Samsung SCD353 MiniDV Camcorder w/20x Optical Zoom

Pros Nice and small and easy to carry. Software fairly easy to use. Middle of the road performance from an inexpensive camcorder.

Cons The lack of a video light makes the camera performance poor in low light. Still captures are low quality.

Major Con Battery life leaves a lot to be desired and additional batteries are very difficult to locate. This Camcorder has the smallest camcorder battery I've ever seen (SB-LSM80). I can only get between 40 minutes to an hour record time out of it, far short of what the manual claims. Then, it takes an hour and a half to fully re-charge which must be done in the camera since an external charger is not available. It also appears the battery only charges while the camera is off. I searched around and accessories are simply not available for this camera. Amazon.Com incorrectly lists the Samsung SB-L110 & Samsung SBL-220 batteries as accessories for this camcorder but the site is incorrect and the batteries are not interchangeable with the SB-LSM80 the unit uses. Neither Amazon.Com nor any of my local Samsung retailers carry extra batteries for this camcorder and a few did stock this very camcorder model. I had to order additional batteries from a Samsung Part distributor as that was the only place I could locate them.

So I got this item and the first thing I did was charged the battery. After the battery was charged, I started to play with it to get used to the functions. So I played with the item for 15-20 minutes and turned it off. The next day, I took the camera to the motocross to watch my daughter race and when I went to start filming, the battery was dead. So I went home to charge the battery and to read the manual to see if I was missing something. Come to find out, it states in the manual that if you leave the battery connected to the camera, the camera will use the battery's energy even with it off. So if you get this camera, remove the battery from the camera when you are not using it and the battery will stay charged. I have tested this and it works but its really not something that the consumer should worry about. Other than that, the camera is easy to use, great in size and weight and fits very well even in my large hand.

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I teach video production at a San Diego high school, and bought six of these for the class. After seven months of the kids use and abuse, all but one camera are working perfectly. The kids are extremely rough on the cameras in spite of my best efforts, and I'm astonished that they continue to function so well. The one camera with problems has a broken screen, no doubt from abuse, but is still functional using the viewfinder. I'm confused about the complaints on battery life, with my kids leaving the cameras on for an hour without problems. A nice feature that may not matter to most people is the microphone input, which is not standard on most inexpensive cameras, but very useful in getting good audio during an interview situation. The picture is not the best, but very adequet for the projects the students do, which are shown on a 34 inch TV. Overall the camera is an amazing bargain, and built to last.

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Sure, this camcorder is not perfect, but for the price I couldn't ask for much more. I think the availability of any MiniDV camcorder for little more money (after rebate) than today's VHS-C models is reason to celebrate. I have had the SCD353 for a few days and have done some testing. Even without changing the original settings, things look pretty good. In brightly lit scenes, colors are vibrant and fairly accurate. Granted, the focus is sometimes a little off. You might also see a digital artifact or two. But for casual video recording, these issues are not a big deal.

My main complaints are that the LCD could be a little more clear, the black and white viewfinder emits a weird kind of bluish halo around the edges, the camera is a little awkward to hold and some of the controls are inconveniently placed (at least for my hand), and I question the long-term durability of the plastic casing. But on the other hand, the 20X zoom is a major plus, the camera is loaded with features, it takes decent quality video and excellent audio, and, of course, it is CHEAP. Not to mention that unlike many cameras in this price range, the SCD353 has a memory card slot for taking MPEG videos and still photos which can then easily be transferred to a computer via USB 2.0. Don't expect this camera to replace your digital still camera, though.

If you want a top-of-the-line camcorder or are going to be doing a lot of low light recording, this camcorder is not for you. But if you are a beginner or simply don't have much money to spend and still want a passable camcorder, this is exactly what you're looking for.

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The SC-D353 Digital Cam looked like an amazing deal. I bought recently at Sears at a Black Friday Special.

The features I immediately liked were:

* Microphone Input (for use with external microphone)

* Front S-Video Output

* 16:9 Aspect Ratio Effect (more on this later!)

* DV input

* Light Weight

* Inexpensive

At the store I was set on purchasing a Canon Camera but noticed some advanced features on the Samsung. I fiddled with a bit and could not get the 16:9 aspect to work.

I finally discovered the 16:9 ratio was available in the menu set up (under digital effect). When I enabled the function, it zoomed in on the image! WHAT?! That was it. No reference bars not even remotely close to 16:9. A sick joke if you ask me.

I used this camera extensively in various light situations. Quite frankly, I'm shocked. The zoom consistently readjusts upon the slightest movement. The shutter also readjusts to new light situations (such as entering a darker room or going out into sunlight) and skews the image.

In my frustration I turned the shutter and focus to manual and slugged through a 60 minute Mini-DV tape. When I played back the tape I was displeased with the image quality. Grainy is an understatement!

Alas, I thought maybe it was the playback from the camera. So I digitized the tape onto my computer @ DV Quality (DV411) and made a progressive DVD (8 megabits per second).

I played this master DVD on two televisions. The raunchy image quality followed me.

I admit freely that I am a snob when it comes to cameras. I use the XL-2 and a CineAlta yet somehow I expected the same quality as a VHC Camcorder or Hi-8 mm. Honestly, I would compare the image quality more to BetaMax of the 80's.

Bottom Line: Great features, Light Weight, Inexpensive and Horrible Picture Quality!

This camera is Great for kids and Elderly. If you know how to program a VCR don't get this camera.