Samsung HMX-H106 HD SSD Flash Memory Camcorder with 64 GB Memory and 10x Optical Zoom

by Samsung

• Capture Full HD video to a 64 GB Solid State Drive (SSD)
• Schneider 10x optical zoom lens; optical image stabilizer
• Full HD (1920 x 1080/60i or 30p) video; 4.7-megapixel still capture
• 2.7-inch wide LCD with touch screen
• HDMI, component and composite video compatability

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 2.3 x 5.1 x 2.4 inches ; 13.4 ounces
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds
• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B001U88FAI
• Item model number: HMX-H106
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #11,960 in Camera & Photo (See Top 100 in Camera & Photo)
• Date first available at Amazon.com: January 5, 2009

Product Description

From the Manufacturer

Manufacturer's Description

The HMX-H106, Samsung’s new flagship full-HD digital camcorder, is the world’s first to feature an internal 64 GB SSD (as of January 5, 2009). The compact, lightweight Samsung HMX-H106 SSD camcorder takes video at the highest digital visual resolution available today, 1920 x 1080 Full HD. 1920 x 1080 Full HD video means much greater clarity, brightness and detail than ever before. It also means that your video will be an exact pixel-by-pixel match for today’s very best large screen HDTVs. The result is life-like video with more natural color and clarity, without the blurring or digital noise you might well be used to. Samsung’s H-Series of full-HD digital camcorders set a new standard for style and performance. Samsung’s renowned SSD technology offers a substantial advantage over the use of Hard Disk Drives (HDD) in a digital camcorder, providing consumers with higher performing and more durable internal memory. Samsung’s SSD technology is more lightweight and compact, operates silently with very low heat emission, and features no moving parts, which significantly reduces overall power consumption and enhances reliability. No moving parts also make SSD technology more durable and resistant to shock and vibrations. Additionally, Samsung’s SSD technology is faster than HDD, including quicker boot-up and read/write speeds.

Samsung H106 Highlights

4:3 recording, 6:9 output vs. 16:9 recording, 16:9 output

Progressive HD (1920 x 1080 Full HD)
Samsung’s HMX-H106 delivers the very highest quality video by using progressive scan technology. It records HD quality video in progressive mode (30fps), so that the video is crisp and clear, regardless of how fast the subject is moving. Progressive scan technology produces smooth images even when videos are played back at 2x, 4x or even 8x the normal speed!

37mm wide-angle lens (Schneider's Varioplan-HD lens)
A 37mm wide-angle lens, fitted to a camcorder, allows you to experience a new world of images. The world-class Schneider lens is specially designed to produce clear and vivid images by correcting chromatic aberration and distortion. Unlike other camcorders offering a typical angle of view of 40 - 50 mm, a wide angle view of 37mm provides wider and richer images from the same distance. Enjoy the world of dynamic, exceptional images brought to you by 37mm!

The wide angle view of 37mm delivers the big picture

Time Lapse Recording
By setting time intervals for frame capture, you can take full advantage of the Time Lapse Recording function. This feature uses selective frame capture to record over an extended period of time so that you can see the effects of long term recording condensed into a shorter time frame. Imagine seeing the slow passage of clouds through the sky or a sunset over the water in only a few minutes.

Time-lapse recording

Swivel Hand-Grip
Samsung’s unique Swivel Hand-Grip design makes shooting difficult angles a snap. With a flick of the wrist, you can change the shoot angle of the camcorder to take the perfect video every time-all with one hand! The ergonomic design will open new doors to the way you shoot video.

What's Solid State Drive (SSD)?

SSD (Solid State Drive)

• A data storage device that uses solid-state memory to store data forever.
• Superior to Hard Drive Camcorders in speed, security, size, reliability, power consumption and noise emission.
• With no moving parts, solid-state drives are silent and inherently less fragile than Hard Drives.

Super Storage

• Larger flash capacities available
• Compact and Light

SSD is 7 times smaller and 12 times lighter than 1.8-inch Hard Drive

Low Power Consumption
SSD requires approx. 8 times lower power consumption than a Hard Drive when reading or writing data. This means less energy consumption, and longer battery life.

