Samsung SC-X300L First Impressions Reviewby James MurrayPublished on Jan 18, 2007 12:00 PM
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Picture & Manual Control
Automatic Control
For users of the Samsung SC-X300L, the automatic controls are going to be the primary set-up relied upon for shooting. Who has time to fiddle with manual focus while hang gliding or playing big stakes poker (ESPN told us that was an extreme sport). With automatic settings for shutter speed, exposure, aperture, and gain, the camcorder should be considered a point-and-shoot model for most of the market. In this area, it could have done much better.
As in last year's model, the SC-X300L displayed breathing (steady fluxuations in and out of focus) as it searched for focus in less than ideal lighting. Considering that the targeted market for this camcorder is undoubtedly reliant on auto controls when shooting down the side of a mountain with the wired remote lens strapped to their helmet, the performance of last year's model and the hints at performance of this year's model indicate continued disappointment. Automatic exposure looked better than the focus, and the primary lens performed well enough last year. The external lens was the big problem (see the Video Performance section above), and we're unlikley to see much improvement there.
In addition to the full auto and manual controls, the user will also find a handful of Program AE shooting modes listed in the Program AE sub-menu. They include: Auto, Sports, Spotlight and Sand & Snow. This smattering of options is hardly likely to satisfy users looking for flexibility and the range needed for action sports. Consider the wide breadth of choices on a camcorder like Canon's DC40 that includes Foliage, Snow, Beach, Sunset, Spotlight, Fireworks, Landscape, and Night. Granted, there is probably a hair's difference between some of these, but having these settings and having easy access to these settings is what makes for a great camcorder for nontechies.
Overall Manual Control
The overall manual controls for the Samsung SC-X300L are underwhelming. Users will find themselves having to rely on automatic shutter speed, aperture, and gain when capturing video footage with the SC-X300L because the only manual controls offered are zoom, focus, and white balance. The white balance and manual focus controls are accessed in the menu system, and in the case of the focus button, it is controlled via the small joystick found on the back of the camcorder body.
Zoom
The Samsung SC-X300L comes with a 10x optical zoom and a 100x digital zoom. The digital zoom setting is located in the menu structure but should be engaged with caution: A steep drop-off in image quality is seen in digital zoom territory. The optical zoom is controlled by a nicely designed control located on the back of the camcorder body near the top edge. The zoom toggle is located in the center of a polished silver ring and slides up for wide and down for telephoto zoom. This control can be easily adjusted with the thumb of the right hand. Zoom speeds were limited, but there was concise control over zoom when adjustments were made. Users should find this control interface to be one of the most satisfying controls on the camcorder body.
Focus
Surprisingly, there is manual control over focus on the Samsung SC-X300L. The user can activate the manual focus by pressing the menu button on the back of the camcorder and scanning over until the focus sub-menu is entered. Once in the focus sub-menu, the user must select the MF option and press the joystick inwards to complete activation. There is no on-screen indication that manual focus has been engaged, and users will have no information regarding the current focal setting. In addition to a lack of display information, the manual focus control itself is not easy to use, with up and down arrows being the only indications of how to make adjustments. Using the joystick to adjust focus was a tedious experience. Even though the auto focus is plagued with problems, the manual focus control interface gives it some utility.
Exposure & Aperture
The Samsung SC-X300L follows in the footsteps of its predecessor by providing absolutely no control over exposure, exposure compensation, or aperture. Lacking even a basic exposure compensation setting may be irksome for novice users looking for minimal brightness adjutments. Then again, who cares about exposure when you’ve just captured a rad rail slide, jacked up on six cans of Red Bull.
The LCD cavity is sparse: power on/off and a hold button for pausing
Shutter Speed
The shutter speeds for the Samsung SC-X300L are automatic, and users will have no control over this control parameter.
White Balance
The user of the Samsung SC-X300L will find that in addition to an auto white balance mode there is an option to engage additional presets and a manual setting. The white balance setting is located in the menu system and like the other settings within the shooting menu, a graphic overlay that continues to provide a live view while adjustments are made to setting parameters. This is especially helpful for the white balance where users will be able to immediately able to visually gauge changes to image quality as different options are highlighted. The white balances for the Samsung SC-X300L includes the standard auto mode with daylight, fluorescent, and tungsten presets and the manual “custom” setting.
Gain
There is no manual control over gain when shooting with the Samsung SX-X300L. This isn’t a huge surprise considering the lack of manual controls overall and the price of the camcorder.
Other Manual Controls
There are no other additional manual controls when shooting with the $449 Samsung SC-X300L.
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