Samsung SC-MX20 – inexpensive but mediocre quality
Sum and Substance:
Thumbs Up:
Nice manual feature set, comfortable design.
Thumbs Down:
No optical image stabilization for the zoom lens, awkard interface, zoom rocker is hard to control, video quality is mediocre
The Whiz Kid Speaks:
Samsung SC-MX20 has a 1/6” optical sensor size, videos are stored in H.264 format, minimum shutter speed is 1/60 second, maximum shutter speed is 1/10000 second, images are stored in JPEG format, supported flash memory is SD Memory Card, MultiMedia Card. The camcorder has Zoom lens – 2.3 mm – 78.2 mm – F/1.6-4.3, with 2.3 mm – 78.2 mm focal length, lens aperture is F/1.6-4.3, optical zoom is 34x, minimum focal length is 2.3 mm, lens manufacturer is Schneider-Kreuznach, maximum focal length is 78.2 mm
Additional features include Digital noise reduction, USB 2.0 compatibility, YouTube capture mode, Face detection. Bundled software includes utilities & drivers and Cyberlink Medi@Show. The display of the device is 2.7 inches big, connectors on the SC-MX20 include DC power input, Composite video/audio output, USB. Supported operating systems are MS Windows XP SP2, MS Windows Vista. Included cables are USB cord and A/V cable.
Razzle Dazzle:
The SC-MX20 is available in silver with options of blue accents, red accents, black accents or all white. Camcorders are not as easily to carry as a mobile phone or a digi-cam. However, this unit is compact and hence can easily fit in your jacket pocket with its tubular shape. It has rubberized grip for your fingers which feels comfortable for holding in hand.
Inside Dope:
This device costs $200 and has a nice set of manual features, SD-card based recording, long zoom lens and a traditional design. The feature set is good however when it comes to quality and performance, the SC-MX20 is no match for its competitors.
On the top of the camcorder there is a zoom rocker with a toggle button for still/movie mode. There is also a plastic cover which reveals power jack, USB connector and AV out connector underneath it. Just like a camera, the SD card slot and battery is located on the bottom which makes it difficult to swap the peripherals if you are using a tripod. On the body, there are three buttons which can be accessed when you open the LCD – Easy Q, screen brightness and info/battery check. There is also a speaker in there. The lens is covered by a manual cover.
It feels easy to use with minimal buttons but there is an irritating delay when you start/stop recording. In our tests, we thought our press wasn’t registered and we pressed it time and again. Later on we were treated to a lagging series of starts and stops. The zoom switch is very sensitive and it is difficult to get a zoom speed which is evenly paced. The navigation button is a flat and we pressed frequently ended up pressing the enter/OK button when going for the right arrow key.
The camcorder has a 2.7 inch LCD which is useable but pretty coarse. The buttons on the bezel include a four way navigation button with OK button in the center, and the secondary record and menu button. You can select the shutter speed but can’t go below 1/60 second. You also get control over manual focus and exposure compensation. In the menu, you get a night mode which will slow the shutter to 1/15 or 1/30 second, intervalometer (through 30 second increments till the memory card is full), backlight compensation, wind filter, resolution options (Mobile, Web, TV Normal, TV Fine, and TV Super Fine), 16:9 wide recording, digital effects, electronic image stabilization, white balance, and standard scene presets.
Your eyeballs may pop out of the sockets when you see the 34x zoom lens label on the MX20. However, it pairs an extremely long zoom with electronic image stabilization and not optical image stabilization. All the EIS can do is minimize the shake, the performance still remains bad. The focus is really slow and it pulses in dim light conditions. Video quality is mediocre and soft even by standards of YouTube. This is probably due to the low resolution 680,000 pixel sensor.
Nitty Gritty:
There is not much to look in the Samsung SC-MX20. We would recommend you this only if you are looking for a cheap camcorder having long zoom lens. But if you want better quality, you are better off with Canon FS100 by spending $50 more. If zoom isn’t important for you, we would recommend sacrificing this camcorder altogether and buying a mini- camcorder.
