Samsung HMX-H100 Review

The Samsung HMX- H100 has solid state drive, which stores data just like hard drive. This camcorder is larger in size but compact in size. The camcorder is made up of plastic. Even then the feel is solid. The important controls like power, zoom, record, mode and photo are located in such a fashion that they lie beneath the user’s right thumb or forefinger. The zoom button on top side wobbles and it takes time to respond. At the bottom side, one finds ports for USB, charger, mini HDMI and AV. The model’s grip rotates at 150 degrees. The rotation locks at two positions. This adjustment in design helps the user.

The camcorder has 2.2 mega pixel CMOS sensor.  This Samsung model has optical image stabilization. The HMX- H100 has 2.7 inch touch screen. In the LCD panel, the user can find switches for image stabilization, photo flash, power, display and full auto. On the edge of the LCD, one can see location of record button, Menu button and secondary zoom switch. On the bottom side, the SDHC and battery slot are located. This Samsung camcorder has stereo mics on sides of the lens. The built-in electronic lens cover gives protection to the lens.

Let’s take a look at the Samsung HMX-H100:

The touch screen provided is not that responsive. The user has to press many times to register the touch and start a function. The organization of menu is quite good and it is simple to use. The camcorder offers features like white balance, scene modes, exposure compensation, focus, photo and video resolution, shutter and aperture.  THE Q Menu button helps in selecting storage media in form of SD or SSD. The aperture and shutter speed can be adjusted manually. The video recording is completed at fast pace and encoding is done quickly. The camcorder helps in editing of a video.

The auto focus of this Samsung model is slow. It takes a lot of time to find and focus the right subject. The video quality is fine but it lacks the sharpness. The colors look dull in the videos. There is noise in the videos. Fuzzy edges are seen when the videos are viewed on big screen. The videos shot in low light situations look over processed. The image quality of the stills is average. The pictures have smeared look. The overall performance of the camcorder in video and image department is not that satisfying.

Take a look at the screen of  this camcorder:

The HMX-H100 is priced at $ 399. The attractive design, rotating grip and manual controls give an edge to the model but the average video quality and slow performance are turnoffs. The user can look for better alternatives in the market for this price.