Samsung SC-D365 Camcorder Review

Ease of Use (6.0)
In terms of overall ease of use, the Samsung SC-D365 does some things very well, but it doesn't have the refinement of a Panasonic, Canon or Sony. One strong point is the menu, which makes use of the zoom toggle as the main navigation tool, and the Photo button, which doubles as the OK/Enter button in Menu mode. Because the zoom toggle and OK button are adjacent, navigating through the menu while holding the SC-D365 is fast and easy.

One of our favorite features of this camcorder is its Quick Menu, which serves as a “greatest hits” playlist for the SC-D365’s manual control capabilities. The Quick Menu button provides one-touch access to all the camcorder’s manual control options: White balance, shutter speed, exposure, BLC, and Program AE. This means manual controls are consolidated in one place and much easier to access than those on other lower-end consumer camcorders. It’s almost as though Samsung believes users will want to make manual adjustments, and has taken this into account, something that will make this camcorder attractive to shooters who like to have a say over their image quality. The only thing about the Quick Menu that’s not quick is its location: above and to the right of the Record button and beyond the Menu button. This means it would be very difficult to enter the Quick Menu while shooting one-handed, a situation for which it seems custom made. Switching the Quick Menu and Menu button locations would place manual controls in easier reach of the thumb during one-handed shooting and make this good feature better.

The VCR controls on the camcorder’s left side double as the Manual Focus interface – Stop enables manual focus, and the FF/Rew buttons make focal adjustments. While using MF on the fly is not easy, it’s much more accessible than on competing camcorders which practically force you to stop recording to focus manually.

While access to manual controls is excellent, and they are not difficult to use, the Samsung SC-D365 does not excel in Auto mode. Yes, it’s very easy to enter auto, thanks to the well-labeled Easy-Q button on the camcorder’s left side – but the camcorder just under-performs when it’s thinking for itself. Focus and exposure do not snap into accuracy quickly, and Auto mode denies the user menu access. IIt's possible to use auto mode as long as your shooting environment is not demanding in terms of contrast, light or movement, but most camcorders are better in this regard.

All in all, the SC-D365 offers great access to manual controls: only Panasonic camcorders can match it.  Auto mode is also very easy to enter, but it limits control to the zoom toggle, and its shoddy performance takes away from the generally excellent usability. If Auto controls improve, the Samsung SC-D365 will be a very solid competitor, but until then it’s a mixed bag.

Handling (5.0)
The D365’s handling is truly mixed. The camcorder’s tall left side offers a good grip for all but the smallest hands and a wide, comfortable hand strap. But the ports are also placed here, hidden behind a cheap rubber cover. If any of these ports were stuffed with wires, holding the camcorder would be substantially more difficult.

The camcorder has a lot small handling issues that, bit by bit, chip away at what could have been a decent performance. A terrible LCD makes it difficult to determine exposure. There is seemingly no way to prevent the camcorder automatically shutting off after a few minutes. The buttons in the LCD cavity, for Color Nite mode and other functions, are too small. It’s difficult to remove or replace the battery. All of these problems add up and give the impression that the design was not completely thought out.

Of course, these detriments are mitigated by a very good menu system, which is detailed in the Manual Control section above.

Portability (7.5)
The D365 is a tall, slender camcorder – 93 x 105 x 53mm (3.62” x 4.63” x 2.52”) and 350g (0.9 lbs). With these dimensions, it is not heavy or large: it would not fit in a pocket, but you could probably cram it into a purse or small bag. As do most low-end camcorders, however, it feels cheap.

LCD/Viewfinder (5.0)
For a company that is aggressively pushing into digital imaging, Samsung hasn’t presented itself well when it comes to the LCD screen and viewfinder on the SC-D365, both of which produce poor quality images. The LCD measures 2.7”, displays 112K pixels, and has both 16:9 and 4:3 display capabilities, but the image quality is noticeably worse than we have come to expect. While the pixel count matches that on other camcorders, the screen seems to have a lower resolution than other 112K pixel screens, renders color inaccurately, and pixelates badly when tipped at an angle. On a small positive note, the LCD hinge is more robust than some on the market, and should hold up relatively well. The color electronic viewfinder is no better than the LCD in terms of image quality, and barely extends out far enough to use without bumping one’s cheekbone into the battery. Of all the areas that Samsung needs to improve the SC-D365, the LCD and viewfinder are among the most crucial. On this year’s model, you simply can’t trust them.

Battery Life (8.1)
We tested the included SB-LSM80 battery for endurance by continuously shooting in SP mode, with the camcorder in Easy mode, the aspect ratio at 4:3, the image stabilization on, and the LCD open. When the tape needed changing, we removed the battery, plugged in the DC power, changed tapes, put the battery back in, and began recording again. In total, the battery lasted 81 minutes and 54 seconds (1 hour, 21 minutes, and 54 seconds). The results slightly exceed the manual’s estimate of 80 minutes.