Review – Samsung SMX-F40 camcorder does video and 65x zoom on a budget

by Scott Carmichael on

The world of budget camcorders just got a new contender – the Samsung SMX-F40. This compact all-digital camcorder records standard definition video to SD memory cards. What sets it apart from most other budget cameras is its 65x zoom (52x optical + IntelliZoom) and Schneider-Kreuznach lens.

On the outside, the camera looks like every other camcorder on the market – a wrist-strap, swivel LCD display, zoom controls on the top, and a battery on the back.

In this video clip, you get is bit if an idea what the quality is like – it is quite acceptable, as long as you don’t zoom in too much. Even though the camera features some basic image stabilization, when zoomed in all the way (65x), you’ll get a ton of shake. For close-ups like this, you’ll definitely want to invest in a tripod.

Audio is quite decent – it picks up a lot of weak noises, but sadly also a little bit of wind – still, I’ve seen much worse.

Photo quality is quite lousy – and only in 2 megapixels, so don’t expect to replace your point and shoot any time soon. Even mobile phones usually make better shots than this.

Thanks to a small joystick you can quickly navigate through the menus – and inside the menus are a ton of features. You get scene selections, resolution settings and a neat time lapse recording option. The lineup of features is surprisingly impressive for such a budget camera.

Behind the display is a flap to protect the SD card slot, video out connector, USB port and charging port. You can charge the camera using the included wall charger, or over USB using your PC.

Final thoughts

With its weak photos and shaky zoom video, you’d expect a recommendation against this product – but it actually manages to rescue itself thanks to an insanely low price – you can find it online for as little as $159. The camera does not come with a memory card, so expect to invest an extra $20-$30 for an 8GB card. Battery life is rated at over 4 hours on a single charge.

The camera comes with a pretty decent software suite which assists with edits and one-click uploads to video sharing sites.

Now, this camera is obviously up against products like the Flip and Creative Vado HD camcorders – but none of those products offer an optical zoom lens. So, you need to decide whether you want to pay for an HD camcorder with limited features, or a full feature standard definition camera. Do keep in mind that in this price range, your camera will only work well outdoors – indoor shooting requires a camcorder with a much higher price tag.

Despite its shortcomings, $159 for a compact camera with these features is a tremendous deal, but you’ll need to spend some time determining your needs. One more thing to help decide is what you plan to do with the video – HD video is nice, but it takes up a lot of space and editing can require a beefy computer. If you just want some basic quality stuff to show friends and family, a standard definition camera could be exactly what the doctor ordered.

Samsung HZ35W digital camera with GPS – first look

by Scott Carmichael on

This really is a great summer for people in the market for a new digital camera. The new Samsung HZ35W is no exception. In this quick look, I’ll introduce you to this newest product from the Samsung lineup, with some extra focus on its travel friendly features.

Inside the HZ35W is a 14.2 megapixel sensor, a 24mm wide angle 15x optical zoom and HD movie mode. What sets the HZ35W apart from the competition is its GPS receiver. Even though the camera is not the first to come with a GPS receiver for geo-tagging, it is the first (that I know of) with a built in street-level map database, powered by Navteq (the same company that provides maps for many popular GPS navigation units).

Because of the 15x optical zoom, the camera is by no means compact – it stops short of being bulky, but this isn’t a camera for your back pocket. Controls are simple and well laid out – you get a selector knob on top, along with a switch for the GPS receiver, power button, zoom lever and shutter control. On the rear is a D-Pad and buttons for quick movie mode, menu, play and erase.

On the side of the camera is a metal door to protect the USB and HDMI connectors. And these connectors bring me to the biggest disappointment of the Samsung HZ35W – the camera once again uses a proprietary connector for all its functions. The power/usb cable is short and bulky, and no HDMI or AV cable is included.

Worst of all – even though the HD video port is labeled “HDMI”, you still need to invest extra in a special HDMI Mini-Type D cable. To make matters even worse – nobody seems to sell these cables (yet). Honestly, I absolutely hate the proprietary connectors and I wish they’d just settle for Mini or MicroUSB and the same MiniHDMI connectors used by almost every other brand.

Thankfully, the connector issue is pretty much the only downside I’ve been able to find so far. The camera speed is excellent, and despite the long lens, it starts up very fast. The display is stunning, thanks to Samsungs own AMOLED display technology.

