1 Very Disappointed
There was a great review written up above that listed everything you really need to know (the first one that had a series of titles and then review). But I belive they gave too many stars and was too positive about this cam.
This is not a very user-friendly camcorder. The MANUAL MUST be read over and over. It has so many steps to just do one action that by the time you have re-read the manual and adjusted the camcorder the shot is over with. Quality of pics and such was very poor once sent to the computer. The large screen wasn't much good in lighted scenes. I was forced to use the small lense to see what I was recording.
I do not recommend this camcorder unless you are not picky about quality and have a photographic memory to remember how to work the camcorder.
2 A Pleasure to Use
The Samsung SCD107 offers average-to-good video quality in a flexible, feature-laden package. If you are looking at camcorders south of $400, read on. Good engineering and rational design tradeoffs make this more than the sum of what came out of the parts bin.
PICTURE QUALITY
You can find better video quality (especially by paying a couple of hundred dollars more), but most people will find the picture satisfactory. If your research thus far has taken you deeply into the world of pixels, scan lines, VGA vs. XGA, and CCD numbers, this won't get on your short list on picture quality alone. That said, the camera works particularly well in low-light situations, and there is a "NITE PIX" feature for very low-light applications.
The "Digital Image Stabilizer" feature doesn't do much - if you have shaky hands, you should try a tripod (usually not a bad idea anyway). There is no manual focus, though you probably won't miss this because the auto-focus works so well. The 20X zoom is plenty, and the 900X digital zoom is overkill - the limiting factor is resolution, so don't expect to see footprints on the moon.
SCREEN
The first thing comparison shoppers notice is that the 3.5-inch color TFT LCD screen is bigger than most in this price range. This helps you frame a shot, gauge picture quality, and review just-taken film, all advantages over tiny screens. It is bright, clear, and rotates through 270 degrees (not 210 as stated in the supplemental info above). The color LCD viewfinder reproduces on-screen info and is a useful way to conserve battery power in the field.
EASE OF USE
Using the camera for the first time is fairly straightforward, even for the non-technical. The most commonly used controls are top-mounted (zoom, camera shutter control, NITE PIX feature on/off, slow shutter), where you would expect them. Other controls are located thumb-side or flush behind the LCD screen.
Getting more than the basics from the camera requires a steeper learning curve, as you must navigate through acronym-rich menus and sub-menus. Even if you pride yourself on NEVER reading instruction manuals, a word to the wise: Pick up the manual. Open it. Read it. If you don't, you will miss some non-obvious functions and features you're paying for. This may seem worse than, say, stopping to ask for directions while driving, but tough it out.
BATTERY
The lithium ion battery pack included gives you 90 minutes of continuous recording time with the fold-out LCD screen, or 120 minutes using the viewfinder. It takes two hours to charge. You might want a second one of these, or even the upgrade battery (SB-LS220), which goes 190 minutes with screen, 250 minutes with viewfinder, and takes 3 and a half hours to charge. A red LED on the camera blinks to let you know how charging is progressing (e.g. one blink/second means less than 50% charged; three blinks/second = 75%-90% charged), which is a nice touch.
RECORDING MEDIA
There are two ways to record moving pictures: Onto Mini DV tapes (60 or 90 minutes on a DVM60), or onto a memory card (SD/MMC or Memory Stick/Memory Stick PRO). Using the memory card in this way has huge limitations; you are better off just using the tapes and saving the memory card for still pictures.
STILL PICTURES
You can use the SCD107 in still camera mode for casual snapshots, but it is not a replacement for a multi-megapixel digital camera. The 512MB SD ("Secure Digital") card I bought separately holds 2,997 stills in "super fine" mode and a truly absurd 9,000 in low-rez "normal" mode. Stick with super fine.
AUDIO RECORDING
Audio recording quality is excellent through the built-in top-mounted stereo condenser microphone. Many built-in microphones pick up mechanical noise from the tape mechanism, but I didn't notice any, even in quiet settings. Use the money you might spend on an accessory microphone and get a tripod or a memory card instead.
