Samsung HZ15W 12MP Digital Camera with 10x Schneider

A great little camera with some really neat features
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/R1QJY6SYTJ9O2C If you are like me you prefer to see a camera in person and to hold it in your own hands before you purchase it. I made this video review hoping that it could serve as a “virtual” hands-on demo. I go through some of the Samsung’s major features and even demonstrate a few in the field. I hope that this review helps you in your decision making process.

Lowerpro Ridge 30 Digital Camera Bag (Artic Blue)

Amazing Camera
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I’ve been searching for a great compact digital camera that was very versatile and of course had good image quality (IQ). I do feel that Canon and Nikon are the leaders in IQ, but their first quarter 2009 line-up didn’t include all the versatility in a small enough package. Sure, the Canon SX10 is a great camera, but it’s not a compact. In my opinion, the HZ15W (a.k.a. WB550) is competing with the Fujifilm F200EXR which has half the zoom (5x) and not quite as wide an angle.

The Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3 (which lacks manual exposure mode; has 12x zoom; but 10MP.)

There are also comparable products from Sony the DSC-W300, Olympus with the Stylus-9000, and the Casio Exilim EX-FC100 (up to 1,000fps “slow-motion” video capture! That’s not a typo. Very enticing.)

And of course the Canon G10, and Nikon P6000 (only 4x zoom — “only”, sheesh, are we being spoiled?)

I only intended to write up a short feedback on the HZ15W camera because my initial impression has been so great.

A couple things I wanted to warn you about: first, these point-blank frontal pictures of the camera don’t show that the “lens” sticks out from the body of the camera about a quarter inch. A quick visit to Samsung’s website clearly shows this. It’s not bad, and I’m sure was nesessary to get 10x zoom. However, you should know that it isn’t flush with the body of the camera. I actually think it look nice, though.

The other thing I wanted to mention is this: GET a screen protector! The back LCD is almost exactly 2.75 inches by 2 inches. Zagg probably makes the worlds best protectors, but don’t have one available for this particular model as of the date of this posting. I used a left over protector from my Samsung Impression (well, it was actually designed for the Samsung Eternity, but a few cut will make it fit.)

Well, that’s it for now.

Happy shooting!

-cvg

I will be the envy of my Camera Club
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
First impression:

I am no professional but a average user but there’s a lot to like in this camera. The camera is easy to handle and pretty intuitive. The focusing is very sharp and clear This has all the bells and whistles most of us will ever want or use for a amateur or semi-pro user. Enough auto functions for us dummies and more than enough options for the more proficient camera buff.

****** One Big Plus is that this camera syncs with the newer Samsung HDTV’s…… allowing you to use the TV remote to control the viewing of the pictures and HD video from the camera using the Anynet+ function of your Samsung TV******

The camera is Nice to look at and has some weight to it.. not a flimsy cheapo camera. That Great Big Wide Angle lens is apparent right at first glance. MY it looks nice. That nice big LCD is pretty as well but will need some kind of protection or case to be safe. Small enough to fit into a smaller purse or a large shirt pocket. ( caution because of the large LCD screen)) It comes shipped in a Tidy little box with the bare necessities. i.e. battery, very short USB cord that doubles as your power for charging the batteries. A wrist strap and cords to connect to the TV for viewing SD video,a CD and a very abbreviated user manual that hardly tells you anything. ((where is the little instruction manual? ))))

Samsung now really, when you spend this much on a camera the least that could have been provided was a manual……not a CD.. Photog amateurs like to take the manual out in the field to use for various adjustments.. now what am I going to do with a CD in the field?

In my way of thinking these are the things most of us look for when we shop for a camera. For average users there are 3 kinds of AUTO MODES:

*Auto.. the camera make full decision on the picture

*Smart Auto The camera tries to get smart and figure out what kind of picture your taking and uses the scene modes that make sense for what is in the view finder ( probably the one I will use the most )

*Program Mode, takes aperture and shutter speed decisions out of your hands, but lets you adjust most anything else.

*Movie Mode this is where you can take those great HD video clips in 720p. This camera (which the others similar to it from other companies. has the leg up.)… it has a built-in Mini-HDMI port so you can directly view the HD clips on you HDTV…. ( I LIKE THAT A LOT)

There is a HDMI option but the cords are not provided. Will have to find out where to get that little necessary item so you can take full advantage of the great HD video option.

There are of course the Manual Mode as well as the Scene Mode.

One thing I really like is Image Stabilization, something that really helps me get better shots for those of us that can’t get a steady hand while taking long range pictures. You have 2 options:

…One you can make is to use the DUAL IMAGE Stabilization or Optical Image Stabilization….This camera uses optical image stabilization to help steady your shots against camera shake, but also uses software adjustments to complement this when you select DUAL IS option. The optical image stabilization can be turned on/off in the camera but I never turn it off. If you do want to use both types of stabilization there’s a Dual IS option on the dial on the top of the camera. I just use the Optical and make other adjustments when I use my Photoshop elements on my computer.

So in conclusion :

I LIKE THIS ONE……It makes great photos and video What else could you want in a Camera; it is easy to use, small and compact has the 5 items I like the most

1. lots of Auto functions but options for manual when I learn more about picture taking

2. Image stabilization both optical and dual options- no more shaky out of focus pictures

3. Video recording in High Definition with great sound reproduction( looks great on my HDTV)

4. the big WIDE angle lens so I can get those great shots of landscapes that have EVERYTHING it them not cut off on the sides.

5. LONG tele lens…… 10x Optical is nothing to sneeze at…gets great close ups and make great Macro shots as well for those eBay sellers.

Things that could be improved

Provide a MANUAL

HDMI cord provided This should NOT be a after purchase option.

More updates to follow but first impression is this is a SWEET Camera and one that I will be having a lot of fun using and learning so I can make some nice memories. I will be the envy of my Camera Club

Great Results and GREAT Customer Service from Amazon
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I bought the Samsung HZ15W for its small size, high megapixels resolution, large LCD screen, and wide-screen 720p movie recording ability. Plus there were some pretty good reviews concerning this camera’s picture quality. I took the camera on a vacation to Las Vegas and I am very pleased with the 9 megapixel 16×9 pictures that I took and the 1280 x 720 movies with 10x smooth zooms. Pictures and movies shot in low light and night-time situations turned out better than I believed possible.

THE SOUND OF ZOOM

One of the reviews for this camera complained about the fact that you can hear the zoom when recording movies with sound. Yes you can but there are three options available when recording movies. You can record with no sound at all, sound at all times, or you can automatically have sound muted when you use the zoom feature. With a movie editing program on your computer you could then cut and paste a length of background sounds from the rest of your movie to cover the zoom sound or the muted portion of your movie, depending on your settings.

SHUTTER BUTTON AND GREAT CUSTOMER SERVICE

As soon as I got this camera I knew something was weird with the functioning of the shutter button. I would press the shutter button half way and nothing would happen – no pre-focus or focus lock. And, sometimes when I pressed the shutter button all the way down the camera would not take a picture. I would sometimes have to press the shutter button 2, 3, or 4 times before the camera would take a picture. Despite this obvious problem, I took a lot of very good pictures and movies in Vegas. I also got a chance to try this model camera in a store where I discovered that my camera was definitely acting abnormally with the shutter button.

