Home > Consumer Reviews > Samsung SCD55 Digital Camcorder

Despite there being basically NO reviews on this camcorder anywhere on the internet, which was a concern, I bought the SCD55 based on its specs and price ...

So far it's worked well and the color is great in the daylight. Indoors, it doesn't capture color quite as well but I guess that's to be expected. It's pretty small and portable, and although it doesn't have a lot of the frills and special effects that the more expensive camcorders have, it has 22x optical zoom which is nice. Most 'special effects' can be done with software afterwards anyhow.

The only other complaints I would have, besides the indoor color balance, are the hum of the motor, which is slight but noticeable on the recorded audio, and the lack of A/V inputs. ...Couldn't find a better deal anywhere...

We wanted a Digital Camcorder with MiniDV technology primarily to record our little son growing. After doing a survey in the market, I figured this is the one with MiniDV cassette and has still picture capability too.( I was rather surpriced by the cost)I simply could't afford to let this oppurtunity pass by.

The picture quality is comparable to any of the the camcorders in the market. The key feature is the 22x optical zoom and the 440x digital zoom which beats most of the camcorders in the market more than twice the cost. It also has various digital effects...

Hard to believe a DigiCam with such features costing around $...

I have studied for more than 2 months about ...digital camcorders and I finally found the one for me. That is SCD55.

It is very compact and rugged also. There are no more special features than really nescessary for beginners/intermediate users. It has 680 K pixel CCD, digital stabilization, 20x optical zoon and total 440x zoom (including digital), some special effects, photo mode to take digital pictures (though the resolution is not that good) and so on. Also connection to the PC with firewire (or i.link) is so easy that anyone can do that.

If I really have to mention the cons, the battery life is relatively short (50 min). However even this would be long enough for casual users for sure.

....I strongly recommend this product.

I'm afraid I had to send mine back because it didn't do well in low light. The owner's manual recommends a camcorder light for all indoor settings, and specifies that a light is required for anything darker than an office with fluorescent lights, or a room lit by fluorescent light. I found this to be true, and the camcorder would not work at all indoors unless there was plenty of light. Since I sometimes use my camcorder for museums and other indoor settings, it just wasn't appropriate for my needs. When I called the Samsung help line to make sure I wasn't just doing something wrong, they explained that this was just a limitation of this model.

Other than this limitation, it's a good product with lots of nice features for a great price. It was easy to hook up and run, and the sound was good. It's compact and solid-feeling. I gave it two stars based strictly on the fact I had to return mine because of the lighting needs.

Be sure to buy an extended warranty if you plan on buying this camera. Mine broke just a few days after the incredibly short 90 day labor warranty (1yr. on parts though). One day when I went to playback some video I had shot, nothing showed up other than a blue screen. It wouldn't playback anything after owning it less than 4 months. Other than that, the camera seems to perform okay, although the motors in the camera are quite a bit noisier than other camcorders I've used.

Be sure to do your homework before deciding to buy this camera. If you want a comparable camera get a panasonic dv51 which in similar in price. I'd stay away from this one....