Samsung HMX-R10

Low Light Sensitivity (0.0)

The Samsung HMX-R10 is not a good camcorder for recording in low light situations. It did absolutely terrible in our low light sensitivity test, requiring 51 lux of light to reach 50 IRE on our waveform monitor. Most mid-range HD camcorders generally require somewhere between 15 - 30 lux of light to produce the same results, so this is a very disappointing performance for Samsung. There is a slight glimmer of good news, however. The R10 had a far better low light sensitivity when we tested it using its 25p record mode. Using it to record video, the camcorder needed only 22 lux of light to reach 50 IRE. (More on how we test low light sensitivity.)

Required Illumination *

* the lower the lux required, the better the performance

The HMX-R10 isn't alone with its abysmal low light sensitivity score. The JVC GZ-X900 actually did worse—needing 51 lux of light to reach 50 IRE on our waveform monitor. These lousy scores are directly related to the fact that both the R10 and X900 have extremely high pixel counts for video recording. Their CMOS chips are so populated with pixels that they aren't able to absorb enough light. The Sanyo VPC-HD2000 and Panasonic HDC-HS20 have much lower pixel counts, and, in turn, they did much better in this test.

The HMX-R10's lens doesn't have a very wide aperture setting, which is another factor in the camcorder's poor low light sensitivity. The widest aperture on the camcorder is f/3.5, while many other consumer models open up to f/1.8. A wider (also called 'faster') aperture allows more light to enter the camcorder's lens, thus resulting in better low light sensitivity.

The HMX-R10 does have a low light mode called C.Nite, which can be set to Super or Normal. With the Normal setting, the camcorder engages its auto slow shutter, which allows the shutter to drop to 1/25 of a second in low light situations. We don't test using this mode because, while it does boost exposure levels, it also results in slow, choppy motion. The Super C.Nite option increases exposure even more, but it fixes the shutter speed at 1/13 of a second, which means your video will have more blur and look even choppier than Normal C.Nite mode.

Low Light Colour (8.11)

The HMX-R10 did fairly well in our low light colour test. The camcorder registered a colour error of 4.36 with a saturation level of 67.29%. This colour error is slightly better than the camcorder managed in our bright light test, and between the other camcorders we used as comparison models, only the Sanyo VPC-HD2000 scored better. (More on how we test low light colour.)

Auto Low Light Colour Performance
Colour Test Chart (above), Colour Error Map (right)
The Samsung HMX-R10 produced a colour error of 4.36 and a saturation level of 67.29% in our low 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.)

Most mid-range camcorders struggle with low light colour accuracy, so the R10's colour error of 4.36 is actually quite good. The more expensive JVC GZ-X900 captured a sharp image, but produced a strange green-yellow hue in low light. The Panasonic HDC-HS20's low light image was blurred, washed-out, and had far less accurate colours than the Samsung R10. The Sanyo VPC-HD2000 was the only camcorder in this test with better colour accuracy than the Samsung.

Low Light Comparison
Samsung HMX-R10	JVC GZ-X900
Sanyo VPC-HD2000	Panasonic HDC-HS20

If you don't mind the look that an alternate frame rate produces, you are better off shooting with the 25p mode on the Samsung R10—especially in low light. Its captured image was much brighter and its colours looked deeper in 25p as opposed to 50i. As you'll see in the next section, Low Light Noise, the Samsung R10 has some trouble with noise in low light conditions. Below is a comparison of the R10's low light image shot using its 25p mode and regular 50i mode.

Low Light Comparison - Frame Rates
Samsung HMX-R10 25p Mode	Samsung HMX-R10 Auto (50i Mode)

Low Light Colour Score Comparison		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

Low Light Noise (7.01)

Noise levels in the HMX-R10's low light footage were unfortunately high. The results weren't as bad as the worst offenders, like the JVC GZ-X900 and the Canon HF20, but there was enough noise for it to be very noticeable and distracting. The camcorder averaged 1.775% noise in our low light test. This is a good deal higher than the Panasonic HDC-HS20 (0.62% noise). (More on how we test low light noise.)

Noise at 60 lux Auto
Samsung HMX-R10 100% Crop	JVC GZ-X900 100% Crop	Sanyo VPC-HD2000 100% Crop	Panasonic HDC-HS20 100% Crop

Above, you can see the kinds of problems the Samsung HMX-R10 had in low light conditions. The camcorder's image is very splotchy, blocky, and discoloured. You can see the presence of noise quite clearly and it distracts from the captured image. Most camcorders have quite a bit of trouble in low light, but the Panasonic HDC-HS20 manages quite well compared to the rest of the models in this set. Sure, it still loses a lot of detail and sharpness, but it's image isn't completely fuzzy or discoloured like the rest of the crops shown above.

Fortunately, the Samsung HMX-R10 does have a few extra modes that can help clean up its low light image, however. First, there's the aforementioned 25p shooting mode. Using it boosts the camcorder's exposure levels (because the frame rate is lower) and the results are a brighter, less noisy picture. There's also a Noise Reduction setting on the HMX-R10 that can be used to reduce the presence of noise. Shooting with Noise Reduction engaged didn't boost the exposure of the captured image, but produced a smoother, cleaner image.

Low Light 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