Camcorder Reviews

it is one of the best cameras I have ever seen. I'd defintaly give this camcorder a try if you want to treasure family moments.

Looking for an entry level cam corder that will not break your budget; this is it. It has some wonderful functions such as digital effects and though it can be shaky if you do not really steady it with a tripod or by holding it firmly this little gem is a great first time camera. It is incredibly light and to make shooting possibilities even more enticing comes with a remote control unlike its 249.oo junior. Otherwise these cameras are identical.

After being disgusted by how expensive digital camcorders are, I thought I'd give this model a try. I really didn't expect much given the price but I was blown away. I found the sound and color to be quite good, the zoom and autofocus excellent, and an excellent list of features and effects. The camera was very easy to use and even easier to hook up to my vcr (with the included cable). I was also impressed at how fast it charged. All in all, an excellent camera, especially considering the cost.

I got the samsung SCM 51 recently and love it. It's got great features for the price. This does not have a remote (SCM 52 and 53 does), but for the sub 200 price tag I don't think you will find a better camcorder. I wanted to use this for a couple of years till the digital technology comes of age. For starters, its a great camcorder. The picture quality is pretty good and the sound is great. You don't have to scream to be heard. The 22x optical zoom and the 440x digital zoom are outstanding. A great starters camcorder for the price. I would recommend this for anyone buying their first camcorder.

I've been using this camera for one and a half years now and works great. Easy to use and with a lot of features. I specially love the widescreen and sepia modes.

When I first bought this cam it constantly ate the tape it came with. I brought it back to the store and they replaced the cam. Now 6 months later I have the same problem and the store tells me that my 3 month waranty is over. I explained them that the cam has the same problem as the first, but the answer remained,"your 3 months are over!!".

This camcorder is a bridge to the next generation (digital). I was looking for a digital (MiniDV) format camcorder, but at the moment, there are a couple of disadvantages to them. One is the relatively high cost, the other is rather poor low or moderate light performance. Since much of my shooting occurs indoors, this was simply unacceptable. I'll wait a year or two for things to get better with the Digital camcorders, but in the meantime, this SCL770 is a great bridge between the two formats. You get the relatively low price, and good low light performance of a Hi8 camera, plus you can use its USB connection to download a decent image (moving or still). You can even use it as a webcam! This should suit many of us just fine who are waiting for the digital camcorders to really mature, in capabilities and in price.

The only real negative I have come across at this time is the relatively short life span of the included battery. If you plan on using the LCD alot and shooting alot of footage between charges, I would suggest buying and upgraded battery.

This was a great deal what a cute little camera. You can upload movies onto your computer, view your movies via the television and also record movies onto a blank VHS tape! Why spend the big bucks on a digital?

I bought this camcorder from amazon.com for $313.88. This camera is stylish, small with many features. Auto Exposures modes, Preset titiles like Anniversary, Birthday, Our Son, Our Boy e.t.c. The normal zoom is great but when you activate the digital zoom which is 440x and zoom in at a far object it zooms but the focus becomes blur some what. This is even written in the guide which comes with the camera. I dont know why this kind of fault is left in such a good camera with so many functions which are difficult to get in this price range. It also has a BLC function. On activating it the background becomes dull and the object becomes bright so that you can shoot in front of a window also. The tape insertion and ejection system is fully automatic and works only with power on. I like this feature the way the compartment comes up and opens automatically and how it goes back. Thats the coolest feature. There is also a range of languages to select from and the lcd viewver, TFT screen works fine if you see it from the front and not from sides. Overall this is the best camera with so many features the only thing lagging is the focus on doing digital zoom.

I enjoy this camcorder alot and think is useful whether you are watching a soccer game or just recording fun times at the park. This camera is top of the line and is a good value.

I used it for weeks. It was astonishing. After I actualy shot some baby pictures, I knew my dedision was correct. Great picture and steady shot....

Just days after buying it, it started shredding up tapes, poor video quality, poor customer support, and when it doesn't eat the tape up, it can't even play it back properly without having serious playback problems. I have talked to others about this cam-- same thing. SamDUNG.

Even though Samsung licenses the technology from Japanese vendors, they suffer 1) poor quality control, and 2) terrible ergonomic design decisions, and 3) extremely bad customer support -- don't expect to find anyone if you need support such as warranty fulfillment. A much higher-quality JVC or Sharp doesn't cost much more, and gives you years of trusty service. The image quality on this model is pretty poor, prompting a Korean reviewer to call it worse than many 8mm camcorders. I can't comment on audio, but I'd be really really surprised if a Samsung can have better audio than a Panasonic, which Digital Video magazine gave a very positive review of.

So go with the best and get a reliable Japanese brand.

