Physical Tour

The TL34HD that we used at the Photokina show in Germany had a rather fetching red and silver design. It is also available in a more conventional black and plum, or the more traditional gadget grey and silver color schemes. Please also note that the model we looked at was a European model, where the camera is referred to as the NV100HD. We didn't photograph the wrong camera; it just has a different name in Europe, which is why it has NV100HD splashed all over it.

Front

The main feature on the front of the TL354HD is the lens, a 3.7x zoom that telescopes out of the front of the body in two sections. When the camera is turned off, the lens shrinks down inside the camera body, and a small lens cover protects the front element. Above the lens is the AF assist light, which illuminates the scene so the auto focus can work if there is insufficient natural light. To the left of this is the remote control sensor; a simple shutter remote is included in the package. To the left of this is the hand grip, with the shutter button and the mode dial just visible. At the far side is the wrists trap loop, which was fitted with a security cable on the model we looked at replacing the standard strap.

 

The front of the TK34HD is dominated

by the large telescoping lens

Back

The back of the TL34HD is dominated by the large 3-inch LCD screen, which takes up most of the back of the camera. Because this is a touch screen device, there are only a handful of buttons on the device. To the right of the screen are buttons for (from the top) zooming in and out, accessing the on-screen menu and switching to playback mode. Everything else is controlled through the on-screen touch menu.

Most of the back of the TL34HD is taken up by

the large LCD touch screen

Sides*

*The left side is mainly a feature-free zone, but there are a couple of interesting items. At the top of the case are a number of holes that allow sound to reach the microphones inside the camera body. Above these are a couple of screws that hold the whole thing together; we don't recommend that you remove these until you are looking for an excuse to buy the upgraded model that will be out in a few months; 'Honey, we need a new camera. This one is falling apart.' Our side profile shot also shows the thickness of the camera, and how much the lens sticks out.

On the left side are the holes for the microphone

that records sound in videos**

****The right side only has a couple of screws (see above) and the wrist strap loop.

*The right side is where the strap fits

onto the camera

*

Top

The shiny red top of the TH34HD is where the flash and other controls are found. From the left, we can see the rectangle of the pop-up flash, the power button (the small holes to the left of this are for the speaker), the shutter button and the mode dial. The power button is illuminated by a cool blue light when the camera is turned on.

The top of the camera is both handsome and functional.

Bottom

The bottom is a much simpler affair than the top. To the left is the cover for the battery and memory card slot, then the proprietary connector for the USB and A/V port, then the tripod socket. The tripod socket is plastic, but it looks to be robust enough for occasional use.

*The bottom is the home of the battery and memory card, plus

the proprietary USB and A/V connector

*