Samsung SC-MX20 Camcorder Review

By Kaitlyn Chantry
Reviewed.com Editorial Staff
Published on October 22, 2008



The Samsung SC-MX20 is the standard definition version of its more impressive HD cousin, the Samsung SC-HMX20. For the higher end model, Samsung made a number of improvements that resulted in an intuitive, attractive camcorder with stellar video performance—a product that can compete with anything from JVC, Panasonic, or Sony. The SC-MX20, on the other hand, offers great ease of use, but disappoints with its performance.

The SC-MX20 comes equipped with the same 1/6-inch CCD sensor and 34x optical zoom as its predecessor, the SC-MX10. This time around, you'll find the lens branded by Schneider-Kreuznach, but it's otherwise identical. The camcorder records exclusively to removable SD/SDHC memory cards, records in the H.264 (MPEG-4.AVC) file format, and offers no still photography features.

Samsung's burgeoning strength is in streamlining the user experience. The SC-MX20 is being marketed as Samsung's "Shoot and Share" YouTube camcorder and it does, in fact, make shooting and sharing very easy. Handling has been improved by widening the hand strap for increased stability and by increasing the rotation on the unique swivel grip. The 180-degree rotation on the hand grip is a feature that allows for some pretty unique angles and shooting positions.

The menu navigation is clear, clean, and simple, operated by a small directional pad mounted on the camcorder's LCD panel. Unlike many of the competitors, Samsung has consolidated all features into a single, tabbed menu—you don't have to guess where items are buried. You can control shutter speed, exposure, and focus manually with a simple sliding bar in the menus and you can choose between a fairly wide range of white balance settings and scene modes. The menus are so easy to navigate, many users will probably find themselves experimenting with settings they never would have bothered to locate on another camcorder.

Performance (read in-depth lab performance at CamcorderInfo.com)
Though the Samsung SC-MX20 shines in handling and ease of use, the video performance is somewhat less than remarkable. The 1/6-inch CCD sensor has a gross pixel count of 680,000. On paper, this isn't far off from the standard definition competition, but the lab results failed to impress. The resolution is fairly good, but video is marred by chunky blocks of discoloration and a fair amount of noise. You'll find this on most standard models in this price range, but the problems are more evident on the SC-MX20.

Also very troubling is the camcorder's inability to balance colors properly in most indoor lighting situations. Under very bright incandescent light, even a manual white balance resulted in poor color. Our lab testing revealed this to be even more problematic in low light, where the footage was darker and noisier than a lot of the competition. What appears to be light, clear purple on a chart is outputted by the SC-MX20 as dark blue, and full of coarse, distracting noise.

Comparisons (read in-depth comparisons at CamcorderInfo.com)
If you plan to upload your video directly to YouTube, the Samsung SC-MX20 will probably be more than sufficient. The process is simple and performance issues are buried under YouTube's own regrettable compression. But if you will be watching your footage on a big screen television or making DVDs, there are other camcorders that will offer video, the Canon FS100 and Panasonic SDR-S7. The JVC GZ-MS100 is an especially good choice if you plan to shoot in low light, but its overall performance doesn't overwhelm the Samsung.

While the MX20 is a bit of a let-down with its performance, it does not disappoint in offering a simple, intuitive interface. The camcorder is an absolute champ compared to the competition: the JVC GZ-MS100 has an unwieldy "laser touch" panel and confusing menu structure, and the Canon FS100 and Panasonic SDR-S7 spread functions out across multiple menus. Even Sony can't compete with this simplicity. The Samsung SC-MX20 is easy to use in any mode and though manual controls are limited, they are all responsive and intuitive.

If you're looking for the best standard definition performer, the Samsung SC-MX20 is not for you. But some people want an easy, intuitive video experience with more power and control than the micro-camcorders like the Pure Digital Flip Mino. If that's you, take a look at this "Shoot and Share" camcorder... Samsung may have hit the nail on the head.