I was contemplating between HD camcorders, iPod Touch 4th Gen, Digital Cameras with video recording and this and am happy I chose the Samsung HMX-E10 to complement my Canon Digital Rebel XTi and SX210 digital cameras for great 1080p image stabilized video with easy to use UI and good design on the USB and mini-HDMI-ports.
Video quality is great but not flawless as there's a tiny lag on videos with fast full frame movement but it's not as bad as with the Flip cams. The touch screen is great but isn't sensitive enough for my quick button presses - this is really evident on using the start/stop button for the video which require around 800ms button press.
The screen doesn't seem to scratch easy - I've had it in my pocket with keys and coins for days now and can't see a single scratch. The swivel lens is a good idea but doesn't get used that often - probably ideal for blogging type videos.
Overall - very happy with the results. Have been using this to capture every move of our baby and share the videos via Picasaweb to grandparents overseas. The included intelli-studio sync software doesn't support Picasa out of the box but can be customized and has support for Flickr, facebook and Youtube uploads.
Very happy with the product - hopefully Samsung will refine the touch screen software for faster response. Very competitive and aggressively priced pocket camcorder. Samsung HMX-E10 1080P Pocket Camcorder with 270-Degree Swivel Lens (Black)
I've tried several pocket HD camcorders over the past year or so: Creative Vado (3rd Gen), Kodak Zi8 and the Panasonic TA-1. I recently got my hands on the Samsung HMX E-10, however, and I think I've found a keeper. I'll just get right to the point and break down what I think about it:
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The Good:
** Solid low-light performance: I'm no video expert, so I can't give you a bunch of jargon. All I can say is that, with my other pocket cameras, I could barely make out some of the stuff that I recorded at night. With this one, however, everything's pretty clear. Ironically, the TA-1 has an actual light on it, but in my opinion, the E-10 blew it out of the water in a side-by-side test I did. That said, don't sleep on this little guy.
** It's gorgeous: I typically don't care much about looks, but this camera is pretty sexy (even better in person). It looks more like the latest smartphone than a video camera. I think kids especially will love the design of this camera.
** Fairly noise-free audio: Not an audio expert either when it comes to these things, but I haven't heard anything funky yet (unlike my Vado). Indoors, it sounds good. Outdoors, it picked up quite a bit of wind noise during my test; but it was a pretty windy day, so I won't be too harsh.
** Good image stabilization: This was huge for me. My Zi8 makes me look like I have a nervous condition. The E-10 is pretty stable though. It's not perfect, but this is a camera that I'd feel fairly confident shooting with while I'm walking.
** Swivel lens: This really won me over. I was "meh" about it when I purchased the camera, but you can do some pretty neat stuff with it. More than anything, I like that I can swivel it around and shoot video of myself while still looking at the screen.
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The Bad:
** Awful Zoom: The zoom feature on this camera is nothing short of pathetic, by any standard. It's only 1x, and to make matters worse, it's slow and jumpy. This definitely isn't the camera you'd want to zoom on-the-fly with (not that you'd be able to see much extra anyway, given the crappy 1x capability).
** No Mic Jack: This is the feature I miss most from my Zi8. Obviously, it wasn't a deal-breaker, but flexibility is always nice
** No port for an AC adapter: I wish I could plug the camera into the wall while I'm recording on a tripod, but no luck w/ this camera. Also, if you want to charge your battery, be prepared to have your camera dangling from the side of your PC. If you're like me, you might want to invest in a female-to-male USB cable and a USB wall adapter.
** Touch Screen: Call me old-fashioned, but I like buttons. I realize that this is probably an attractive feature to a lot of people, though. That said, you'll be happy to know that it works pretty well. It's not as responsive as, say, an iPhone, but it'll definitely get the job done. Also, since there are no buttons, you can play back your videos and pictures on the nice big screen, so I guess that's a plus.
** Uses MicroSD cards: I just don't like em. Also, Amazon is suggesting full-sized SD cards to go with this camera as I write this. Don't buy one!!
** Doesn't come with an HDMI cable: If you wanna hook your camera up directly to the TV, get ready to spend more money.
** No Webcam feature: Unless I'm missing something, forget about using this camera with Skype and whatnot.
(Most of this stuff, I'd consider minor drawbacks though)
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Extras that I don't really care about, but don't mind having:
** Stills: Take up to 8MP photos. It won't exactly outwork my digital camera, but I'll definitely get some use out of it. You can also snap pics in the middle of a video.
** Panorama mode: This feature is awesome. Just hold down the shutter, turn your body and you can get some beautiful wide stills.
Overall: a pretty solid device. I'd recommend it. This is easily my new favorite pocket camera. - Flip Video - Pocket Camera - Hd Camcorder - Samsung'
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