Samsung SCD23 MiniDV Camcorder with 2.5 LCD
by Samsung
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List Price: Our Price: $150.00 You Save: $349.99 (70%) Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Category: Digital Camera See more product details |
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Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of Samsung SCD23 MiniDV Camcorder with 2.5 LCD
Customer Review: it could have easily been 5 stars but......
Summary: 4 Stars
First off, the only problem I am having with this camera is the viewfinder (just in case you dont know what a viewfinder is ((or is too me)) its the lens that you look into to see what you are recording or photographing- you know the old fashion way). At times all i see is scrambling lines. This problem is corrected by simply adjusting the viewfinder either up or down. I have found out that even though my viewfinder is screwed up, it still is recording just fine- even if i cant see what i am recording (basically, I am recording even though at times I cant see what i am recording). Please note, most people dont use the viewfinder. Most people use the flip-out LCD screen. I like to use the viewfinder because it saves on the battery life. I had a sony camera before this one and I learned that using the Viewfinder saves on battery life. Aside from this problem I have to say that this camcorder is a great deal for the money. I never did any video editing before this camera and with the help of my HP laptop, I have already made two movies. I have gotten some great laughs and people are talking about how I should submit them to a independent movie site or whatever-NO LIE!. NOw I am not trying to say that I agree or believe them, what I am basically saying is that it I have a new hobby that I never thought I would have and this YES THIS camera has allowed me to do so. I have become alot more familiar with camcorders because of this one. This is an excellent starting camera. It is great for all the common stuff like birthdays, grads, etc. I am so glad I bought this one even though of my problem. I have had it since Nov 2003. I have never used the still photo option because I am sure it has to suck because of the photo resolution- but keep in mind, 1. I have a 6.0 res camera for that and 2. THis sucks in all camcorders with this feature. No camcorder under a thousand dollars will give good photo resolution. So, to sum it all - This is the best deal for the money of all camcorders in this price range (250.00 to 350.00). I am having alot of fun with it and I wish I didnt have that one little problem.
NOTE: IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN DOING VIDEO EDITING, YOU MUST BUY A FIREWIRE CABLE (IT DOES NOT COME WITH ONE, I BOUGHT ONE WITH A FIREWIRE CARD FOR MY LAPTOP FOR 30.00), HAVE A COMPUTER WITH A FIREWIRE OUTLET (AGAIN, I GOT THE WIRE AND CARD FOR 30.00- ON A DESKTOP HOWEVER, i DONT KNOW HOW MUCH ), YOU MUST HAVE A DECENT SYSTEM- 40 GIGS 512 RAM ETC.
Customer Review: Great little unit for basic digital video
Summary: 4 Stars
Wow! What a nice little digital "starter" camcorder for casual, fun digital video! As far as I can tell from extensive comparison shoopping, its feature set is just about unbeatable at this price point ...The unit weighs little more than a pound, but has a quality aura about it, with all the buttons and switches feeling quite solid and substantial. I already had several Samsung multimedia devices (MP3 player and DVD player) before my wife bought me this camcorder for Father's Day (thanks, sweetheart!), so I had a certain comfort level with the brand's overall excellent quality.Here are a few things any prospective buyer should know: Regardless of what the folks at the Samsung spare parts store may tell you, the SC-D23 absolutely DOES accept a memory stick for use as a digital still camera (640 X 480 pixels max resolution); but no stick is included with the camera AND the maximum-capacity memory stick the camera will accept is 16 megs. Also, the USB photo-download capability works only with PCs; therefore, Macintosh computer users will need to purchase a USB memory-stick reader to download their still photos.
Overall the controls are easy to use and fall readily to hand. The LCD display is bright; and the camera's "night pix" capability is lots of fun--it uses infrared light emitted by the camera itself to illuminate objects up to about 10-15 feet away; so you can shoot close-up video in total darkness. The "night pix" video function may not be very practical for the average casual user, but it's a lot of fun to play with and looks very cool green and "Desert-Stormish." The video color quality overall is good, and the sound picked up by the built-in external stereo microphone is also good; although the mic does pick up a bit of the camera's own operational sounds (whirring and such). There is also an external microphone jack.
