Samsung Palmcorder SC-L860 Hi-8 Analog Camcorder
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- Recording System: NTSC
- Camcorder Type: Analog
- Recording Media: Hi-8
- Optical Zoom: 22x
- Weight: 1.71 lb.
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High End features, low end cost
Pros
price, features, ease of use
Cons
light, LCD display lacks contrast adjustment
Recommended it?
Yes
The Bottom Line:
this is an excellent camcorder for those looking for a high-quality camera with all the important features without paying a premium for a brand name
The Samsung SC-L860 is a great camcorder for those shopping on a budget but still wanting some of the features of a more expensive camcorder.
Overall I have found this camcorder very easy to use and am very satisfied with my purchase. One of the biggest deciding factors when purchasing this camera is the fact that the Hi-8 cassettes that it uses can also be used and played back on Hi-8 digital camcorders when I decide to upgrade to a digital camcorder in the future.
Navigation of the various menus to set preferences and make adjustments to the camera is quite straightforward and easy to remember after just a few minutes of flipping thru the owners manual.
The playback picture quality is good using the included A/V connection cable but I recommend using the S-video output if your TV has the corresponding input (an S-video cable is not included with the camera). the S-video connection provides a playback picture that falls just a little short of the picture quality you get from a DVD player. The sound recording using the integrated microphone is decent compared to other camcorders I have dealt with, but like with other camcorders you must use an external mic(not included) if you want great sound recording.
One of my favorite features of this camera is the digital image stabilization feature (DIS). Activating this option removes much of unintended movements of the camera operator thus reducing the "seasick feeling" during playback. Samsung claims that activating this feature reduces video quality but in my experience the effect is negligible with this camera.
This camera also features 22x optical zoom and a 880x digital zoom. Zooming in and out with either the optical or digital setting is very smooth and the sliding zoom control lets you easily control the speed with which the camera zooms. One drawback with the digital zoom setting is the fact that to get a stable image you must use use a tripod or other device even with the DIS activated, I'm sure the same could be said of other cameras with digital zoom though.
The camera also features a number of special effect settings such as black and white, mirror image, negative image, etc. as well as the ability to add titles from a list of 10 preloaded and also has a manual focus setting as well.
Battery life for this camera is comparable to many other similar cameras, approximately 2 hours using the viewfinder and 1.5 hours using the LCD display. Using features such as the spotlight and others also reduce record time per charge.
The only downsides to this camera is the built in light which only has any effect when taping subjects less than 5 feet away and the lack of a contrast adjustment for the LCD display which makes it almost impossible to see in bright sunlight.
Overall I have found this camcorder very easy to use and am very satisfied with my purchase. One of the biggest deciding factors when purchasing this camera is the fact that the Hi-8 cassettes that it uses can also be used and played back on Hi-8 digital camcorders when I decide to upgrade to a digital camcorder in the future.
Navigation of the various menus to set preferences and make adjustments to the camera is quite straightforward and easy to remember after just a few minutes of flipping thru the owners manual.
The playback picture quality is good using the included A/V connection cable but I recommend using the S-video output if your TV has the corresponding input (an S-video cable is not included with the camera). the S-video connection provides a playback picture that falls just a little short of the picture quality you get from a DVD player. The sound recording using the integrated microphone is decent compared to other camcorders I have dealt with, but like with other camcorders you must use an external mic(not included) if you want great sound recording.
One of my favorite features of this camera is the digital image stabilization feature (DIS). Activating this option removes much of unintended movements of the camera operator thus reducing the "seasick feeling" during playback. Samsung claims that activating this feature reduces video quality but in my experience the effect is negligible with this camera.
This camera also features 22x optical zoom and a 880x digital zoom. Zooming in and out with either the optical or digital setting is very smooth and the sliding zoom control lets you easily control the speed with which the camera zooms. One drawback with the digital zoom setting is the fact that to get a stable image you must use use a tripod or other device even with the DIS activated, I'm sure the same could be said of other cameras with digital zoom though.
The camera also features a number of special effect settings such as black and white, mirror image, negative image, etc. as well as the ability to add titles from a list of 10 preloaded and also has a manual focus setting as well.
Battery life for this camera is comparable to many other similar cameras, approximately 2 hours using the viewfinder and 1.5 hours using the LCD display. Using features such as the spotlight and others also reduce record time per charge.
The only downsides to this camera is the built in light which only has any effect when taping subjects less than 5 feet away and the lack of a contrast adjustment for the LCD display which makes it almost impossible to see in bright sunlight.
