Customer Reviews

Samsung HMX-H104 HD SSD Flash Memory Camcorder with 16 GB Memory and 10x Optical Zoom

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(16)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I now consider myself a collector of camcorders. Still, I demand excellent quality with point and shoot simplicity. My camcorder of choice up until now has been the Samsung SC HMX-20C for its brilliant video quality and amazing still photos, and the ability to take great photos while filming. I saw the HMX-H104 and thought it looks very similar. How is it different?

FIRST IMPRESSIONS

Out of the box, the HMX-H104 is sleek and stylish with the trademark bullet shape of the Samsung camcorders. It's smaller and weighs less than its cousin, the SC HMX-20C. The first thing I notice is the case, which has a rubbery grip. I like the feel, I can get a good grip and it feels sturdy in my hands. The little door on the rear leading to all the ports feels like flimsy plastic, but even that is attractive to the eye.

The lens cover closes automatically. I touch it and it feels paper thin, opens easily when I push it. It will keep the dust out. I wonder if it will take a knocking, but I hesitate to challenge it. The SC HMX-20C's lens is also automatic and opens when I push it, but it feels a little sturdier. At least I won't have to remember to put the lens cap back on.

The record button is awkwardly placed. This is true of all the bullet-shaped Samsungs that I own (I have three). It is to the far right of the rear of the camcorder. That makes it difficult to grip the camcorder with the thumb while activating the record button. I'd prefer it more to the left, or better yet on the top of the camcorder. The swivel grip does help with the handling, but it is nowhere as comfortable to hold as a Sanyo Xacti, for instance.

Both camcorders have flash memory onboard or I can choose to use a memory card (both are compatible with SDHC and SC HMX-20C can use MMCPlus). HMX-H104 has double the capacity of its cousin: 16 GB versus 8 GB.

Both camcorders lack a full manual. It is included on a disc, which means I will never read it.

VIDEO

Flip the screen open on the HMX-H104 and it's on, unlike the SC HMX-20C where I need to press the power button. HMX-H104 responds lightening fast. Turning on from sleep mode is even faster.

Both camcorders sport anti-shake technology; but that technology still needs further development, since I have yet to find a camcorder where the image doesn't shake when handheld, especially when the image is zoomed. Tip: use a tripod when possible.

Video quality of both camcorders in broad daylight is comparable. They are both excellent. In lowlight conditions, I prefer the SC HMX-20C (less video noise), but the HMX-H104 is not far behind.

HMX-H104 has wide screen format, great for viewing on my wide screen TV.

PHOTO

Nothing beats SC HMX-20C, which has the best camera in a camcorder I've ever seen. HMX-H104 sometimes give me blurry photos -- very blurry, to the point that I couldn`t even recognize the object or subject in the photo. Okay, I think I didn't press the button just right. But I am using the automatic function and just pressing the photo button every time, not doing anything different and it's great, sometimes better than SC HMX-20C . . . and then it's not. I never know when it will be blurry. Most of the time, the photos look wonderful; but it's not nearly so hard with SC HMX-20C, where I've never had a blurry photo, ever.

Also, I find photos of my son under incandescent light looks better with the SC HMX-20C. It automatically adjusts color and white balance better so that his skin tone looks more natural.

The HMX-H104 has a flash, but it is not as hefty as the pop-up flash of the SC HMX-20C.

When taking photos while filming, I feel there is more of a lag time with HMX-H104. It's not as bad as some others, but SC HMX-20C is better, if only by a split second. That does make a difference when taking photos. When I press that button, that's the photo I want, not a second later.

INTELLI-STUDIO

This is a new one for me. Connect the camcorder to the computer via USB cable and video editing software automatically runs. No need to install software from a disc. Move the video to a folder, edit it right there, make your movie.

Personally, I will not use this feature much. The video editing is basic and will involve a lot of work, unless all I want to do is trim a little and add a title. I like video editing software that includes a wizard -- plug my video in and churn out a movie I can fine-tune to my liking.

SC HMX-20C does not have Intelli-Studio. In fact, I do not own any other camcorder which has this feature. Interesting, but not necessary in my book.