After looking at a ton of cameras I stumbeled onto this one. But I couldn't find too many reviews but the ones I did find only praised it, so I went out on a limb and bought this bad boy. And I'm glad I did. For the price this cam cannot be beat. The picture quality is excellent, not broadcast mind you but hey, it wasn't 3 grand. The zoom and auto focus work really well and so does the night vision. You can see in total darkness. The sound also picks up great because the mic points toward the front not the sky like many other cameras. A cool thing about this camera is that there is no red light when you are recording so you can get real candid shots. The battery lasts for a long time, one charge will last me a week when I film skiing everyday. And the charge only takes about 30 min. The tape load is on the bottom so it cannot be accesed while mounted on a tripod, but it's not a big deal. One thing I've noticed is that when filming in the cold you have to let it record for a few extra seconds or else what you were trying to get will be cut short. Other than that I haven noticed any problems. BTW it does not come with a firewire cord, or the lens attachment that appears in so many pictures of it.

The Camcorder has all Basic and important features that a digital camera should have. Its easy to transfer video to PC and play video on TV. The Camcorder has everything I need to get started on making digital home movies. I also bought a light attachment from samsung accesory store for low light indoor shooting. The date does reset to Jan 1, but thats a minor hitch.

The video quality is very good. Optical zoom is good too, haven't used digital zoom yet. I don't think i'll need it, 22x is sufficient.

I would say its a great basic digital camera to get started with. So if you are ok with limited but all important digital features definitly go for this camera. Its easy to operate.

...

I actually originally purchased a JVC digital camcorder. I should have listened to the other Amazon reviewers and steered clear of that one, as within an hour of use, it stated that it needed head cleaning, and wouldn't operate.
This Samsung camcorder replaced that one the day after I purchased the JVC, and I am very pleased. The picture and sound quality are great, and it is very easy to download the video to my iMac via firewire. I'm not sure how well (or if) it would work on a PC, so you may want to investigate whether it will work with your system.
About the only thing that keeps this camera from getting 5 stars is I have had difficulty trying to retrieve still photos when the camera is connected to the computer- but then I haven't fully read the manual, so it could be very simple.
Basically this is a great camera, and it's not much more expensive than a high-quality digital still camera. If you enjoy having multiple-use products as much as I do, this is a great bet.

I have to say my Samsung SCD-67 Mini DV camcorder DOES WORK WITH FIREWIRE AND MAC. I've been editing my tapes on Mac from day one and haven't had a problem. "Blue Dalmation" iMac 500mhz/20Gig HD, OS 9.1 & iMovie 2.

I have DV camcorders. One is Sony pc110 and another is this.

Pro. 1. Cheap ( 1/3 price of SONY) 2. Easy to use. 3. strong ( I dropped once. but it's OK)

Con 1. No additional memory for avi file and picture. 2. Apperance is not fancy.

So I gave an average score

Be sure to buy an extended warranty if you plan on buying this camera. Mine broke just a few days after the incredibly short 90 day labor warranty (1yr. on parts though). One day when I went to playback some video I had shot, nothing showed up other than a blue screen. It wouldn't playback anything after owning it less than 4 months. Other than that, the camera seems to perform okay, although the motors in the camera are quite a bit noisier than other camcorders I've used.

Be sure to do your homework before deciding to buy this camera. If you want a comparable camera get a panasonic dv51 which in similar in price. I'd stay away from this one....

After spending several thousand dollars for a top of the line 8mm camcorder a decade ago only for it to become little more than junk today, I decided to buy only the cheapest camcorder that fulfilled my minimum needs. This Samsung SCD55 was it. The camera takes great amateur-grade video and is compact and lightweight enough to carry around on my hiking and climbing trips to boot. It's not as small and light as some other mini-DV models but doesn't cost as much either. The video lens is so-so and I bought a 0.6X wide-angle adapter for it. The video image quality is typically single-chip CCD quality with OK low light performance. My big caveat is that the included lithium battery lasts a marginally useful 20 minutes and the extra-life battery...runs just around 40 minutes - in that department I'm kind of jealous of friends who use the Sony Stamina battery based camcorders. For extended trips away from AC power to recharge the battery, I would NOT recommend this camera. Overall it's good value for the money and you won't cry too much a decade from now when it's obsolete.

I really like this camcorder. It was smaller than I expected which is a bonus. The picture quality is great, and unlike the other reviewer I found the indoor quality to be good despite my somewhat unlit apartment. It took me some time to figure our why the time and date stamp reset itself each time I turned it off. I soon realized that it had an internal lithium battery that had to be charged for 24 hours. Finally, the camcorder does not have all the special effects that I have seen on other camcorders, but I would not use them anyway. Essentially this camcorder is for those who dont want to pay for frills, but want a quality practical camcorder. Perfect for me!