Any Samsung Owners?

[jdl7538]

I just joined Digital Camera because of this forum specially dedicated to Samsung, but on seeing that nothing has been posted here for over a month, I wonder whether any Samsung owners still check in here. If so, I would be very intested in others' experiences of their Samsungs.

I recently purchased a Samsung S85 and am delighted with it overall, but much disappointed with its "ASR" image stabilization. I was wondering whether any of you regularly use this feature and, if so, under what conditions you find it useful.

Also, are there any thoughts on the reason why the S630, S730, and S85 have all recently become so affordable? I noticed that the Canon A570 IS, which Amazon cites as the most popular digital on the market today, has also taken a big drop in price. Maybe digital cameras are going the same way as cheaper and cheaper memory cards.

[jdl7538]

I just noticed that on BUY.COM the Samsung s85 is selling for $110.99 with free shipping. An amazing deal! An ultra-compact 8mp with 5x optical & 5x digital zoom and producing very sharp images. TRUSTED REVIEWS gave it 10 out of 10 for value when it cost half again as much. I'd love to know what's bringing the price down so much.

[legelegel]

The better buy appears to be at Circuit City now.

http://www.buy.com/prod/samsung-s85-8-megapixel-5x-optical-zoom-2-5-lcd-digital-camera-black/q/loc/111/205599969.html

http://www.buy.com/prod/samsung-s85-8-megapixel-5x-optical-zoom-2-5-lcd-digital-camera-black/q/loc/111/205599969.html

I just bought the Samsung S73 7.2-Megapixel Digital Camera – Pink for $99.99 for my wife. It is our first digital camera.




Customer Ratings and Review

Samsung S73 7.2-Megapixel Digital Camera – Pink

http://www.circuitcity.com/ssm/Samsung-S73-7-2-Megapixel-Digital-Camera-Pink-S73/sem/rpsm/oid/192202/rpem/ccd/productDetail.do

Fantastic Camera and a Wondeful Price

Reviewer: Cyndi from Houston on Nov 24, 2007
18 out of 19 found this review helpful

I had bought a panasonic from best buy 7.2 mp w/ 2.5 lcd, 3x optical zoom, and video and got it home and realized the lcd was very grainy and the video had no audio and I took it back immidiately. I was charged a 15% restocking fee but it was worth itto return it becuase I was so unhappy with the camera.

I looked on-line at circuit city and found this for $30 less, pretty in pink, and it all the same features plus had video w/ audio. I got it home and absolutely loved it. The lcd is fantastic, verry clear, the pictures are wonderful and yes, the video w/ audio is great! I did my shopping and this is absolutely the best buy around!!! This has my number 1 vote all the way. I showed my family the camera when I got home last night, and my 3 uncles each bought one in blue and my cousin bought one in black! Everyone loves it!

Great if you use Lithium rechargable batteries

Reviewer: Brian B. from Newburgh, IN on Jan 13, 2008
9 out of 10 found this review helpful

I bought two of these, one for each of my teenage kids. They are perfect for kids, small and cheap with great picture quality. Almost immediately we noticed that the batteries were running down quickly when we used alkaline batteries. However, when we switched to re-chargeable lithium ion batteries, the battery life drastically improved. For the price you can't beat the features or the picture quality. I suggest using some of the money you will save with this camera to buy re-chargeable batteries anda charger.

[jdl7538]

Here's an interesting site listing top cameras based on basic camera value and user satisfaction. Note that among digital cameras of all brands the S85 is #5, the S630 #19, and the S730 #42: http://www.retrevo.com/s/Digital+Camera?gclid=CImItp2gkJECFQQjPAodKCyKPA

Clicking on each camera brings up their expert and user reviews. Those found here, as well as all others I can find for the S85, are universally very positive, like the two on this Radio Shack site: http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2894739&tab=custRatings#showReview

These are really great little cameras!

[Vincent Anthony]

I own the Samsung S85 and it's great. I bought it for $107.99 at Circuit City.
I also have several of the Samsung NV series and those are great too.

[rx_morph]

Hello all. I recently ordered the Samsung S85 as well. In fact, it just arrived yesterday afternoon. Since then I've been playing around with the different features and settings, taking test shots and just trying to get as familiar with the camera as possible. Unfortunately I haven't tried out all the combinations and features (some I probably never really will i.e. Effects features). Anyway when I was waiting for this camera to arrive I think I read just about every review of it on just about every website I could find and I must say...after reading them all I was highly anxious for it's arrival. Overall I'm very satisfied with this camera and the quality of it's pictures/video. Sure it's not perfect but you can't beat the performance and quality you get with this camera for the money. Absolutely remarkable. I'll post some test pics I took in case there's another potential buyer out there that wants some test photos. Again, I didn't try out every setting but this should give most people a pretty good idea of it's capabilities. Enjoy!