Where HMX-H104 is superior to SC HMX-20C:
* it is smaller: 4 ¾" versus 5"
* it weighs less: 13.7 ounces versus 17.5 ounces (with batteries included)
* it has a rubbery grip making it attractive with a no-slip comfortable to hold, although the matte finish of the SC HMX-20C is also attractive
* it turns on the minute the screen is flipped open versus needing to press the power button
* it has a sleep mode
* it has more internal memory: 16 GB versus 8 GB
* it has a faster boot up and access time
* it has built-in video editing software -- installs automatically to the computer when I plug in my camcorder
* it automatically turns off when its been on too long
* it records in wide screen format


Where they both excel:
* they have touch screen controls
* nice sleek designs
* they record in full HD
* they have 10X optical zoom
* the grips swivel to adjust for comfort
* automatic lens cap, though they push open easily and the HMX-H104's lens cover is paper thin
* both come with remotes.

Where they both need improvement:
* the record buttons are awkwardly placed
* manuals are on a disc, thought the quick start guide of the SC HMX-20C is more thorough.

Where HMX-H104 is inferior:
* photos while not filming can be completely out of focus and blurry on occasion
* photos while filming have slightly more lag time
* videos are not as good under lowlight conditions
* SC HMX-20C has a heftier pop-up flash
* SC HMX-20C comes with a nice, soft pouch. HMX-H104 does not come with anything to hold it in.

SUMMARY

If you want a camcorder that's a brilliant camera with great video quality, get the SC HMX-20C. It doesn't get better than that.

If you want a slightly smaller camcorder with good video quality, large internal storage capacity, fast start-up, wide screen capability, an automatic camera function that is very good but occasionally acts up, go for HMX-H104. You won't be disappointed.

The HMX-H104 is literally like a younger brother to the previous SC-HMX20C model in every way.

This is supposed to be a newer model, hence "younger", and the size is noticeably smaller and lighter than its counterpart. The younger brother has some new features of its own to exceed its older one, but there are some strengths that did not carry over to the new one.

Strengths/weaknesses of HMX-H104 (the new, younger brother):
----------------------
+ FOCUSING is definitely an improvement; easily noticeably better/faster. (Scneider lens if that means anything to you.)
+ OPTICAL Image Stabilizer -- again, another MAJOR improvement (it really works well. There is also a large button on the side to turn it on/off.)
+ Wide Angle Lens (the camera will actually always start up zoomed-in a bit)
+ Time Lapse @ 720@60p (I have no idea why they didn't have this on the other one. It's a great feature. However, they took away the 'Slow-Mo' feature.)
+ They got rid of the pre-set manual focus distances, which is nice, but now there's no indication at all (a simple bar display like you see when you zoom would have been fine!) and you have to "blindly eyeball" everything yourself. Not to mention, I would prefer a physical wheel or ring to control the focus than pressing arrows on the touch screen (ugh).
+ Touch Point Focus (it's much better than how it was on the previous one! Before, it relied on having to touch inside the frame grid only, but now you can select anywhere on the screen without the annoying frame and it will tell you the target of what you pointed at. It now also actually locks the focus to whatever you pointed at; before it would start re-auto focusing on its own when you panned the camera. The Touch Point feature on this one makes the older one seem more like a BETA-version! What I still find annoying and odd now, though, is that when you select it, it still stays on the Focus Menu! Also, they STILL won't allow you to actually touch focus WHILE recording [waste of potential on the feature!]; it's only for setting up the shot)
+ Swivel Grip uses a nice rubber material now and has a greater rotation.
+ Turns on automatically when you open the LCD (there is also an off switch inside the camera, however)
+ Quick View mode (after you stop recording, it'll give you a quick 'play' button, which will playback immediately and also allow quick deleting)
+ They added a Food(more vivid colors), Indoor, Candle Light modes (old model had: Auto, Night, Sports, Portrait, Spotlight, Beach/Snow mode)
+ More internal memory (HMX-H104 [16 GB model] / HMX-H105 [32 GB model] / HMX-H106 [64 GB model] -- older brother had 8 GB internal memory)
+ Takes 37mm filter rings/lens (older brother uses 49mm)
----------------------
- It does NOT do 1080p or 30FPS! The Samsung website is misleading yet again. (Supported video resolutions: 1080 @ 60i, 720 @ 60p, 480 @ 60p -- The older brother supports: 1080 @ 30p, 1080 @ 60i, 480 @ 60p, Slow Motion)
- Not as great in low lighting (Uses 1/4.5" [2.2 Megapixels] CMOS sensor] -- no C.Nite mode like in the older brother)
- The point of a manual exposure should be that it locks at the same exposure, but the "Exposure Value" feature on this camera isn't really a manual exposure, like found on the older brother.
- LCD screen has like a protective plastic now (kind of like what you see on the Nintendo DS) that it actually takes more pressure to respond.

