| Brand: | Samsung | ||
| Average Rating |
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The new SMX-F34 is Samsung’s next generation YouTube-compatible compact digital camcorder. Building on the SC-MX20 camcorder, the SMX-F34 offers additional features and functionality, including built-in memory, digital still photo capability, and Samsung’s 42x Intelli-Zoom. Significantly more reliable than a standard digital zoom which negatively affects the quality of the image, Intelli-Zoom allows you to go beyond the camcorder’s 34x optical zoom without sacrificing image quality. The SMX-F34 features a memory card slot for SD/SDHC and also offers 16GB of internal flash memory. Samsung is the first digital imaging company to apply H.264 compression to standard definition video, which considerably extends record times. Thanks to H.264 compression, users can record up to eight hours of standard definition video directly to the camcorder’s internal flash memory without having to rely on a memory card. Samsung’s new image processor also reduces power consumption, which translates to longer battery life. On a single charge, you can record up to three hours of uninterrupted video–ideal for when you wish to shoot for extended periods of time. Featuring a high-performance 680K pixel CCD sensor, the SMX-F34 delivers a resolution of 720×480 and also incorporates Samsung’s new image processor which drastically enhances the overall image. Samsung’s new image processor yields higher-quality video, 3-D Noise Reduction, Face Detection for up to five subjects, a brighter 2.7 inch LCD display, as well as H.264 compression. more info
Popularity: 1% [?]
{ 15 comments… read them below or add one }
Low end camcorder
Rating:2 out of 5 stars
I have owned the camcorder for one day and I can tell I am quite disappointed with the quality of pictures and movies. First I wanted a small easy to use camcorder to replace my old 8 mm Sony and this Samsung is small but not better. I tried in different conditions and here is what i found:
-automatic Easy Q mode doesn’t work very good
-the biggest fault is this camera has trouble focusing in low light (with 100 watt bulb in the ceiling) slow focus, lost focus or cannot focus at all especially when you zoom in. The Old Sony performs a lot better.
-another problem is the images look darker than they really are and red color flicker on the TV screen
-it does not have a built in light or night shot for low light conditions
-in bright light the LCD is not easy to see, even with enhanced button pushed
-anti-shake is useless over 10x zoom
-the microphone barely picks up a sound across the room
-no paper owner manual, you are out of luck if you need info and are away from a computer
-I haven’t tried the software yet because I am thinking to send it back
-I am wonder how anybody can give 4-5 stars except if they are sales persons or Samsung employee.
SC – MX20 vs SMX – F34
Rating:3 out of 5 stars
The similarities: both are small, slightly larger than pocket sized, and both have a manual lens cover.
My unit’s lens cover had a hard time closing. This was at any angle and appears to be a persistent problem. I did not experience this with the MX20. This may be a new issue Samsung needs to address. Both units have good quality Schneider lenses with multiple coatings. It would be a bummer to have the lens get damaged because of a faulty cover.
Both units have swivel handles on the right side and have standard camera mounts. The difference between the 34x zoom of the SC-MX20, and the 42x of the SMX-F34 is negligible. Anti-shake helps the zoom focus better at longer ranges. The difference between the ranges just isn’t that impressive.
The boost in the SMX-F34′s internal memory eliminates the need for a memory card (I currently do not have one installed). A memory card makes transfers to external devices a snap, but isn’t necessary. Given the battery life, 16gb is more than enough even at higher resolutions.
The SMX-F34 has a `still images’ mode. Another addition is ‘time lapse’ which is the one I really wanted to try. This turned out to be something of a bummer.
When the camera is in use and plugged in – it does not charge. The time-lapse video I made lasted 7 minutes 39 seconds. I started it Tuesday morning and stopped it Wednesday night. When I unplugged the camera, it gave me a low battery warning and shut down. I checked the connection then tried making another time-lapse that lasted 24 hours. No, it didn’t work.
The 3 hour battery charge isn’t nearly enough to keep an overnight time lapse going. This was disappointing. I thought it might be possible to use the SMX-F34 as a short term surveillance camera. This is just not possible given the short battery life.
Still, given that the prices are similar, the SMX-F34 is the better buy due to the increased internal memory. Watch out for that faulty lens cover. This problem may not have been specific to my unit.
A further note:
I would encourage you to NOT skimp when choosing a tripod! At the higher magnification a tripod becomes necessary. Pick a good one. The one I used I purchased because it was light and cheap. It was supposed to be used to hold a pair of binoculars (10x), at 34x or 42x ev. It ended up slipping.
