Link : http://reviews.photographyreview.

com/blog/samsung-smx-c20-smx-c24-and-
hmx-m20-compact-digital-camcorders/

HMX-M20 stylish, ergonomically-designed compact

digital camcorders.

Video cameras using a memory card format are able to achieve an

ultracompact design. Because they record highly compressed video, they're
best suited for gadget lovers who want to use their footage mainly on Web sites
and in e-mail. Digital camcorders that record MPEG-2 or MPEG-4 to memory
cards may be picky about the cards you use since those encoding schemes
require the ability to write to the card more quickly than most standard cards
can handle.

Every digital camcorder has a fully automatic mode that lets you simply point
and shoot, but it's best to be able to adjust your exposure setting a little.
Special shooting modes for capturing subjects lit by a spotlight or other
specific sources can be helpful. For full control over exposure, you'll need a
camera that lets you manually set both the aperture and the shutter speed.
Advanced camcorders offer zebra stripes, which highlight overexposed areas
with a striped pattern so that you can fine-tune exposure. Low-light
performance is the Achilles' heel of many digital camcorders. Look for a model
with a minimum lux rating of seven or lower. Many camcorders offer special
low-light shooting modes, but they don't all work the same way. Some simply
slow down the shutter speed so that you get full-color but impressionistic-
looking footage. Others use an infrared emitter to capture greenish
monochrome video in total darkness.

If format proliferation is the sign of growing pains in a market, camcorders are

in adolescent hell. Prices are dropping, making HD camcorders an attractive
buy relative to their SD competitors, but inexpensive doesn't necessarily mean
easy. Our most recent tally indicates there are no fewer than four possible
media types to use, each of which can support multiple encoding formats; the
encoding formats, in turn, support various combinations of standard-definition
(SD) and high-definition (HD) video formats. Toss in HD's three different
available resolutions, and you have an ugly mess to sort through while you shop.
And we haven't even begun to see the inevitable models based on HD-DVD or
Blu-ray discs.

More pixels usually mean better viewfinder and LCD image quality. Look for a
sharp LCD that's easy to see in bright light; adjustable screen brightness helps,
too. The larger the LCD, the easier it will be to see (and the more power-hungry
it will be); for all but ultracompact camcorders, look for at least 2.5 inches. An
EVF that you can tilt with a diopter lever for adjusting focus will give you more
shooting flexibility. Almost all EVFs and LCDs on consumer camcorders display
color, although some video enthusiasts prefer black-and-white EVFs, which
can make it easier to judge exposure. Touch-screen LCDs have begun to
appear on a few consumer video cameras, usually for menu navigation and
spot focusing. Some users find them convenient, while others prefer not to
have to use the LCD to access camcorder controls.