I was unable to find a hosting site that would allow for over 1024x768 image size hosting, but I will continue to look. If anyone knows a good site that will allow larger limits then please let me know. Thanks.

Image 1 (http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q88/rx_morpheus/SN850021.jpg)

Image Attributes
Format JPEG interchanged
Compression Baseline JPEG
Dimensions 1024x768 (8.0 MP)
Bit Depth 24
EXIF Metadata
Manufacturer SAMSUNG TECHWIN CO., LTD.
Model Samsung S85
Orientation of image Normal
Y and C positioning Co-Sited
Exposure time 1/337
F number 3.2
Exposure program Normal
ISO speed ratings 50
Image compression ratio 3
Exposure bias 0
Maximum lens aperture 2.971
Metering mode Multi spot
Light source Normal
Flash Flash off
Lens focal length 11.4
Color space information sRGB
Exposure mode Auto
White balance Auto WB
Digital zoom 1
Focal length in 35 mm film 69
Scene capture type Standard
Sharpness Normal


Image 2 (http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q88/rx_morpheus/SN850005.jpg)

Image Attributes
Format JPEG interchanged
Compression Baseline JPEG
Dimensions 1024x768 (8.0 MP)
Bit Depth 24
EXIF Metadata
Manufacturer SAMSUNG TECHWIN CO., LTD.
Model Samsung S85
Orientation of image Normal
Y and C positioning Co-Sited
Exposure time 1/438
F number 2.8
Exposure program Normal
ISO speed ratings 50
Image compression ratio 2
Exposure bias 0
Maximum lens aperture 2.971
Metering mode Multi spot
Light source Normal
Flash Flash off
Lens focal length 6.3
Color space information sRGB
Exposure mode Auto
White balance Auto WB
Digital zoom 1
Focal length in 35 mm film 38
Scene capture type Standard
Sharpness Normal


Image 3 (http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q88/rx_morpheus/SN850170.jpg)

Image Attributes
Format JPEG interchanged
Compression Baseline JPEG
Dimensions 1024x768 (8.0 MP)
Bit Depth 24
EXIF Metadata
Manufacturer SAMSUNG TECHWIN CO., LTD.
Model Samsung S85
Orientation of image Normal
Y and C positioning Co-Sited
Exposure time 1/42
F number 3.1
Exposure program Normal
ISO speed ratings 50
Image compression ratio 2
Exposure bias 0
Maximum lens aperture 2.971
Metering mode Multi spot
Light source Normal
Flash Flash on
Lens focal length 9.3
Color space information sRGB
Exposure mode Auto
White balance Auto WB
Digital zoom 1
Focal length in 35 mm film 56
Scene capture type Standard
Sharpness Normal

Image 4 (http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q88/rx_morpheus/SN850196.jpg)

Image Attributes
Format JPEG interchanged
Compression Baseline JPEG
Dimensions 1024x768 (8.0 MP)
Bit Depth 24
EXIF Metadata
Manufacturer SAMSUNG TECHWIN CO., LTD.
Model Samsung S85
Orientation of image Normal
Y and C positioning Co-Sited
Exposure time 1/1
F number 2.8
Exposure program Normal
ISO speed ratings 50
Image compression ratio 2
Exposure bias 0
Maximum lens aperture 2.971
Metering mode Multi spot
Light source Normal
Flash Flash off
Lens focal length 6.3
Color space information sRGB
Exposure mode Auto
White balance Auto WB
Digital zoom 1
Focal length in 35 mm film 38
Scene capture type Standard
Sharpness Normal


Image 5 (http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q88/rx_morpheus/SN850171.jpg)

Image Attributes
Format JPEG interchanged
Compression Baseline JPEG
Dimensions 1024x768 (8.0 MP)
Bit Depth 24
EXIF Metadata
Manufacturer SAMSUNG TECHWIN CO., LTD.
Model Samsung S85
Orientation of image Normal
Y and C positioning Co-Sited
Exposure time 1/30
F number 4.9
Exposure program Normal
ISO speed ratings 50
Image compression ratio 2
Exposure bias 0
Maximum lens aperture 2.971
Metering mode Multi spot
Light source Normal
Flash Flash on
Lens focal length 6.3
Color space information sRGB
Exposure mode Auto
White balance Auto WB
Digital zoom 1
Focal length in 35 mm film 38
Scene capture type Standard
Sharpness Normal

