Samsung TL350 Digital Camera (Black)

Comments about Samsung TL350 Digital Camera (Black):

Let me start by saying I am a die hard Canon user. I have bought Canons for years--lately I am using a 5DMkII and 50D along with an HFS200 Camcorder. I had an S90 to use as a carry-around for a few months but the video was so-so and I gave it to my son. I like to shoot in RAW, so my options were limited when it cam to a point and shoot that I could put in my pocket. After much deliberation and contrary to my better judgment, I bought this little Samsung TL350. At first I was not impressed. In fact, for the first time I read B&H Photo's return policy carefully so I could return it if I decided it wasn't for me. By the end of the first evening I was skeptical. Then I sat down and asked myself why I wanted this type of camera in the first place. I decided that if high-end image quality was important I could always use my 5D or 50D--I have most of the necessary lenses to capture most scenes--e.g. 17-40; 24-70; 70-200 f2.8; 100 2.8 macro--all "L" lenses--you get the picture. Anyway, back to my self-diagnosis--why was I buying a pocket camera and what was it fair of me to expect from it? After some thinking I decided to dig into the little Samsung and see what it had to offer. First of all, it can shoot amazing panoramas that neither of my big boys can do. And, while the 5D and HF-S200 shoot great 1080p video--and I do mean great, auto focus does not work on the 5D and the stills on the HF-S200 are ok at best. The TL350's images are far better than I first thought. You have to read the manual carefully, get the settings right and understand that the camera has its limitations. But, once you understand this you can get some great pictures and the video options are just plain fun. The audio is not all that great and there is no provision for an external mic, but the slow-mo--especially at 240fps is a blast. The quality suffers at high speed, but come on---for [$] what do you expect? I am not an image quality geek like many, but I know a good picture when I see one. I did a little experiment. I believe the 5D when properly set up can take just about as good a picture as any camera (I know that probably offends some Nikon owners and others, but hey--when you get to this level of image quality it truly is in the eyes of the beholder in most cases--and often almost indistinguishable). Anyway, I took fairly identical pictures (in RAW format) using similar settings and close in time using the 5D and the TL350. The 5D no doubt took the better picture--but not by as much as you might have expected. The TL350 really can turn out some great pictures. One thing I did find annoying, though is how slow the large RAW pictures are processed--sometimes it seems like an eternity waiting on the next shot. Again, compromises, price points, etc. come to mind. I am still getting what I want--features that work reasonably well that I can't get from my other cameras--slow-mo video, panorama shooting, interval (time-lapse) shooting, many post-shooting in-camera processing options, pre-capture, bracketed shooting with in camera choice, 10 fps burst shooting, and the list goes on. I have decided to keep this camera and learn how to deal with its eccentricities as I go along. In the meantime, I will enjoy a lot of fun features with very little invested. I have no problem recommending this camera to a person like me who understands and accepts its limitations, but at the same time can appreciate its attributes. No regrets here.

Comments about Samsung TL350 Digital Camera (Black):

This camera is 99% of the way to being a great camera. 1080 video, manual controls, RAW, etc. However, I don't know why they didn't finish the last 1% of the details to truly make it a great camera.

First of all, the camera does not automatically rotate your images and you will have to do that manually on your computer, one by one!

Second, there is no autofocus when shooting video. It sets an initial focus when starting the video (no information on how this initial focus is achieved: center? face detection? something else?) and from then on the focus is not updated, even if you zoom. Zoom destroys the focus so what's the point allowing one to zoom during video in the first place???

Finally, enabling certain options in the menu disables others and it's not clear what's connected to what. For instance, turning on RAW disables face recognition focusing... why???

Comments about Samsung TL350 Digital Camera (Black):

Light, Small, Easy to use.
Good in low light.

Comments about Samsung TL350 Digital Camera (Black):

This camera is one of the better point and shoot cameras available. It takes great pictures in daylight and very crisp movies. I find that nighttime photos are grainy, and has a fair amount of artifacts from the flash, as compared to other cameras i have used in this size. But my philosophy is that if you dont have the camera with you , many opportunities are lost - so that is why i sold my large format camera.
The power and memory dials on the top are nice, and the menu is easy to navigate without downloading the 150 + page manual from the internet.
The short power cord is an aggravation.

Comments about Samsung TL350 Digital Camera (Black):

Still learning to use it, but I do like the the power gauge and memory gauge features on the top of the camera. Both are always good to know.

Comments about Samsung TL350 Digital Camera (Black):

I debated on this camera for 2 weeks but in the end I went for it. I'm glad I did because this camera is awesome.[...]You need to make sure that you run the latest firmware and use a really good SDHC Card. I got the RAW 16GB c-10.I originally purchased the Transcend 16GB C-10. It made the camera run slow and freeze up so I sent it back(Seemed defective). The camera responds great to the RAW Card though. My pictures come out awesome and the videos are Great. The lens lets in a lot of light which is very nice. The only gripes I have are that you can only take 20 min video clips and the battery life is weak. It will last all day if your taking shots here and there. If you do a lot of video in between the you will need a second battery. There is a 1600mAh battery available for this. Overall I'm happy with it. It feels good in the hands, has a good design, LCD is beautiful and it has a really nice lens. I just need to learn all the functions. I'm no expert but I hope this helps.

