The TL350 is Freaking Awesome

ISO 3200 (raw converted), macro mode (tad soft in the extreme corners but only in macro mode)

Look out S100 :).

But seriously... its a really dang good bang for the buck. And yes, I make the worlds best grilled tuna sandwich (fresh french bread, parmesean, avacado, and albacore).

C

http://photographic-central.blogspot.com/
http://alphamountworld.com
"I think, therefore....."

cgarrard wrote:

What a gem, what a find.

Samsung, please do NOT give up on this line. Make a TL400 successor PLEASE.

TL350's are rare in the US, hard to find. I was lucky to get one at 160.00 new in the box.

Going over the raws after a day and night of shooting and this is hands down one of the best if not the best ultra-compacts I've ever used. It was this camera or the S100 for me (wanted the wide angle) and I'm really glad I got this one. The S100 is a fine camera and I would have been happy with it indeed, but all the extra features the TL350 has the S100 doesn't makes it one of the most versatile and fun compacts I've used in 4 years of reviewing cameras.

I haven't been this excited about an ultra-compact ever, that I can recall. The closest was the GRD IV and III from Ricoh but those aren't ultra-compacts.

Too much to go into on one post, but if you are looking for one, get one and don't look back. Couple of quirks, but all cameras have them, and the pleasures far outweigh the quirks.

I don't know why the TL350(WB2000) was snubbed by all the major reviewers. Had it been wearing a Canon badge I'm sure they would have queued up to pay homage, bearing mind it is a 24-120 ultra compact with manual+RAW and released some 2 years ahead of the S100.

If you don't need the latest technology then there are some wonderful bargains to be had. I recently picked up a very cheap GX200 which offers the slimmest 24 wide camera available sporting an (attachable) EVF. It's good for daylight shooting.

How do you think the DR and other attributes of the TL350 would compare to the GX200?

Nick

Got to tell you my TL350 story then:

Photography is my profession. For over 30 years I've struggled with the idea of having a camera with me everywhere I go. It used to be a folding Retina IIC (still have it), but my commitment was poor since there was so much to do after the photo was taken (processing). When digital arrived I made the transition (Canon DSLRs now) and I looked again at the option of having a camera with me always. The cameras were smaller and the processing burden was lighter.

I started going through various compact and P&S pocket cameras (Sony, Panasonic, Canon, etc.). I'd keep one for 6 months and then it would haul me up short and p*ss me off and another niece/nephew got a slightly used camera. Last go around I decided to research carefully and I listed the missing features that caused my previous pocket cameras to disappoint. I really had to have:

1. 24mm (35mm equivalent) on the wide end. 28mm just sucks way too often.

2. Why can't I have raw files? I hate repairing camera JPEGs and crippling 8 bits.
3. At least P and A modes with EC available.
4. Collapsing lens and shirt pocket size.
5. Respectable lens performance.
6. $300 to $400.

None of my other cameras had put all those together. Then I discovered the TL350! Could it be? I couldn't find one. No one had it. 3 million people in St. Louis and there wasn't one TL350 in a store to look at. Took the chance and bought a new one off ebay. I fell in love with it. About ten days later I noticed something odd. When zoomed to the long end the lens went soft on the right side much more than on the left. Careful testing determined that as the lens was zoomed out it either went off-center or literally tilted slightly off axis. Stopped down on a sunny day and DOF covered it. It took me two weeks from it's arrival to find and verify the error.

No retuning it to the ebay vendor so I called Samsung. 90 days of service hell ensued. The first time it went in they had it back in the UPS driver's truck in 3 hours along with a page from the instruction manual on "how to take clear pictures." When it went back again I included a photo of the TL350 mounted on my studio Gitzo tripod -- they weren't going to fix it. Finally they agreed to replace it but new TL350s were not available, I'd have to take a refurbished one. When that didn't arrive I finally lost all patience. It wasn't easy, but I eventually got email addresses for about 10 top executives at their Ridgeway NJ office. I wrote a polite but firm letter and sent it to all 10. I got a hit. I got an apology and an assurance that I would be immediately taken care of.

Four days later a brand new TL500/EX1 arrived at my door. I was at first disappointed. It was too big, but it did meet all of my other requirements. So the next day I took it out for a test run. I was so impressed with the results that when it was stolen 14 months later I quickly bought another one. I will probably also buy and EX2, but I'm considering picking up still another EX1 as insurance.

The new Sony RX100 sounds exciting but 28mm just sucks.

I often remember the TL350 and every so often I consider trying to pick up another one, but I'm spoiled now with the TL500/EX1.

Joe

Congratulations !!!! you've joined one of the most satisfied camera owner groups in the world ever

more tl350/wb2000 love at flickr
http://www.flickr.com/groups/tl350/pool/

just shot a bunch of kickass shots today at a new garden in my country. share it with you folks soon

http://photographic-central.blogspot.com/
http://alphamountworld.com
-Print, don't squint.

That´s a nice camera, really hard to find thou...

when you do find one.

Carl

http://photographic-central.blogspot.com/
http://alphamountworld.com
-Print, don't squint.

Shot at ISO 3200, Aperture Priority, -2 ev (12,800 ISO equivalent) processed in ACR.

Chroma NR removal at 10 (slider), Luminescence NR at 3 (slider).

http://photographic-central.blogspot.com/
http://alphamountworld.com
-Print, don't squint.

Agreed! Love mine. Joe

!. Unfortunately, the gearing of the lens is a weak link in modern p&s cameras.

2. This is where Samsung, Sigma, Ricoh, Pentax don't get it. You are swimming against the tide of Nikon, Canon, Sony, etc., even Olympus, Panasonic and Fuji. Have I left anyone out. Be better at promotion, warranty service, etc.

By the time, the appeal of TL350/WB200, TL500/EX etc. become apparent, they are hard to find. I really think Samsung has the potential to be a leader in imaging, if the commitment is there.

True true, really Samsung make pretty strong cameras. They need to improve the consistency of their sensors though to stand out. The TL350 has a very good one, but its one of the few exceptions where Samsung stand out.

Carl

http://photographic-central.blogspot.com/
http://alphamountworld.com
-Print, don't squint.

I had the same experience!

I loved my TL350. Took it on a 220 mile backpacking trip. The wide angle and fantastic video mode made it the perfect choice. Then, like some here, it started to go a bit 'off' half way through the hike (and I was not really abusing the poor camera). It would chronically overexpose. So much so that the sky would often be completely blown. Oddly, it exposed perfectly in movie mode, so I made it a habit to simply take movies, and then take a still during the movie. Obviously a work around.

When I returned, I contacted Samsung, and they were actually pretty responsive after some phone calls. They realized it could not be fixed, the didn't have any more new ones, and offered something of similar size that only went to 28mm wide. I really wanted the 24mm equiv, so they sent me a new EX1 as well.

Yesterday I sold the EX1 on eBay. It was a fine camera, but really a tank compared to the diminutive TL350, and only 480p video.

Now I am searching for a small replacement. Would you believe the only tl350s available are priced the same as Pentax's Q!? That is > $400! Samsung - there is obviously a demand for this combination. Can we please have more?

The image looks dull...

Hmmmm, I was thinking of selling mine in favor of something a bit newer and with more zoom. Perhaps I should hold on a bit longer.... Originally paid $275 for it. Good to know that the love is still out there for it.