When I got home, I accessed the Amazon website and reported that I wanted to exchange the camera for a new one of the same model. I filled out a web page and was able to print out a return authorization and a UPS shipping label to return my defective camera. I was given notice that my return request would be processed within three business days and that I would receive an email telling me if my request was accepted. Also, as long as I returned the defective camera within 30 days, there would be no charge involved.

This request was made on a Sunday. The following Wednesday, just three days later, I was shocked to receive a new camera in the mail. I hadn’t even checked my email yet to see if I should return my old camera. The new camera does have a correctly working shutter button and my old camera will be dropped off at the local UPS store tomorrow. Amazon just solidified a customer for life with their incredible customer service.

Imagine a company that sells products you can’t get locally, provides informative customer reviews for those products, and then provides the best customer service possible. Amazon.com is the best. Keep up the good work Mr. Bezos.

Very detailed pictures
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
I’ve been using this camera for about a month now and really like it. It would be a very good camera for someone who wanted to take some better-than-average family photographs — as long as you’re not planning on low light situations.

The photographs I took in daylight were outstanding. Very detailed and low noise.

Highlights:

* High resolution, very detailed photographs.

* Vivid colors in day light.

* Very low barrel distortion (possible software correction)?

* 10x Zoom in a compact is great.

Lows:

* Poor (almost non-existent) low-light performance

* Auto-Mode is not as sophisticated as other cameras.

* Slow auto-focus — but this could be due to a larger lens.

* GUI is a bit strange.

Nice but just not for me
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
I purchased this camera after a lot of research. I wanted the wide angle, high zoom, and HD video capability and there were a handful that met those requirements. after reading the reviews i narrowed it down to this and the Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3. I landed on the samsung becuase of price though i really like the look of the ZS3.

The Samsung was good. it did all the things i wanted it to do but i just wasn’t jazzed about it. after having it for a week i went to a B&M store to look at the ZS3 again and i decided that is really what i wanted. It was just ergonomically better for me. i liked the layout of the controls and choices of preset scenes. the size is a notable difference that was more important that i thought.

So I returned the Samsung and got the ZS3 and i am very happy with the decision. The Samsung is a good camera and i think anyone who gets it should be happy but i just preferred some things about the ZS3 and thought that it was worth the extra money to be completely satisfied with my camera purchase. I still rate the Samsung highly because my reasons for its return was largely subjective.

MY HOPES WERE A LITTLE HIGHER
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
I thought the Samsung hz15w / wb550 was going to be the one for me this year, but they have restricted recording times, if the 60 bucks is an issue and video recording is not a big deal AND you want manual exposure control then get the Samsung. . . . BUT for video the Panasonic ZS3 / TZ7 rules!!! This is the point and shoot to get if you want the highest zoom, great io features, in BOTH still and moving pictures! Wide angle lens and video compression that will allow you to record video until the memory is full!! It will change settings to allow for the best video, changing for low light, indoors, outdoors . .manually or automatically!! A true HD camcorder and digicam in one. Just Add video LED and manual exposure control and we would be looking at 6 stars!

Nothing to complain about yet
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Before buying it, I was in doubt of buying this camera, or the Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3, which basically has the same features, but it’s 10MP, has 12x Zoom, but it doesn’t have a wider angle than this one.

The camera is a little bit big, nothing that I wasn’t expecting, because it has a 10x optical zoom, but it fits perfectly in my jeans pocket

The pros:

- Powerful for it’s size

- Fantastic 10x optical zoom

- Great close-up pictures

- In other cameras, my eyes would be red all the time. With this camera, I’m not even close to have problem with red eyes!

The Cons:

- If you don’t understand about electronics in general, and if you are the type of person that set it in auto mode and forget about it, you would not enjoy all the features that the camera offers.

- The battery can just be charged in the camera, so you need to prepare youself before leaving. I’m trying to find a battery charger for it.

- I thought the battery would least more: I took 3GB of pics and HD Videos (50% pictures, 50% HD Videos) and it least for 2 days of pictures. It stills pretty good but I wish it was more.

Comparing the prices between the Samsung HZ15W and the Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3, the HZ15W worth much more. It’s a $100 difference for not that much different

Great pocket camera with excellent zoom quality
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I own a Samsung full HD camcorder SC HMX20C, have had it for about 7 months, and the video results are astounding. So in searching for a pocket camera, this Samsung HZ15W had the features I most needed, and expected the inner workings to produce excellent quality photos. It did not disappoint. The 10x zoom produces excellent pictures, macro pictures are very detailed, and the 8g memory card has great capacity. I’d buy it again in a second.

Extreme quality
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
My first impression of the HZ15W is that it is indeed substantial. The case has a solid, no nonsense feel to it that my Fuji A900 did not have. The Samsung also runs off a cell phone like battery, which is a massive relief. AA batteries are fun, and then they don’t last very long – less if they are rechargeable. So this is a huge step up for me.

Charging: The included charger cord connects to USB. There is a small USB charging hub included that can be used with other devices. The cord itself features a proprietary Samsung connector which confused me. I thought it was an HDMI out because they are similar. I would add a -1 for the proprietary cable. I have enough cables to drag around without adding more. A micro usb (like my Fuji or any numerous devices uses) would have been fine.

There is no HDMI cable. There is an HDMI to RCA out. An HDMI to HDMI out must be purchased separately. Kinda cheesy for a camera at this price point which relies on HD as a principle feature.

You can buy a remote for this. That’s nice. I would have appreciated one being included. However, if you have one of those master remotes that can be programmed to work with anything – that will probably work with this.

After taking several pictures with a variety of settings, I am convinced this camera can safely replace my 10 year old 35mm. The HZ15W has a wide variety of settings that can be easily tweaked. I was especially impressed with a histogram that indicates picture density. This was a huge problem with other cameras I have owned – the amount of noise. With the histogram, you can minimize this by switching between flexible settings as you focus.

Closeups using different features like ‘soft’ or ‘beauty’ did result in a minor amount of noise. I think this was a result of the Samsung auto smoothing algorithm used in the programs (which you can adjust or turn off). Using manual settings and strong light sources, noise was minimal or non-existent. This is a huge improvement over other point and shoot digital cameras that produce such poor density pictures they can’t be edited without sacrificing quality.

The wide angle lens is a treat. With anti-shake enabled it’s possible to take closeups from a distance that remain in focus. The wider LCD screen comfortably fits a number of sub program indicators (like light quality and aperture setting). There are also manual controls that can be set to manipulate different levels like white point.

Despite the proprietary cable and lack of included charging dock for the battery, this camera is incredibly flexible. If you have been reluctant to get rid of your film camera, try this. You won’t be disappointed.

Not happy
Rating:3 out of 5 stars
I just got this in mail today and a few things that were problematic for me: Shutter button/flash placement is horrible. I read that in numerous reviews but disregarded it cause I thought I’d be able to get around it. No, I couldn’t ever hold it comfortably because I was constantly moving my fingers out of the way. That was annoying. Also the pictures seemed blurry to me on the screen, maybe because of the wide angle lens they can’t fit on that screen in the correct ratio. I don’t know. Also, the zoom… well the main reason I bought this was for the lens and my old Samsung only had 5x optical zoom, this has 10x yet standing at the same spot hz15w doesn’t zoom in even close to where my old one did. Why is this?? I don’t understand but those were a few things that really bothered me and I packed it back up. I’m returning it asap.