Comments about Samsung TL350 Digital Camera (Black):

This is a great point and shoot with above average features. It does each functions very well, but does not excel in anyone. The screen is just phenomenal. In fact, the screen is so good, it makes all your shots look so good when reviewing your shots. When uploaded, the pictures lean more towards the grainy side.

The wide angle range of the lens is great and what every point and shoot should strive for.

The 1080 video is a premium feature but make sure your pc meets the minimum requirement or you will not be able to properly play the recorded video in its native format.

The slow motion feature is another premium feature but be aware they you will require a lot more light to get useful playback details. The higher the frame rate, the more light you will need. At 1000fps, you will almost need a spot light on your subject the see any details. The quality of the video is greatly reduced when you shoot in high frame rates so don't expect too much. They work great for me as a quick tool for immediate field review.

This camera is feature packed and getting to all the features might take awhile. This is however expected of any high feature camera without crowding the camera with too many buttons.

The battery life is on the short side of similarly sized PnS cameras but again its not so short that it becomes a major issue. The charging means however can use some improvement. The camera ships with a wall plug unit and a proprietary camera to USB end cable. This cable is used to transfer data from camera to PC when the USB end is plugged into your PC, and used for charging the battery when the USB end is plugged into the wall unit end. It would have been a lot more helpful if Samsung shipped this camera with a dedicated battery charger. There is an optional external battery charger from Samsung, but all my attempts to acquire one has failed. It seems to have been taken out of service.

All in all, this is a good value, feature packed compact camera. The do-it-all point and shoot when the SLR is just out of place.

Comments about Samsung TL350 Digital Camera (Black):

2 weeks in, really like the photo quality. Have taken a couple of videos - high def impressive. The 240 fps moded is also fun but a bit dark and certainly not of the same quality as the 30. Lots of red eye indoors but i haven't spent the time to properly configure the flash, that will surely help some.

Comments about Samsung TL350 Digital Camera (Black):

I wanted a pocket camera with full manual controls that takes good pictures and video is quick to shoot and has raw capability.

The TL350 fits the bill perfectly and at a price no more than the other point and shoots...

I will use it for family, friends and web sharing. A bonus of a pocket camera is it helps me to frame landscape shots for the SLR..

I love the speed it shoots at, continious mode up to 12 shots at 3, 5 or 10 FPS, good picture quality, good video, small size and panaramic mode is great.

I don't like the start up time a little slow but when it is on it is very quick to shoot with.

Overall a very good camera and a great value.

Comments about Samsung TL350 Digital Camera (Black):

After switching from a point and shoot to a Canon G9 a few years ago, the number of pics I took when I went out drastically decreased. No beef with the G9 itself, but I discovered that if it doesn't fit in my pocket, it doesn't leave the house. So my search began for a truly pocket-able camera, but one with a lot of juice.After searching and reviewing like a mad man (literally), I had pretty much decided on the Canon S95. Honestly at this time I wasnt even aware Samsung made a camera, but I read a review on a G9 forum, and someone said: 'I dare you to try the TL350 for a week, and then go back to the S95.' I had to investigate, and boy am I glad I did!! The Main features I was looking for were, Wide aperture for low light shooting, RAW shooting, Full Manual Capability & HD Video. The Canon had fit most all of this criteria, and had the stellar reputation to back it up, but as I had previously owned Panasonic Lumix Cameras and loved their user friendly menus and extra features, the Canon left something to be desired.In short, the TL350 offered everything that I needed from the S95, but had these bonuses to boot:- it has a grip for better handling ($40 custom add on for the S95)- it shoots FULL 1080p HD Video at 30fps (S95 does 720p at 24fps)- it records high speed movies (basically you can record some really fast action and play it back slow motion)- it has a beautiful hi-res OLED screen- it has a hot record button that allows you to start recording video from any mode- it can take stills while shooting video!- it has a wider angle lens (24mm vs 28mm)- it has slightly more zoom (5x vs 3.8x)- it shoots faster continuous (10fps vs 2fps)- it has a slightly faster shutter speed- it's thinner, and smaller in size- it's AT LEAST [$] cheaper :-)Another thing, and people never seem to review this feature on a camera, but I spend a lot of time at loud music venues, and the audio recording quality is pretty darn good on the TL350. I was front and center for the Kruder & Dorfmeister show last week and it never distored.So, can I recommend the TL350?? Youd better believe it!! No bags on the S95, its a great little camera and does outshine the Samsung in a few categories. But with all those extras and [$] in my pocket, the TL350 has made me a happy camper.

Comments about Samsung TL350 Digital Camera (Black):

Great for outdoor use.
Good video.

Comments about Samsung TL350 Digital Camera (Black):

I was waiting for this product to be released because I wanted a digital camera and a hi-def (1080p) video recorder in one small 'pocketable' package. This camera fills the bill. In addition it has many other great features that enhance the cameras usefulness even more. The abilty to shoot large panorama scenes, fa really nice bright snd sharp 3" display on the back, both optical and electronic image stabilization, slow motion video (up 1000fps) and the ability to record video with stereo sound are all great features. The camera is very compact ( just a little bigger than my cell phone). I would highly recommend it to others. Personally I have so far found no real 'cons' to this camera that I can thing of.. Other than if you have large hands like myself some of the controls are small so you have to get used to that.

Comments about Samsung TL350 Digital Camera (Black):

This is a camera that have full manual controle have 10fps nice HD video quality and take raw pictures and is a great low-light and hi-ISO performer. A true pocket camera to have with my SLR gear.