SAMSUNG SCD5000 DUOCAM Dual-lens camcorder/camera

November 2003

As for the DuoCam's MiniDV camcorder, it produces good video. You have a 680x480-pixel CCD, a 10x optical zoom and an 800x digital zoom to play with (and the zoom was much easier to harness than that of some other camcorders I've tried). Both the camcorder and the camera have numerous software features you'd expect, although nothing I'd call notably deluxe.

The DuoCam sports a good, if unremarkable, two-inch LCD monitor, as well as a standard viewfinder. Connections include USB 1.1 and DV (FireWire, 1394) ports. The USB is for transferring stills from the Memory Stick to the PC; I wish it were the higher-speed USB 2.0. The four-pin DV is for transferring video to other devices, such as a PC, a DVD recorder or another camcorder. There's also an A/V cable for connection to the TV, with composite and S-Video connections. Activated playback buttons are illuminated in blue—a nice touch.

The splendid ergonomics of the DuoCam's design simply amaze me. It certainly is a conversation piece, a space saver and a convenience of the highest order. Still, serious photography snobs probably would rather buy an expensive stand-alone camera; the same goes for videographers and camcorders.

On the whole, chalk this innovative Samsung offering up to experience, because while this isn't the perfect combination of a camcorder and a digital still camera, it's a significant development in the digital video category all the same. Expect Samsung and, surely, others to build on this capital idea in the future.