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Steve's Digicams Samsung TL34HD Digital Trends Samsung TL34HD |
Auto Mode
The Auto mode of the TL34HD does exactly what you would expect; set the camera to Auto and the camera takes control, leaving only leaving the zoom setting for the user to fiddle with. We weren't able to do extensive testing of the auto mode, but it seemed to make good decisions in our limited experience. A program mode is also available, which lets the user change things such as the ISO setting, exposure mode, etc, but the camera makes decisions on the shutter speed and aperture settings.
Movie Mode
One of the big selling points of the TL34HD is that is shoots high definition videos at 1280 x 720 resolution. That's somewhat less than a dedicated camcorder, though; most modern camcorders record that 1920 x 1080 resolution. At its maximum resolution, the TL34HD video is also interlaced; the camera only captures 30 frames a second, while many cameras can capture 60. In fact, the TL34HD can capture 60 frames per second video, but only at the lower 320 x 240 resolution.
We found the video mode to be generally straightforward and easy to use. However, to enjoy the full resolution of the video, you will need to spend a bit extra on the optional dock, as the TL34HD does not come with a digital video output as standard equipment. The optional dock adds an HDMI port and allows the camera to output 1080i video.
Drive / Burst Mode
Samsung claims that the TL34HD can capture three photos every two seconds for a frame rate of 1.5 frames per second. The maximum number of photos that can be taken at this speed is 30. These are acceptable, but not outstanding numbers; lots of cameras are slower than this, but there are plenty that are faster. However, these tend to be much more expensive than the TL34HD, so it's a pretty acceptable compromise. If you really need a higher speed, the M Capture mode can snap up to 30 frames per second, but at a much reduced one-megapixel resolution.
Playback Mode
The TL34HD has a good selection of features for playing back and editing photos; you can look at thumbnails of up to 9 photos, then easily set up a slideshow. Some limited editing tools are also available; images can be rotated, cropped, colorized and resized. A number of automatic processing tools are also available for correcting exposure errors or removing red-eye, as well as retrospectively applying the beauty touch processing that tries to remove skin blemishes.
Custom Image Presets
A wide selection of scene modes are available; 15 in all, including the usual suspects of portrait, night and fireworks. These can be accessed by setting the mode dial to Scene, then touching the scene mode button on-screen and selecting the desired one. A brief text explanation also appears, politely suggesting what the mode would be good for.
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