Samsung HMX-U10 Ultra-Compact Full-HD Camcorder with 10 MP Still

I just finished boxing up this product back to Amazon and am compelled to write this review to help others make an informed purchase from someone who used the product.

I had been in the market for an ultra compact HD camera for about 3 months after tiring of the mini DVD cam I had for about 10 years. When I read about Samsung’s entry into the market I knew I had to wait, because I love their quality in general. Plus, the promise of a 10mg digital camera with one-touch upload to Youtube and SD card capability made this a no brainer for me.

My primary uses would be 1) capturing family moments with the kids without having to resort to carrying the larger camcorder and a supply of DVDs everywhere we go. And, 2) shooting stationary video for my v-log entries.

When the product arrived, I was really happy. On the positive side, I like how compact it is.

- Ergonomically, it fits really well in my hand and I actually like the controls. While the touch controls are sensitive, I didn’t have any problems easily selecting my options.

- The camera is completely intuitive. I was using it straight out of the box as soon as I inserted the SD card. Switching between video, pictures, and playback is a cinch! Very nice.

- Compact. The camera’s size is unbelievable. It easily fits pretty much anywhere you have a pocket. Fantastic.

- Appearance is spot on too. It’s a nice looking camera.

Now for the overwhelming negatives:

- The image quality is dreadful. Not only is it grainy indoors, but unless you have a lot of light it’s almost unusable. It’s also really choppy, which I don’t like.

- The sound quality doesn’t seem to match up with the video. While the mic picked up the sound, it didn’t match upon playback.

- Picture quality. Don’t be fooled by the 10mg capability. I challenge you to take a quality shot with this camera. Forget about anything indoors and stand as still as you can and it’s still going to be blurry. Unless you plan on carrying a tripod everywhere, forget it.’

I really, REALLY wanted to love this video camera, but I had to send it back. The concept is a good one, but it is nowhere near acceptable in the performance category, which is a shame since these are used to record family memories.

I am really quite angry at Samsung for putting this type of garbage on the market. They are smart people and must know about this product’s shortcomings.

I am an absolute research hound before I buy products, especially technology related ones. But, this time I wanted to be the first one on the block and I got burned. Had I just waited a week or two I would have seen the negative reviews and steered clear. I will give a look at the Flip Mino, but may not even buy an ultra compact at this point, because I can’t see how the video and indoor, low light quality can be that much improved on such a small device.

Buyer beware, there are better options out there.
Rating: 2 / 5

LEt me start by saying I have owned the following:

Vado HD

Flip Ultra HD

and the Samsung HMX-U10

This camera is going back after two days of testing.

Cons:

Everything

Pros:

7 degree angle

1080HD (Didnt look any better than the Vado)

The controls on this camera are heat sensitive, think original ipod controls. Howver there is about a millimeter of space between the direction and the “ok” button causing you to hit the wrong buttons almost 90% of the time. SO ANNOYING!!!! Not only that when you are shooting video it is VERY easy to accidentally hit one of these buttons.

The camera lens seems to be the LEAST wide angled of the three cameras I have tried. I was about five feet from my daughter and I think I filmed her eyelashes. Like the poster above you really need to be at the height of the object being filmed. Horrible with low light, not even visable. Horrible in bright light, the camera seems to get confused and keep trying to adjust. My daughter looked like the guy from the movie powder in the sunlight.

Intlistudio is worthless

It is disappointing that Samsung had all the research possible with Flip and Vado coming out early. Samsung definately flopped with this camera. Vado is by far the best of the class.

One quick note, the point of these pocket camcorders is eas of use. This camera almost has too many options which bogs down the fun and easy of point and shoot. Maybe this is a personal preference but my wife would not use this camera as much as the Vado because of confusion.

Last, the connections SUCK!!!! I mean how can Samsung not put mini HDMI to HDMI on this??? The Ultra and the Vado do. I mean you have this tiny camera and then you have to plug in COMPONENTS??? 5 wires that need to be plugged in. It would almost be better with Red white yellow. The USB plugin is too close to the flap that covers it. So when you plug it in you feel like you are going to break the flap. Another problem, the rest of this class has the USB attached which is MUCH easier. Why have another wire lying around?

If you are new to the pocket camera world, get the Vado HD (first version) for 110 dollars. Save money, looks great, just came out with a software that works with a mac. Wide angled lens, mini hdmi, buiilt in memory, three button controls, comes with protective sleeve and hdmi wire. The Vado HD is the best, dont get the second version because it is the same camera just in a new flashy color, which doesnt matter because you put a silicon sleeve on it.

Samsung laid an egg on this one, hence the 20 dollar drop in price in just 2 days after the release. Hope this helps
Rating: 1 / 5

I have read a lot of negative reviews about this camera and I can honestly say, “I don’t get it”. some people said there were lipsync issues, lousy video and bad still shots. I have put this little HD camcorder through it’s paces and have had no issues at all. Is it the best camera out there? No, but it is far from terrible as some have said.

Easy to operate with some decent features and great quality. Now if you are expecting to get 500 dollars worth of camera for the 149.00 price point, then you will probably be disappointed. This baby takes better video than some full size vhs camcorders I had back in the day and I had to carry those on my shoulder. I’m sure the tech on the mini camcorders will get even better as time goes by but these minis are still pretty new.

I can definitely recommend this camera.
Rating: 5 / 5

Many consumers who commented on this product seems to be frustrated by certain aspects of the camera.

Although they are somewhat valid, I am not sure if they realize how much they have paid for the product.

Currently, this camcorder is selling for about ~$110 and this product does the perfect job for the price. The image is clear and it is very easy to use.

If you want to buy a camcorder with superior sound quality, etc, then you should upgrade to Samsung camcorders that are in the $500 range. If you want to spend less and just want to capture the moments at decent quality, this camcorder is it!
Rating: 5 / 5

I recently purchased this camera for a cruise and subsequent trips to Australia and Europe. It is a $100 video camera that you can shove in a pocket. It will never replace my $350 Sony Handicam.

After recording about 50 hours of video, I have observed the following:

- The video quality is pretty good for use on a computer with a good graphics card, YouTube, and a smaller TV. On a 50″ television, it is going to be grainy.

- When filming indoors, it does require a great deal of light.

- When others want to use it, it is completely intuiative and easy to use. In fact, my 85 year-old mother used it to film the contents of her home for insurance and estate purposes with 30 seconds of instructions.

- The provided video editting software is basic. I use Nero instead.

- The outdoor shots have been perfect. But, one must remember, no image stabilization, so you must be smooth with your movements.

- Battery life has been pretty good. I have seen up to 2 hours of shooting on one charge.

- Once you learn the button layouts, I find I use them without looking.

Rating: 4 / 5