The Samsung HMX-Q10BP/XSA ( I don’t know why either) reminds me of a Porsche Panamera motor car.

It has most of the goods, does what is promised and a little bit more but has all the style and panache of a dropped pie. Sorry Samsung, in a world where substance sadly gives way to good looks in so many ways, this one does not work. You would never see the words “Apple” written on the side of this model to give an idea.

The HMX-Q10BP/XSA is full HD at 1920 * 1080, has proper optical stabilisation as against the inferior electronic type, a quick start-up time (and an annoying chime also favoured by Sanyo) and everything but everything is either fully automatic or can be touch screen controlled barring Tele/Wide and Record On/Off. SD card storage is used (hence the quick startup) and whole thing is small and light, quite capable of sitting in a backpack or similar. Output is AV, USB or mini HDMI (with no cable supplied).

On-screen menus are easy to follow – which is useful as the documentation is a tad sparse. I nearly fell for a trick though as the onscreen “M” for manual means manual mode, not an online manual in the camera. The Smart Auto option takes away all the guesswork if you are so inclined, allowing you to concentrate on framing your subject. There is also an “Art Film” mode that includes Time Lapse from 0.5 to 5 sec intervals and a few digital effects (warning Will Robinson – avoid!) that are pretty standard such as Negative, Sepia, B & W and so on.,

It also takes quite good video through a F 1.8/ f=2.75~27.5 Kreuznach lens with 10x.

There is even a party trick! This is the first camcorder I have come across that allows both left handed and right handed users to play with comfortably. And the means is very basic, but at the same time, quite clever; instead of there being some whizzbang futuristic way of achieving this, Samsung has simply allowed the HMX-Q10BP/XSA to be turned upside down, and still work with the image on the LCD flipping.

So yes, as a camcorder it works. Its inexpensive at $379, but as I said at the start, the HMX-Q10BP/XSA just has no looks or dare I say, “personality”. In this age of iPads, Blackberrys, Android devices and so on, I fear the marketing bods at Samsung will have a hard job selling this one – left handed use besides.

By David Hague

David is the owner and publisher of AusCam Online. He has a background in media dating back to 1979 when he first got involved with photojournalism in motorsport, and went from there into technology via a 5 year stint with Tandy Computers. Following that, he ran a software distribution company on the Gold Coast and was one of the first to recognise the potential of Microsoft Windows.

Moving back to WA, David wrote scripts for Computer Television for video training for the just released Windows and Office 95 among others, and was then lured to Sydney to create web sites for the newly commercial Internet in 1995, building hundreds of sites under contract to OzEmail including Coates Hire, Hertz Queensland, John Williamson, the NSW Board of Studies and many, many more.

He went back into full time journalism as the Managing Editor for Channel 7's 'Gadget Guy', Peter Blasina's publications VideoCamera and Pixelmag, before starting Australasian Camcorder magazine when these publications were shelved. He lives at Sydney's Avalon Beaches nearly on the ocean front with dog Budweiser and in his spare time is a nut for motor sport, road safety, fishing, science fiction - especially Dr Who - and technology.

David can be contacted via david@auscamonline.com