I purchased this camcorder to upgrade my old standard def mini DV camcorder. Picture quality is decent and the 52x optical zoom is very nice. I returned this camcorder because the autofocus was just too indecisive when videotaping my sons flag football games. It was constantly refocusing and this is worse when zooming. Color reproduction is below average and it really struggles to deal with all shades of red. I ended up buying the Samsung H300 which you can find for about $50 more. It can shoot in 1080i, 720p or even standard definition and is better in every way.
The zoom is excellent, however it does take a few moments to focus. The focus quality lags a bit, but once steadied the image is crystal. I haven't had any problems with the color red. The still photos are better then my digital camera.
I haven't had the opportunity to test it out on my Television yet, but I plan to.
One of the things I did dislike while purchasing this camera, is it didn't tell you what format it recorded in. I searched the entire how to do manual before purchasing. In case you were wondering, it records in MP4, which is perfect for the project I'm working on.
Overall great quality. It's very light. It can zoom very well (oh optical zoom, how I love your clarity). It records on SD (make sure you get class ten for best quality). The controls are also very simple.
This camcorder does not have any light, so no midnight adventures for me, and no it cannot record in the dark.
Other qualities:
built in shutter
plays background music
easy to use
Plugs directly into TV
Smart Auto feature
Buy Samsung HMX-F80 Flash Memory HD Digital Video Camc Now
This is LR, the bunny who lives beside my driveway. This was WITHOUT anti-shake enabled (OBviously!), which I have since enabled and it is PRETTY darn good. As soon as LR reappears and I have camera in hand I will take another clip WITH anti-shake and post it for comparison.
Overall, this is a pretty good value. Its performance is better than expected, FAR better than the samsung Dual View camera I had that almost turned me against Samsung. The size is nice, it has a decent pic as long as its bright enough, and the anti-shake and a few other "me too" features on this cam are much better than comparable features I have used on competitors equipment.
I take a lot of still pics, and for that reason really was looking for a camera that also took at least 720p (actually PREFERABLY 720p) video as well, but every one I tried had timer limits on how long they could record video. I want to be able to film until the card fills up or the battery dies (which, incidentally, seems also better than I expected). This does the job.
You cant expect miracles for $200, but its better than anything else I have seen in this price range. If you arent ready to drop $400 on a Canon, then this is probably the best next step down for the money. Four stars. Faith in Samsung renewed!
Read Best Reviews of Samsung HMX-F80 Flash Memory HD Digital Video Camc Here
I didn't purchase this camera for any particular purpose. I just wanted something decent that I could use to capture life's random moments. After over a month of use, here are my pros and cons:PROS
The camera is simple to set up and use. I was recording video within 5 minutes of opening the box.
It is super compact and looks nice.
Price is great.
CONS
Video quality is decent, but is no better (and probably worse) than most modern smart phone cameras. If you are looking for really great video, this camera isn't for you. Also, the still picture feature is worthless.
The auto focus feature is annoying. It takes a few seconds for the focus to adjust any time you move the camera, so unless you are recording one thing sitting still, the picture is constantly going from blurry to focused.
The 52x optical zoom sounds cool, but the camera needs to be perfectly still to fully utilize it. If you are holding the camera, zooming any more than halfway makes the picture shake so much that the video is unwatchable. You definitely need to have the camera on a tripod or some sort of stationary surface if you want to use full zoom. Supposedly, the camera has an anti-shake feature, but I notice no difference with anti-shake turned on.
The battery life is terrible. I can only get about 30-45 minutes of recording in before the battery dies.
CONCLUSION
If the auto focus feature was smoother, the anti-shake feature actually worked, and the battery life was better, this would be a 4-5 star camera. As it stands, however, I am disappointed with my purchase. I hate the saying "You get what you pay for", but in this case, its true. Its a cheap camera that operates like a cheap camera. I would recommend buying something else.
Want Samsung HMX-F80 Flash Memory HD Digital Video Camc Discount?
I can't say I have ever had an issue w/ any Samsung product I have purchased. My big screen TV, Blue-ray player, Phone, components in my PC, etc., all Samsung, all have worked as expected. Plus they have stood up to the test of time. So, I did not hesitate much when I checked out this Camcorder. I did worry since it was priced so low, something had to be wrong.PROS:
*Works exactly as described. Nothing too fancy, I am sure there are better w/ more features, but can't gripe about any shortcomings I did not pay for.
*Very intuitive. I barely glanced at the Manual, and I was still up and running in no time.
*The on-board software made it easy to transfer video to my PC, again with out guessing or running in to problems.
*Video quality is good. Probably not outstanding, but decent enough, with sharp images and natural color.
CONS:
*Zoom is all but rendered useless after it hits about mid-way point. Even with image stabilizer enacted, there is just too much shake to shoot video that wont make you seasick. Keeping zoom at or below mid-point keeps things steady, and I found that range to be fine for most occasions anyways.
*It would be nice if it auto-focused a bit smoother, tho it was still acceptable to me.
*The on-board software works well. However, any decent Photo Studio software will be a better choice in creating a good home movie. That was what I had expected anyways, so in my opinion, this technically is only a "CON" if the built in software is all you have to work with.
Bottom Line: A very recommended purchase at this price point.
Save 15% Off
No comments:
Post a Comment