As I mentioned earlier – the Samsung HZ35W is the first I know of with a full map database loaded on the device. It makes tagging and referencing photos quite a lot of fun. Loading maps on the camera takes about 20 minutes, and the ability to carefully read instructions (an ability I lack).

And finally in this quick look, I’ll leave you with two photos that show the zoom lens at work:

I’ll post a full review next week, after I’ve been able to take the camera for a real test over the next couple of days.

Five new digital cameras from Samsung

by Scott Carmichael on

As we pointed out in our TL225 DualView review last week, Samsung makes some pretty innovative digital cameras. Last night,, the company unveiled five new shooters for their Q1 2010 lineup. The new products include the HZ30W and HZ35W superzoom compacts, the effect-rich TL110 and TL105 cameras and a new budget camera – the SL630.

For travelers, the new HZ35W will be a real treat, offering HD video recording, integrated GPS with location data and get this – a 15x optical zoom, all in a package just 28mm deep.

TL105

The TL105 is a 12.2 megapixel camera with a 4x optical zoom. It features face recognition, blink detection and “smile shot” which ensures you only take photos of happy looking people. The TL105 shoots video in 720p HD with an optional HDMI cable. Available in February.

TL110

The new TL110 features a 5x optical zoom and a 14.2 megapixel sensor, in a compact form factor. It has the same scene and face detection features as the TL105, along with its HD video mode. Available in February.

HZ30W

The new HZ30W packs a 3″ LCD and a 15x optical zoom in its interior. It shoots in 12.2 megapixels and can record video in 720p. Available in March.

HZ35W

The new HZ35W offers the same 15x zoom lens found on the HZ30W, but adds a 3″ AMOLED screen and a GPS receiver. The receiver tags your photos with the location it was made, plus the camera can display your location on a visual map. Available in March.

SL630

The final newbie in the Q1 2010 Samsung lineup is the budget friendly SL630. Despite its low budget classification, it packs a 12.2 megapixel sensor and 5x optical zoom in its silver, black or red exterior. It does not feature HD video, but does do optical image stabilization and a variety of effects. Available in March.

Gadling gift guide – family travel and kid friendly products

by Scott Carmichael on

Long gone are the days when a kid could be kept entertained with a coloring book and 2 crayons. Of course, part of the higher demands from kids has something to do with the gadgets we adults surround ourselves with.

In this Gadling gift guide, you’ll find some of the best travel friendly gadgets out there. Some will keep kids safe, some will entertain them, and some will help capture those fun memories.

Clek oobr Car seat

Not every trip with the kid(s) will be by air – in fact, 2008 and 2009 have been real “road trip” years, mainly to blame on the crappy economy. If you are going to be going all Clark Griswald on your family, then it pays to be sure your kids are sitting in the best and safest seat available. The Clek oobr is made by car component manufacturer Magna. In fact, the technology behind the oobr seat comes directly from actual car seats – the kind you and I sit on. The seat is built around an all metal frame, and incorporate several innovatives safety measures.

The oobr is designed for children 3 and up (depending on height/weight) and can convert from a regular seat into a backless booster. Unlike most booster seats, the oobr attaches to the LATCH restraints in your car, which puts and end to loose seats. Oobr is available in six colors, including a really neat looking Paul Frank design.

Price: $274.99
Product page: Magna Clek

Loud Enough Earphones

Pretty colors? Check. Volume limiting circuit? Check. Sized for small ears? Check. The Ultimate Ears “Loud Enough” headphones combine the high quality audio experience from Ultimate Ears, with a design young kids will love. The headphones feature integrated noise reduction to prevent hearing damage.

They come in a pretty carrying case, are available in three bright colors, and include a set of different earpieces.

Price: $39.99
Product page: Ultimate Ears Loud Enough


Leapfrog Leapster 2

Not all kids are at the age where they want to be shooting zombies or trying to run over people in their race car. For those kids (four and up), there is the LeapFrog Leapster 2 gaming console. The Leapster 2 is a bright and rugged console with a huge assortment of educational games.

LeapFrog offers some great game titles, and always keeps up with the latest trends. At the moment, the new Disney movie “The Princess and the Frog” is already available as a Leapster game. Kids get a good balance of fun and learning, and parents can hook the unit up to their PC to track progress. Best of all, several kids can share a unit and set up their own account.