Very Satisfied
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I purchased this camera primarily to get better quality videos than my older Kodak. I have been very pleased with that result. The only flaw I have found is that if a photo is rotated 90 deg, it reverts to the original configuration. Not a major issue since I deal with that in my photo editing software.

I mainly put photos and video on a DVD to view on a HD TV at 16:9 aspect ratio. The 10 mp setting is 16:9, so that’s what I use. Like many feature laden cameras, if you really want to understand it, you need to invest time to read and understand the manual – a somewhat formidible task, but unavoidable.

Within the past year I have purchased this camera, a Samsung HD TV and a Samsung DVD player. They all work very nicely together. I have found the Samsung brand to be excellent!

Improved my photography
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I am not much of a photographer. Do not get me wrong, I like to take pictures. I am just not very good at it. For a couple of years now I have had a small camera, which I have enjoyed very much and have taken many “okay” pictures with it. This camera manages to increase the quality of my photos without much effort on my part. Of course, the fact that the colors are more vibrant and the image is crisper is down to the camera itself. However, the nicer features, like the great zoom and better stabilization than my old camera, means even mediocre (at best) photographers like me can get great results. Other reviewers have gone into many of the features, so I will not repeat that here. I will however note that, like most electronics I review, I start out the “old fashioned” American way and see what I can figure out without looking at the directions (not that we are ignorant, we are just ferociously independent!). I was able to use many of the features by trial and error so I think someone would be able to operate it pretty well straight out of the box. That turns out to be a great thing since the manual is not very helpful. All-in-all, I think it is a good camera for a casual photographer and it can help improve your shots if you are photo-impaired like me.

overall…awesome -
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
overall, the camera rocks; it gets an A-. it fits perfectly in the lowepro rezo 30 i bought, hd filming rules, image quality is good, the menu is very easy to use, and the camera itself looks way tighter in person than in pics.

the only bad things i thought about the hz15 was that the lens sticks out and gets caught to the edge of my pocket when i take it out, the provided usb is ridiculously short, can’t mess with camera settings when it’s charging, and the provided wrist loop doesn’t tighten.

snap happy!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
We needed a new camera to replace our old 5.1 mp and 3x’s optical zoom. I wanted one with more zoom, at a reasonalble price, and I am extremely pleased with this one!

A mediocre camera, and beware the megapixel hype!
Rating:2 out of 5 stars
For those starting out looking for a point-and-shoot camera that’s a jack of all trades, here’s, at the time of writing, the latest effort by Samsung. One of its biggest selling points is also something buyers should be wary of: More megapixels does NOT necessarily mean better image quality. There’s a reason why a Nikon D300 has 12MP and costs the better part of two thousand dollars, while this 12MP camera only costs around three hundred dollars… The sensor on a proper Digital SLR can resolve a great deal more detail than this Samsung could ever hope to achieve.

With that out of the way, let’s see how well this camera does.

Build quality:

The camera’s build quality is decent, though by no means perfect. It feels a little too plasticky to weigh so much, and if you dropped it from any handheld height, chances are it’s dead. Plain and simple. Get a case. Overall, it’s nothing special in terms of build, but for its class, it’s acceptable. There is a noticeable rattle from the lens area when you point the camera up or down, but again, this is probably just the design.

Usability:

This is where the camera loses points. I think the menu system is hopeless. Nothing is particularly intuitive. The one area where the camera excels, though, is in its wheel on the top of the camera. When you turn it, it shows an image on the 3″ LCD of the wheel’s position, and what the position means. Very nice. However, it’s just not very easy to enter into the menus. Do you hit the Menu button of the Function button? Do you use the 4-way button or the little micro-adjust black buttons to make the changes? Do you hit Enter to select something, or do you hit the right-directional button to go into the menu? Too muddled.

I consider myself quite technically savvy, but the menu system on this camera just plain frustrated me. Definitely do not buy this for your aging father/mother.

And other problems:

1.) Samsung advertises this camera has having HDMI, but you’re going to need to buy the less common mini-HDMI to full-size HDMI cable to take advantage.

2.) For those with big hands, your index finger might cover the poorly-placed flash…

3.) No separate charger included, so you have to charge the battery in the camera. Madness.

4.) You can quite easily hear the zoom mechanism when playing back video where you were changing the focal length.

5.) The “crop” feature for editing photos in-camera should offer the option of keeping the original file. Once you’ve cropped an image in the camera, that’s it. The original is gone forever.

LCD Screen:

The LCD on this unit is quite nice. Nothing special, though, and since the resolution isn’t great on it, there’s a tendency to lose details, especially on distant objects. Also, Samsung touts this LCD as being tremendous, even in direct sunlight. Well, I can tell you that either the Samsung marketing team are smoking something, or I have a defective camera! In direct sunlight, like most (if not all) LCD screens, details are lost, and the whole display washes out. It’s definitely usable outside, but don’t expect anything Samsung boasts.

Image quality:

This is, realistically, where the camera must excel. Unfortunately, it does not. Again, Samsung has put a 12 megapixel sensor into this camera, and honestly, it’s one big waste of time. The sensor in this camera simply CANNOT resolve the details. In fact, at the 12mp size (4000×3000), the image is truly appalling, with so much compression to make your eyes bleed; it’s simply embarrassing. So you’re left with a 12mp camera which isn’t even close to taking advantage of the resolution. I was actually taken aback by how poorly the camera fared: For comparison, my Canon SD700 (6mp) and my Canon SD1100 (8mp) took far less compressed images of the EXACT SAME objects.

Yes, you read that correctly: My 6 megapixel and 8 megapixel point-and-shoot cameras take cleaner pictures than Samsung’s latest 12 megapixel shooter.

However, there’s more to it than just that, and some of these features my Canons don’t have..

1.) Manual focus mode. This works great for the macro work, allowing you to micro-manage exactly where you want to focus. This works really well I found.

2.) “Superior” face detection. A nice feature, in theory, is that the Samsung can take a picture automatically when it detects a smile (not just the face!). The theory behind this is that you set up the camera, perhaps on a tripod, and then you can get into the picture, without the use of a timer. Then you all smile, and WHAM! The camera takes the shot! OR, for example, you don’t have to be so quick on the draw to take the picture when your grumpy son/daughter/wife/mistress etc actually does crack a smile – the camera does it for you. Unfortunately for all of us, this feature needs work. I tested it on my wife, and, well… She had to be grinning like Heath Ledger’s Joker character for the camera to take the shot. Not particularly fool proof then…

3.) ISO picture quality isn’t bad actually. The noise isn’t awful until around ISO 800, as expected. Again, if you want to print full 12mp images, FORGET THIS CAMERA. You won’t be doing that at ANY ISO level. For smaller shots, in the realms of 4-6mp, this camera performs OK up to ISO 400-800. Interestingly, at ISO 3200 (unusable), the camera limits your image-taking to 3mp! You can not take 12mp ISO 3200 shots! Why? Because Samsung is probably embarrassed by the atrocious quality even in 3mp mode, and in 12mp any buyers might have a heart attack! Honestly, I’ve no idea why this camera even included ISO 3200…

4.) 720p movie mode is decent. Nothing fantastic, but it works. Heck, it works a bit better than picture mode, because at least you don’t get the chance to be appalled by the compression!