Pros with this unit: Low price, strong feature set (including built-in light, digital still camera capability, FireWire and USB interfaces, and several video-outs including S-video), good manufacturing quality, nice picture and sound. Cons: No memory stick included, memory stick capacity limited to 16 megabytes; no USB video download capability; no FireWire or S-video cables included, no USB photo download capability for Mac users.
My wife and I plan to use this camera for taking casual video -- mostly of our grandchildren; overall, we are extremely pleased with the Samsung SC-D23.
Customer Review: Terrific Value for your dollar
Summary: 4 Stars
For the price that you're being asked to pay for a digital video camera, this is a great buy! The camera itself works great and I'm very happy with it. There are however, a few details you really need to know before making a purchase.1. The included battery's life, I found, is really short. If I got two hours out of it, I was doing hand-springs. I ordered an extended-life battery and have been more then OK since. It was very easy to find and didn't cost too much.
2. If you REALLY want to take full-advantage of having a camera that uses DV, you HAVE TO HAVE a computer that has a 1394 Fire-wire connection and the horsepower to operate it properly. I didn't have that at the time and spent about another hundred dollars in extra RAM and a fire-wire card. Just a word of caution too, transferring DV is a BEAST on system resources; make ABSOLUTELY SURE to check your system specs to make sure you can cover the workload.
2a. ... there really is no reason Samsung couldn't have included a fire-wire cable.
3. The camera's quality in low-light (ex. - a candle-lit wedding dinner ... grrrr) is really suspect. It's astoundingly good when the lighting is good, but the video quality is really grainy when it isn't. The built-in light certainly helps, but only to a degree.
4. The camera won't recognize more then a 16 Mg memory stick for pictures. I went out and bought a 64 mg card and had to return it.
All that said though, this REALLY IS a great machine. Just realize before you purchase it that there are DEFINETLY extras that you're going to need to pick up to go with it. I didn't do my homework and had to do a ton of running around I could have saved mself. I'd hate to see someone make the same mistake.
Customer Review: Good camera but....
Summary: 4 Stars
I love this camcorder because it is what I need for home videos inside and outside of the house. I chose this one over Sony and Canon because I specifically wanted a memory card slot to store pics opposed to having them recorded on the tape. To get this feature in Sony or Canon I would have to have bought a $700-800 model. It's very durable little camcorder and the size! It's really small. Another good feature for me, a person with small hands. Overall, if your looking for a camcorder to tape your kids' games, gift opening on x-mas morning or for wildlife viewing with the great option of taking still digital pictures this is the camera for you!Although, now that I've had this camera for half a year it's started doing strange things like telling me I don't have any tape left when I do. The problem is fixable I just open the tape deck and re-close it so it adjusts to the correct time left on the tape. This is the only problem I've had with it and since it is a problem that is easy to work around I do not regret buying this camera and would still encourage people to buy it because of the great quality it gives for such a low, affordable price.
Customer Review: SAMSUNG SCD23 - Good Buy
Summary: 4 Stars
Purchased the camera after Christmas, after looking for a digital camera that would allow me to upload video to my home computer. This camera does just that. The quality of the video is fine for home use, vacations, etc. And that's just what I intend on doing with it. I'm not a professional, and don't expect this camera to do what a professional camera would. Bought a Belkin Firewire card and cable, installed it, and had video uploading onto my WinXP system in no time. Very easy to do. Used WinXP's "Movie Maker" software (freebie) to play around with the video, and had my first DVD made within sight of a few hours. PROS: Small, compact and feature-packed. I like the sound quality. Video quality is good --- not stellar --- but good. Battery charges quickly.
CONS: All indications (web searching and the salesperson at Best Buy) told me video could be uploaded via the USB port. NOT SO!!! Must have the Firewire card and cable (expect to pay about $75 for these two items collectively).
If you want further information on my experience with this camera, please don't hesitate to ask.