Remember those huge VHS camcorders in the early 90's that you would rest on your shoulder? Well, technology has come a long way since then and now you can take much higher resolution videos on camcorders that fit in your pocket. Heck, even cell phones can record videos, but for those who want the ability to capture several hours of high quality video, something other than a phone might be in order.

Geeks.com offers a variety of digital camcorders, and they have sent over one of their more popular units for us to check out. The unit we are reviewing today is the Samsung SC-MX20EL digital camcorder which records at resolutions up to 720x480 and takes the weight off your shoulders – weighing in at less than one pound.

Before we take a closer look at the sample provided for review, let's look at some published information on the Samsung SC-MX20EL as taken from the official product page on the Samsung website.

Features:

The Samsung SC-MX20EL digital camcorder allows you to record over six hours of video at the finest setting in a 16x9 widescreen mode (720x480). The camcorder is certainly targeted towards the budget minded consumer and is said to make uploading videos from your computer to YouTube very simple. Other notable features of this camcorder include:

» 16GB onboard memory (6hr 20min record time) @ highest resolution (720x480)
» External SDHC memory slot allows for up to 32GB additional storage
» Face Detection Autofocus
» “Intelligent Check” displays remaining power and recording time
» Interval Recording
» Built-in speaker and microphone
» 180 min battery life
» Easy upload to YouTube using included CyberLink Media Show software

Specifications:

Specifications for the Samsung SC-MX20EL digital camcorder are listed below. The sample we tested is Model # SC-MX20EL, and it comes standard with 16GB of onboard memory. Things to note about this camcorder: the small form factor (4.9” x 2.6” x 2.4”) and minimal weight (0.6lbs) allow you to comfortably store the camcorder in your pocket. Perspective buyers should also note the 34x optical zoom – this is especially useful for sporting events.

» Camcorder type: NTSC
» Storage media: SD/SDHC
» Optical zoom: 34x
» Shutter speed: 1/60~1/10000, 8 step (manual shutter)
» Image stabilizer: Hyper D.I.S.
» Outputs: USB 2.0, composite
» Compatible Operating systems: Win XP SP2, Vista 32 & 64
» Dimensions: 4.9” x 2.6” x 2.4”
» Weight: 0.6 lbs
» Compression format: H.264/AVC