----------------------
Strenghts/weaknesses of SC-HMX20C (older brother):
----------------------
+ 3.5mm External mic input (What a major shame that they took this away in the newer model)
+ Low Light performance easily beats it (1/1.8" [6.4 Megapixels] CMOS sensor; even has a "Super C.Nite" mode feature allowing even very low light to come out decent.
+ Slow Motion (High FPS, but the video resolution is only 448x336)
+ Overall package was just better (came with a dock for quick charging and hooking up to the TV) and had an overall better build quality, despite being larger -- really solid feel.
+ Charging can be done with the dock or directly to the camera (I would prefer just having a separate battery charger, though)
+ LCD screen looks much sharper and more responsive
+ Can fast forward videos up to 32x. (The younger brother only does it up to 8x -- what happened?)
+ Pop-up flash.
----------------------
- Focusing is slow
- Pre-set Manual focus distances
- Could not manual focus closer than 10cm. (a bug, which they never fixed)
- Touch Focus (again, it's much better on the newer model and a major shame that it does not let you actually touch focus once you hit record)
- ELECTRONIC Image Stabilizer (Absolutely horrible on this one, since it uses stabilization digitally. It didn't help with the shaking at all and was REALLY worthless)
- No 720p.

----------------------
OTHER THOUGHTS:
+ Despite having an auto-shut off when you close the LCD, it will continue to record even if you close the LCD while it's still recording.
+ I like that the battery and SD card is located on the bottom, and all the AV/USB/Charge inputs are all located in the same area on the back without having to keep the LCD flap open like before.
+ I've become a fan of the Swivel grip. It's really nice to have. When I'm using other cameras, it feels awkward without it.
+ Macro focus is really great on both of them, but it's even better now on the HMX-H104 because of the faster focusing.
+ Both picks up sound really well in surround sound. (hence there are two mics on each side)
----------------------
- Both cameras are missing an AUTO FOCUS LOCK or EXPOSURE LOCK! (I would love it if they added a quick button to do this)
- NOT impressed at all with their customer service, especially their email support is non-existent. It's quite bad. In my book, they are one of the worst. Their website is also misleading and needs to be updated. I've called them several times regarding an issue with the older model (SC-HMX20C) and requesting a new firmware (there's a major flaw with the macro manual focus being restricted), but instead get the runaround and they never call back. Why have a firmware upgrade feature when they're not going to release any updates? They have trouble even updating their own website...

* Battery life is not so impressive (the 60FPS recording definitely uses it up a lot), and it would have been nicer if it displays the time remaining battery than just a generic bar.

* The battery model that this camera came with is IA-BP85NF; however, this battery may be more difficult to track down and purchase. The IA-BP85ST (came with the SC-HMX20C) actually works with this camera also. The IA-BP85NF battery doesn't work with the older brother, though (it seems to be more strict and gives an error "Check the authenticity of this battery.")

* I was excited about the "SSD" marketing of this camera, but I really saw no major benefit in terms of camera performance/recording response. Considering it's a touch screen and having "SSD technology", I would have liked it if the camera took advantage of its speed and used a seekbar when playing back videos instead of the usual/standard/old fast forward/rewind buttons.

Overall, I still do like the older brother better, but if only they would actually fix the issues, such as the focusing, that could easily be corrected via firmware -- but they won't. Instead, they'll make you buy newer models and at the same time, take a few features away so the older model won't be completely obsolete. I give this camera a 3 1/2 stars. If only they actually made useful firmware and not waste the potential hardware -- and had better customer service (what are they doing?) -- I would not mind giving this a 4-star. Once I finish editing the test footage I shot with this camera, I will be updating this review with it (or add more additional thoughts).