5.) The overall lens quality is fairly decent, covering a wide range of focal lengths. Unfortunately, there’s quite a bit of barrel distortion at the wide end. For those not camera-minded, this means keep any straight objects away from the edges of your image, because they will be slightly curvy at the widest focal length (24mm).

Overall:

This camera really does nothing particularly well. From a frustrating menu system to sub-par image quality with long processing delays after each shot before you can take the next one (due to the 12mp image size). It’s pretty sad when you can look at a point-and-shoot camera and the best thing you can say about it is that its video capabilities are decent…

2/5

For your information, my pictures and video were manipulated using the following software/hardware:

MacBook Pro unibody 17″ connected to calibrated Apple Cinema Display 24″

OS X 10.5.7, using Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 2.0 (for pictures) and Final Cut Studio (for movies).

The “down to earch point and shoot pics and vids” review
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I have had a few weeks to get familiar with and use my new HZ15W in a variety of situations. I must say that I am very, very pleased with this camera. I come from using the Canon Elph Line of digital cameras, which I was really happy with. My wife lost my SD1100 and my kids destroyed the SD700IS (dropped it one time too many. That thing had been flushed down a toilet, kicked, dropped and bounced for 5 years before it died. Excellent camera)

Key Highlights:

Simple to use Smart Auto and Auto modes. Smart Auto adds to the normal auto settings by selecting the scene type. As expected, it is not 100% perfect every time, but usually selects the right scene 98% or more of the time. For example, I zoomed in on a flower about five feet away, it automatically switched to macro mode and took a very detailed close up shot. Very cool. When clicking shots of my kids tubing on Lake Michigan over the weekend and “zoomed out” it, switched to landscape mode and took a beautiful shot of them on the water with the huge lake in the background. Zoomed in further on the kids it took a “normal” shot.

HD Video – My camcorder days are 100% over. The Canon’s took OK regular video, but the files were too large and a 3x zoom just didn’t cut it. The Samsung takes beautiful HD video and the 10x zoom is liveable (I would love a 30x optical, but I know that is not reasonable). At first the videos played very slow on my computer, but an upgrade to my ATI Radeon x1950 video drivers fixed that. Absolutely gorgeous video by my everyday user standards, but indoors and out. (The video driver problem is common for MP4 files on PC’s, this is not a Samsung issue. Plenty of google search results on people with MP4 playback problems on Windows boxes. Upgrading video drivers and using a good player like VLC media player is the most recommend fix).

What the camera is not:

Super small and light for those who want to keep it in a shirt pocket. It can be pocketed, but it is heavy and you will have the “big rectangle” shape if it is in a front pants pocket. If you don’t mind it clanking around and knocking your leg, cargo shorts worked OK. For me, I don’t want the camera to be small and stuck anywhere…in my house that means it gets lost a lot. This camera is being kept in a case and tracked much more closely than the others. No kids allowed to touch!

I am somebody who does not like setting camera modes and getting fancy with different settings. The most I do is change the flash mode. If you are a user who likes good looking photos at a good price and wants to shoot HD video in the latest format (MP4), have a powerful zoom, and don’t care about it being super tiny, then this is a camera for you. I also suggest you look at the package deals on the other Amazon sellers. For only a few bucks more I got a spare battery, case, and 8GB card.

Tom

Good Camera
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Item arrived ahead of promised date in good condition. Charged battery and plugged in the sdhc memory card. Started taking picures and short videos. Happy with the quality of both. The HD video clips are pretty good. Love the wide angle lens. Did not use any advanced features. But the basic stuff is pretty good and that is what I do mostly. Yes, there is minor problem with the zoom induced noise with video, but not a big deal for me.

Good lens, nice LCD but just a little lacking in design to be a truly great camera.
Rating:3 out of 5 stars
I am an amateur photographer and have experience with Canon, Fujifilm, Sony and now this Samsung point and shoot camera. There are several great cameras available in this price range and in my 2 weeks of testing I have not been particularly impressed with this camera. It has some great basic features but an overall lack of user-friendliness makes it difficult to utilize them properly and really have fun with this camera.

The basic positives of this camera:

- 12 MP is great for your larger prints, so is the 3 inch LCD which makes composing shots very easy.

- Dual stabilization is much needed for the long range shots using the 10X optical zoom, which by the way is nice in a camera this compact in size.

- Several modes on the top dial – Auto/ smart auto (which senses the conditions and adjusts the camera)/video/portrait/dual stabilization/Manual/P/ and Scene Modes

- Many scene modes – Frame Guide, Night, Portrait, Children, Landscape, Closeup, Text, Sunset, Dawn, Backlight, Firework, Beach/Snow, Self-Shot, Food, Cafe). You have to switch between scene modes through the menu.

The negatives -

- The camera did not come with the paper manual, it’s on the software CD. I like a paper manual as I usually take the manual on location and keep referring to it as I use the camera to get the full benefit of all the features.

- Wall charger charges the battery in the camera. The USB cable plugs into the wall plug that comes in the box. This is very inconvenient if you want to buy a spare battery and charge it while you’re using the camera.

- Software is not user friendly. My computer running Windows XP did not recognize the camera despite trying several times after loading software. Eventually, I pulled out the SD card and used the SD reader on my laptop.

- No other photo software is supplied like with other brands like Canon.

I specially missed the photo-stitch function of Canon given this is a wide angle camera.

- The power button is very easy to turn on accidentally as it is a little raised and it could damage the camera if it’s in a case.

- Camera sofware menus are not very friendly like Canon or Sony, and a take a little getting used to. Words are used rather than large icons, so you have to focus on the camera while trying to switch between modes which takes unnecessary time.

- The dual stabilization is a separate mode and does not work in all the modes which is a bit of a miss.

- The design of the camera itself is not sleek and smooth which is a big design miss, it makes the camera prone to damage. The front lens sticks out of the camera by quarter of an inch and the back LCD juts out by 3mm and seems it will be easily damaged if you were to drop the camera. It also makes the LCD more scratch prone and the first thing you need to do is get a protective covering.

- The back panel design is also not very intuitive. The “command lever” toggle on the back seems to move between exposure or f stop in certain modes but does not seem to do anything in other modes.

- The shutter button on the top seems really small as do some other buttons like Function on the back which makes it not very intuitive and easy to use.

Samsung REALLY needs to think about this camera design – it seems all other brands I’ve used have done a better job with making the design user friendly.

Picture taking -

I have uploaded some shots in customer images, this camera is capable of taking some nice shots, but if you can compose them you can bring out the best and take a truly great picture. On auto mode this camera is easily beaten by Canon and Sony, so if you never switch from Auto mode you may want to look at other choices.

- I thought that the close up shots I took of flowers on auto right before sunset were over-exposed and the colors too harsh. The auto feature and the smart auto does not seem to work too well. Canon definitely beats Samsung in this department for producing great shots right out of the box.