MISC
The remote control is useful, but much more directional than a typical TV remote. It won't work unless you aim it right at the camera - maybe it just likes to be seen in your group photos.
CONCLUDING THOUGHTS
If you need the sharpest picture available, you should probably spend $200 more. There are necessarily tradeoffs at this price range. However, if you just want a well-rounded, feature-filled camera that is a pleasure to use, by all means consider the SCD107.
3 Funky color, grainy pictures
I'm not sure how people are giving this camera 4 and 5 star reviews but I was sadly disappointed with it.
The only reasons I'm giving it the two stars are: 1. The screen size and 2. The price.
I own a Samsung TV and DVD player and have found them both to be excellent values for the money so I decided to ignore the negative reviews that I had seen and pick it up anyway.
The picture looks great on the LCD screen assuming that you're at a good angle to view it but as soon as you put it on a tv or pc you will see the lack of image quality. The manual was poorly written especially in regard to transferring video via the Firewire/IEEE 1394 connection. The software it came with doesn't suppport the Firewire though it doesn't mention this at all in the camera manual. Also the camera's driver isn't verified for Windows XP. When I hooked it up via the USB the camera was dropped from the device list after about a minute due to driver.
After much hassle I returned it to the retailer that I bought it from who was nice enough to waive their 15% restock fee specific to camcorders and similar items so that I may purchase a Sony DCR-HC30 which I am much happier with. The store mananger explained to me that they had complaints from at least 5 other people with the same problem.
Some other things to note:
The SC-D107 has one of the biggest screens out there but also one of the smallest viewing angles.
It has one of the largest optical zooms for the price, which isn't much good if the recording quality is low.
Lastly, it has one of the largest digital zooms out there(900x), again useless because anything past about 100x is so grainy that you can't tell what you're looking at (you'll note that Sony doesn't make a camera with greater than 120x digital.)
Try to avoid this one if you can afford something better.
4 best camcorder ever
if you went onto [...] and looked this camcorder up it says that it is one of the worst camcorders ever, well i am never looking on that website again because it is all lies. i got this cam for christmas and i really like it, i think it is one of the best camcorders that u can buy, it has cool features, nice zoom, a 3.5 lcd screen (really good), it is a small camcorder, and it has night pix (night vision). many other reviews complain about the color not turning out, well, you can adjust the color so it matches, duh!, you may be thinking "oh this is just a kids review, dont listen to it" but trust me i have been getting information on this camcorder for a year and know what im talking about. if you are planning on getting a good camcorder for a good price, try this one.
5 Great LCD display but disappointing recording quality
I bought this camera about six months ago (June 04) for $429.00 and have used it extensively both outdoors and indoors.
I looked at many cameras in the $450 price range with similar features. The one thing that stood out on this camera was the 3.5" LCD display. It was so much easier to frame a scene with this than with the 2.5" display on competing models that I decided to buy the Samsung.
I found it easy and comfortable to use; the electronic stablisation works very well; the battery life is fine for recording a single 60min tape. Playing back recordings on the LCD screen is a pleasure. The image looks great and the sound is clearly audible on the builtin speaker. I was initially very happy with my purchase.
Imagine my disappointment then, when I got home and played back the recording on my TV - it was no better than my old analog Canon ES50. At first, I was sure I had hooked it up incorrectly. But alas no: I was correctly using the s-video connection.
Not willing to lose faith, I then hooked it up to my PC using a 4-to-6 pin firewire cable (purchased separately). Well, the picure looked fine in a small window but soon as I went full screen it was pretty grainy and pixalated. It's not even VGA quality.
My number one reason for buying a DV camera was to get a sharper picture than with my analog camcorder. I'm afraid I made the wrong choice and, despite some nice features, I cannot recommend this camera because of the disappointing picture quality. Incidentally, I notice that the specifications page in the manual says nothing about lines of resolution and the size of the CCD (according to camcorderinfo.com it is 1/6").