Summary: The Samsung HMX-H104 is everything I expect in a SSD camcorder. Image quality is good considering the super-zoom lens. Video quality is decent for a consumer-grade HD camera. I had no trouble figuring out how to use the camera in video and still mode. Connecting the camera to my mac was a breeze, and it worked with iPhoto and iMovie.

** Update: Samsung's codec isn't properly supported by Leopard or Snow Leopard. You have to use VLC to transcode the video for your mac. **

The first thing that struck me when I unboxed the Samsung HMX-H104 was that Samsung failed to use the USB port for power. You get a compact power brick, despite the fact that my iPod, Kindle, GPS and BlackBerry are all able to charge from their USB port. The brick is small, so this isn't a deal breaker. I would have liked to see the camera draw power from the USB port, even if it was only for trickle charging or keeping the camcorder powered while downloading videos and photos.

In camera mode, the colors are somewhat muted. Picture quality is on par with low-end super-zoom cameras like the Nikon P80.

Sounds is amazing. Instead of hearing the the sound of a tape motor, you will heear yourself breathing. You might hear the quiet hum of the zoom motor. I expected the sound quality to be good on an SSD camcorder, and the Samsung was great.

No tearing when panning vertically or horizontally, though you can see the interlacing at 1080i.

I had no trouble connecting the camera to my MacBook Pro. I ignored the included CDROM. When I plugged the camera in via USB, the camera mounted up as a drive, as did a 19MB drive with what appears to be some video software for Windows. This is a brilliant move on the part of Samsung, as most people quickly misplace the software that came with their cameras.

Photos downloaded immediately to iPhoto, but I had to navigate to the VIDEO folder to get the video. I manually dragged the video files over to my mac, and they immediately played in QuickTime. I tried playing the videos in VLC, but image quality was horrible in VLC 0.9.9a. I might need to add a codec or do some fine tuning to make things work properly there.

iMovie support is not great. iMovie found the Samsung videos that I had dropped into iPhoto, and immediately made them available for editing. Scrubbing and playing worked seamlessly. I dropped a video of the Tokyo Fish Market taken with video mode on my Panasonic LX-3 right after a short clip from the HMX-H104, and iMovie made the transition seamless. However, the aspect ratio of the video is completely wrong. I had to transcode the video in VLC (free, find it with google) in order to get usable results in iMovie.

Ergonomics are great. I really like the cylindrical form factor, and the Samsung has a very solid heft to it. Most controls are duplicated so that they fall under the fingers of the hand holding the camera as well around the LCD display. I was pleasantly surprised to find that it has a touch screen LCD. The result is that you get a small number of important buttons on the body of the camcorder, and all of the settings live on the display itself. Very easy and convenient.

Every year, Samsung realeases a new consumer-grade camcorder which seems to better the previous years in some small ways. I'm still under the impression that Samsung has this shelf of 2009, 2010, 2011 etc camcorders ready to go NOW, but they insist on releasing them with incremental upgrades every year to keep the consumer wanting more... but I digress. :-)

This year we have Samsung's very first SSD camcorder. In fact, Samsung claim this to be the world's first SSD camcorder. I received the HMX-104 with 16GB Solid State Drive, but the camcorder is also available as the HMX-105 (32GB) and HMX-106 (64GB). I'd suggest the 64GB only if you have huge trips planned without access to a computer, but definite access to more batteries, as you're going to go through more than a few charges to fill 64GB, that's for sure. Samsung touts this SSD camcorder as being more resilient to shaking and drops than a 1.8" hard drive. When not in use and for general purpose, this is true. However, Samsung amusingly has a montage of shots when you're shaking the camcorder, on their website:

http://www.samsung.com/ca/consumer/detail/detail.do?group=cameracamcorder&type=camcorders&subtype=highdefinition&model_cd=HMX-H106SN/XAC

Now, I don't know about you, but I'm guessing that either the SSD or traditional HDD camcorders would produce pretty unusable video when shaking the camcorder like crazy! But it's good marketing, I'll give it to Samsung...