Price: $49.99 + games
Product page: LeapFrog Leapster 2

Tag pen

Another great product from LeapFrog helps teach kids how to read, while making the experience more fun. The LeapFrog Tag pen uses optical recognition technology from Anoto (the same system used in the Livescribe pen). Special books combined with software loaded on the Tag pen helps narrate parts of the book, and adds a lot of fun, as well as various hidden bonus portions. Best of all, the Tag pen has a headphone jack, making it perfect for using with the Ultimate Ears Loud Enough headphones mentioned earlier.

Price: $39.99
Product page: LeapFrog Tag

Violight

At home you try and keep germs to a minimum – so why not use gadgets to do the same on the road. Violight produces a big lineup of toothbrush sanitizers that use UV light to reduce germs. These work great at home, but are equally effective on the road. Especially in a poorly cleaned hotel room, a (kids) toothbrush can pick up a load of germs, and unless you fully dry it, it will only get even filthier when packed away for the ride home.

Violight even developed an assortment of UV sanitizers just for kids.

Price: from $19.95
Product page: Violight UV sanitizers

Flip pocket HD camera

Handing your high-tech gadgets to a child does not have to be a gamble. Flip HD cameras are built to be sturdy, and easy to use. Starting at just under $150, you can get yourself an HD camera that is great for filming your kids, and great for letting your kids film the kind of stuff they enjoy looking at (usually closeups of their nose).

Once you get home, you simply plug the camera into your TV or PC, and the whole family can enjoy two hours of nose closeups.

Price: From $149.99
Product page: Flip digital video cameras

Heys xcase Mini with light-up wheels

Once your kids reach the age where they can pull their own luggage, you can let them experience how much fun it is to drag a bag full of stuff through the airport.

The Heys xcase Mini is a smaller version of the popular Heys ultra-lightweight rolling luggage. It is available in 7 bright colors, and comes with light-up LED wheels. Its retracting single-handle makes it easy to pull along.

Price: $69.97
Product page: Heys XCase mini

Lug NAPSAC and SNUZSAC

This product took one of the spots in top 10 travel products of 2009 here on Gadling. The Lug NAPSAC and SNUZSAC are perfect for those flights where the airline “enhanced” its services by removing pillows and blankets. The concept behind both pillows is brilliant – you unzip it, remove the super cozy blanket, then inflate the pillow. It comes as a regular pillow and a neck pillow.

Price: $28 (NAPSAC) $30 (SNUZSAC)
Product page: www.lugtravel.com

Samsung DualView camera

Making photos of young kids is a hassle. It is nearly impossible to get infants to do anything on command. This is where the Samsung TL220 and TL225 DualView cameras can help. The DualView is the first camera with dual screens. On the back (for mommy and daddy) is a large touchscreen, and on the front is a smaller display that shows what you are shooting, or (and this one is great for infants), a smiley face. If a smiley face doesn’t do it for your kid, Samsung offers 20 additional animations, and there is bound to be one that will get their attention.

No infant can resist looking at a smiley face or jumping bunny – so your chance at getting the photo you want is greatly increased. The TL225 shoots in 12 megapixels and can do HD video, plus it features an HDMI output for viewing content on your HD TV.

Price: $299.99 (TL220) and $349.99 (TL225)
Product page: Samsung DualView

New Samsung digital cameras make “say cheese” a lot more fun

by Scott Carmichael on

Samsung just announced 2 new cameras for their 2009 lineup. Now, new cameras are launched virtually every day, so it takes some creativity from the manufacturer to grab my attention. Which is exactly what Samsung managed to achieve.

The first camera, the CL65 (above on the left) is packed full of smart features. It has Bluetooth, WiFi and GPS. The Bluetooth allows you to send photos to other Bluetooth devices, like printers or mobile phones. The WiFi allows for direct uploads to Facebook, Picasa and Youtube. And finally, the GPS geotags your photos, storing the location you took it. The camera also offers HD video recording. HDMI output and oh yeah, it also takes 12.2 megapixel photos.

The second newcomer is the TL220/TL225. For the first time in any point-and-shoot camera, someone added a display to the front of the device. Sounds stupid? Well, I for one think it is brilliant. Anyone who has ever tried to grab the attention of an infant knows how hard it can be to photograph them. But imagine a clown or smiley face on the front! In addition to this, it can also help with self portraits or couples photos, for those times you don’t want to ask a stranger to help with your photos.

You can learn more about these new cameras (including pricing) over at Engadget (CL65 and TL220/TL225)
Update: Engadget has posted a hands-on with both cameras