Samsung VP-D453/XEU MiniDV Digital Camcorder [10x Optical] Camcorder Best Buys

Great MiniDV Camcorder - RIDICULOUS THAT THE BATTERY DRAINS WHEN NOT IN USE !! - 25 Mar 2007

2 out of 2 found this review helpful.

I am a professional Stills Photographer and I have had my VP-D453 for a year now and must say that it is a decent little camera for the price.
I bought the camcorder mainly to record family events etc and I find the video quality is ideal for my purposes.
The camera is simple to use and fits comfortably into your hand - picture quality is acceptable for amateur / home users.
THE BIG PROBLEM IS THE BATTERY LIFE - THE INSTRUCTION BOOK POINTS OUT THAT IF YOU LEAVE THE BATTERY ATTACHED TO THE CAMERA, EVEN WHEN NOT IN USE,IT WILL DRAIN ITSELF OF ITS POWER !! - AND IT REALLY DRAINS FAST !!
I find this ridiculous to say the least. It is so frustrating to have a FULLY CHARGED BATTERY draining away in your camera case when camera is not in use!
I now find myself having to detach the battery from the camera back every time I stop filming! When something worth filming turns up I find myself fidgeting in the camera bag looking for the battery so that I can attach it to the camera losing precious time, and often missing a video opportunity in the process!
I think the only solution is to buy back-up batteries and keep changing them.
Surely SAMSUNG can come up with a camera that does not need to use power when camera is switched off !!

Later Model VP-D454 - 23 Jul 2006

4 out of 4 found this review helpful.

My camcorder model was not available on this site, but I think there's not much difference other than a slight increase in image quality. Still does the same stuff: 10xoptical, 900xdigital, colourNite torch thingy, etc. Comes with great software to covert Samsung own format 'mpg4' into readable by everything else 'mpg2' formats. Bought the cam in Dixons on offer with leather carry case and a pack of tapes.

Can also take memory sticks, which is the main reason I bought it although you will find that certain functions, such as the ColourNite will not work in card mode, only tape mode. (this can be easily selected). Also comes with a sweet little remote and watch battery for it for playing camcorder at a distance, or recording long distance video. It also makes a great digital camera, although it only does 800x600 resolution, whereas my CD-Tech camera does 1600x1200 maximum.

You may find that the videos look as though they are in 16 bit colours rather than 32 bit; you can see bands where the colours change.

Camcorder films wonderfully at night, even with the ColourNite off, although there needs to be enough light. I had fun filming the bus station at night in the rain. I can't wait to use this beauty on holiday... or even make weird, student standard DVDs with it. I mean anybody can do a Blair Witch project with a digital cam, can't they?

I love my new gadget! - 25 Nov 2005

21 out of 22 found this review helpful.

I've never used a camcorder before, so I have no idea how good/bad it is compared to other products on the market.

However, I can say that it's extremely good if you've never used a camcorder before. The first thing to do is charge the battery. It took 50 mins, which was enough time to read the manual, install the software on the PC and get a cup of coffee!

Within an hour and half, I had 15 minutes of video clip on the computer. Now being the simple soul that I am and considering my novice status, I was very impressed with this.

The camcorder is so easy to use. Press a button to record, toggle the whatsit to zoom, press the button to stop recording, and hey presto!Playback is easy too, just one button to press.

I did my research before buying, and made sure I bought a memory stick (Sony pro) and tapes when I bought it. If you're expecting to just buy the camcorder and have it ready to go when you recieve it, you'll be severeley disappointed. It doesn't come with any tapes etc. I'm also not too sure how long the battery life is, but you can use it attached to the ac connector.

Transferring clips to pc was just as easy as recording stuff. After installing the software, attach the usb and copy the files. It really couldn't be simpler.

I'd like to know how this compares to other camcorders out there, but at the moment I'm very happy with my new toy, and can see me having hours and hours of fun with it.