Now I'll cut straight to the point. I really, really like this camcorder. The heft and feel of it is excellent. I would complain and say that I find the "Record" button a little tough to get to (have to hook my thumb some), but that's because I have bigger than average hands, and find this true of any small camcorder.

I really like being able to open the screen out, and have the camcorder turn on. So many other brands don't do this, which really makes no sense. If you're opening out the screen, you probably want the unit to turn on. This I appreciate.

Another feature I REALLY like - actually my favorite feature, - is the Optimal Image Stabilizer (O.I.S). This makes a huge difference. Normally, when zoomed in all the way, all movements of your hand are magnified, resulting in very shakey footage. I find the image stabilizer to really help with this, and the difference is staggering just turning it on and off while zoomed in. You can see the difference easily.

The video produced from this camera is excellent. I had some difficulty getting full 1080p video into iMovie 09, but with a bit of tinkering, it works. Low-light video is "acceptable," though as expected - not pro grade. Still a fair amount of grain.

The time lapse feature is pretty great, allowing you to leave the camera, and have it "automagically" shoot still photos at intervals, to create a video at the end of it. The result is very fun. Try it on a sunrise/sunet on a tripod!

A few things I don't like:

1.) No separate battery charger. This means charging in the camera with Samsungs proprietary charger. Don't lose it!

2.) The HDMI port on the camera is mini-HDMI. These are less common than full HDMI cables (though of course not rare). Just something to bear in mind.

3.) 37mm at its widest is not super wide. It'd be nice if the camcorder could go a little wider, especially for indoor parties when stepping back is not an option..

4.) Battery life could be better, especially since Samsung touts this camcorder as saving battery due to the use of SSD. I'm not seeing it.

Overall, a really enjoyable camera. A few niggles in the battery/charger department don't detract from a very enjoyable camcorder experience. With the built-in 16GB, 32GB or 64GB SSD and the ability to plug in an SD/SDHC card, you have plenty of storage capability in a small package!

4/5

This year, Samsung is going lighter and smaller with their HD Camcorder, with more built in memory and time lapse photography, when compared to last year's Flagship, the Samsung SC-HMX20C.

Flash memory cameras are easier to use, from my experience in traveling when compared to conventional tapes due to size. Flash memory is faster than hard drive based digital camcorders.

Uploading the video is facilitated through the USB port where the camcorder serves as a hard drive equivalent. Software upload is not necessary.

HD FLASH MEMORY CAMERAS I HAVE USED:

SAMSUNG SC-HMX20C

WHAT IS IN THE BOX?

Camcorder (Video Software is built into the unit)
User Manual CD
Quick Start Guide
Battery Pack
AC Power Adaptor
Multi-AV cable
Component cable
USB cable
Infrared remote control

The manual is on CD but the Quick Start Guide will get you off and running.

DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION:

Battery life indicators are an important feature of all cameras and camcorders to me. This can be seen in the indicator screen or by pushing the iCheck button. The battery indicator level, estimated duration of battery life in minutes and duration of time for recording is also shown.

The body is a matte black with chrome highlights. I personally do not like the chrome due to glare in outside settings. This maintains its bullet shape camcorder with a built-in flash in the lens housing (versus the pop up version from last year). The handle flips for 180 degrees of rotation, as does the LCD screen.

The flip out LCD rotates 180 degrees and the frame has a Quick Menu Button, Zoom button and record button. The housing has a button for toggling screen information, flash (for the camera function) and the EasyQ button. A small sliding panel hides the AV and USB ports.

The top of the unit has the zoom button, camera shutter button, and mode key with indicator light. You toggle the mode between play and record. The Battery door in the bottom of the unit is opened with a sliding latch lock housing the battery and the MMC/SDHC memory card. A second sliding cover conceals the AC plug port, HDMI port, USB port and Audio/Video cable port. This unit is flat on the bottom so it does not roll off.

Dual microphones are along the side housing of the lens.

The LCD touch screen is a helpful feature and is intuitive to operate. You can access the main menu with the Q Menu button or push the Menu button on the touch screen.