- Low light performance – Low light performance was good but not great or outstanding for a camera in this price range.

- The auto and scene modes still need some tweaking as the flash can be too harsh in certain situations.

- The sharpness and contrast of images in different modes was also average.

Overall, this is an average camera for the price and features but it just lacks great design and intuitive controls and software which would have made it a great camera.

Amazing Camera!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
This is an amazing, top of the line camera!

PRO’s:

DESIGN

The design is sleek and sophisticated, and although the camera is a bit bulky, it can still fit in my pocket. LCD screen does not scratch, which is great!

BEAUTY SHOT MODE:

I haven’t seen this kind of retouching on a digital camera before. The camera processes the image you just took and smooths the faces it detects, removing blemishes/wrinkles, etc. A great mode to make your skin look clearer, but make sure you’re taking photos in natural lighting (i.e. don’t rely only on the camera’s flash) when using this mode.

LENS

Wonderful wide angle lens, 10x zoom. Lens does not collect much dust, and the lens itself seems scratch resistant, but the rings around the lens can scratch easily.

VIDEO AND SOUND QUALITY

I was most impressed by the crisp HD video and sound quality when recording in VIDEO mode. The video quality rivals that of entry-level camcorders.

CONS

MANUAL MODE

Like other digital cameras, you can’t do too much in the “Manual” mode on this camera. Aperture can’t be changed much, but shutter speed goes to 1/1500.

USB CABLE / BATTERY CHARGER

A huge disadvantage for me is that you must actually connect the camera (via USB cable) to an outlet to charge the battery — there is no separate, plug in charger for the battery alone. Also, the USB port on the camera is a very strange shape, which can lead to some confusion as to how to plug in the cable.

Overall, probably the best camera you can get for the price!

Excellent results with this camera
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
The Samsung HZ15W Digital Camera is a relatively new entry in the digital camera market and it boasts a very impressive set of features right out of the starting gate. I wondered if the promise this camera shows is too good to be true, so I spent some time getting to know it and learning how to use it. After testing for several days I can say that this camera delivers on every promise it makes.

Rather than talk about every single feature this camera brings to the table, I will specifically address the features that set it apart from others. Almost every digital camera has review, delete, shutter speed settings, etc. so there is no need to discuss what comes standard.

The Samsung is a slightly smaller camera than my Canon PowerShot A630, due to the fact that it uses a small, square rechargeable battery, whereas other cameras with which I have worked (including my Canon) rely on bulky disposables or AA batteries of some form. Because the battery requires little space, Samsung has designed the camera body to be slightly thicker on one side, making holding the camera easier. The battery cam be charged with the included USB cable connected to a computer or using a travel charger (there was one in the box). Charging up completely takes approximately 3 hours.

The camera body itself is very solid and feels sturdy. It feels a little more substantial that my Canon, to be truthful.

With the battery in and a memory card inserted, I was shocked when I powered on the camera. After the initial set-up (language, date/time, etc.), the camera is ready for use and has an enormous LCD screen. The screen is very bright, clear, and it accurately replicates the colors of the target at which the camera is pointed. That said, it does compensate for light levels so what is displayed may be a little off in lower-light conditions, which is acceptable. There is plenty of information that can be displayed about the current mode on the screen without cluttering the display.

There are several modes in which this camera may be set, and four of them should prove useful to most users. Smart Auto is a good place to start for most users, as it does a very good job of automatically adjusting itself for most situations. When set in this mode you can watch the camera auto-focus. The digital zoom does not seem to be activated in this mode (more on the digital zoom shortly). Another helpful mode is the regular Auto which allows a little more control. Beauty Shot does a smoothing effect to compensate for blemishes on the target (which may or may not work out quite as you’d like). Dual IS mode adjusts for motion and light levels. There are other modes for various purposes, but these are the ones most likely to be useful right out of the box with minimal interaction.

There is a movie mode too, and to be honest I have not tried it. I never have used the movie mode on my Canon either. That said, it is convenient to have the feature at the ready without carrying a separate camcorder.

This camera is the first I have ever seen with a 10X digital zoom. I decided to try it out and took a couple of shots in the neighborhood. I was stunned at how excellent the results were – signs that were absolutely unreadable at a distance could be read clearly in the resulting snapshot. The camera adjusted for the distance better than I ever imagined. Now, that said, at that distance motion must be factored in. It is difficult to hold a camera steady and get a good shot when trying to get a distance shot like that, so I’d recommend using a tripod for that. With a steady camera, the 10X zoom is a HUGE feature and makes the camera worth its salt.

Another remarkable feature is the photo touch-up capability, built right in. When reviewing shots taken, you can apply several filters, such as red-eye reduction, blemish removal (soften), and even switch to black and white. I have never seen this kind of functionality built right into a camera. I tried some of the filters and they work well, though I personally prefer using external software on the computer.

This is a 12.2MP camera. For the average user that may be higher than necessary. So, the camera gives the ability to drop the resolution. I set mine to 5MP – perfect for my uses. It can be set higher or lower than that, as needed.

In looking at the resulting snapshots I have taken, the camera has delivered very consistently high quality images that faithfully reproduce the colors of the target. Some camera do not get this right and add a purple tinge, wash out the photo or even over-adjust the light. Not so with this camera – it has been accurate every time.

I have found two minor flaws in the design of this camera. First, the LED associated with the power button is so bright that it casts a blue glow on the ceiling when in a dark room. Some people may find it distracting. The second, more serious flaw is the placement of the flash. It is on the right side in close proximity to the snap button, and if not paying attention the user can very easily cover the flash with a finger, which may result in a less than optimal photo. Both of these flaws are minor and can be overcome with some attentive care, but it is unfortunate that these mar an otherwise perfect product.

Samsung’s HZ15W is a truly remarkable and amazing digital camera. It has a very generous feature set, produces very accurate results and even makes more difficult shots easy. This camera deserves serious consideration when looking for a high-quality digital camera, especially when looking in its price range. This camera is simply outstanding, in spite of a couple of minor design issues.

Fantastic for the price
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
My husband and I bought this camera in preparation for our baby being born and had a limited budget. He was amazed at how low the price was for such a great camera. Comparisons with other cameras with the same number of megapixels, optical zoom and features make this one a great buy.

I had read that the battery that comes in the camera can only be charged inside the camera, and there was no spare, so I purchased a spare battery (generic brand) and an external charger for very little money. I would recommend that. It is unfortunate that the camera doesn’t come with a case, we had to buy that speerately too. All-in-all though, a great purchase.

Everything you could ask for…
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
I must admit I was rather skeptical about this camera at first despite the positive reviews on Amazon. After careful exam of the spec sheet, I decided to give it a try and took it to a recent family trip to Europe. So far, the Samsung has been able to handle everything I throw at it.

I’m a dSLR shooter and consider myself savvy and accomplished. The primary reason I picked this camera was due to its valuable optical range and HD video capability, and this camera really shines in both areas. From about 10′ away on my 52″ Samsung LCD screen, it is pretty hard to detect any difference between broadcasted HD programming and the video clips I shot.