Awful DVD Picture, Frustrating to Convert!
Rating:2 out of 5 stars
After all the reviews I read here, most of them reveling in the video quality of this camcorder (hey Consumer Reports loved it too), I decided against going to the Sony HDR-CX100, which can Record and burn in both HD and SD, and costs only about $100 more than this hunk of junk.
LET ME CLARIFY EXACTLY WHAT I WANTED, BECAUSE IF YOU WANT A YOUTUBE CAMERA AND NEVER WANT TO BURN VIDEO TO DVD, THIS IS PROBABLY A 3-STAR CAMERA.
I wanted:
- A point a click camcorder that’s easy to use
- to hook it up to my laptop and burn to HD or SD with about 5 minutes/clicks or less of effort
- Good quality video
Ok, setup was easy, and after the battery charged I started taking video. Easy to take, easy to hook up to TV and watch, quality of video seemed good. THEN I TRIED TO CONVERT TO A DVD, AND MY FRUSTRATIONS BEGAN. This cam records in mp4 (H.264) video. I don’t care at all what that means. But, it means if you want to share vidoes on YouTube, you are set because that’s the YouTube format. It means you are in for severe frustration if you want to burn a DVD to send to mom and dad.
I wanted to hook it up to my brand new lenovo dual core laptop with Vista 64 and 4GB ram and – click, click, done. NOPE. That’s how it should work, right. I shouldn’t have to spend hours converting, looking for software that works, banging my head on the table – right???
First Samsung software only allows you to view the pics and videos on your PC. NO SOFTWARE IS INCLUDED BY SAMSUNG TO BURN DVD’S. Microsoft movie maker, media player, etc. don’t recognize the .mp4 files. I downloaded a software program to convert the .mp4 to an acceptable DVD format, so the software that comes standard on your PC can allow you to burn it to DVD. Any “easy to use” package costs you additional money, and most aren’t that easy. It’s frustrating try to decide what program to buy – takes almost as much time as deciding what cam to buy.
Anyway, finally got it to DVD and popped it in my player. AWFUL, AWFUL quality. About as good as taking a 2MP camera and using it’s video mode. GARBAGE!
So, I picked up a Sony Sony HDR-CX100, for a little more than $100 more. It comes with software that requires about 3-clicks to burn to a dvd (it can’t get easier, trust me). You can record in HD, burn to SD, and the quality is OUTSTANDING. Took me longer to write this memo than create my first video (in HD), and convert it to SD so I could send it out to the relatives.
Lesson learned? Be careful what Amazon reviews you read.
Fantastic Camcorder!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
The Samsung SMX-F34 is fantastic little camcorder! It’s very light weight yet feels sturdy and durable. It has a great compact design that fits easily in your hand. The 2.7″ screen is fantastic, clear, sharp and vibrant. The set-up was also very easy using Windows 7, just Plug and Play and easy transfering between PC and camcorder. The YouTube integration is great, very simplified solution that anyone can do. The options are very easy to navigate and get your videos online. The video quality isn’t HD, but it is exceptional. The cam offers great quality videos that truly capture the moment, look great on TV, burned to a video disc or DVD, or viewed on YouTube. The price is attractive, the features are great, the size is fantastic and the quality is exceptional. It’s a great handy little camcorder, perfect for vacations!
Great, affordable camera
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
This is a great little camera! In this price level of electronics, I think most people will be deciding between buying this small camcorder and one of the new, small Flip cameras, so I tried to incorporate a camcorder vs. flip camera comparison into this review.
–DESIGN–
Upon opening the box, I was surprised at how tiny this camera was. It’s also very lightweight, so this is a great, portable camera that will fit in your purse or bag. The color is nice, and surfaces looks scratch-resistant. Because this is an actual camcorder, it doesn’t look nearly as cool as the smaller Flip video cameras, but keep in mind that with a camcorder you have more controls (as opposed to the simple zoom that a Flip video offers).
–VIDEO & SOUND–
The video is good quality and the sound is good. If you have a nice digital camera, I think you could match (if not exceed) the video and sound quality that this camcorder offers.
–EASE-OF-USE–
Very easy to use. Simple as that!
–PRICE–
This is a good camcorder for the price. I think most people would buy this product because it is an actual camcorder, not another device that records video. With a camcorder, you have more options when shooting video (as opposed to filming with a digitial camera or flip camcorder). If you’re looking for a small, portable, easy to use device that records video, this camcorder is great.
