Samsung NV24HD 10.1MP Digital Camera with 3.6x Optical Ultra Wide Image Stabilization Zoom (Black)
from: Samsung
Average Rating: 
Sales Rank: 1058
Sales Rank: 1058
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Photo : Samsung NV24HD 10.1MP Digital Camera with 3.6x Optical Ultra Wide Image Stabilization Zoom (Black) |
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Rating:  - * Paid $185, for that price it gets 4 stars ... Had this for a few days now. I was really looking forward to seeing the HD video recording and the wide 24mm viewing area. Well when this camera came out about 6 months ago the price was retail at $349. For everything that this camera does, I thought that was a good deal. But if it still sold for $349, I would give it 3 stars but since the price dropped to less than $200, its a solid 4. The camera i very well built. The full metal body is very strong. The 2.5 inch OLED screen is beautiful, if not for being somewhat small compared to most new ones are 3" but its sufficent. The wide 24mm veiwing area is the most you can get with a point and shoot. That wide angle is great for interior pictures. Ok, now for the picture quality. It is merely average or slightly below average. I have a Canon SD630 and that camera is 2 1/2 years old and the quality of the pictures is far superior even though that camera only has 6.3 MP. This is 10. Canon uses CMOS sensors and Samsung uses CCD, which is an older technology. Not that the pictures are bad but not as good as the Canon. The video is another story. The video at 640x480 is great on this camera. Very smooth. The HD is quite framey. I have a Pentium 4 HT 3.2 Gigahertz with 512 video memory and its still framey. Maybe the new Dual Core Quad can handle it better but my computer can't. Its still acceptable but not 30fps, more like 15 comparably. For the price I'm impressed with this camera. I just wonder how much better cameras with these specs will be in 5 years. I was going to return it but after relizing the HD video requires a lot of processing power and my new computer should be able to handle it. I am going to try watching these HD videos on my PS3 and will update that as soon as I do. UPDATE: Just loaded the SD card into the PS3 and the video runs perfectly in HD. Who needs a dedicated video camera when you can have this! HIGHLY RECOMMENDED! Rating: - * Great little camer, but Caution on Editing Software! ... I have several digital camcorders I use for my kids youth sports games. Latley I started shooting 3 different camera angles for football (with a little help from my friends)...so the Samsung NV24HD is the latest addition to my bag, and it is a great one. Allow me to keep my review simple and focused on this use since there are som many other comprehensive reviews already. The wide angle lens seems to be the coolest thing when shooting the games. Whether at field level action, halftime locker room talks or up high in the crow's nest for "game film" footage this little camera delivers! Other than the audio going to mute during zooming, the only potential downside I see is the editing and burning the footage using software. I have a Sanyo Xacti 720p camcorder that also uses the MP4 AVC/H.264 format and have not had many problems. It is my understanding that the implementation of this format can vary from manufacturer to manufacturer. Not sure what the deal is but my programs are NOT handling this camera's footage the same. I always maintain several applications in this area as well including Sony Vegas, Adobe Premier Elements and Pinnacle. I have grown tired of the Sony Vegas user interface (too busy and complicated) so let me say a couple of things about Adobe and Pinnacle specific to the footage/files this camera produces: 1) Adobe Premier Elements: Versions 3 gives a message that it is an "Unsupported Format"...strange since this version has always worked with the MP4's off of my Sanyo Xacti. AE 4 handle the files fine. Adobe Premier Elements 7 HATES the format! It's like they were so focused on getting the AVCHD right (and they did by the way) they completely screwed up the capabilities to work with the MP4 AVC/H.264 format! 2) Pinnacle Studio Plus 12: Not a big fan of the user interface (look and feel) of Pinnacle Studio but it WORKS, and it works well for not only the MP4 AVC/H.264 format that this Samsung camera uses but all my others. A big bonus that it also handles my AVCHD .mts files very very well! Hope this helps some people either before of after the sale! Rating:  - * I really wanted to like this camera ... I though this camera was the answer to all my needs. With this thing, I wouldn't have to carry the usual DSLR (20D) with 2 lenses, accessory flash, extra batteries, and a camcorder. Yes, HD video, good brand, good looks, and good value. What's more? I can zoom while recording, H264 compression, 30fps, stellar video quality and stereo sound, so I thought perfecto! I read many reviews before purchasing and came to expect that this camera would not provide stellar IQ. Okay. Fine. I can live with average IQ, but the HD is what I really wanted, or so I thought. I had this camera for 5 days and shot in a variety of setting like low light, sunny, cloudy, sunset, indoors, outdoors,etc. Noise control was actually acceptable but what I found very unacceptable was the smearing and smudging from this camera even at ISO 80 in daylight. Believe me, I tried everything like turning the in camera sharpening all the way down, using faster shutter speeds to prevent blur, and taking pictures in a variety of settings. My In-Law's 2 year old Canon P&S is way sharper. I really wanted to convince myself to keep this camera but it would defeat the purpose of getting it in the first place. That means I would have to carry the Samsung for video and my 20D for pictures. I wanted one device that would take decent pictures along with HD video. My final decision is to return this item and eat the restocking fee and shipping both ways. Maybe next time Samsung. Rating:  - * Didn't last too long ... Not every camera will have this problem, I'm sure, but my lens jammed in the "out" position about the 4th time I turned it on. Batteries are charged, I pulled them out to let the camera reset, and I even tried with the AC adapter. It grinds the lens motor a bit and beeps what must be an error beeps when I turn it on, and then it shuts down. So back to the vendor it goes. Seemed like an OK camera for the few minutes I was able to use it. The zillions of soft buttons around the display seems like a way to avoid the expense/challenge of a touch screen. Rating: - * NOVICE ... I like the NV24HD my only compliant is the it features and abilities are difficult to learn and to remember. There's a lot to learn and a lot to read, I wish that it were more simple and easier to use in taking full advantage of its abilities. |
