Samsung HMX-R10

Colour (7.37)

The Samsung HMX-R10 didn't show us anything special in our colour test, but it didn't perform poorly either. The R10 had a normal colour accuracy for a camcorder of its class—posting a colour error of 4.75 and a saturation level of 102%. This is very similar to the numbers the Sanyo VPC-HD2000 earned in this test, and it is a fairly common score for a mid-range camcorder. (More on how we test colour.)

Colour Accuracy Performance
Colour Test Chart (above), Colour Error Map (right)
The Samsung HMX-R10 produced a colour error of 4.75 and a saturation level of 102% in our bright light colour testing. (The map on the right is a diagram of the colour error. The length and direction of each line indicates how the camcorder processed each particular colour.)

Overall, the R10's colours looked quite good, although some of the orange and red tones appeared a bit faded. The colour error chart above shows that the camcorder rendered green and light blue colours very accurately, but that it had problems with red, brown and dark blue tones. The HMX-R10 doesn't have any colour controls other than a few digital effects like Black and White, Sepia, and Negative mode. So, if you want to increase colour depth or adjust the sharpness of the image, you're out of luck. You can, however, adjust these things in post-production. In fact, Samsung's supplied editing software is pretty easy to use and offers quite a few colour and image adjustment controls. Read more about the HMX-R10's supplied Intelli-studio program here.

Samsung HMX-R10 Colour Sample
Auto	100% Crop

The above frame is a sample image from our colour testing. Notice how the train and pipe-cleaners appear a bit overexposed in the 100% crop. The colours lack punch because of this slight overexposure. The HMX-R10 does allow for exposure to be set manually, so you can opt for a darker image if you like that look better. All of our testing is done in auto mode with a manual white balance, however, so what you see above is how the camcorder captures a bright light image using its auto controls.

Samsung HMX-R10 Colour Comparisons
Samsung HMX-R10	JVC GZ-X900
Sanyo VPC-HD2000	Panasonic HDC-HS20

The HMX-R10 captures a very bright video image compared to the rest of the camcorders in the set above. The Sanyo VPC-HD2000 appears much darker, although its colours were the most accurate, followed by the JVC GZ-X900. The Panasonic HDC-HS20 had roughly the same colour error as the Samsung HMX-R10. Below are close-ups of specific colour patches pulled from the test images above.

	Close-Up Colour Comparisons
	Ideal	Samsung HMX-R10	JVC GZ-X900	Sanyo VPC-HD2000	Panasonic HDC-HS20
Red
	Ideal	Samsung HMX-R10	JVC GZ-X900	Sanyo VPC-HD2000	Panasonic HDC-HS20
Green
	Ideal	Samsung HMX-R10	JVC GZ-X900	Sanyo VPC-HD2000	Panasonic HDC-HS20
Blue
	Ideal	Samsung HMX-R10	JVC GZ-X900	Sanyo VPC-HD2000	Panasonic HDC-HS20
Skin Tone 1
	Ideal	Samsung HMX-R10	JVC GZ-X900	Sanyo VPC-HD2000	Panasonic HDC-HS20
Skin Tone 2

In the colour patches for the Samsung R10 you can see quite a bit of artefacting, blocking, and splotches. While the rest of the camcorders in this set also show this problem, it is more prominent on the R10. The patches above also show the strong disparity in auto exposure on the JVC GZ-X900 and the rest of the compared camcorders.

Colour Performance Scores		Compare the JVC GZ-HM400 to the JVC GZ-X900
		Compare the JVC GZ-HM400 to the Sanyo VPC-HD200 Panasonic HDC-HS20
		Compare the JVC GZ-HM400 to the Panasonic HDC-HS20

Noise (8.2)

The HMX-R10 measured 0.73255% noise in our bright light testing. Again, just as we saw in the R10's colour test, this is a fairly average score for a mid-range HD camcorder. The three other camcorders we used as comparisons had lower noise levels in their bright light video image, with the JVC GZ-X900 putting up the best numbers in this test. The Samsung R10 does have a noise reduction setting that can be turned on and off. Using it in our bright light testing, we found it lowered the camcorder's noise level just slightly. (More on how we test noise.)

Noise Comparisons
Samsung HMX-R10 100% Crop	JVC GZ-X900 100% Crop	Sanyo VPC-HD2000 100% Crop	Panasonic HDC-HS20 100% Crop

While the R10's noise levels weren't too bad, they were significantly worse than the competition shown above. You can see the difference in the crops too. The HMX-R10 appears a bit fuzzy and has a faint coating of odd, discoloured splotches. The images from the other camcorders look much softer, smoother, and cleaner. The HMX-R10 does have a sharp image, however, although it isn't as sharp as the JVC GZ-X900.

Noise Score Comparisons		Compare the JVC GZ-HM400 to the JVC GZ-X900
		Compare the JVC GZ-HM400 to the Panasonic HDC-HS20
		Compare the JVC GZ-HM400 to the Panasonic HDC-HS20