6 Quite impressed for my first camcorder!
Prescript - I'm much better than average using digital and film cameras, and the last time I played around with camcorders was back in the old full-size VHS days. Needed one for some scene study work - so I headed off to the store to see what's available. Played around with Sony, Canon, JVC, and Panasonic for comparison. Really disliked the controls on most of the comparably priced brands.
My priorities: should be near intuitive to use (preferably without looking at controls - 90% by feel is best for me) - don't particularly like touch-screens or play around with on-camera SFX, since I'd do most of that off-line anyway. Wanted better than SVHS quality and preferably digital to PC compatibility.
The verdict - the SCD107 meets just about all the things I was looking for - doesn't have pass-through analog <-> digital, but you can convert using a 2-step playback -> record DV -> xfer to PC method (Sony had that mode available). Light specs says it will only last for about 50 hours, which seems a bit short to me, but I don't plan on using it much (plus since it's a small one, it ends up looking like Blair Witch Project-type recordings of individuals.
Sound is great - and even better when fed by a decent condenser mic (which I use normally). I've had some interesting weirdness when popping various tapes in and out to check what's on them - sometimes it doesn't pick up the data stream immediately unless I fully rewind the tape first. Don't know if that's common with other brands.
Batteries charge quickly (less than 2 hrs. for the 2 hr. variety Li-Ion) - the extra Energizer brand one I picked up needed an extra strip of tape over the label that rides on top of the little button sensor that detects whether the battery is chargeable or not (the Energizer battery seems to have a little deeper recesses for it's labels on the backside).
Very easy to manipulate the controls without looking at them - appear to be identical to the Sony 3CCD camcorder I was using the other day, so it was easy to switch back and forth without thinking about where the play/pause button is. Zoom and detail is impressive, can read text and UPC labels 20 ft. away when zoomed in and playing back on a standard TV.
Didn't come with a memory card, so I haven't shot any stills with it yet. I'd imagine that's where others have liked the newer multi-use camcorders with built-in flash (but are usually several hundred dollars more expensive).
Seems a little odd that the light on/off button is stuck on the inner panel that's only accessible when the LCD is pulled away. Didn't have any problem loading cassettes after noting others mentioning the unique loader (drop the cassette in, and press it into the carrier where there's a "Press" here label on the carrier frame. Then the whole thing motorizes itself back into the camcorder).
I'm pleased with the whole deal - especially based upon the pricing.
7 please don't buy this from www.amphotoworld.com
I am writing this so everyone will buy this camcorder from a reputable site like amazon.com or newegg.com. I bought mine from www. amphotoworld.com and I made a HUGE mistake. The camera was really cheap and they sent me an email stating I would get free shipping as well. When I decided to buy it I got an email say to call to confirm. I spoke to a representative named "Wes" and he stated the camcorder didn't come with a battery from the manufacturer. It sounded really strange but I agreed to buy a 4 hour extended battery for an extra $100.00. I knew this had to be wrong and he said he would put it through immediately. After we hung up I called a local retailer and they said it did come with a batter but not a good one. I called him back and it took me 2 hours to get to him. He said he couldn't cancel the order it was already processed and if I didn't want it I'd have to ship it back at my own expense. when i got the camcorder in the mail I ended up paying for shipping and got the battery that was supposed to come with the camcorder in the first place. Please don't make the same mistake I did and spend a little extra so you don't get ripped off. The camera is great though!
8 Returned it with reluctance...
I bought this camera to replace our 7 year old VHS-C camcorder. It had most of the features that I was looking for: MiniDV, Optical zoom greater than 10x, batterly life greater than 1 hour, LCD geater than 2.5", built-in light, and memory card for digital pictures.
I returned it for one main reason- video quality is equal to that of my current camcorder. It gets worse under certain circumstances. (Disabling DIS didn't improve the picture quality.)
Every feature that was attractive to me turned out to be inadequate. Large LCD screen, but the image is not pleasing. Built-in video light barely lights closeby objects. No facility (shoe) to place external light or flash.
Still images are another big disappointment. I realize that I shouldn't expect great still pictures from a camcorder, but I don't think they should come out this blurry, dull, and hazy.