The lens cover automatically opens and closes, as opposed to manual operation with the Samsung SMX-F34 OR SC-MX20.

This particular model has 16 GB of built-in memory. This translates up to 3 hours of recording time. If you want more built-in memory the HMX-105 and HMX-106 have 32 GB (6 hours of recording time) and 64 GB (12 hours of recording time), respectively.

The infrared remote control is compact in size with a slot extending from the bottom which can allow you to attach it to the hand strap when traveling. The remote allows the user to control zoom, menus, toggle between reviewing and recording videos, and other basic video functions (i.e. fast forward, rewind, skip, repeat, pause, slow motion, stop).

OPERATION:

The unit turns on in about 4 seconds and is ready to record. This is remarkably fast for an electronic device.

The unit allows the user to record with one touch record on the back of the unit for one-handed operation or on the LCD housing for two-handed operation. The user has the option for 3 types of focus: Automatic, Manual and Touch screen. The camera frequently focuses in and out with the touch method of focusing - which I find to be useless.

Operating this camera/camcorder like a point and shoot camera is facilitated through the Easy Q button. All of the settings are optimized for the best imaging quality.

For more advanced users, turn off the EasyQ button and you can access the Menu. There are 8 iScene buttons for various situations: Auto, Sports, Portrait, Spotlight, Beach/Snow, Food, Candle Light and Indoor.

Digital zoom can be toggled on and off. There are various screen guidelines for composing photographs and video : Off, 4 quadrant, 9 quadrant, crosshair.

Resolution can be set at 3 levels of definition: Standard (480p/60p) and High definition (720/60p and 1080/60i). The fader can be toggled. Backlight for subjects in front of intense light can also be adjusted.

There are digital effects to allow for more creativity: Black and White, Sepia, Negative, and Art.

PHOTOGRAPHIC FEATURES:

This camera functions at 4.7 Megapixels. The built-in flash adds to the ability as a stand-alone digital camera. The shutter lag is minimal by conventional digital camera standards. Even with sheer darkness, the flash gives a very good quality photo. As opposed to the SMX-F34, you can record video or take snapshots on the same mode.

PROS:

Intuitive Touch Screen/Menu system
Very good in low light situations
Very good photo and video quality
Infrared remote
Lightweight
Built-in flash
16 GB internal memory

CONS

Software not compatible with Mac

SUMMARY:

If you are looking to record 3 hours of movie time, in addition to using flash memory, this camera will do a great job.

If you're a budget minded consumer looking for a balance between cost, high capacity internal memory, integrated still camera and a lightweight companion, look no further. Alternatively, you can opt for the higher capacity 64 GB version, the HMX-H106.

I'm still a relative newbie to digital camcorders, but the more and more I play with the various brands I'm starting to get a feel for what makes a really fun and easy going experience. In the case of the HMX-H104 HD SSD Flash Memory Camcorder I've noticed that Samsung has taken a close look at the standard bells and whistles available on the market and they've tried to find a way to improve on the model by integrating some innovative functionality like a touch screen LCD, and file transfer/editing software imbedded in the camera itself so there is no need for loading proprietary applications.

First though, let's get the bad out of the way. My main complaint with the HMX-H104 is the overall feel of the body construction and materials. In particular is the fold-out LCD screen which for the price feels pretty flimsy, in particular at the joint. When closed the door wobbles a bit, and the plastic pieces behind and where the screen is imbedded feel very flimsy. Considering this is a touch screen, the foldout flap is going to be handled quite a bit and over time it just seems like it might break. Thinking about the screen, like any touch sensitive electronics it's going to be a magnet for fingerprints and smudges. The manual warns against using screen covers as it states it's likely to degrade the screen so it's either going to need constant wiping or it'll stay dirty. Also, the designs of some of the touchable buttons on the screen are a bit small and close together, so it's very easy to hit the wrong button which can cause a delay in usability. Again, these are more aspects of the fold out door that seem a bit on the flimsy side.

