Review: Samsung HZ10W 24 mm zoom: wider, yet, and wider

Following is a review for Samsung HZ10W digital camera.

Samsung has a new camera called the HZ10W with a zoom that starts at an excellent wide-angle of 24mm. Far better pictures are taken with wide-angle than telephoto even though a telephoto lens is a big marketing plus. This Samsung HZ10W has a Schneider lens which means the resolution will be excellent.

This is also a 10.2 megapixel camera. Add that to the wide-angle lens and you should be able to take pictures that would make the angels weep with envy. (The heading which mentions wider, yet, and wider is referring to the turgid and xenophobic ‘Land of Hope and Glory’ which is sung at the Last Night of the Proms in London every year. Such a nonsense.)

Back to the camera. Samsung’s HZ10W also has a 10x optical (note, not digital which is marketing hype) zoom which goes all the way out to 240mm which would be good for sports and bird (avian variety) spotting.

So that you at least have a fighting chance of getting a steady shot with a zoom of that length the camera has optical and digital image stabilization built in which probably would help control the blur. It also has what is called Dual Image Stabilization.

Dual Image Stabilization simply combines optical Image Stabilization and an increase to the ISO which, as it were, is the speed of the film. As there is no film it makes the receptor more sensitive. There is a downside to this. Push the ISO up too high and you will get streaks and clumping and other nasties.

The camera also includes Samsung’s patented Smart Album application. That is the camera gives users many options to organize their pictures as they go along. In truth, it is difficult to see the point of this unless you are going on a seven day safari. But it is there if you need it.

Of course, like most digital cameras these days it will shoot video at 30 fps. There is a 2.7” LCD screen and the camera has all the gubbins like Face Detection, Smile Shot, Blink Detection, Self Portrait, Beauty Shot and Red-eye Fix functions.

This machine will be on sale at the end of the month at somewhere around $300. Which this writer finds totally astounding.

Here is a camera packed full of smarts with a Schneider lens where the widest angle is only 24 mm and it only costs $300. Dammit, dinner in London can cost more than that.

For more information, please click http://photo.blorge.com/2009/01/12/samsung-hz10w-24-mm-zoom-wider-yet-and-wider/