Samsung H200 Full HD Camcorder with 20x Optical Zoom Black Review.

Samsung H200 Full HD Camcorder with 20x Optical Zoom Black Description:

The HMX-H200 boasts an impressive list of advanced features, offering unparalleled value to consumers looking to experience high-quality, full-HD video recording at a competitive price.The camcorder features Samsung’s BSI CMOS imaging sensor. Designed to absorb more light than other conventional sensors and deliver unprecedented low-light performance, the BSI CMOS sensor sets new standards for performance and image quality, particularly among entry-level camcorders.The HMX-H200 is also loaded with a range of unique features such as the ability to capture high-quality 4.7 mega-pixel digital still images, Smart Auto mode, which automatically selects the appropriate scene mode which will produce the best results possible for the user’s shooting scenario, as well as time lapse recording, an innovative setting which will give end-users the ability to take their creativity to a whole new level. When using the camcorders’ time lapse mode, consumers can program the H-Series camcorder to record a single image at intervals of one, three or five seconds, and then save each image as one single movie file (720p resolution).

• Amazon Sales Rank: #8212 in Camera & Photo
• Color: Black
• Brand: Samsung
• Model: HMX-H200BN/XAA
• Dimensions: 2.33″ h x 2.30″ w x 4.40″ l, 2.00 pounds
• Display size: 2.7

Features

• Full 1920×1080/60i HD Recording
• 20xOptical Zoom/4.7MP Photo Resolution
• Magic Finger Touch/Shot
• Time Lapse Recording
• IntelliStudio 2/0 (Built In PC Software)

Customer Reviews:

Unusable Indoors
This camera claims to have full hd. But don’t be fooled, it only supports 1080i/60i. It would have been much nicer if it was 1080p. Also the image quality is mediocre thanks to it’s new bsi cmos sensor.

Now for the 2 main problems i encountered that made this camera almost unusable.

1. There is a high pitched sound coming from the camcorder near the mic, so it is natural that the mic pick’s up the sound and amplify’s it in the video. The sound is there all the time and is very annoying when playing back video.

2. The Camera lags when it shoots in low light. It seems like the fps nearly drops 1/2. Also when moving the camera side to side in low light it seems that the image is tearing(Top half of video is moving faster then bottom half).

Now for the other aspects of this camera.

Image Quality:

In low light there was a lot of noise. Outdoors it did okay, but the colors were not that sharp and bright. Pictures were average, they are not actually 4.7 mpxl’s but rather upscaled. Image quality was comparable to a cell phone.

Focusing:

There is touch focusing which is somewhat cool, but the camera has a very slow focus. Objects will often remain blurry for extended periods of time while the camera attempts to focus on it.

Design:

The camcorder is very slim and small. The touchscreen is glossy and actually looks quite nice. They seemed to have ditched the cylindrical shaped body and swivel grip design for a more conventional camcorder design. The touchscreen hinge is very loose and feels very awkward, would have been nice if was more secure to the body of the camcorder. The Hmx H100 had built in flash and a automatic closing lens. The HMX H200 seems like a step backwards as it lacks both of these functions. I originally thought the camcorder had a 37mm thread as advertised but i was mistaken. It seems that the thread is 34mm.

Pricing:

At $399.99 for the HMX H200, and $299.99 for the HMX H100. I would have to say the HMX H100 was a better deal due to it’s above average reviews and added features.

Sound:

If you can ignore the high pitched sound then the sound that the mic picks up is actually pretty good. But the high pitch sound sometime is louder then the other sounds around you.

Overall:

I’m pretty sure my camcorder is not defective, due to the fact my previous samsung camcorder’s all had a high pitched frequency.

I would avoid this camcorder at all costs. I feel like i wasted yet another 400 bucks on a samsung camcorder.

Great Camcorder – easily worth the investment
I purchased this camera and have been using it for several weeks. The hi-pitched ringing that others complain about is imperceptible to me – even in a zero-ambient noise environment. This is an electronic device, so you might hear a soft hum under very quiet circumstances, but just about every camcorder does that… But I can’t hear anything worth complaining about. I am using fast class 10 SDHC card, so maybe that makes a difference.