Here is my brief impression on Samsung HZ15W:

Pros:

Extremely useful zoom range at 24-240mm

HD video (720p) with zooming capability

True plug-n’-play via mini HDMI connection to HDTV

Dual Image Stabilizer works as advertised in low lighting

Three aspect ratios: 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9

PAUSE feature in video mode provides one continuous clip up to 30-min

Good 3″ LCD screen (460k)

Intuitive manual system

Cons:

Relatively slow handling

Below average battery life

Bulky and heavy

Long flash recycle time

Average image quality

Default setting produces under-saturated colors

In my opinion, if someone only wants to carry one camera on any trip or event, this is the one to get. It is not an outstanding camera by any means but it does anything relative well with no major shortcomings. However, there’re reviews posted online questioning the durability of this camera which I think any potential buyer should to be aware of.

Love it
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I’ve owned a dozen or so camera’s and this is the best so far. I love the wide angle and the VIVID color. The screen on back is just the right size and the circular option display onscreen is very good as the physical ones have worn off on previous cameras in my experience.

Great quality shots and video for my use: every day family photos and video. Also good at macro shots.

Fun camera.

Well designed. Great features. Results good, not great.
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
Having owned a Panasonic TZ5 for over a year, when I received the HZ15W, physically they look like siblings. The HZ15W is loaded with features, that my TZ5 just doesn’t have though. Notably, manual controls, and a wider 24mm lens. The first negative thing I noticed about the HZ15W was apparent as soon as I opened the box. The included proprietary USB cable is no longer than maybe 2′. Since it’s needed to attach the camera to a computer, I found this ridiculous. When I was ready to load the pics from the camera to my desktop computer, the cable would not even reach my computer desk. I had to place the camera under my desk, on top of the computer to attach it. Enough about the cable though. After charging the battery, I set out and took about 100 pictures in all different conditions and modes. The battery started showing a low charge after about 100 pictures and a few minutes of video, which I consider fair at best. I found the camera very easy to use, and the controls well laid out. Settings were easy to find in the menus. After loading the pictures onto my computer, and printing a couple out, the results were mostly good, but there were some things I was disappointed in. Mainly in the “detail” of outdoor photos taken at ISO 80. There seemed to be a lot of blown detail, that shouldn’t happen at a low ISO. Apparently Samsung has squeezed too may MP into the HZ15W’s small sensor. I took several of the same pictures with my TZ5. the TZ5 was never known for “fine detail”, but IMO it had maintained more detail than the Samsung. This was very surprising and disappointing to me. One thing the Samsung excelled out was color. I thought the colors were among the best of any P&S camera I own. I took a few minutes of video, and it was “good” when viewed on my wide screen monitor. Sound was fair at best. About on par with the video of the Panasonic. All in all, the HZ15W is a good camera loaded with awesome features. I was slightly disappointed with the image detail, but it’s still a good choice for casual photography.

Pros:

Great 24mm wide angle 10x Schneider lens.

Manual controls.

Good 3″ screen.

Generally good results under all conditions. Great color.

Well built and designed.

Cons:

Short proprietary USB cable is a joke.

Battery life nothing special.

Pictures lack fine detail at low ISO.

Easy to use point and shoot
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I’m a big fan of this camera. We were looking for a new camera that was faster than our old digital and was a bit smarter, but not so much that you lose the functionality of the throw in your pocket point and shoot. This camera achieves all of those goals. It’s pretty fast so we don’t miss the cute kid moments and the picture quality is amazing. There is some obvious digital manipulation of the photo’s going on because the color balance changes from image to image but so far it’s been a good balance. The menus are easy to use and fairly intuitive.

The only real downside of this camera after a month of use is the battery and data transfer cable. The battery is a Lithium Ion battery and holds a charge for a long time but it’s not a standard walk into the store if you get in a pinch and buy a fully charged one off the shelf. The USB cable is also not a standard connector on the camera end of the line, it looks alot like a HDMI cable, but it’s not. Both are minor annoyances.

I would also recommend a camera case and screen protector for the LCD screen when you buy this camera.

Samsung Camera
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
The quality of the pictures is stunning and it seems easy to use. Very nice, a bit larger (wider) than I expected though. Maybe Samsung could make them in colors; it would have been nice to have something other than black. The settings are also easy to set except for the time. We haven’t figured that out yet as mine, from Amazon, was missing the manual. Or maybe it doesn’t have one. I’m very happy with the camera. I bought a 4g memory card and it’s enough for us to take many, many pictures.

Was really hopeful with this one! A bit of a let down.
Rating:2 out of 5 stars
My previous multi-purpose camera was a Kodak with a 23mm wide-angle lens. I loved it, so in looking for a new camera, wide-angle was on the top of my must have features.

I must admit that the second or third thing on my list was HD Video recording (720p), though I know if you want incredible HD video, then you should buy an HD camera.

This is a great multi-purpose, point and shoot camera. But ultimately I ended up returning it.

Pros:

– The wide-angle lens is wonderful. You’ll never go back once you try a wide lens.

– After changing the settings from “normal” to “super-fine”, the pictures look great.

Cons:

– SOUND with video. The audio is REALLY low when recording video. I have to turn my media player and speakers up to 100% just to hear the audio normally. The microphones are on the sides of the camera, where you hands are. I’m not sure if this is why it doesn’t pick up sound well or not (I made sure not to cover them up). Why you wouldn’t put the mics on the front is beyond me. This was my ultimate reason for returning it. I contacted Samsung and even sent them a sample video, but never heard back.

– Colors with video. The color on photos is great. When taking video, the colors seem overly exaggerated and washed out (mostly when outside).

– Zoom. The zooming is not very responsive. Changing from zooming out to zooming in too quickly easily results in the zoom just not responding. You have to let go and wait a moment to continue zooming.

– Video quality. The video looks great, but you can pretty easily see the compression. But that’s to be expected since this is just a point and shoot camera that happens to do HD video too.

Samsung HZ15W
Rating:5 out of 5 stars

I had used Sony for years, but after a “fiasco” with them I was turned off by the Sony corp. I usually am brand loyal so for me to purchase some other brand was tough. I researched and I have to say the Samsung has some nice features to work with. You can edit and crop photos, like only Sony could, so that you can change pixel level, but even re-frame and crop. Nice to do on the run. 10x optic zoom is very nice. Clear pictures. Lots of features, that I still need to learn. It has about every feature, that I can think of, in a good camera.

One of the best Camera on the Market
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
After a lot of research, we purchased this Camera despite it being slightly thick. And we made that compromise for two reasons: (1) wide angle lens and (2) 10x optical versatility. There are always moments when one wishes that a long telephoto was available. Based on the reviews we were a bit apprehensive about its “supposedly poor” results in low light.

This camera outperformed all our expectations. With dual stabilization (Optical+Digital) even the longest zooms were rock solid. Low light did not appear to be a problem for us in average usage. And then there is built in flash.

Bonus is extremely good quality Video results. We own a 3CCD camcorder which is a chore to carry around. we are sending that to ebay as this will do everything we want from a combo equipment.

Love it and recommend to every one.

BTW, we purchased a 32MB flash and two extra battery (after market) during our trip to Europe and it never quit on us (save battery changes), even atop Alps.

