When our intrepid mobile phone Craver went to Mobile World Congress last month, he took with him a plethora of lightweight gadgets for staying connected on the go. The crisp image quality of the Samsung VP-HMX10 camcorder so impressed the phone wonk that the camcorder wonk is taking it for a spin.
The first thing to impress us was the size and weight of the camcorder. It's ideal for jetting off overseas because it's so light, and it's darn compact, too. Small size isn't everything, but this mini marvel records in 1,280x720-pixel high-definition resolution. Footage is recorded in H.264 format. You can also drop to 720x480-pixel standard definition to save memory, or if you haven't got an HDTV yet.
A 10x optical zoom takes care of filming over longer distances. It boasts electronic image stabilisation plus automatic and manual focus. The 1.56-megapixel CMOS sensor isn't ideal for taking stills, but you can't have everything.
Just because it's small doesn't mean it lacks extra details. These include a built-in lens cover, mic socket and a full-sized HDMI cable socket. You also get an LED video light to keep things illuminated. When filming outdoors, a 'wind cut plus' sound enhancement feature filters out the wind, keeping sound clear. We could do with one of those at Crave Towers to keep the chill wind off the Thames from cutting through us. But we digress.
The Samsung VP-HMX10 is available online now for around £350. Click through the links to see what other goodies this reasonably-priced shooter has to offer. -Rich Trenholm
Update: Read our full Samsung VP-HMX10 review.
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