Over the past two months Samsung has launched 13 new compact point-and-shoot cameras. Other manufacturers can also claim large 2010 lineups, but none can boast as many glamorous features as Samsung, with individual models checking these boxes:front-facing LCDs, or touch-enabled OLED screens, Wi-Fi, DLNA, Bluetooth, GPS, plus 1080p video, slow motion 1,000fps video, waterproof, articulating displays and a bright f/1.8 lens.Based on these buzzwords, Samsung is poised to become a serious player in the camera space. Below are a couple of stand-outs I think will really resonate with consumers.
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The Samsung TL350 is by far the flashiest new Samsung shooter. The top of the camera looks like a sports car–it has two analog meters to display the battery charge and memory card capacity. I downright love it.
The camera offers a plethora of high-definition video options including 1080p at 30 frames per second or 720p at 60 frames per second. It can also capture video at 608-by-342 resolution, slightly smaller than standard-definition, but at 240 frames per second. When played back at 30 fps, the result is slow-motion video. but play it back at 30 fps, the result is slow motion video. (Casio's new EX-FH100 and the older FC-100 also offer this feature.)
The user interface on the TL350 is terrific too. And it's displayed on a 3-inch OLED, which really shines. OLED screens typically have higher contrast, wider viewing angles, and show less motion blur than LCDs. The user interface is mostly unchanged from previous Samsung cameras, but there are additional animated transitions between the menu text and icons.
Spec-wise, the TL350 offers 10.2 megapixel captures, 5X optical zoom through a 24mm lens with an aperture of f/2.8-f/5.8. The camera will sell for $349.99.
The Samsung TL500 is for serious shooters; it's proof that Samsung isn't just about flashy OLEDs and sports-car meters. The big buzz with this camera is that it features a lens whose aperture is f/1.8 at its widest angle. The f-number indicates how large the lens aperture is; the larger the aperture, the more light can be let in. Having the option to let in more light is always desirable, as it gives you the option to use faster shutter speeds and use lower ISO sensitivities which produces better image quality.
This camera's 3-inch OLED is mounted on a swing-out arm, which comes in handy when you can't be at eye level with your subject. The user interface is identical to the TL350's.
The Samsung TL500 offers 10.2-megapixel captures, a 3X optical zoom on a 24-mm lens and will be priced at $449.99.
Read more at http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2360214,00.asp
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