Samsung WB350F - 16.3MP BSI CMOS, 21X Optical Zoom, 3-inch LCD touchscreen, 1080p HD Video, Smart WiFi and NFC Digital Camera - Blue

ADDED Info: Because someone posted a question on this, I thought I would mention that this camera works fine with a 128GB Sandisk Ultra Micro SDXC card and reports space for 160,227 1MP images or 20.00 hours of 720p HD video.UPDATE regarding screen glare: I have found some ideas regarding dealing with screen glare. There are some magnified LCD extender viewfinders out there that basically allow you to use a screen only camera as if it had a viewfinder. Most are specific to some Canon DSLR models. I have ordered an inexpensive one to try out and perhaps modify. If I have any luck I will report back here. A simple and free solution that works reasonably well is to grab one of those corrugated cardboard sleeves they have at coffee shops to keep you from burning your hand. It is easy to hold the big end up against the LCD and look through the smaller end. It is not perfect, but if you have on a cap or wide-brimmed hat you can actually see the screen quite well. I try to keep the top flat by extending my index finger to seal off light entering from above. With a couple of minutes fooling with it you can figure out how best to hold it for your purposes. An added benefit is that it folds flat so you can just carry it in your pocket and whip it out when you need it. Nothing bulky to attach. Something a little longer would work even better as long as it is dark colored and probably best not glossy inside. Maybe just make a tapered cardboard tube. Just some thoughts.UPDATE: I have had a lot of experience with this camera in the last few weeks, including the last few days in Yellowstone. I am even more impressed with it than I was initially. There is not a whole lot to say except that it takes great photos and videos, including full HD video of Old Faithful erupting yesterday. I have also taken some very good images of distant wildlife at extreme zoom.The direct wifi feature works very well. It is very handy for transferring photos directly from the camera to my phone if I need to. I usually still use a direct USB connection if available, but the wifi has come in handy.I have come up with one con while using the camera at Yellowstone, but it is something common to all point and shoots. Trying to find and zoom in on a scene in bright sunlight is difficult to nearly impossible. I have a Canon SX50 which also has an electronic viewfinder. Having a viewfinder is very useful for difficult situations. I originally intended to bring both cameras, using the SX50 for the heavy work and the WB350F for pocketability. At the last minute I decided to take only the WB350F. It has been fantastic for 98-99% of what I needed, but when trying to find and zoom in on some distant wildlife in bright sunlight it has been a challenge. Please do not let this deter you from buying this camera. I have been able to use it for those shots, but the viewfinder would certainly have made it easier. Cameras with viewfinders are twice as expensive and usually much larger and heavier. You will not put one in your pocket.ORIGINAL REVIEW:This will be preliminary review since I just received the WB350F a couple of days ago. My main purpose here is to alert buyers that this camera uses micro SD. So if you need to buy media with the camera, don't buy full-size SD. I do not consider this an issue, but it might save someone the inconvenience of having to return a card and await replacement. The product description does not mention this so I assumed it used full size SD like the WB250F. This was not an issue for me because I had high capacity cards of both sizes anyway.I have a very nice Canon SX50 that I love for trips or other situations where I know I will be taking a lot of pictures, like a planned trip to Yellowstone, and will need the mega-zoom. There are a lot of more casual situations like trips to the playground with grandkids, day trips, birthday parties, etc., where it is nice to have something you can slip in your pocket just in case. I still wanted something with a decent amount of zoom. To me, the WB350F is a great combination of small size, plenty of zoom, and a decent price. I have a tiny Fuji camera, but it always felt too small in my large hands.The menu system is similar to most digital cameras. I was able to find all the settings I needed without using the manual. The hybrid system is pretty neat. You can navigate with the usual menu buttons or touch things on the screen. It is kind of handy. Once you get to a screens using the familiar buttons and get several selections on the screen, instead of moving to your choice with the buttons, you can just tap the one you want with your finger. At first I thought I would probably not use the touch screen, but I guess using smart phones and tablets all these years has me in the habit.The WB350F seems to create very good images. I confess that I am not overly picky. A crisp, clear image with good color is fine. Don't get me wrong. I do want quality images, but I don't pull out instruments and magnifiers to critique every shot. I am just more interested in the memories.

