Samsung SC-D365 Camcorder Review

Audio (6.0)
A external mic jack on the Samsung SC-D365’s right side sets this camcorder apart from most others in its price range. Among those mentioned in this article, only the Canon Elura 100 features the ability to accommodate external microphones (the entry level Canon ZR500 also has a mic jack, but the ZR600 and ZR700 do not). The external mic jack opens up a multitude of options for videographers who want to drastically improve the quality of their recorded sound. Onboard microphones are small, omni-directional, do not accommodate windscreens, and are often positioned far from the sound source being recorded. External mics can be placed near a sound source and, if used properly, will produce sound that is far superior to an onboard mic.

While Samsung deserves recognition for including a mic jack, its placement is ill-conceived: it lies on the right side of the camcorder in precisely the place a user’s fingers fall during hand-held use. It is possible to grip the SC-D365 with a mic plugged in by positioning it between the middle and index fingers, but it’s hard to imagine a more inappropriate location for this jack.

The SC-D365 offers several other audio features. Real Stereo is a Samsung feature that “enhances” the left and right channels of the onboard mic digitally to give the impression of a larger differential between them. Wind Cut Plus reduces the buffeting effects of wind on the onboard mic.

VCR Mode (6.5)
This camcorder’s VCR playback interface could not be more user-friendly: it consists entirely of large, clearly labeled external buttons (albeit located within the LCD cavity). Playback functions just as you’d expect, with the four common controls for Rewind, Fast-forward, Play/Pause, and Stop. The SC-D365 does take a long time to switch from Camera mode to Player mode, which can be an annoyance if you are in a hurry to review your footage or need to resume shooting quickly.

This camcorder provides a playback zoom feature, accessed via the Playback Zoom button in the LCD cavity. Pushing this button during playback engages the zoom toggle, which can be used to enlarge the image from 1.2x to 8x on the LCD screen. When not in Playback Zoom mode, the zoom toggle can adjust the volume during playback.

Ports (7.75)
The SC-D365 has ports for Mic, DV, USB, AV/S-Video (output only), and an SD card slot, located on the right side, back and underside of the camcorder body. The input-output ports for external microphone, DV, USB, and AV/S-Video are all located in a horizontal cavity on the camcorder’s upper right side. A hard plastic cover protects the ports and fits well, but is connected to the camcorder by a single plastic hinge that doesn’t seem robust enough to withstand a strong tug. The placement of these ports on the right side of the camcorder seriously limits mic use during handheld shooting. Samsung simply needs to go the extra mile and locate this port more sensibly.

The SC-D365’s DC port is on the back of the camcorder to the right of the battery. This port suits its purpose well, but could get in the way of handheld use when plugged directly into a wall socket. The SD card slot is inconveniently located on the camcorder’s underside, so it is impossible to swap a card out while the camcorder is mounted on a tripod. This may seem an insignificant gripe, but the 30 seconds it takes to un-mount the camcorder, swap the card, and replace the D365 on a tripod head could be vital. We always prefer that ports be accessible at all times, and on this count the SC-D365 fails to come through.