Amazing and inexpensive
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Being cheaper than the competition and a brand that is not a big name in photography, my expectations were that I’d get good value for the money but no more than that. Was I ever wrong. This is the best camera I’ve ever owned. Its 1/1500 sec shutter and burst photo mode is extraordinary. Same goes for apeture bracketing mode. The manual capability is great giving either speed or aperture control as desired. The 3 inch screen and its text displays of the modes are huge plus features – you’re always certain on what dial setting you’ve moved to. All menus are easy to use and well explained with appropriate logos. The only negative is the remote IR control. It’s only capability is to trigger the shutter with a 2 second delay. (What would be great is ability to trigger shutter bursts and the hd video). Incidentally the HD video is so good that I no longer use my videocam. Finally it’s smaller and lighter than the competition and aftermarket extended life batteries are available.

This Little Camera is Awesome!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
My previous camera was (is) a Kodak EasyShare Dx which I have owned for a number of years and liked quite a bit. I knew it was time for a change though, since the Kodak is only 6.1 megapixels, and I wanted to see if doubling the pixel count would actually make a difference. The Samsung HZ15W performed light years ahead of my current camera for obvious reasons:

*12MP versus 6.1MP

*10X optical Zoom versus 3X

*Digital Image Stabilization versus NONE

*3 inch LCD versus 2.2 inch LCD

To sum it up, I stepped up in a big way. The camera takes great pictures in many lighting situations with the exception of low light situations. This is not a deal breaker for me, since the Kodak didn’t fare that much better, but did have a low light auto focus and shutter speed selections for low light. There is hardly any noticeable lag between snap and shutter closure.

Smart Auto and Movie mode are where this camera shines. You will make GREAT HD video with the movie mode, and the provided image stabilization will make you look like a pro to your family. The Smart Auto mode will allow you to take photos with minimal involvement. This mode is the one to use if you have just purchased the camera and want to use it out of the box.

Overall, I am pleased with my new Samsung. It is a definite improvement over my old Kodak, and definitely a keeper.

Takes nice pics but…..
Rating:3 out of 5 stars
I bought this camera simply because of past experiences with Samsung and the price point. The camera is beautiful but the rechargeable battery option is a pain in the butt. If you like to follow your kids around throughout the day or use it for 50 pics throughout the day…you will need to recharge the battery before the day is done. The PHD (push here dummy) button is not in the typical place, so it makes taking pics a little awkward because you are reaching past the button you would typically use and when you do hit the right button, it doesn’t take pics consistently causing you to lose shots, it has to be some sort of timing/focusing thing. The menus are intense and probably do a lot for you but I don’t have time to read it all. Standard pic files are over 3Mb. I returned my camera within a week and I am still using the A560 that I have had for a year or so.

Very good point and shoot camera.
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Love the wide angle lense. The camera takes very good pictures. I don’t like the manual controls. This is not a full manual camera. Battery is great, I took over 200 shots and still had some battery left. That included looking at the photos with the camera. I have taken over 1000 photos since June ( when I got the camera). Fun camera with the wide angle lense. Easy to use as long as you read the manual to find out where everything is located in the camera. The video is very good, but not the sound. It will pick up a lot of backgound noise. But I didn’t buy the camera for the video. I would and have recomended this camera. I posted 3 photo’s in the images for this camera. So you can see more photo’s from this camera.

Great Technology but poor product introduction
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
I bought the Samsung HZ15W for its great Schneider Wide Angle Lens and a host of other features that make it a great, if pricy, digital point and shoot choice. A few caveats: For a camera of this price, the body feels very insubstantial. You do not want to drop this one. The camera ships with a rechargeable battery, but no battery charger. I went to 3 stores to buy one with no luck, and have ordered one from a camera dealer in NY. My camera came with some kind of an adapter that has nothing to do with the camera. The printed instruction manual is a joke, and the disc version is not much better. Samsung needed to spend more time planning the introduction of this product which has received some great reviews.

Excellent Camera For Most People
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
Have been testing out this camera for the last few days. The camera produces very good pictures indoors and out and exposure is right on in the vast majority of cases. The camera comes with 21 Mb of internal memory so it is possible to take a few pictures without an SD Card being inserted. I took about 250 photos over the weekend and the battery still had some charge left. Software is included for XP/Vista and it seemed to work fine. No software is included for Mac but I had no problem using the camera with OS 10.5.7. I tested out the ability to record HD movies and it worked great producing very satisfying video. The included wide angle lens is fabulous.

So what are the problems I found?

1). The camera does not have Aperture or Shutter Priority modes. The camera does however have a Manual Mode where Aperture and Shutter Speed can be selected.

2). The included Power Adapter cord is only about two feet long.

3). The battery can only be charged in the camera using the included Power Adapter. I could not find an optional battery charger on the Samsung website.

4.) The only available format is JPEG. No type of a RAW mode is provided.

5.) The User must purchase an optional HDMI cord to connect this camera to an HDTV. It will not work with a standard HDMI cable. A video cord is included for SD television.

6.) The audio level for video recording seems low.

The vast majority of the camera buying public will be satisfied with this camera. Serious photographers will miss the ability to use Aperture or Shutter Priority modes however.

Purchased Oct 2009
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I spent a lot of time researching cameras and reading reviews. This is a good camera. The only downside is the location of the capture button. It causes you to reach a little and you tend to put you hand in the way of the flash. The picture quality and settings are great. The battery takes about 3hrs to charge, but lasted us the entire day.

Happy with the wide angle for point and shoot
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I had wanted a camera with a wide angle lense for sometime now for point and shoot use because of the difficulty framing shots in small group settings, like family birthday parties. I mean, a proper photographer that knows how to do this would have the equipment to support that, wouldn’t they? We just want quick, simple, and ready to go. The camera has more capability than the simplest point and shoot digital cameras, but probably not robust enough for professed aficionados. I have used the high speed frame capture while pranking someone with a bottle of diet cola and some mentos with excellent results. The battery suits our purposes and we have had enough juice for a couple of casual sessions with each charge. There are a number of modes that offer some manual controls, be we keep it on auto most of the time.

Good camera, pricing?????
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I was going to order this camera, but the price kept dropping, down to $219.95. I was ready to order, but by the time I got home, it went up in price! It kept going up and now is at $269.95, in a little more than an week. No way. This needs some explaining. Down $50 and back up $50 within two weeks. What’s up?

Too big for my taste, but not a bad camera
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
This is a nice camera and very easy to use. I really enjoy the very large screen. What I’m not so in love with is how big the camera is overall. It’s too big for a pocket camera (in my opinion) and the picture quality isn’t up to a standard that I would deem acceptable as a replacement for an SLR. If you’re looking for something in between those extremes, then this could be an option for you. The wide lens is very nice and 12 megapixels is plenty of resolution for most anyone.

Very versatile camera, perfect for casual photographer
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
As a casual photographer, I find this to be a great camera.

Opening the box, you will find:

- The Camera (of course)

- Rechargeable battery

- USB charging cord

- Small User Manual

- AV Cable

- Wrist Strap

Nice Features:

- Very easy to use. You will need to read the manual for some things, but the basics are easy to figure out. There is a dial on top of the camera. When you turn it, a menu appears on the display explaining what each setting is.