Image 6 (http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q88/rx_morpheus/SN850202.jpg)

Image Attributes
Format JPEG interchanged
Compression Baseline JPEG
Dimensions 1024x768 (8.0 MP)
Bit Depth 24
EXIF Metadata
Manufacturer SAMSUNG TECHWIN CO., LTD.
Model Samsung S85
Orientation of image Normal
Y and C positioning Co-Sited
Exposure time 1/30
F number 4.9
Exposure program Normal
ISO speed ratings 50
Image compression ratio 2
Exposure bias 0
Maximum lens aperture 2.971
Metering mode Multi spot
Light source Normal
Flash Flash on
Lens focal length 6.3
Color space information sRGB
Exposure mode Auto
White balance Auto WB
Digital zoom 1
Focal length in 35 mm film 38
Scene capture type Standard
Sharpness Normal


Image 7 (http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q88/rx_morpheus/SN850030.jpg)

Image Attributes
Format JPEG interchanged
Compression Baseline JPEG
Dimensions 1024x768 (8.0 MP)
Bit Depth 24
EXIF Metadata
Manufacturer SAMSUNG TECHWIN CO., LTD.
Model Samsung S85
Orientation of image Normal
Y and C positioning Co-Sited
Exposure time 1/284
F number 3.1
Exposure program Normal
ISO speed ratings 50
Image compression ratio 3
Exposure bias 0
Maximum lens aperture 2.971
Metering mode Central weight average
Light source Normal
Flash Flash off
Lens focal length 9.3
Color space information sRGB
Exposure mode Auto
White balance Auto WB
Digital zoom 1
Focal length in 35 mm film 56
Scene capture type Standard
Sharpness Normal



Image 8 (http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q88/rx_morpheus/SN850031.jpg)
File

Image Attributes
Format JPEG interchanged
Compression Baseline JPEG
Dimensions 1024x768 (8.0 MP)
Bit Depth 24
EXIF Metadata
Manufacturer SAMSUNG TECHWIN CO., LTD.
Model Samsung S85
Orientation of image Normal
Y and C positioning Co-Sited
Exposure time 1/148
F number 4.6
Exposure program Normal
ISO speed ratings 50
Image compression ratio 3
Exposure bias 0
Maximum lens aperture 2.971
Metering mode Central weight average
Light source Normal
Flash Flash on
Lens focal length 31.5
Color space information sRGB
Exposure mode Auto
White balance Auto WB
Digital zoom 1
Focal length in 35 mm film 190
Scene capture type Standard
Sharpness Normal


Image 9 (http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q88/rx_morpheus/SN850013.jpg)

Image Attributes
Format JPEG interchanged
Compression Baseline JPEG
Dimensions 1024x768 (8.0 MP)
Bit Depth 24
EXIF Metadata
Manufacturer SAMSUNG TECHWIN CO., LTD.
Model Samsung S85
Orientation of image Normal
Y and C positioning Co-Sited
Exposure time 1/272
F number 3.2
Exposure program Normal
ISO speed ratings 50
Image compression ratio 3
Exposure bias 0
Maximum lens aperture 2.971
Metering mode Multi spot
Light source Normal
Flash Flash off
Lens focal length 11.4
Color space information sRGB
Exposure mode Auto
White balance Auto WB
Digital zoom 1
Focal length in 35 mm film 69
Scene capture type Standard
Sharpness Normal

I realize these shots don't come close to exploring ALL the features of the S85 but but I hope to get more up soon. However you can tell from these pictures that the color reproduction is excellent and the AF work very well. Image 9 is intended to give you the idea of the level of detail although the subject I chose could have been better. Whoa, that was quite a lot of work to get them all up there and specs edited...time for some sleep ;)

[rx_morph]

Here are a few more images...

