Meet the HMX-H300: Samsung's New Mid-Range HD Camcorder

At CES 2011 in Las Vegas, Samsung has announced a new series of mid-range HD camcorders called the HMX-H300 line. The series contains four camcorders—the HMX-H300, HMX-H303, HMX-H304, and HMX-H305—each of which has a sub-$600 suggested retail price. All of the camcorders in this series feature 1/4.1-inch CMOS sensors that are capable of producing Full HD video.

The sleek and slender HMX-H300 series looks a lot like Samsung's HMX-H200 camcorders from 2010. The new models feature larger, 3-inch touchscreens, 30x optical zoom lenses, and new intuitive options like built-in USB charging. All of the models have optical image stabilization (OIS) systems that have been upgraded over last year's models.

In addition to offering 1920 x 1080 HD recording, the HMX-H300 series can record 1280 x 720 video (with a 60p frame rate) and 720 x 480 standard definition video. The camcorders all have basic still image functions, as well as HDMI and Composite video outputs.

Samsung didn't do a great job outlining the specific differences between the four models in its press release, but we think it is safe to say the only significant difference is the amount of internal memory in each. All four models contain SD/SDHC memory card slots, but the HMX-H305 also has 32GB of built-in flash memory. We assume the HMX-H303 and H304 each contain some amount of internal memory (probably 8GB and 16GB respectively), while the HMX-H300 is likely a card-only camcorder.

All the camcorders in the HMX-H300 series will hit stores in February 2011, and each will be available with a red, black, or silver paint job. The HMX-H305 is the most expensive model at $599, followed by the H304 at $499 and the H303 at $449. The HMX-H300 is the cheapest of the series, with a cost of $399.