Okay, this camera has tons of glitzy features. It's small and light yet takes great pictures. Setting are extremely versatile, from fully automatic to entirely manual, with numerous presets. Great.But... the moment I opened the box I knew it had a serious flaw, and sure enough I was proved right the first day I used it. The automatic lens cover is paper-thin metal leaves that interlock in an iris pattern. Actually, they are THINNER than paper! I turned it off to close the iris and carefully slipped it into my pocket when I needed both hands free, but it must have brushed a key or coin or something. The iris was instantly and hopelessly bent out of alignment. Now it needs help to open and shut. If I forget to nudge it with my finger, the picture is half black. This is such insanely poor design! What is supposed to be protecting the lens is itself absurdly fragile. And there does not appear to be any way to put a real lens cap over it to protect the iris.Adding insult to injury, it now has a hair lodged BEHIND the lens where it impairs the photo but is completely inaccessible for removal. Somehow, in the process of opening and closing or zooming, a hair must have worked its way between the telescoping levels of the lens.So what good is an otherwise excellent, feature-rich camera when it has several basic flaws in its design that render it half broken on the first day of use???

I was very happy with my Canon sx280 (20x zoom) but was intrigued by the Samsung's 21x zoom starting at 23mm (extreme wide-angle) lens and movable flash head so I decided to try it out. I was very surprised and pleased by the image quality and feature set of this camera.The WB350 is definitely a pocket sized camera but not the smallest pocket super-zoom camera on the market. It is about the same size as the Canon SX700 and a bit taller than most other pocket zooms including the Canon SX280.The WB350 has several features not usually found in a camera in this price range and target audience; exposure bracketing (sort of), built in bounce flash, flash intensity compensation (controls the strength of flash), manual shutter and aperture setting controls and completely manual (Kelvin) white balance. The last feature (manual white balance by K#) is not found on some good mid level DSLR cameras (i.e. Nikon D5300, Canon Txxi).This camera has a small sensor so anything shot past ISO 800 is not very good. Noise (graininess) is present even at ISO 400. But ISO 800 is usable which is pretty good for this type of camera. Also, the lens is pretty bright, (at wide angle focal lengths), with a maximum aperture of f/2.8 helping to avoid the necessity of using higher ISOs in better lighting conditions. There is no dedicated ISO button. In any event if you primarily shoot in dim lighting requiring an ISO over 800, you really should look at something with a larger sensor (ie Sony RX100 or a compact system camera).Images taken in good lighting (i.e. outdoors or good indoor lighting) are very, very good. The automatic white balance and metering almost always get it right. I was surprised that the images are a bit nicer and more vibrant than the (excellent) Canon SX280.The movable flash head can be pivoted to simulate an external flash being tilted to "bounce" the flash. This results in softer lighting and much more pleasing exposures. However, this is a small camera with a small and relatively weak flash. Using an indirect flash weakens the intensity more so. Consequently this feature is really only useful in reasonably bright rooms where the subject is reasonably close. Lower F stops and Longer shutter speeds also help.The 23mm wide angle end of the lens is wider than most cameras especially anything this small. Although there is serious distortion in videos when shooting at 23mm, incredibly, the .jpgs are almost distortion free at this extreme wide angle.I am not a big touch screen fan, but the touch screen works quite well. The retro grainy-leather look exterior looks pretty sharp but some type of grip would have been helpful.I would have only given 4 1/2 stars if this was available because of the ridiculous decision to use Micro-SD cards instead of standard SD cards like everyone else. This card (so small that an ambitious ant could walk away with one) requires the use of an SD adapter every time a card reader or computer/laptop card slot is used. Did Samsung suddenly decide that a standard SD card is just too heavy or too big?? Of course, a micro SD card or even an adapter for micro-SD cards are not included. Nor by the way is a battery charger (the battery must be charged while inside the camera; an inconvenience and a savings of about 11 cents to Samsung).In any event, overall this is a terrific camera when used in decent lighting conditions. The great image quality, movable flash head and other advanced features put this camera at the top of its genre. Like all cameras, the most important component is the skill and imagination of the photographer.