Samsung SMX-C20 camcorder review
Believe it or not, they still make standard definition camcorders and for the same price as most pocket HD camcorders, they usually offer more features and picture controls, but record lower resolution footage.
Camcorder makers know they need a hook to sell these devices, and with
Samsung's SMX-C20
, it means a departure from the traditional camcorder look. The C20 lens is angled approximately 25 degrees upwards, giving it a more natural feel when gripped. The result is a comfortable design and ergonomic, which, according to Samsung, is ideal for long recordings.
The design alone isn't a great brand of camcorder, and the C20 has plenty of competition with other cameras in the same $200 (MSRP) price range, including standard-definition models from Sony and Panasonic's ever-growing line of pocket HD camcorders. Read the review to find out how the SMX-C20 performed during my two weeks of testing and find out if its features and modes make up for its relatively low resolution.
CONSTRUCTION AND DESIGN
There are two models in the SMX-C range, the C20 and the C24. The C20 is available in red and purple and requires an SD or SDHC card up to 32 GB. The C24 is only available in black and has a 16 GB solid state drive.
SSD defines the current crop of Samsung SD and HD camcorders. SSDs are smaller, lighter, faster, more reliable and consume less power than HDDs. Compared to SD cards, SSDs are generally faster to access the data.
For this review, I used the SMX-C20, but capacity aside, the C20 and C24 share the same specs and performance.
If the Samsung C20 were any smaller, it would rival pocket camcorders in terms of compactness. It measures 1.39 x 2.21 x 4.29 inches and weighs about 5 ounces. It's easy to grip and I could almost wrap my hand completely around the device.
The front of the C20 houses the lens, which is angled 25 degrees upwards from the rest of the body. On the back are the record button, charging light, and a compartment cover that hides a socket USB, a DC-in jack, an AV jack, an SD/SDHC slot, and a removable rechargeable battery. The palm side is bare without the wrist strap hook, and the 2.7-inch LCD screen rotates to the opposite side.
The LCD screen opens 90 degrees and rotates 180. Below are the power button, speaker, share button (uploads clips directly to sharing sites once configured), display button, the mode button and the smart auto/view button. A record button, a control button for navigating the menu and manually adjusting the picture controls and the menu button are all on the billboard.
Above the C20 are the zoom lever and photo button. Below is a tripod receptacle and a built-in microphone.
The glossy plastic casing of the C20 is a fingerprint magnet, but the palm side of the device is textured plastic. It's a nice touch and makes the ergonomic C20 even more comfortable for shooting.
I do have some finicky issues with the build though. For starters, the buttons feel cheap, it's almost impossible to tell if you've pressed the power button as it doesn't click when pressed, and cycle powering on/off takes a few seconds. I accidentally left the C20 on more than once after thinking I pressed the button. Also, the record button requires a deep but light press. It reminds me of an old and worn gamepad.
Ergonomics and control
There's no doubt that the angled lens takes some getting used to, especially if you're used to shooting directly with a traditional camcorder, but I think it's a great design choice .With other camcorders, I always bend my wrist back to shoot upwards, which is painful after a few minutes of use.Samsung has eliminated the need for awkward wrist contortions with the C20, and I hope other camcorder manufacturers are taking notice.
Otherwise, the C20 sports a traditional camcorder layout. All knobs and buttons are where you'd expect them with no glaring omissions.
Considering the C20's small size, the 2.7-inch LCD screen is relatively large, but not large enough to support touch controls. As such, users control all menu navigation via a control button, which I prefer to clumsily press on a small screen in an attempt to select the appropriate menu item. The button also doubles as a context menu, giving you quick access to manual exposure and focus controllers.
In line with other low-cost camcorders, Samsung doesn't include a lens cover with the C20, or even a cloth bag to protect it from dust and scratches, leaving the lens exposed to all sorts of debris and dirt. dirt. I don't understand why manufacturers are reluctant to include these items with their camcorders, as they can make a huge difference in keeping the lens free of dust and scratches.
Menus and Modes
For video, the C20 has five modes broken down into two resolutions: TV and Web.
Super thin TV:
720×480 (60i)
TV good:
720×480 (60i)
Normal TV:
720×480 (60i)
Web Fine:
640×480 (30p)
regular website:
640×480 (30p)
Although Samsung doesn't publish the bitrates, I guess TV Super Fine has a higher bitrate than TV Fine or TV Normal, which explains the difference in quality.
There are four photo resolutions:
16:9 (1696×960)
16:9 (848×480)
4:3 (1600×1200)
4:3 (800×400)
The C20 is set to TV Fine by default, so you'll need to increase it manually via the menu if you want to record at the highest resolution.
The C20 has a surprisingly deep menu system, which really sets it apart from HD pocket camcorders like the Flip that have limited or no menu controls. Menu items include:
iScene
(auto or preset, automatically adjusts shutter speed and aperture based on shooting conditions; there are 15 presets, including sports, high speed, daylight and night)
Video resolution
Photo resolution
16:9 wide
(on/off, picture saves in 4:3 aspect ratio when off)
Exposure value
(manual/automatic)
Backlight
(for backlit subjects)
Focus
(manual/automatic)
Anti-vibration
digital effect
(ten options including black and white, negative, mosaic and sepia)
faders
windbreaker
digital zoom
(on/off, up to 1200x)
Time lapse recording
Guideline
Settings
A dedicated white balance is missing, but it's probably set via iScene presets. Still, it's odd that Samsung includes manual focus and exposure and not manual white balance.
I love the time-lapse recording, which you can set on the C20 to shoot a frame at specific intervals ranging from one to 30 seconds. Oddly enough, the C20's manual suggests using it for "skin casting". 'insects', but I went with an old time-lapse standard: clouds moving across the sky at one frame every 15 seconds.
Display
I took Sony to task in my review of the CX110 for its tiny 2.7 inch LCD screen, but I'll praise Samsung for including one on their C20. The difference is that the CX110 was a touchscreen and 2, 7 inches is too small for effective touch navigation. Additionally, the C20 is a much smaller device, closer in size to a pocket camcorder than an entry-level HD camcorder. The latest pocket camcorder that I tested,
Kodak PlaySport
, had a 2.0-inch screen.
Various display settings are built into the SMX-C20 menu to control the brightness and color of the LCD screen and activate the LCD amplifier, which increases the contrast of the screen. This comprehensive set of options fights well against solar glare and the 230,000 display points are enough to watch the action.