Samsung's New Sports Cam Takes Digital Video To Extreme Heights

[Chris Gohlke]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.samsung.com/PressCenter/PressRelease/PressRelease.asp?seq=20050105_0000089662' target='_blank'>http://www.samsung.com/PressCenter/PressRelease/PressRelease.asp?seq=20050105_0000089662</a><br /><br /></div><i>"The SC-X105 features a durable, rubberized body that is water resistant and built to withstand harsh conditions. The pocket-size chassis and streamlined design provide maximum portability for the modern "on-the-go" lifestyle fitting directly into pockets, backpacks and other athletic gear. An extra sports camera module provides hands-free shooting capability and can be mounted on a helmet or other stable surface for extreme-sports recording."</i><br /><br /><img src="http://www.digitalmediathoughts.com/images/sportscam2_1105172715.jpg" /> <br /><br />Very Cool! This is perfect for use in situations where you can't hold a camera very well. You can stow the main unit safely in your jacket or pack and strap the second lens where ever works best. It uses built in flash memory (512 MB), so there are no moving parts to get jostled. The SC-X105 will be available in March 2005, with an MSRP of $799.99.

[Jerry Raia]

Looks like it would make a cool "spycam" 8)

[Gary Sheynkman]

I know I'm asking too much too soon, but a. what will the recording quality be? b. how much video will fit on 512mb at max quality?

[dean_shan]

Would be nice if it recorded onto MiniDV.

[Chris Gohlke]

I know I'm asking too much too soon, but a. what will the recording quality be? b. how much video will fit on 512mb at max quality?

Not really a full answer to your question, but the press release says:

"The SC-X105 epitomizes Samsung's reputation for innovation in the field of digital convergence technology. The camera features 10x Optical Zoom with a 680K Movie Optimized CCD lens for superior color precision and image detail. In addition to producing sharp, realistic movie footage, the SC-X105 allows users to capture digital stills at 720 x 480 and 1280 x 960 resolution."


Would be nice if it recorded onto MiniDV.

I think the moving parts would be the issue here.

[Crocuta]

I know I'm asking too much too soon, but a. what will the recording quality be? b. how much video will fit on 512mb at max quality?

Something's not adding up here. Even with a high-quality compression algorithm, you'd still only be looking at around 5 minutes of video in 512MB (assuming roughly 30 fps at 640x480). Maybe they've got some great new compression and can double that? Triple it? It would still be dead in the water. I have a feeling that the press release got something wrong. Perhaps there is 512MB inside for still images in addition to whatever medium they use for video.

[aaron1266]

I saw this piece at PMA. The SC-X105L will handle 12 min of HQ video (30fps/720X480) with the built-in 512MB of memory (18 min. fine/34 min. normal). It also has a Memory Stick PRO slot, so you can easily add plenty of additional memory via Memory Stick or Memory Stick PRO. I have to say, even though I wasn't snowboarding with it, the unit I saw with the remote lens attached captured a really high-quality image. I was impressed.