Consumer Reviews

Samsung has a great line of camcorders, this one included. I love the compact easy to use design. Its metallic blue which is very cool looking. It has a 2.7 inch screen with menu, record and zoom buttons right on the swivel screen as well as on the top of the camera for additional access.

The lens is very sharp on this camcorder and the zoom is amazing at 42x although I recommend a tripod for the best stabilization. The camcorder has improved its image stabilization which is good compared to previous models. There is also face detection which will help with focusing (up to 5 faces). The battery life claims to be 3 hours but I have not used it enough to test that out. Most likely its true as I have a previous model and the battery life was great. Noise reduction to help eliminate grain, helps a bit but not overly great. Low light still is just ok. I don’t know too many camcorders at this price level that do better.

There are different settings depending on what you will do with the video, example: if its for YouTube the camera has settings to compress and size the video for web. It also has normal and superfine resolution for dvd quality and tv viewing movies. One of the best features is that it has 16 gig memory built in. The previous model did NOT which was a bummer as you had to buy a memory card. I’m glad they added the internal memory! The only draw back is that if something happens to the camera, you might not be able to get your video out of it if there is a problem so using a memory card might still be safest.

The only complaint I have is that there is no auto open/close of the lens cover. Many other cams have this feature which is great because there are so many spontaneous moments and you have to fiddle with a lens or forget to open it and you miss the moment. Samsung needs to change this to auto open/close!!!

Its light enough for a pocket and for women to carry in their pocket books. Another little complaint is that there is no case or draw string pouch for added protection. You’ll want to get one of these as the camera scratches a bit, no not real easy but it does. It comes with an USB, RCA cables for connecting and the software disc. It also has a camera built in, not sure what the mega pixels are as I couldn’t find a mention of that but its probably like 2 or 3 at the most. Photos looked cell phone like, but in a pinch its nice to have.

This is a great first digital flash memory camcorder for the average user and will do a lot more then most people will need but its nice to know it can. Its budget friendly, lightweight and compact. Quality is good but in bright light and gets grainy in poor low light. Its DVD quality video not HD but does a decent job for the price.

SUMMARY: True one handed operation and superbly comfortable for hands of all sizes

-Take still shots simultaneously while shooting video
-Simple three mode operation minimizes menu hell
-Instant photo / record from Review mode ensures you can exit playback and resume shooting
-Better than average indoor and low light abilities w/o a flash, outperforms $1,000+ Canon’s and Sony’s for indoor clarity.

This is comparable to an entry level BMW with a cloth interior, it includes all of the genetic handling but lacks the luxury features in the more expensive models.

Those features along with some unexpected features makes it a decent choice in the sub $500 market, but the lack of a flash makes it illsuited for low light and some indoor scenarios.

This is a surprisingly featured camcorder with most of the intrinsic Samsung characteristics and the 16GB flash is twice the size of the more expensive 8GB Samsung SC-HMX20C 8GB High Definition Camcorder with 10x Optical Zoomthat sold last year for $1,000 and still commands $400+ despite no longer manufactured. Like most Vine recipients of the HMX20, I was recently offered the Samsung HMX-H104 HD SSD Flash Memory Camcorder w/16GB memory &10x Optical Zoom and with three Samsung’s it becomes obvious the quality features are genetic across the entire line.

(more…)

The similarities: both are small, slightly larger than pocket sized, and both have a manual lens cover.

My unit’s lens cover had a hard time closing. This was at any angle and appears to be a persistent problem. I did not experience this with the MX20. This may be a new issue Samsung needs to address. Both units have good quality Schneider lenses with multiple coatings. It would be a bummer to have the lens get damaged because of a faulty cover.

Both units have swivel handles on the right side and have standard camera mounts. The difference between the 34x zoom of the SC-MX20, and the 42x of the SMX-F34 is negligible. Anti-shake helps the zoom focus better at longer ranges. The difference between the ranges just isn’t that impressive.

The boost in the SMX-F34’s internal memory eliminates the need for a memory card (I currently do not have one installed). A memory card makes transfers to external devices a snap, but isn’t necessary. Given the battery life, 16gb is more than enough even at higher resolutions.

The SMX-F34 has a `still images’ mode. Another addition is ‘time lapse’ which is the one I really wanted to try. This turned out to be something of a bummer.

When the camera is in use and plugged in – it does not charge. The time-lapse video I made lasted 7 minutes 39 seconds. I started it Tuesday morning and stopped it Wednesday night. When I unplugged the camera, it gave me a low battery warning and shut down. I checked the connection then tried making another time-lapse that lasted 24 hours. No, it didn’t work.

The 3 hour battery charge isn’t nearly enough to keep an overnight time lapse going. This was disappointing. I thought it might be possible to use the SMX-F34 as a short term surveillance camera. This is just not possible given the short battery life.

