Samsung SCHMX10

My threads, very interested because I'm in the same situation.

eh.

terrible low light performance


spend a little more and get an hv30.

True story. 

If you want HD and can't afford a "real" HD camera, get a Canon HV20 or HV30.  Check out Fujative09090's videos, they're filmed with an HV20 and look great.

Sony, Panasonic, and Canon are the big camera producers.  Anything else is really just an afterthought. 

And its not 60fps, its 60i, which is 60 half frames per second.  You need to deinterlace to get to progressive...I think, right?  I'm still getting my facts straight...

Every consumer/prosumer camera on the market shoots 60i. Any standard def programming you watch on tv is 60i. Thats how video works as opposed to film. CCD's record interlaced footage. The difference between cameras is how much work you have to do in post to create progressive frames. The dvx100 and XL2 both create progressive frames within the camera, unlike the HV20 or XHA1 which require additional work in post to create 24p footage. There's no 'scam' to it, its simply how the cameras work.

HDV is 'real HD'. HD simply means anything above SD, be it 1080i, 1080p and 720p. HV20 records real HD. Just because it records 1080/60i doesn't mean it's not real HD.

The bad: Sluggish autofocus; exposure problems; mediocre low-light quality and performance; no hardware image stabilization; annoying touch screen; potential software problems.

taken from a cnet review: http://reviews.cnet.com/digital-camcorders/samsung-sc-hmx10/4505-6500_7-32306196.html

you dont want slow AF and exposure problems with skiing. it just doesnt really work to well. the touch screens can be annoying as well with cold fingers. it is really nice to shoot 1080i too, because if you need to crop a shot or zoom in on it in post, it makes it way easier (you have more pixels and hence more room to do whatever you need with it).

i checked out some of the specs, and the shutter speeds arent too good on this (1/1000 max and 1/50 lowest). that limits exposure, and if you cant go below 1/50, you really wont be able to get any good low light stuff (that in adition with the small sensors it has, means it will really lack in low light situations).

if your going to edit alot too, the recording to a card deal sounds great, but isnt too good in the end. the video isnt as good as from a tape, and you need to find a NLE which can edit that format of video without having to render it all (i have no idea about which ones can, and cannot, so it may not be a problem, but just make sure you find out first).

i would see if you can get a used HV20/HV30. the main difference between the 20 and 30 is that the 30 shoots in 30p (which, i would love to have, but my HV20 cant do :( ). any more questions, feel free to PM me, or if i got something in this post wrong, please point it out.

got the rents to pitch in a lil money saying what evers left over after i pay for some of it with my paycheck  is my bday present so no more samchung hello HV30 soooo much better quality