Super Security

• Samsung’s SSD has no moving parts, therefore is less fragile and more secure than Hard Drive Camcorders
• Anti-shock and Vibration Memory camcorders keep recording despite shocks and vibrations long after competitors' camcorders stop.
• Can repeat write and erase data more than a million times on SSD--4x more than Hard Drive
• High capacity SSD provides longer use utilizing ‘Wear Leveling’ technology
• Wear Leveling: a brand new technology arranging data so that erasures and re-writes are distributed evenly across the memory
• Maximum life of SSD is 1 million hours, i.e. 134 years

Super Speed

• Fast processing time and reliable data storage utilizing exclusive controller chipset
• Boot up and access time of Samsung’s SSD camcorder is 3x faster than Hard Drives
• Faster access time means managing your files is much easier

Works normally in extreme high or low temperatures

• SSD camcorder continues to work even in extreme high/low temperatures
• Hard Drive camcorders do not operate normally in low temperature below 14°F and in high temperature above 150°F

Reliability

• Simple structure without any mechanical parts
• Strong against shock and vibration
• Life-long use
• Reliable data storage

No noise, low heat emission

• There is no acoustic noise and little heat emission when the SSD operates.
• Elimination of noise, vibration and high temperature make for a much more comfortable recording experience.

Product Description

The best way to relive special moments is by watching them in amazing high definition on your HDTV. The best way to do this is with the SAMSUNG HMX-H106 camcorder. It offers 1920x1080 resolution which delivers breathtaking detail in brilliant color. It also includes 10x optical zoom so you can get close to the action and optical image stabilizer for blur-free video.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 22 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars SAMSUNG H-106, Great New Product... But be WARNED! August 12, 2009

By Robert J. Tamson

I have owned this Samsung HMX-H106 Camera for about 2 months and have enloyed using it. I like the ease of use and quality of the resulting picture... BUT there is a problem! I tried to use the included A/V cord to connect the camera directly to my HD TV and was surprised that the picture was in a blurry black and white! I double checked the connection at the camera plug and found that it would come in perfectly in full HD color if I pushed in on the connection plug and held it under pressure! Oh great, I'll just stand here and push the a/v cable into the camera plug so I can watch my video in color! I am quite sure it isn't simply the a/v cord that is bad but rather the plug on the camera itself.

BE WARNED! the Samsung "Customer Service" for this product is NON EXISTANT! full of "I'm sorry sir" and other scripted responses from their "Customer Service" people without any help for a defective product. I called the SAMSUNG customer Service (1-800-SAMSUNG) and was told that I would get a new a/v Cable sent to me at no cost. Thet are requiring that I eliminate the problem from being the a/v cord before they will allow me to send in the camera for repair. It has now been over 4 weeks and several return calls from me to Samsung and still no new a/v cable. To make things worse, the Samsung phone representative sounds like they are from a call center in India and simply cannot speak english well enough for you to understand.

Also, a few other items should be noted on the design of this product: No audio jack - you cannot listen to any playback of your recorded video from the camera without hearing it through the micro speaker near the off button. No external audio plug for recording either. No ability to use a camera light to shoot video in low light conditions, the built in light on the unit is only a flash for still pictures only. No accessories are available yet for this camera.

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Really good with a Glaring flaw June 28, 2009

By David Alexandrou

Well, I'm going to keep this short and sweet. The video quality is
really good, the focus is good, the lens is good.

The editing software is built into the camera, and works well, if limited, and you'll need a decent PC to process the HD in real time. If you want to do multi-audio or video crossfades etc you'll need to convert the format to raw avi or similar and use Premiere or Vegas or similar.

Something missing which was listed in the original specs is the 1080P/30fps. Maybe it's coming in a firmware update.

Speaking of which, it needs one, badly. The internal file size on the disc is limited to 2 gig, so in 720p for example, every 28 minutes or so it has to create a new file and continue recording. which is fine, except the camera doesn't pre-record the few seconds it takes to create the new file. As a result you lose a couple of seconds of footage and you never even know until playback time. Samsung haven't replied to my support request on the matter yet.

Overall, a great camera let down by a serious recording flaw. Please Samsung, please fix this!!

13 of 15 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing camcorder June 3, 2009

By APK

The Samsung HMX-H106 is freakin awesome. Coming off Sony Digital camcorders (one disk and one tape), this camera beats the crap out of that old technology. It's blazing fast, small and sleek, and easy to use. You can take a movie and play it back quickly and erase a clip you don't like. Try doing that with the other technology. It'd take forever. Here it takes no time. This thing will fit in your pocket (ok a large pocket) and is unobtrusive yet takes amazing HD video. I'm not a big filming buff and hate dragging equipment around on vacations that gets in the way of actually enjoying the trip so this is perfect. It makes you want to use it since its so small and easy to use.

I'd say the only negatives are no infra-red or built in video light. There will probably be such accessories forthcoming but for now, it's tough to take pics or movies in the dark. It does have a flash for photos though but you need some lighting present for the camera to focus properly.

Overall, highly recommended and would find it pretty much impossible to go back to discs or tapes or even hard drive and removable flash memory. I switched to Samsung TV's a while ago because they simply outdo the competition in offering the latest features in a friendly, sleek package...this is definitely another step in the right direction.