Samsung HMX-R10

The Samsung HMX-R10 and the JVC GZ-X900 have a lot of similarities. Both have a 1/2.33-inch CMOS sensor under the hood, can take 9-megapixel still photos, and include a 5x optical zoom. Neither camcorder has any internal memory, and both record to SD/SDHC memory cards. Both camcorders also feature low-quality slow motion modes.

The big difference, however, is the fact that the GZ-X900 is roughly twice the price of the HMX-R10 (£ 720 for the JVC vs. £ 350 for the Samsung). What does the GZ-X900 give you for this extra cash? Optical image stabilisation is the big thing (the R10 only has digital stabilisation), and the X900 has better performance in bright light than the Samsung. Of course, the JVC GZ-X900 is also bigger than the R10, although its smooth, rectangular design makes it quite portable.

While the GZ-X900 did very well in our bright light testing, it ran into a wall when we tested it in low light. Like the Samsung R10, the X900 had horrible low light sensitivity and produced a lot of noise in our testing. Its low light image also produced an odd, greenish hue. The GZ-X900 does not have any alternate frame rates other than its low-quality slow motion modes.

If you want a camcorder that can take 9-megapixel still images, the Samsung HMX-R10 is the better all-around device. The fact that it costs half as much as the GZ-X900 simply reinforces this fact. The Samsung did better in our still image testing and it is a better camcorder in low light conditions than the X900.

	Comparison Specs
	Samsung HMX-R10	JVC GZ-X900
Price	£ 350	£ 720
Primary Recording Media	SD/SDHC memory card	SD/SDHC memory card
Secondary Recording Media	None	None
Image Sensor	1/2.33-inch CMOS	1/2.33-inch CMOS
Effective Pixel Count	5.3 megapixels (video) 9 megapixels (still)	Unknown (video) 9-megapixel (stills)
Mic Input	None	None
LCD	2.7-inch with 230,000 pixels	2.8-inch with 207,000 pixels
Viewfinder	None	None
Weight	229g (without battery)	298g
Dimensions	38.3 x 56.8 x 128.2mm	37 x 66 x 124mm
HD	Yes	Yes
Frame Rates	1080/50i, 1080/25p, 720/50p	1080/50i
Compression	H.264 (MPEG-4.AVC)	AVCHD
Maximum Bitrate	Unknown	24Mbps
Optical Zoom	5x	5x
Stabilisation	Digital	Optical

	Colour Comparison
	Samsung HMX-R10	JVC GZ-X900
Red
	Samsung HMX-R10	JVC GZ-X900
Green
	Samsung HMX-R10	JVC GZ-X900
Blue
	Samsung HMX-R10	JVC GZ-X900
Skin Tone 1
	Samsung HMX-R10	JVC GZ-X900
Skin Tone 2

Video Sharpness Score Comparisons