I am a former broadcast news videographer with a few Emmy’s tucked away in my closet – so I should have some credibility with this review. I was not looking for a pro camera. I was looking for a good quality, affordable, HD camera to record my growing family. I love my Samsung HDTV and refrigerator, so I decide to give their camcorders a shot. Bottom line: This is a great, inexpensive HD camcorder, which easily fits my requirements. And at a cost of $297 out the door (I got a good price + another $97 for the SDHC card) it is hard to beat. Can it compare with a 3-chip prosumer camera costing thousands? No… and Yes. No, the lower-cost components don’t compete equally with higher cost components – and they are not meant to. But yes, in that all things being equal, a good shooter with this Samsung will shoot the socks off of an average shooter using any high-end camera. No camera, no matter how expensive, can compensate for poor shooting skills. A good shooter with this Samsung can do great things.

Some people complain about blurred or ghost images when shooting in very low-light with this camera. Here are a couple of suggestions: make sure the electronic image stabilization is turned off (this can lead to image blurring in low light), don’t zoom in (which lets in less light), use a class 10 SDHC card… and the most obvious – throw some light on your subject! Really, if it’s too dark to shoot then don’t shoot. Or at least accept the lower quality video – low-light means low-quality, which is why the pros travel with a light kit and take the time to light properly. This is video, not film. I also shoot on 720p, which seems to produce the most consistent results in a variety of lighting and motion conditions.

Now, some specifics… this camera is small and light. It can feel a little flimsy (especially the flip out screen) and the touch screen is not the most responsive, but I am getting used to it. I wish it had a mic jack, manual audio and better manual focus controls. I wish it had a separate, shielded view-finder in addition to the 2.7 inch touch screen – especially since it is hard to see in bright sunlight. I wish the shutter speed went as low as 1/30th of a second (instead of just 1/60th) which would let in more light under lower light conditions. But I guess all those features would make the camera cost more as well. The built in editing software is a nice touch and is good enough for basic editing, including some nice effects. This should be fine because the golden rule for editing is “less is more.” I am having a problem launching clips directly from this program for viewing and trimming – but I can do so while editing. This makes managing clips more difficult and may be a compatibility issue. Regardless, I will need to buy a dedicating editing package which is disappointing since basic editing is all that I need to do and I should be able to use the bundled package, but can’t.

On the upside, it has a 20x optical zoom, is easy to hold steady, has great video quality, has long-battery life (since it not spinning a hard drive, which should also make it more durable), powers-up fast, has built in editing features, is an easy point-and-shoot camera for family use, has robust manual controls even if you have to dig around a little, has “touch point” focus to focus anywhere just by touching the screen and a cool time-lapse shooting feature. And since I travel often, one of my favorite features is that you can charge this camera via the USB cable – which is perfect for me. The freedom to ditch the AC charger while traveling is a huge advantage and makes me more mobile. In all, Samsung put some very thoughtful features in this little camera for the shooter on the go. I highly recommend it and am very pleased with my purchase.

High pitch noise coming from camcorder
Wow, I thought my H200 was defective because I also was irritated by the high pitch noise coming from the camera and being fed into the mic. It’s oddly comforting to know I wasn’t hearing things and that there really was something wrong with the camera. Fortunately, I was able to return mine.

It is a pity though, because overall the camera seemed fine for general non-professional use. This was my first real camcorder and I thought the video was fine for my needs.

The plastic did feel a bit flimsy and noticed it was very fingerprint prone due to the glossy plastic. I also didn’t like the manual lens cover and the record button seemed a bit difficult to work with (hand felt strained). I did notice that the frame rate dropped noticeably in low light but I heard that is common with most compact camcorders.

Hopefully they’ll correct the problems down the road because it did seem to have potential… oh well, maybe Sammy will get it right with the new S10/S15/S16 models.

From the Manufacturer