Customer Reviews

Samsung SCM105 MPEG4 Sports Camcorder w/10x Optical Zoom

5 star:		(0)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Received my camera yesterday - returning it today. This is the first digital camcorder I've owned, my previous one being VHS-C. I've digitized all my old VHS tapes, burned them to DVD, and the quality is ok.

The MPEG4 quality of this camera is below that, and I was expecting better. Even on the highest quality setting, video quailty is still poor. It also has problems obtaining and maintaining focus when the subjects are moving around.

Another problem is ergonomics. It's way to easy to get your finger in front of the lens. The zoom switch seems to be located conveniently, but when you press it you inevitably have to stretch and the camera moves around on you. I guess that is a price you pay for such a small camera.

I also could not get it to work with one of my computers to transfer the files over USB. It did work with two others however.

With the internal 512MB, you get about 12 minutes of highest quality video (if you can call it that). You will want memory sticks to expand your recording capability. They're not cheap, but unlike tapes you will re-use them after you dump the files.

The manual says the battery should last 60 minutes at a minimum. I only charged it once, and it drained in less than half that. Of course by then, I had filled up the internal memory anyway. I looked for spare batteries, but they don't seem to be available yet.

Another gotcha it will not work with memory sticks over 1GB. I didn't find out about this until I read the manual. The manual says it "may" not work which I take to mean don't call us about it. I had ordered a 2GB memory stick, and now it's going back too.

I'm going to wait for the 3CCD JVC Everio.

I completely disagree with the other reviewer. I think he was expecting WAY more from this camera and didnt understand its intended use.

I would reccomend this to anyone who wants to get video to use on the internet. Granted, it is not going to give you good enought quality to make a wedding video and then make DVD's of that, but that's not really what it is made for.

It works great for shooting outdoor sports such as mountain biking and skiing, etc. But the indoor use doesnt work very well.

The external lens is also great, comes with a mount to put it on a bike helmet, and another one to put on your arm for snow boarding and such...

Nice little camera, but Samsung Marketing people tended to obmitt a few of the shortcomings of it. First it hypes the external camera, but leaves out the fact that you cannot take advantage of zoom when you're using it or that you cannot take pictures with it. Resolution and lighting on the external leaves a lot to be desired and it's activation cannot be done from the camera (The record button is on the cable link).Also the fact that the camera DOSEN'T have Mega pixel performace when taking still pictures isn't made apparent untill you read the fine print. Battery life with the one that comes with the unit is really next to useless.The only reasion that I didn't send it back was it's size and portability.

I have tried several digital camcorders in order find the best way to go direct to DVD without tape. The Samsung Miniket SCM105S is by far not the best.

Still pics are limited to 1.2 Megapixel resolution. (Xacti's are 3.2, 4, and 5)

The available formats do not let you record the highest quality MPEGs (capable) to the external Memory Stick Pro. So, you can only get close to DVD quality for about 10 minutes on the internal memory (around 495MB). As well, the external memory is limited in size to 1GB. (Not so with the Sanyo Xacti which will take MPEG4 on up to 4GB SD Cards for about 2 hours and 20 minutes of near DVD quality video.)

Further, the buttons are way too small. You have to have childlike fingers and great dexterity to coordinate your movie making experience. The normal hand-hold position blocks the flash port... a major design flaw. (Xacti buttons are handy and intuitive in layout. The flash is properly positioned.)

Last but not least, the video format of the AVI's is an oddball version that Windows MediaPlayer doesn't like. A software work-around is provided that is like going behind your back to scratch your elbow.

You MAY use the Samsung for an MP3 player. But, it's a lot smarter to have a cheaper separate MP3 player that will withstand a bit of abuse than to have it embodied in a camcorder that costs at least $400. Convenient perhaps, but dumb.

A good feature is the 10X optical zoom combined with the anti-shake. This does make for good video on the limited internal memeory. (Xactis of the 4 & 5 Megapixel resolution have the anti-shake technology with 5.8X optical zoom.)

Nuff said.

As of May 7th '05 Amazon still has the wrong image up for this item. The separate lens shown is included only with the Samsung SCX105L MPEG4 Sports Camcorder.
I notified customer service but they haven't changed it yet. This camera is silver not matt black. I tried it out and found the video a little blurry. I would probably wait for an updated version. I have found better quality MPEG video on the little Sony T33 cybercam. I like the smaller size of flash based video cameras but you don't get much full quality video on a 512MB card. Even 1G wouldn't be enough to take on a vacation without bringing a laptop or external storage system with you.

This camera sucks, I am a big fan of Samsung products, but this camera is a flat out waste of money. I bought this and returned it a day later. It is NOT Mac compatible as it states and the quality is pathetic. This could so easly break in your pocket. I bought Sanyo Xacti C40 and think that is ten times better, almost no comparison. The samsung takes decent pics and video, but is cheaply constructed. So if your lookin into buy this opt for the Sanyo or Fisher, won't regret it.

I've had this camera for a year or so. I purchased an extra battery because the battery does not last very long. Like almost everyone else, the quality of the images is not as good as I thought and this camera really isn't worth the money. You can get just as good quality from a $120.00 camera. I wish I had known this sooner and I wouldn't have spent so much.

This is my first camcorder and I have to say this is very easy to use. It has many features and its convenient to save on memory stick and be able to switch from internal to external memory while recording and vice versa. Unlike the other posts I WAS able to use a 2G external memory which gives it a lot more shooting time.

It's nice to have MP3 capability but you don't want to waste the battery and cut into shooting time by listening to mp3s. Also, you HAVE TO use the bundles software for editing, you cannot use programs like VirtualDub. The given software is not the best, however it does suffice for basic tasks such as cutting and joining and there are actually many advanced features you can use as well.

Overall I'm happy with the intuitive layout of the functions on the CAM, compact size, and the fact that it saves on memory stick since I have a Sony computer and the stick goes directly into the memory slot. Software could definitely be improved to make it easier to use however.