Memory card slot can accept various different media (SD, memory stick, etc.) - I think this is a very neat feature.
I was amazed by Nite Pix feature. Yes, you can record video in absolute darkness, but the objects have to be within close proximity (6 feet or so).
Fading option (between footages) is extremely disappointing. You have to keep the fade button pushed until the image fades out, then push the standby button, and then release the fade button. You have to do the same when you start recording again. Completely manual operation.
We own many Samsung products and I am very satisfied with each one of them. This product is not going to change my opinion on Samsung.
9 Great Features, Great Price
I love this camcorder. First off, it's a great deal. I did a lot of research and found this to be the best deal out of the lower cost camcorders. The 107's brother (the 105) is also a good camcorder but the features of the 107 really puts it over the top. The large LCD is great. Playback is awesome on the huge screen. The photo feature is nice to have but I would still use a digital camera in most cases. It can also record MPEG4 with audio. The low-light feature works great. The audio is great and has an input for mics or music. The analog input is great and pretty easy to use. It's a good way to get old home videos on your computer without a capture card. Also, despite other reviews, I think the picture looks pretty good. One tip of advice is to only use the DIS when you have to. If you leave it on that's when it's starts to look grainy. I don't know what else to say. Too many features to mention. Great camera. Would suggest to anyone.
Pros:
Large 3.5" LCD for great playback
Analog Input to save all those old videos
Great Night Recording
Great Audio
Microphone/ Audio Input
Picture looks more than fine for most people
Photo and Video recording on memory card
Cons:
Light isn't that bright
Video can look a little grainy but mainly when DIS is on
10 Excellent Features and good price
After much research on the internet and in stores, I chose the Samsung SCD107....had it for a week and have been very pleased. All buttons and menus are easy to use. Picture and LCD view are average....very impressed with "nightpix" feature for shooting in the dark....you can shoot in total darkness, though it is a little grainy. Video looks very good hooked up to the TV whether it is in sunlight or indoors. Have also had no problem with tape insertion, read you manual and you will be fine. All in all I am very pleased with my selection.
11 Good entry-level cam
I found this DV camera to be an excellent product for the entry-level consumer. I wanted to try my hand at amateur moviemaking, amd picked this camera up cheap at Target, and so far, I've had no problems.
The picture quality is crisp and clear, although if you're looking for a particularly truer, more colorful picture, you would do best to upgrade to a 3 CCD camera.
Battery life is about the same as comparable models. The LCD viewscreen is big and bright, but the viewing angle could be a little wider- sometimes it can be tricky to tell how bright or dark your recorded video will be based on what angle you're looking at the screen with. Luckily, the little viewfinder does not share this problem, and you get londer battery life if you use it.
The package does not include a ieee firewire cable, so be sure to pick one up (a 4-pin-to-6-pin one) if you want to upload video to your computer for editing. When I got the cable, I had no problems importing video onto my Mac with iMovie.
As for the cassette-insertion problem outlined in one of the other reviews, yes, the way to insert a cassette could be a bit more self-explanatory, so I can see how some users might try to force the cassette tray back in and break this thing, but if you're patient and use your noggin, you'll realize it's not that complex. The camera opens, a tray come out, and a little caddy pops up. You put the cassette in the caddy, *then gently push the caddy back down into the tray*. The tray will then automatically retract back into the camera and you can close it up again. Pretty simple.
12 My first review!
The is my intial review of the product. After extensive search, I could find only one other review out there. I bought this camcorder today (5/15/04)and rushed home to try it out. I powered it up, opened the "funky" tape tray, located inconveniently at the bottom of the camcorder, and inserted a tape. Following the directions closely, I attempted to close the tray. I NEVER applied any undue force, just pushed the "push to close" button. Nothing happened! The camera continued to "whirrrr" around inside. I pulled the tape back out and tilted to camera to look inside. When I did a small pin and gear fell out onto my countertop. Disturbing to say the least. It is going back tomorrow to Target. I will probably drive over to Best Buy to re-purchase it, along with an extended warrantee! I'll keep you all posted!
