Samsung SCD86 MiniDV Compact Digital Camcorder with 2.5" LCD Display & 8 MB Memory Stick

Rating:
Summary: Cool camcorder. Lot of features for the price.
Review: The best thing I liked about this camera is price per feature. I got this camera few days back and have tried all the features in the manual. I am very satisfied with pretty much all the features. The still digital camera mode is ok. The quality is ok for pc application, but just ok for printing. I did not, however expect a lot for this price.
It has everything nite pics, dig effects, back light comp, stab comp, memory stick and a lot more. I am happy with it at this moment. This is my first samsung product so reliability and cust support is yet to be seen.

Rating:
Summary: Not a point and shoot
Review: We bought the camera as a return from a major department store that had taken it back from someone who had bought it one day and returned it the next. Most of the attachments were still in their bags. We got a price of $300 because it is a closeout and it was returned.

The first thing I noticed is that you can't even charge the battery without reading the manual. While that isn't a big problem for some, I am sure that it would be frustrating for people who want to pick it up and play with it. I am a little concerned that the dc (power)attachment and the pc (computer)plugs are approximately the same dimensions and are both rectangular. They are not particularly near each other but with someone who doesn't read instructions and is prone to forcing things, something could get damaged.

You get an 8MB memory stick (upgradeable to over 128Mb) for still photos and very short videos but you need to buy tapes. Then you need to be sure that you select the correct recording media on the side of the camera.

The camera portion is 1MB resolution; hardly high quality clarity for a digital camera these days but the video will operate in almost dark conditions. You can send the signal from the camera to a VCR, a TV, or a Computer, so it is extremely flexible.

Overall, if you are looking for a vacation camera that does videos and will take snapshots, this is a good choice. However, you need to read the manual. There are 17 buttons and switches on the outside of the camera alone, so you can't just point and shoot out of the box.