Screen door aside, this is a wonderful camcorder that is amazingly intuitive with a very nice range of features that hit the middle of the road, which is actually a good thing. It features 16gb of internal SSD memory (also available in 32gb & 64gb), which from my experience is on par with camcorders that have internal hard drives, so it's usable out of the box without having to worry about picking up an SD memory card. It does have an SD slot in case you want that functionality. It also takes 4.7 megapixel photos, which is about twice the quality you tend to see in these small HD digital camcorders. The still picture quality beats the heck out of the JVC Everio GZ-HD300 (which is a similar camcorder that I've used.) Again, I'm a relative newbie when it comes to digital camcorders, but the video quality seems very nice, in both HD and standard definition. The anti-shake feature works pretty darn well in particular which is nice since most of the digi-cams I've played with almost always need tripods.

I also like the placement of two sets of record and zoom buttons/toggles, one on the back/top where your fingers naturally fall and one on the flip out screen, which gives you more control over how you hold the camcorder. Similarly, the section of the camera where the hand-strap connects rotates so that you can put the camcorder in a ton of interesting positions without putting your hand in precarious positions. I also love the versatility of the software included, as it's embedded in the camera itself and can be bypassed, in essence with the camcorder acting as a removable drive that you can just drag and drop files from. It records in Mpeg4 as well so no worries on file format issues. It's also a tad smaller than similar models in other brands, which for a camcorder like this is always a plus.

All in all this is a really great camcorder that is versatile, easy to use and is fun, which is just a bit on the pricy side.

As they say about success in many businesses - it is all about "location, location, location. Well, in my experience success with camcorders for us normal people is all about ease of use, ease of use, ease of use, and this camcorder has it, big time! As a long-time gadget geek, I have repeatedly been the victim of my own desire to research every last specification and compare every feature when buying camcorders. This usually results in my picking a camcorder that has the most feature-packed array of capabilities for the price, and a thick user guide that needs to be memorized before it can be used. This inevitably leads to the camcorder spending most of its time sitting on a shelf because it is too hard for my wife to use and I don't want to re-read the manual before trying to capture my kid's ballet performance, etc...

So far, I am thrilled with the Samsung HMX-104. After a month of frequent use with this camcorder, I still have never opened the instructions or even read the "quick start" guide. I literally pulled the unit out of the box, popped in the battery, and started filming (you don't even need a separate SD Card.)

For basic functions, all the controls are immediately accessible and feel good in the hand. My only complaint is that the Record button on the body of the camera is awkward to use when the camera is held in the right hand using the palm strap. Luckily, there is an additional Record button on the flip-out viewing window.

The playback quality is amazing and it is WONDERFUL not having to deal with copying DV tapes to a computer (or carry extras around all the time!). The file transfer process from the camera takes time over USB, but the files are pretty big, so this will be common to any camcorder (tape or SSD). Another big benefit of this solid state technology is that it is very quiet and uses a lot less battery power - both because there are no moving parts (which probably also means a longer life span). This translates to a very compact "form factor" for a full-blown high definition camcorder.

The wide-angle lens really makes a difference in being able to capture more of the foreground in your shots. This is especially handy for group activities, ship-board video, and indoor video where there is often not enough space to "back up" and get the full subject into the frame. The only optical defect I have noticed is some slight "jumping" (I think people call it "tearing") when you pan from side-to-side or up and down. This may be caused by the image stabilization, which can be easily disabled with a single button. When I disabled the stabilization, this problem seemed less noticeable.

Bottom line, if you want a very compact camcorder that is easy enough to use that you can hand it to your non-techie spouse, carry it in a purse or jacket pocket so that you always have it, AND has great picture quality in both low light and bright sun, I highly recommend this camcorder!

There's a big caveat to this review, however.... If you are on a Mac, and want to use iMovie to edit your clips from this camera, YOU CAN'T! Apparently the H264 codec that this camera records cannot be properly interpreted by iMovie. This is a HUGE bummer for those of us that want to do video editing on our Macs. See the thread at Apple Support on the issue:
[...].

Also, there is another major flaw; apparently the Samsung implementation of the h264 codec has some "bugs" in it where some of the "tags" are missing with regards to the aspect ratio. If you try to upload a full-HD (1920 x 1080) video file to YouTube, YouTube will "squash" the playback video into a 4:3 window and you get black bands across the top and bottom and the image is squashed and distorted. Big, big problem, obviously.