Image 10 (http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q88/rx_morpheus/SN850336.jpg)

Image Attributes
Format JPEG interchanged
Compression Baseline JPEG
Dimensions 1024x768 (8.0 MP)
Bit Depth 24
EXIF Metadata
Manufacturer SAMSUNG TECHWIN CO., LTD.
Model Samsung S85
Orientation of image Normal
Y and C positioning Co-Sited
Exposure time 1/569
F number 4.9
Exposure program Normal
ISO speed ratings 50
Image compression ratio 2
Exposure bias 0
Maximum lens aperture 2.971
Metering mode Central weight average
Light source Daylight
Flash Flash off
Lens focal length 6.3
Color space information sRGB
Exposure mode Auto
White balance Auto WB
Digital zoom 1
Focal length in 35 mm film 38
Scene capture type Standard
Sharpness Normal


Image 10 (http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q88/rx_morpheus/SN850429.jpg)(Tripod in use here)

Image Attributes
Format JPEG interchanged
Compression Baseline JPEG
Dimensions 1024x768 (8.0 MP)
Bit Depth 24
EXIF Metadata
Manufacturer SAMSUNG TECHWIN CO., LTD.
Model Samsung S85
Orientation of image Normal
Y and C positioning Co-Sited
Exposure time 1/2
F number 3.1
Exposure program Manual
ISO speed ratings 50
Image compression ratio 3
Exposure bias 0
Maximum lens aperture 2.971
Metering mode Central weight average
Light source Tungsten
Flash Flash on
Lens focal length 9.3
Color space information sRGB
Exposure mode Manual
White balance Auto WB
Digital zoom 1
Focal length in 35 mm film 56
Scene capture type Standard
Sharpness Normal

Image 11 (http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q88/rx_morpheus/SN850282.jpg)

Image Attributes
Format JPEG interchanged
Compression Baseline JPEG
Dimensions 1024x768 (8.0 MP)
Bit Depth 24
EXIF Metadata
Manufacturer SAMSUNG TECHWIN CO., LTD.
Model Samsung S85
Orientation of image Normal
Exposure time 1/500
F number 4.9
Exposure program Landscape
ISO speed ratings 50
Image compression ratio 3
Exposure bias 0
Maximum lens aperture 2.971
Metering mode Multi spot
Light source Daylight
Flash Flash off
Lens focal length 6.3
Color space information sRGB
Exposure mode Auto
White balance Auto WB
Digital zoom 1
Focal length in 35 mm film 38
Scene capture type Landscape
Sharpness Vivid


Image 12 (http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q88/rx_morpheus/SN850281.jpg)

Image Attributes
Format JPEG interchanged
Compression Baseline JPEG
Dimensions 1024x768 (8.0 MP)
Bit Depth 24
EXIF Metadata
Manufacturer SAMSUNG TECHWIN CO., LTD.
Model Samsung S85
Orientation of image Normal
Y and C positioning Co-Sited
Exposure time 1/478
F number 4.6
Exposure program Landscape
ISO speed ratings 50
Image compression ratio 3
Exposure bias 0
Maximum lens aperture 2.971
Metering mode Multi spot
Light source Daylight
Flash Flash off
Lens focal length 31.5
Color space information sRGB
Exposure mode Auto
White balance Auto WB
Digital zoom 1
Focal length in 35 mm film 190
Scene capture type Landscape
Sharpness Vivid

Image 13 (http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q88/rx_morpheus/SN850294.jpg)(Even though the image info says 'Daylight', I'm almost positive I used the Backlight feature here. Either way it provided plenty of detail and contrast.)

Image Attributes
Format JPEG interchanged
Compression Baseline JPEG
Dimensions 1024x768 (8.0 MP)
Bit Depth 24
EXIF Metadata
Manufacturer SAMSUNG TECHWIN CO., LTD.
Model Samsung S85
Orientation of image Normal
Exposure time 1/369
F number 2.8
Exposure program Normal
ISO speed ratings 50
Image compression ratio 2
Exposure bias 0
Maximum lens aperture 2.971
Metering mode Multi spot
Light source Daylight
Flash Flash on
Lens focal length 6.3
Color space information sRGB
Exposure mode Auto
White balance Auto WB
Digital zoom 1
Focal length in 35 mm film 38
Scene capture type Standard
Sharpness Normal

Image 14 (http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q88/rx_morpheus/SN850317.jpg)

Image Attributes
Format JPEG interchanged
Compression Baseline JPEG
Dimensions 1024x768 (8.0 MP)
Bit Depth 24
EXIF Metadata
Manufacturer SAMSUNG TECHWIN CO., LTD.
Model Samsung S85
Orientation of image Normal
Y and C positioning Co-Sited
Exposure time 1/148
F number 4.3
Exposure program Normal
ISO speed ratings 50
Image compression ratio 3
Exposure bias 0
Maximum lens aperture 2.971
Metering mode Central weight average
Light source Daylight
Flash Flash off
Lens focal length 26.9
Color space information sRGB
Exposure mode Auto
White balance Auto WB
Digital zoom 1
Focal length in 35 mm film 162
Scene capture type Standard
Sharpness Normal