Excellent for the non-professional videographer
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
I have run this camcorder through it’s paces and find it to be more than adequate for the casual videographer. I took it to the beach, downtown, and a few other places. I had a lot of fun following the seagulls with it on the beach. The intellizoom worked excellent… a little too excellent as I was able to zoom in on some people across the street sitting on their beach condo patio. Of course, with using the full capability of the zoom, some quality was lost and I found the camcorder worked best at distances of half a block or less.
The camcorder was very lightweight to carry around downtown and snap videos and pictures of the family. The still pictures are web quality, but it’s a lot easier than carrying a camera and a camcorder. The menu and the buttons were completely intuitive to use. I never even needed to crack open the manual.
The camcorder can stay on for a long periods of time but I found it got hot in my hand and it drained the battery much faster than turning it off and on as needed.
By the time I needed to download the videos from the camera, I found I had 55 videos. I don’t recall how much time was recorded, but it did take a long time to transfer to my computer.
Overall the quality was “good” but not high def. The recordings were nice and stable without any obvious shaking. My kids enjoyed using it as well, and at this price, I don’t mind letting them use it.
For the price, quality, and features, I don’t think there’s a better camcorder out there. If you’re planning to get this, I would recommend the Joby GP1-EBEN Gorillapod Flexible Tripod (Blue) as well. It’s a near perfect match and I found myself using the tripod mount a lot so the entire family could be in the video.
An awesome camcorder with good battery and room for 6 hours of video
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
This little camera is way more than I could hope for. It has a battery life of 3 hours and can store 6 hours of video on the built in flash memory. The video stream quality is still flawless at this rate. The controls are easy to figure out, which is a good thing since the only documentation is a .pdf that comes on a CD.
The camera lens is a Schneider-Kreuznach and the salesperson at Best-Buy told me that it is high quality. Best Buy and Fry’s had this camera for less $$$ than what I paid at Amazon.com. Neither place staffed more than one person in the video department and I got sick of waiting for someone to fetch me the camera from under lock and key. Too bad for them.
The camera is very light and well designed. It takes video and camera photos and stores them on either the internal 16GB flash memory or the external flash card drive. The camera supports SDHC or MMC flash cards of up to 16GB class 2 or greater since this camera is normal not High Def.
Another nice surprise is that the camera has a time lapse feature that is easy to use. You can set the interval between exposures from 1 to 30 seconds. You can also set length of time to film from infinity, 24, 48, or 72 hours. One thing about this is that the camera has limits on storage that would prevent you from creating one big 16GB video.
I think this camera will be prefect for travel. It has very few moving parts and not much that could break. It doesn’t have a viewfinder, only the display screen.
I could go on about how much I love this camera, but I think that I am already in the majority.
Not for videophiles, but great for video on-the-go
Rating:3 out of 5 stars
In this day and age, “HD” is almost considered entry-level. And this is a standard-resolution camera, so if you’re looking for the latest technology, look elsewhere.
That’s not to say, however, that this camera has nothing going for it. The Samsung is affordable and does a decent job of taking standard-resolution video. Image stabilization is available, and works reasonably well. It also takes photos, but if you’re expecting quality suitable for anything other than sharing on-line, you’re likely to be disappointed with the quality of the stills.
If you’re looking for a user-friendly video camera to take decent video without the hassles of swapping in (or figuring out) memory cards, this may be your camera. If you’re looking for an EXTRA video camera at a good price, again this is a good choice. But if you’re seeking to “wow” your friends and/or preserve your memories in high-resolution video, you’d be well advised to look a little bit up-market.
The SMX-F34 Samsung
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I read all the reviews I could possible find before purchasing the SMX-F34 and found that every thing posted about the camera were true. The camcorder is extremely fun and easy to use while photos and movies are of high quality and the software that comes is great. I have no problem uploading videos and slideshowes to YouTube, Flichr, or elsewhere. For me, the price is right. As a matter of fact I believe it performs as well as some of the more expensive camcorders. [...]
Broken out of the box
Rating:1 out of 5 stars
I ordered this camera for a vacation to visit my family. When I received it, the LCD screen didn’t work the first time I tried it. Dealing with Samsung customer service has been a nightmare. I know others have had better results, but now I’ve “owned” this camera for 2 weeks, had it in my possession for 36 hours, and have never been able to use it. For me, this is unacceptable for a brand new camera. Not only would I not recommend this camera, I wouldn’t recommend Samsung.