Still, given that the prices are similar, the SMX-F34 is the better buy due to the increased internal memory. Watch out for that faulty lens cover. This problem may not have been specific to my unit.

A further note:
I would encourage you to NOT skimp when choosing a tripod! At the higher magnification a tripod becomes necessary. Pick a good one. The one I used I purchased because it was light and cheap. It was supposed to be used to hold a pair of binoculars (10x), at 34x or 42x ev. It ended up slipping.

The Samsung SMX-F34 is a ridiculously easy video camera to use in a beautiful vibrant blue and compact size perfect for tossing in a bag and going. It can do still pictures, but not as well as a camera, so I’m just going to leave it at that.

~Pros~
1. Size – smaller than a DV camera but larger than a Flip (I posted pictures above)
2. Intuitive Controls – Easy to operate – my 5 year old figured it out just fine
3. On board memory – 16 GB is plenty for something like 7 hours of video – plenty for a vacation
4. SD expansion slot – nice option, not sure how necessary, but happy not to have to lug around extra tapes
5. Quiet zoom – this is a pet peeve of mine
6. No problems with recognition on the Mac by iPhoto or iMovie, no extra software needed
7. Video and sound quality excellent at this price point
8. Time lapse video – my kids have some science experiments planned for this. I am not sure what I would do with it otherwise, but still – it is unexpected

~Cons~
1.Blurring – Zooming causes several seconds of blurring as camera tries to be intuitive – using face recognition does not fully help, this seemed to be a bigger problem in low light with a lot of clutter in the backdrop – I am taking off a star for this because in 2009 this should be better
2. Slow transfer time, large file sizes – the files from this camera were pretty long to load, there doesn’t seem to be a mass transport option/drive use like there is on the flip – this is where the SD cards would be very beneficial

Bottom line: This low cost camcorder has a lot of features in a small package. Sure you can do better if you want to pay more and lug around something 3 times the size. However, it would be perfect for average home video use. It will not replace your digital camera, nor should it. However, for video – it’s great.

Outfitted with an old and trusted name in optics (Schneider of Kreuznach, Germany), Samsung goes the distance in the next generation of power zoom camcorder technology. The SMX-F34 brings it on with built in memory, a 42x power zoom, 2.7″ LCD screen, H.264 file compression, and still photo technology. This camcorder operates with PCs powered by Windows Vista and XP only.

One of the few serious players in camcorder circles, Samsung’s all new Intelli-Zoom takes users beyond the camcorder’s 34x optical zoom without the usual sacrifice in image quality. Packed with a 680K pixel CCD sensor, this system will deliver a clean resolution of 720×480. The SMX-F34 features a memory card slot for both SD & SDHC. This system is also packed with 16GB of internal flash memory.

The new image processor brings it on with higher quality video, 3-D Noise Reduction, and Face Detection for up to five subjects. One of the sweetest features of the SMX-F34 is the dedicated Photo Mode that allows owners to operate the camcorder as a digital camera. Images are captured in 800×600 resolution. Outdoors and in well lit areas, the end product was outstanding. Obviously missing is onboard flash/lighting. With that said and like all similar cameras,this unit does have its limitations indoors. However, this system can be tweaked to deliver some outstanding indoor images. A viable light source and a good tripod will make all the difference.

Controls are similar to the earlier model. USB,A/V, & power ports can be found under the flip cover located on the back of the camera. Battery compartment and SD/SDHC card slot are located on the bottom of the camera. Shooting mode & zoom control is located on top of the SMX-F34. Power and record buttons are located on the back of the unit. The microphone is located on the front and the speaker can be found on the left side of the camera.

With H.264 compression, users can record up to eight hours of standard definition video directly to the camcorder’s internal flash memory without having to rely on a SD/SDHC card. With the new onboard image processor, I noticed that power consumption is relatively lower then other systems that I have operated. On more then one occasion and on a single charge, I was able to record non stop video for over three hours. This great feature alone can be a life saver for those special occasions.

The SMX-F34 also allows added flexibility when it comes to zoom. A major improvement over earlier models is the Advanced Image Stabilization. With the help of a tripod even new camcorder owners can capture clear, stunning and colorful movies or photographs.

The Samsung SMX-F34 is packaged with an AC adapter/charger, hand grip strap, A/V cable, USB cable, 7.4V lithium ion battery, instruction CD and handy pocket guide. This unit is covered with a 12 months parts/3 months labor warranty, Toll Free phone support, and a detailed, consumer friendly website.

Without question, budget conscious video enthusiasts and YouTubers will enjoy all the bells and whistles of this outstanding camcorder. Once again, Samsung has stepped up to the plate and delivered. We have a winner.