[jdl7538]

Thanks, rx morph, for those terrific shots. The S85 is an amazing little camera. I recently bought some Sanyo Eneloops for imine at a WM and the whole battery problem, universal to all those Samsung "S" series cameras, is suddenly completely solved. When I was there I also checked out the S730 and had to conclude that the $79 price for it currently on Amazon.com is a terrific deal as well. The S730 shots posted on Flickr, though not as good as the S85's, are still truly remarkable.

[Beowulff]

According to all reports, the Samsung S85 is an excellent camera — particularly for the price — and one which also offers very good overall image quality, again, for the price.

But.....

I recently purchased a Samsung S85 and am delighted with it overall, but much disappointed with its "ASR" image stabilization.

Samsung's ASR (advanced shake reduction) image stabilisation isn't really true image stabilisation in that it doesn't shift either the CCD sensor, or an optical element in the lens. It simply raises the ISO to give you a couple of stops more, but at the same time this inevitably increases image noise. Too many manufacturers pull this stunt by implying that their cameras have true image stabilisation, and a lot of buyers believe they're getting this feature.

Cheers :)

[rx_morph]

Thanks, rx morph, for those terrific shots. The S85 is an amazing little camera. I recently bought some Sanyo Eneloops for imine at a WM and the whole battery problem, universal to all those Samsung "S" series cameras, is suddenly completely solved. When I was there I also checked out the S730 and had to conclude that the $79 price for it currently on Amazon.com is a terrific deal as well. The S730 shots posted on Flickr, though not as good as the S85's, are still truly remarkable.

Thanks. They aren't the most interesting shots in the world but I was just trying to provide people that might be interested in buying the camera more sample shots to look at. Color reproduction, zoom length, level of detail, some macro shots, etc. You found Sanyo Eneloops 2700mah at your wal-mart? I looked in the photo department of ours and didn't see anything but generic rechargeables. I suppose I could order them online but they might be cheaper if I could find them at a local store by the time you included S&H from an online purchase. I read on the internet where they are pretty much the best rechargeable batteries on the market right now.


Samsung's ASR (advanced shake reduction) image stabilisation isn't really true image stabilisation in that it doesn't shift either the CCD sensor, or an optical element in the lens. It simply raises the ISO to give you a couple of stops more, but at the same time this inevitably increases image noise. Too many manufacturers pull this stunt by implying that their cameras have true image stabilisation, and a lot of buyers believe they're getting this feature.

Cheers :)

Yeah, I read about this in the review from Trustedreviews.com but it does seem to control the image noise well at all ISO settings at least.


This stands for Advanced Shake Reduction, but unfortunately this is one of the systems I was talking about in my article (http://www.trustedreviews.com/digital-cameras/review/2007/10/15/Image-Stabilisation-The-Good-The-Bad-And-The-Noisy/p1) yesterday. It may sound like image stabilisation, but in fact all it does is boost the ISO setting by a couple of stops to give a faster shutter speed, at the cost of increased image noise.


The good news continues when we look at image quality, which is outstanding for such a low cost camera. Exposure and colour rendition were virtually perfect, and even when shooting directly into bright sunlight the sensor managed to capture plenty of shadow detail. The lens may not have the Schneider-Kreuznach brand name, but it is very high quality nonetheless, producing excellent centre sharpness and very little barrel distortion at wide angle, with only a little softness and a small amount of chromatic aberration around the edges of the frame. Image noise was extremely well controlled at all ISO settings, with good picture quality at ISO 800 and a usable image even at ISO 1600, which is a very impressive performance by any standard. For a camera costing under £100 it is nothing short of remarkable.

[Beowulff]

Good news...

Yeah, I read about this in the review from Trustedreviews.com but it does seem to control the image noise well at all ISO settings at least.
It's always interesting to hear positive feedback (from actual, everyday users) about issues like ASR as often reviewers (apologies Jeff!) don't get the chance to put features like ASR through their full paces due to time constraints, weather conditions, available subject material etc etc.

Samsung probably deserve a better wrap than they often get, as the brand is often (undeservedly) regarded as "also rans" in the digital camera world. In fact, they produce the 14MP CMOS sensors used by Pentax in their K20D, plus CCD sensors for a few other camera manufacturers.