- Auto mode works great, if you are not a professional, just leave it on auto and the camera does a nice job.

- Sound with video. Do read the manual on how to use the video, I messed mine up trying to skip that part. Once I figured it out, however, the video is great and the sound is passable.

- Very sturdy camera, I dropped it twice trying to put the wrist strap on (ok, I was having an off day), the camera was not damaged.

- Wide angle lens – everyone fits in the picture

- Zoom! 10x optical zoom that takes nice, clear pics.

- Display pics on TV. You need to buy a cable separately for this, but it is worth it. Kids especially love to see their pictures – and themselves on TV.

- No red eyes, I’ve taken lots of pics now and have yet to see a red eye.

Cons (minor, but here’s some):

- The “beauty” feature didn’t do much.

- Proprietary connector on cord – don’t lose it

- Camera is a little heavier than I expected

- Stabilization could be improved. I had better luck with a tripod.

Overall, this is a great camera with a lot of options. I’m very happy with it.

Update (10/04/2009) :

Something went wrong with the lens and it would no longer come out. I called Samsung who gave me the address of a nearby repair shop. My camera was fixed and back in my possession in less than 2 weeks. Since the camera was less than a year old, they did not even charge me for the repair. Excellent customer service!

Versatile Super-Zoom Digital Camera
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
PROS

HDMI connection terminal

In-camera cropping

In-camera trimming of video clips

10x optical zoom

Lightweight

Crisp viewing from LCD

CONS

No dedicated battery charger

Unusual placement of flash adjacent to grip

Short charging cable (2 feet)

Average sound quality for a camera but below average for someone looking for a camcorder

INTRODUCTION

I am a casual user who prefers size, convenience and function over versatility of SLR cameras. I have been using digital cameras since the 1.2 MP era in the late 1990s. My most recent camera prior to this model was the Panasonic Lumix TZ-5 with 9 MP and 10x optical zoom.

WHAT IS IN THE BOX?

Camera

User manual

AC adapter

Rechargeable battery

Audio Video Cable

Carrying Strap

CONSTRUCTION

The metallic body has a black matte finish with a grip on the right side. The grip is textured which decreases the chance of slipping from my hand. It is slightly heavier than my TZ-5 and really requires two handed operation to keep it steady.

On the top of the camera, there is a power button, speaker, zoom lever, and mode dial. The flash is on the same side as the grip which is something that you need to be congnisant of when using flash. In the bottom of the unit, there is a centrally placed tripod unit which is more stable than eccentric placement that I have had on other cameras. The Battery chamber holds the battery and memory card. The back of the camera has a nice vivid color screen, a multidirectional keypad, command lever, function/delete key, play button and effect button. On the right side of the unit a USB, AV and DC terminal are located towards the top.

The command lever allows for custom exposure control, ISO/white balance and Aperture/shutter speed.

The unit has 21 MB of internal memory and is guaranteed to work with up to 8 GB. The built in memory does not allow for more than 5 photos at the highest resolution.

OPERATION

Setup of the camera is easy and intuitive. You initially set up the camera by entering your language (English, Korean, French, German, Spanish, Italian) and the Time and date.

I set my command lever for white balance but you can also set it for exposure levels.

Operation of the camera includes full automatic mode, program mode, manual mode, Scene, beauty shot , movie and smart auto. There are a few scene modes including landscape, self shot, children, beach/snow, and fireworks, just to name a few. The mode is set by using the control dial at the top of the unit. What I like about this camera over my Panasonic Lumix TZ-5 is that the dial actually locks into place, as opposed to inadvertently switching me to another mode (big advantage in my opinion). Beauty shot mode allows you to clear facial imperfections (this is the first that I have experienced something like this).

This camera has good low light sensitivity with both video and photographs.

This camera uses an SDHC card up to 32 GB. With a 1 GB card, you can take 404 pictures at the highest resolution or 780 photos at 5 MP. At the highest quality movie, you can record 8 minutes 20 seconds at 1280 HQ, 30 Frames per second.

Battery life by the manufacturer is about 140 minutes for stills only and 125 minutes for movie mode, so I recommend a second battery for backup when travelling or taking videos of your child’s rehearsal, for example. Unfortunately, this has no supplied battery charger, so you have to plug the camera into the wall.

The glossy LCD screen is comprehensive showing icons for remaining battery life, shots remaining on camera, metering, ISO, color saturation, date/time, flash status, zoom level, and histogram (there are other functions revealed but I mentioned what I feel are important). The quality of the images viewed on the LCD is vivid and crisp.

The camera can take 1.5 frames per second in high speed mode or one picture at a time, aside from the continuous and motion capture mode (6 shots per second for 5 seconds).

Image stabilization is good but there are times that I would still get motion blur.

There seems to be a long refractory time between photographs when flash is being used. Shutter lag is average to other point and shoot cameras that I have used.

PHOTOGRAPHY

Photographs are stored in JPEG, EXIF, DPOF. Color effects include normal, black and white, sepia, red, green, blue, negative and custom color.

Recharging time for the battery is about 5 seconds when freshly charged.

Viewing photos by normal display or thumbnails is intuitive. I like the ability to crop the photo within the camera – it’s like having a built in photo-editor. You can also view photos by slide show, which I use to play back when we go on trips.

Shutter speed on automatic mode runs from 1/8 to 1/1,500, on program mode from 1 to 1/1,500, manual from 16 to 1/1,500. ISO equivalents are from 80 to 3200.

VIDEO

The video mode allows for zooming while filming. Zoom is smooth in transition.

Video is stored in MP4 (H.264(MPEG4.AVC). Audio is saved as a WAV file.

Video clips are set by determining your image size from 1280×720 HQ to640x480 to 320×240. Maximum recording time per clip is 29 minutes. Frame rate can be set based upon resolution. Videos can be recorded with or without sound.

Sound quality from the microphone is decent but not as sensitive as a conventional camcorder.

A nice feature of the movie playback is the ability to trim clips, if they are longer than 10 seconds. So in-camera processing is relatively painless.

PLAYBACK ON TELEVISION

Image size for playback includes 1080i, 720p, 480p, and 576p.

SOFTWARE

System recommendations for the USB support on Windows:

Pentium III 800 Mhz

Windows 2000/XP/Vista

Greater than 1 GB

MS Direct X 9.0 C

The recommendations for USB support on Mac:

Power Mac G3 or later

Mac OS 10.3 or later

110 MB hard drive space

>512 MB RAM

The software is rudimentary allowing for photo organization, inserting text, effects, narrations, and music files to a movie clip. It is not quite a full featured program like iMovie on my Mac.

CONCLUSION

Overall, this is a powerful camera for its relatively compact size. Its limitations for video include low sensitivity for the microphone and just an average shutter lag.

Highly recommend for an all purpose camera and casual videography.

UPDATE June 13, 2009

I was at the beach last weekend and I took a picture of the clouds. With the 12 Megapixel resolution, I was able to zoom into the picture and see very good detail of people (who were in the distance). So even though you probably would not print a 30×40″ picture, you can zoom in and crop small details of your photograph. I have also found that using the in-camera crop feature, that I can edit out ‘bystanders’ in photos without having to resort to Photoshop Elements.