Samsung HMX-U20

alaTest has collected and analyzed 195 reviews from magazines and websites. Reviewers really like the design and usability. The image quality and portability are also mentioned favorably, whereas many are critical about the features and battery.

zoom, portability, image quality, usability, design

battery, features

We analyzed user and expert ratings, product age and more factors. Compared to other Camcorders the Samsung HMX-U20 is awarded an overall alaScore™ of 87/100 = Very good quality.

See all Samsung Camcorders

Review analysis

(Based on 195 reviews)

Expert Reviews  

User Reviews  

Review Ratings

  (16% of reviews)
Show all 5 star reviews   (25% of reviews)
Show all 4 star reviews   (18% of reviews)
Show all 3 star reviews   (14% of reviews)
Show all 2 star reviews   (27% of reviews)
Show all 1 star reviews

Features

Zoom
  Show positive (20%)Show negative (15%)(Show all)
Portability
  Show positive (35%)Show negative (9%)(Show all)
Image quality
  Show positive (41%)Show negative (6%)(Show all)
Usability
  Show positive (31%)Show negative (15%)(Show all)
Features
  None yetShow negative (60%)(Show all)
Battery
  None yetShow negative (60%)(Show all)
Design
  Show positive (30%)None yet(Show all)
Build quality
  Show positive (100%)None yet(Show all)
Value for money
  Show positive (68%)None yet(Show all)
More features

Showing 125 review(s)

Expert Reviews User Reviews
Showing 1 - 10 of 125 Show Reviews: in English | in other languages (81)

Consumer review by:

1st HD camcorder.I have no need for new digital camera

 

It's little. 1080p and 720p 60 fps. The ease and output beauty of the time lapse mode sparked a cool hobby of hiking a mountain and time lapsing the sunset at the top. 10 mega pixel camera. Doesn't click when I zoom ; Why are you zooming while filming an

I can't control the speed of the telephoto. The software it comes with is not great

Read the full review

Consumer review by:

This is NOT an optical zoom!

 

I entered my local Best Buy with the intent of purchasing a Kodak Zi8. Instead, the Samsung caught my eye. The main selling feature for me was the Samsung's prominently advertised "3x optical zoom". The Kodak has a digital zoom, and I prefer optical....

Size--that's it

No optical zoom on video, terrible lens flare even in moderate sun, miserable on line and telephone service from Samsung

Read the full review

Consumer review by:

This is NOT an optical zoom!

 

I entered my local Best Buy with the intent of purchasing a Kodak Zi8. Instead, the Samsung caught my eye. The main selling feature for me was the Samsung's prominently advertised "3x optical zoom". The Kodak has a digital zoom, and I prefer optical....

Size--that's it

No optical zoom on video, terrible lens flare even in moderate sun, miserable on line and telephone service from Samsung

Read the full review
ADVERTISEMENT

Consumer review by:

This is NOT an optical zoom!

 

I entered my local Best Buy with the intent of purchasing a Kodak Zi8. Instead, the Samsung caught my eye. The main selling feature for me was the Samsung's prominently advertised "3x optical zoom". The Kodak has a digital zoom, and I prefer optical....

Size--that's it

No optical zoom on video, terrible lens flare even in moderate sun, miserable on line and telephone service from Samsung

Read the full review

Consumer review by:

This is NOT an optical zoom!

 

I entered my local Best Buy with the intent of purchasing a Kodak Zi8. Instead, the Samsung caught my eye. The main selling feature for me was the Samsung's prominently advertised "3x optical zoom". The Kodak has a digital zoom, and I prefer optical....

Size--that's it

No optical zoom on video despite advertising to the contrary, terrible lens flare even in moderate sun, miserable on line and telephone service from Samsung

Read the full review

Consumer review by:

mechanical noises during recording

 

The Smart Auto feature does a surprisingly good job of detecting what you're shooting and adjusting accordingly

I didn't like the fact that there is a mechanical noises during recording during recording

Read the full review

Consumer review by:

Amazon review summary for the Samsung HMX-U20

 

alaTest has collected and analyzed 71 user reviews of the Samsung HMX-U20 from Amazon.com. The average user rating for this product is 2.5/5, compared to an average user rating of 4.0/5 for other products on Amazon.com.

portability, zoom, image quality

battery

30% of reviews on Amazon.com give this product a positive rating.

Read the full review

Consumer review by:

Awesome Camera, i love it.

 

this camera takes awesome pictures even in low light and it doesn't even have a flash, overall very impressed, the so called clicking sound other users are hearing with the zoom, is very faint and usually wouldn't bother someone like me, it is an...

Read the full review

Consumer review by:

Great little pocket-able "VIDEO CAMERA"

 

Bought this as a Christmas gift for my brother as I have had one for 2 yrs and enjoy it for what it is...not a $800 consumer HD camera..takes great video and we both mainly use it for time lapse..some people complain about the lens noise when zooming...

Read the full review

Consumer review by:

HMX-U20 great VIDEO camera for intended use

 

Bought this as a Christmas gift for my brother as I have had one for 2 yrs and enjoy it for what it is...not a $800 consumer HD camera..takes great video and we both mainly use it for time lapse..some people complain about the lens noise when zooming...

Read the full review
1
2
3
4
5

Product Specifications

Recording lifes precious moments is just as important as sharing them. The ultra compact U20 point and shoot camcorder designed with a unique 7-degree body shape gives great grip for lengthy recording of 1920 x 1080 Full HD H.264 video or 10-megapixel still photos. Featuring a 3x optical zoom, large 2 LCD display, and built-in Intelli-studio software so you can playback, edit, or upload your videos to YouTube.

Audio Input

Microphone Operation Mode:Stereo
Microphone Technology:Electret condenser
Type:Microphone

Battery

Battery Form Factor:Manufacturer specific
Manufacturer Battery Name:Samsung IA-BH130LB

Camcorder Features

High Definition Video Support:1080p
Widescreen Video Capture: Yes

Digital Camera

Supported Flash Memory:SD Memory Card / SDHC Memory Card / MultiMediaCardplus

Dimensions & Weight

Depth:0.6in
Height:4.1in
Weight:3.9oz
Width:2.1in

Display (Projector)

Diagonal Size:2in
Diagonal Size (metric):5.1cm
Display Form Factor:Built-in
Technology:TFT active matrix
Type:LCD display

Header

Manufacturer:Samsung
Model:HMX-U20
Packaged Quantity:1
Product Line:Samsung

Lens System

Lens Aperture:F/3.5-6.8
Max Focal Length:15.3mm
Min Focal Length:5.1mm
Optical Zoom:3
Type:Zoom lens

Miscellaneous

Color:Silver

Optical Sensor

Camcorder Effective Still Resolution:8Megapixel
Camcorder Sensor Resolution:7.8Mpix
Optical Sensor Size:1/2.3 / 1/2.3"
Optical Sensor Size (metric):11 mm ( 1/2.3 ) / 11 mm ( 1/2.3" )
Optical Sensor Type:BSI-CMOS
Sensor Qty:1CMOS

Optical System

Image Stabilizer:Electronic

Video Input

Analog Video Format:NTSC
Digital Video Format:H.264
Digital Zoom:10
Face Detection: Yes
Media Type:Flash card
Shooting Modes:Digital photo mode
Still Image Format:JPEG
Type:Camcorder

Viewfinder

Viewfinder Type: None
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT