With all of the celebrity deaths and Northeast monsoons, it's difficult for us to even know what season it is, but Samsung has rolled out three new camcorders to kick off the Summer. That's right, this is the time of year manufacturers start sneaking new models into the fray, and what are we seeing from Samsung? Well, it appears as though Samsung has finally revealed their take on the ultra-portable Flip MinoHD and announced two standard-definition camcorders that are dead ringers for a few generations of Sony models we've seen throughout the past couple years.
The Samsung HMX-U10 is Samsung's answer to the Sony MHS-PM1 Webbie HD cam while the Samsung SMX-K45 and Samsung SMX-K40 are, well, clones of the Sony HDR-CX12, just without the HD capability. Well, not the Full HD capability because both new Samsung models can upconvert to HD, but we'll get to that in a minute. So, Samsung is just dipping their toes in a giant market pioneered by Flip and stealing the blueprint thunder from Sony? Read on and we'll tell you what sets Samsung's new models apart.
Worth Flipping over?
We'll start with the Samsung HMX-U10 because ultra-portable is all the rage, especially when it's HD. This frightens us. Anyone can make an HD camcorder, and there are oodles of bogus HD models out there just peering at unsuspecting consumers from the fluorescent confines of a grey market electronics store display case. We know that Samsung can produce the imaging goods, so we're hoping that the camcorder's 1/2.3-inch CMOS will get the job done. The pocket-sized Samsung HMX-U10 also flaunts the ability to capture 10-megapixel stills and features a two-inch LCD. We get 1920 x 1080 Full HD recording in the H.264 format, so files will play nicely with a computer.
But the Samsung HMX-U10 also offers a YouTube upload mode, and frankly, no ultra compact camcorder would want to be seen without a YouTube mode these days. Unfortunately, the lens has a fixed focus, so it looks like extreme close-ups and views from an airplane will not suffice. We're digging the seven-degree angled grip, and the control panel looks promising.
We'll get separate Video and Photo buttons and it looks like the Samsung HMX-U10 will have a more advanced menu system than its competitors. There's no word on the optical zoom, but we're thinking there might be a reason Samsung didn't even bother to mention it.
The Samsung HMX-U10 will be juiced by a Lithium Ion battery, rechargeable via USB or AC adapter. SDHC cards will supply the memory, and the Samsung HMX-U10 is expected to ship in September for $200.
Now what's all this upconversion hullabaloo?
The Samsung SMX-K45 (gallery) and Samsung SMX-K40 (gallery) record 720 x 480 standard-definition video that can be played back on an HDTV in "near Full HD" quality, whatever that means. Basically, Samsung slapped an HDMI terminal on each model and granted them the ability to stream their standard-definition video clips to the big screen, so we're pretty sure we'll see some kind of quality leap.
However, we will remain skeptical until Samsung sends us our HMX-K45 or HMX-K40 review units. Both models will feature 52x optical zooms with Intelli-Zoom technology that enables the camcorders to reach a 65x magnification without plunging into the horrors of a digital zoom. We're almost certain the Samsung SMX-K45 and Samsung SMX-K40 will sacrifice pixels around the recorded frame in order to pull off the extra distance, much like Canon's Advanced Zoom.
Both models will receive Samsung's latest Optical Image Stabilizer and Schneider KREUZNACH lenses. Like the newly announced Samsung HMX-C14, the Samsung SMX-K45 and Samsung SMX-K40 will feature built-in intelli-studio software that allows shooters to connect to a computer to play and edit their video without having to install software externally. We also get the nifty animated thumbnail feature that cycles a series of thumbnails that correspond to a particular video clip in order for shooters to get a sneak preview before wasting their time on 30 minutes of an accidental recording of a pocket. Like the Samsung HMX-U10, the Samsung SMX-K45 and Samsung SMX-K40 will feature Samsung's versatile battery charging system.
Both models will have 2.7-inch LCDs and time-lapse recording capability, though the Samsung SMX-K45 boasts a 32GB SSD and SDHC card recording while the Samsung SMX-K40 records solely to SDHC cards. The Samsung SMX-K45 and Samsung SMX-K40 are set to ship in August for $500 and $330, respectively.
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