Samsung HMX-U10

It might not be an issue for most people. But editing the files produced by this camcorder in an NLE application might prove difficult.

The most successful NLE I have used so far is Serif's MoviePlus X3. But it won't render the U10's highest res files out to 1920x1080 MP4s or even 1440x1080 MP4s.

Sony's Vegas Movie Studio Platinum 9.0b does this okay. But if the files are longer than about five minutes the program crashes for no apparent reason. I believe others have experienced the same problem with MP4/AVCHD files in VMSP 9.0b. So it's probably nothing to do with the Sammy U10.

However, since this camcorder is an NTSC video device, if you have installed Corel Video Studio Pro X2 on your PC as a PAL application then it will not import the U10 files AT ALL. It will only do so if you have installed CVSPX2 as an NTSC application.

The other thing I've noticed is that the U10 adds an extra frame or two of audio at the end of each clip. These must be trimmed back in your editing software to avoid sound glitches at the edit points. Not a massive deal. But worth mentioning because it's an odd feature of this camcorder.

Yet, to be fair, the Sammy U10 is not aimed at video editing buffs. As a simple HD point-and-shoot device it is excellent value and produces brilliant 10MP stills. Just so long as you realise that if your video clips need any post-production before uploading to an online sharing service, there could be major hassles in store.

I would have given the U10 five stars if it had been better at coping with low-light situations. Sadly it does not. The images are a tad too dark and grainy for my taste compared to those produced under the same sorts of lighting conditions by a similar product currently on the market.

Mind you, that sells for about forty quid more. So the Samsung HMX-U10 is the best overall choice for those on a tight budget.

Incidentally - you'll need a class 6 (or above) SD card for this unit. Due to the high data rates, slower cards will produce jerky video.

Otherwise I don't think the Samsung HMX-U10 will disappoint you.