Samsung HMX-U10 Pocket Camcorder Review – Page 3

Examining the Video Quality

So, if the ability to take still photos is meant to be a secondary feature, surely the primary function of the HMX-U10 will be better, right?

Unfortunately, I wasn’t exactly pleased with how the Samsung U10 did with high-definition video either. I brought the pocket camcorder with me as I made my way around CES 2010, expecting it to be no worse than a Flip UltraHD. This wasn’t really the case.

Here is a video I took of the LG GW900 smartphone with Frank Lee of LG Canada.

You can see that the lens here is far too long, making it hard for me to have anything but Frank filling nearly the entire frame. The harsh red glow isn’t exactly nice either.

During my appointment with CoolerMaster, I shot the video with the U10 as well.

When we get to the portion with the new cases, you can see that the video becomes overexposed by the incoming daylight next to the hotel window.

Closing Thoughts

Samsung HMX-U10 Pocket Camcorder Review

I went into the Samsung HMX-U10 pocket camcorder with the highest of hopes. I really liked the ability to have removable memory, as well as the ability to take still photographs above and beyond the ability to shoot 1080i video. These features would have put the HMX-U10 above the niche carved out by Flip Video.

On paper, the HMX-U10 totally looked like a winner and we were really hoping that it would be a “Flip Killer”. In practice, it failed to live up to these expectations. Both the picture and video quality were not up to par with many of its competitors, giving us over-saturated video and blurry photos. In effect, it didn’t really do anything well.

To add to the frustration, the placement of the video button is awkward and the touch-sensitive controls are not back-lit, making operation under low-light conditions much tougher than it should be. The concept is good, but the execution just isn’t there. We expect better from Samsung.

For now, I simply cannot recommend this product, especially at its price point of $199US where much of the competition lie. Not to mention, there is no memory included, adding to the cost of the device.

Pros