For Mac users, this camera is pretty much a non-starter until either Apple or Samsung comes out with a compatibility fix. For others, this is a great camera deserving of the 4 stars, unless of course you want to post video to YouTube. So for me, its a two-star product, unfortunately.

Normally I don't write reviews, but I felt compelled to write one for this camera. Let me start by saying it's an awesome device. It's ultra compact but don't let that fool you when it's comes to the performance. The video is stunning quality, rich vibrant natural colors, super fast start up (no moving parts to deal with), comfortable grip (it fits snugly in the palm of my hand). It's sleek looks turns a few heads! I have had strangers stop over to take a look. I have not explored all the settings and features but I did not feel a need for that at all. Defaults are just perfect.

The software that comes with it is pretty good. It does the job of conveniently copying the videos & pictures to a PC folder of my choice and automatically creates subfolders organized by date.

Given the recent price drop, I don't think why anyone would want to buy a DV tape based or Hard disk based camera anymore. Also, I think it would be smart to buy the 16GB version, since everything else is same compared to other choices. 16GB can store 3 hrs of HD movies on the camera. You can always buy extra SDHC cards as needed. (Remember how it was with MiniDV tapes...)

The 4 and 5 star reviews point out the positives of this camcorder, but there are some real negatives.

The main issue is the inability to play the .mp4 files created by this camera (for many users). What good are the files if you cannot play them on a PC? The codec used by Samsung is not a standard one, and that makes me concerned that the precious memories captured by this camera may be unplayable 10 years from now. That is a deal breaker for me.

The file format issue plagues many camcorder manufactures, unfortunately.

They should get together, stop squabbling, and agree on a universal standard.

Other (minor) negative is relatively poor low-light performance, but you get what you pay for.

This camcorder takes good quality video (when the lighting is sufficient, of course, something that is apparently true of all camcorders in and below this price range), is easy to use, and it fits my (extra-large glove sized) hand and palm perfectly. The unique handgrip is very comfortable and it makes it easier to hold the camera relatively steadily at various angles, including with my arm stretched out above my head. The H104's solid state drive (SSD) runs considerably cooler than a compact camcorder I own that has a hard drive, and unlike hard drives, the SSD drive itself makes no sound. The battery life could be longer. The battery drains even when the camera is turned off and unused for a period of time, and when in use the battery drains relatively quickly. (The manual says to remove the battery when the camera won't be in use for a period. Based on my experience of how quickly it drains, I now remove it when the camera won't be in use for as little as a day.) The auto focus is on the slow side, and I think Samsung could've done better than 10X optical zoom (e.g., my JVC Everio camcorder, a full HD unit in the same price range ballpark, has 20X optical zoom). While 16 GB internal flash memory is on the low side, it can be supplemented with an SDHC (Secure Digital High Capacity, for those who don't know and may care) card. However, more often than not I use the H104 on a tripod, and because the SDHC card slot is below where the tripod head screw goes, if and when I want to swap cards, I have to remove the camcorder from the tripod and remove the tripod head from the camera.

The 37mm wide-angle lens is IMO a standout feature of the H104 (compared, say, to the Everio's 58mm lens); it's nice having a compact camcorder with a wide-angle lens. I like the touch-sensor LCD panel, and though my fingers are fat, I have no trouble using it. Adjacent to the LCD panel are a few buttons (power, etc.), one of which turns "Easy Q Mode" on and off when the camcorder is in Record mode. When "on," the Easy Q Mode frees the user from making detailed adjustments by setting a number of functions to "Auto," including white balance, focus, shutter, flash, and anti-shake. Being both lazy and technologically challenged, I make liberal use of the H104's Easy Q Mode, and it is another feature of the H104 that makes it a pleasure to use. It's nice to look at too; nice design.

I understand that solid state drives can operate in temperatures that hard drives cannot withstand (e.g., see the section of the Wikipedia article on Sold-state drives titled "Comparison of SSD with hard disk drives," and then follow the footnoted links to the source articles). I've yet to use the H104 in extreme temperatures, but I plan to use it in Wisconsin this coming winter, so we'll see.

Overall, a great compact camcorder for point-and-shoot oriented consumers.