Easy point and shoot, with easy to use menu
Rating:3 out of 5 stars
Please note that this camera does not shoot in HIGH DEFINITION.
The idea of migrating the storage of camcorder shots to an internal memory was very appealing with this camera. It stores up 16GB and there is a slot to add an SD card. Hence, there is no extra cost in buying an SD card, which is not the case for all camcorders in the same price range.
What we liked about the camcorder
- very light, very easy to hold and shoot.
- has a built in lense cap, which is terrific and mades the whole design have a much cleaner finish. Also, when you switch the camcorder on, it will tell you when you have not opened the lense cap!
- built in 16GB of ram and a slot to add an SD card
- a visible botton on the outside that allows you to choose between using the a) camcorder b) camera c) watch the movies stored
- the menu is very user friendly and some of the options we liked include:
i) grids to help you frame your shot
ii) focus that allows for auto focusing, face recognition or manual focusing
iii) simpe scence shot options: sports or portraits
IV) has anti shake option, which comes in handy if you are using the zoom (also see below for the not so great bits about the zoom).
vi) up load to utube is very easy
v) cuts on wind noise (it works and reduces the muffle sound)
vii) the program for editing your shot is very simple, as the intention is to allow you to edit (if any) before loading to utube or send it for friends/family to see. If you are looking for a more sophicated finish then you need to buy a separate program.
Maybe it is the price bracket this camcorder falls within, but we would have liked to see improvements in the following:
- the zoom feature is great to a point, but if you plan to use it to its full capacity then I would recommend that you use a tripod. Otherwise, the whole shot comes out very ‘shakened’.
- we noticed that the zoom button was more sensitive compared with other camcorders in the same price range, which made it very difficult to zoom in and out without you feeling that you were travelling through the stargate!
- the camcorder and camera options are best used in good lighting. Not advisable for low lighting events.
- no flash light.
Small but easy to use
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Previously I had use the Samsung SC-MX20 Flash Memory Camcorder w/34x Optical Zoom and had been very impressed with that product. Due to my high expectations, I had a feeling that using this camcorder was going to give me the same feeling. I was right.
We have used this camera on multiple occasions using both the video and still picture options. The biggest occasion that we used this camera for was our wedding. My sister’s boyfriend used in to record the ceremony as well as scenes from the reception. We were highly impressed with the quality of the video and sound. The zoom feature worked very well, allowing for close up shots during the ceremony and the music was recorded clear and precise. Still pictures have come out clean and crisp as well.
The only really big problems I have is once again, the CD is the only way to read the manual. I understand the reasoning for this but it can be a hassle when you aren’t near a computer and you’re trying to figure out something in a hurry. Also it would be nice to have a flash or something, when taking the still pictures as low light can be an issue.
Overall, this is another excellent camera for a beginner to use. The lightweight portability is a plus and transferring and uploading picture and video the computer is easy to do. This makes an excellent gift to give to a high school grad or upcoming college student.
It’s cute
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
This was a gift for my son and daughter-in-law to use for their new baby. Ella Grace is “planned for” on Sept. 4. Her parents had reviewed several sites on the Internet and decided this was the camcorder – size, memory, computer compatibility, and color – they wanted.
It came with a disc as a user manual, and, as they are very much into “planning”, they are enjoying the extensive instructions. I don’t know that that would be my first choice for learning how to operate the camera – but they are, obviously, much younger and tech hip than I.
The camcorder itself is adorable – they chose red, and it looks like a small, fashion “torpedo” purse with a matching leather handle. I think my daughter-in-law will be carrying it around more than my son…
I believe, based on their research and the planning that went into its construction and instructions, it will be very functional and enjoyable.
Otherwise capable camcorder marred by a fatal flaw
Rating:2 out of 5 stars
This Samsung camcorder is delightfully fun to use, and takes pretty good quality video considering its low cost. There is only one problem, and unfortunately, it is a fatal flaw. Because of this flaw, I cannot recommend this camcorder.
Before I discuss the flaw, let me talk about some of the good things. The first thing I noticed upon using this camcorder is its wide field of vision. I frequently like to take videos of myself — you know, fun little videos in which I’m holding the camera in front of me, pointing it at myself and narrating the scene. This usually works very well with most digicams, which have small lenses that have a very wide angle. However, most camcorders are nowhere near as wide angled, and so if you point the camera at yourself, you end up with a very close up shot of your face.
I was very pleasantly surprised to see that this camcorder exhibited the useful wide-angle lens of your standard digicam. I could comfortably hold the camera at arms length, pointed at me, and the shot would be well composed and not too close. It was doubly useful because the flip-out LCD screen is able to rotate 180 degrees to face the same direction as the lens, so I could see what I was recording.
However, the reason digicams are able to offer that useful wide angle is because they use fairly small lenses. Small lenses may give a wide field of view, but they are nowhere near as competent as the larger lenses found in many high-end camcorders. For casual video recording, this is not a big deal, but you should know if you buy this camcorder that its small lens will cause you to deal with trade-offs. The optical image stabilization is not very good, and at full telephoto you will be shaking a lot regardless of how steadily you are holding the camera. Also, at full telephoto the picture is not as sharp as it could be. Further, the contrast between the bright and dark colors is so great that you will often miss the lot of detail in the midrange.
That said, for casual purposes, this camcorder is fine. Unlike many low-end camcorders, the color here is not too oversaturated. And the ability to choose between a 4:3 ratio and a 16:9 ratio is useful. Or at least it would be useful if it worked. And this brings me to the fatal flaw.
The video will look beautiful when you play it on the built-in screen. But when you go to move the files to your computer, you will see that the camcorder fails to properly set the resolution on the final saved video. The end result is that widescreen videos shot in 16:9 look squished when played on the computer. And standard resolution videos shot in 4:3 looks stretched when played on the computer.
I don’t know if this is a Mac problem or a general problem. I only use a Mac computer, not a Windows computer, so I am not sure if this problem is reproducible on Windows. But I am fairly well versed in computers, and I spent a long time trying to fix this problem, to no avail. I ran the videos through iMovie, Final Cut Pro, QuickTime, and yet no matter what I tried, I was unable to fix the proportions of the videos. As it stands, I cannot use any of the video I took, for any purposes.
Now, it is possible that if you simply upload the video from your camcorder directly into YouTube, it might look fine. I don’t know, as I have not tried this, because I like to edit my videos before I upload them. But, as I said, any editing program I tried to use open up the video in a deformed manner. This is not a problem with my editing software. I have edited countless videos from countless different camcorders and digicams, and I have never had this problem. I searched the Internet to see if anyone else had this problem, and indeed, this problem was very common with Samsung’s low-end camcorders. Some people had figured out how to work around this problem, but the instructions for that seemed fairly involved and confusing, and frankly no one should have to jury rig the videos before they are usable!
For this reason, I am unable to recommend that any Mac users purchase this camcorder. If, however, Samsung’s engineers fix this problem, then I would give it 4 stars and recommend it for someone who wanted to take informal videos. As cheap cameras go, this would be a good one if not for the fatal resolution flaw.
An overall great videocamera for its class
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
The lenscap on this camera is built-in, but not automatic. The switch to open it is on the side of the lens, and while it opens all the way with no trouble, it does not close completely and the lower flap must be pushed into place with a finger. I suspect it is only a matter of time before this flap becomes inoperable and I have a camera lens that I cannot protect. Maybe I just got a bad one, though, because I haven’t seen anyone else complaining about the lens cover on this cam.
The video is surprisingly stable and I had a much easier time getting clear shots with a minimum of shakiness. HD camcorders I’ve tried seem to require either a tripod or a surgeon’s precise and steady hand to get video that won’t give you motion sickness. I liked the overall video quality I got with this camera better as well. The advertized zoom features did not work well for me. In my experience with any camera the more you try to zoom the shakier it gets and this was really no different.
However I think image stability, video quality and ease of use outweigh the zoom issue. Low light conditions were not perfect, but I’ve seen higher end cameras with worse low-light results. It’s much easier to find features such as switching aspect ratios and lighting settings on the camera. It focuses on both still and moving objects quickly– again, much better than higher-end HD cameras I’ve tried.
As advertised, I think it’s perfect for You Tube videographers. Even though it does not shoot in HD, I think this is a great entry-level camera for beginners and experienced You Tubers alike. It feels sturdy and I’m not afraid to throw it in a bag and take it along with me wherever I go. I wish I could count on the lenscap closing, but overall this camera is a great value for what it does. If HD is not an issue or you just want to upload stuff to the internet this camera is fantastic.