Cheers :)

[jdl7538]

Regarding the Sanyo Eneloops: Yes, I got them at a Walmart, but they're 2000mah, not 2700. Yet, their charge lasts much longer than my 2700s were giving me. Thomas Distributing online sells them cheap, even with S&H. I bought 4 batteries plus the recharger at WM for $20. Thomas Distributing sells 4 Eneloops (without recharger) for $7.97 plus S&H. I wanted the Sanyo recharger, even though it delivers a recharge over 6 or 7 hours, because fast rechargers reportedly lessen both the charge and the life of the batteries. Which Walmart stores carry them seems to be hit and miss affair, though I bet you could call the stores near to you investigate. Typing in your zip code on Walmart.com will indicate all the WM stores near you.

Regarding ASR: Although ASR is not true optical IS (located in the lens), contrary to what a number of reviews claim, it does not function simply by raising the ISO. On the S85 you can review each picture's data and with ASR shots I've never seen them register above ISO 300, sometimes just 200, with shutter speeds like 1/3 second. The wonder is that even at those slow shutters the ASR invariably produces sharp pictures in low light--with no more noise than a 200 or 300 ISO produces: very acceptable. It's just that the shutter-lag and processing time are protracted. In other words, there's something more going on here than merely raising the ISO, since it does so only very moderately, to levels which, without ASR, would definitely produce blurry shots at 1/3 second shutter speeds.

[jdl7538]

You found Sanyo Eneloops 2700mah at your wal-mart? .

Sorry for the long delay in responding, but I just noticed your question this time I visited the site. I found Sanyo Eneloops at Wal-Mart but they are 2000mAh, not 2700. Why they last so much longer I may have read, but I can't remember. Yet they do. They are the true energizer bunnies. I know that not all Wal-Marts have them in stock, so you probably need to call ahead. But you can also order them online from Thomas Distributing in Paris, IL---four AAs for less than $10. Sanyo sells a slower charger with them, noting that the batteries both last longer and charge better with a slower (7 hour) charger.

As soon as I figure out how to post pictures, I've got a few from my S85 I'd like to share.

[rx_morph]

Sorry for the long delay in responding, but I just noticed your question this time I visited the site. I found Sanyo Eneloops at Wal-Mart but they are 2000mAh, not 2700. Why they last so much longer I may have read, but I can't remember. Yet they do. They are the true energizer bunnies. I know that not all Wal-Marts have them in stock, so you probably need to call ahead. But you can also order them online from Thomas Distributing in Paris, IL---four AAs for less than $10. Sanyo sells a slower charger with them, noting that the batteries both last longer and charge better with a slower (7 hour) charger.

As soon as I figure out how to post pictures, I've got a few from my S85 I'd like to share.

Ah, ok. I'm actually using two pair of Duracell 2050mAh batteries right now and they last me a nice little while on a full charge. Thanks for the info though.

If ya need advice on posting pictures then feel free to ask. I would recommend using Photobucket (http://photobucket.com/), Picasa (http://picasa.google.com) or Flickr (http://www.flickr.com) to host your pictures from. Although there are many more photo hosting sites out there, I prefer these three. I look forward to seeing some of your shots!;)

[jdl7538]

If ya need advice on posting pictures then feel free to ask. I would recommend using Photobucket (http://photobucket.com/), Picasa (http://picasa.google.com) or Flickr (http://www.flickr.com) to host your pictures from. Although there are many more photo hosting sites out there, I prefer these three. I look forward to seeing some of your shots!;)

Thanks for the spur, rx_morph. I joined photobucket so let's see if it works:

http://i306.photobucket.com/albums/nn249/johnmarq/MarriageGesu-1.jpg

[SpecialK]

I have a DSLR and lenses, and a Canon S3 IS ultra-zoom. I wanted a small pocketable point-and-shoot for those occasions where I did not want to lug the other gear.

It was a toss-up between the Samsung L210, a Panasonic LZ8, and a Nikon P550. The Nikon did not have optical image stabilization, and the Panny was a bit bulgy due to the AA batteries. So, I decided on this camera after reading a few reviews.

I spent a couple lunch breaks just examining the features and how they interact (some features are limited or absent in certain modes), and went on one outing to have a real-world test.

I have mixed feelings about it.

*Pros:
Compact.
Substantial feel.
Can produce nice images.
Red-eye reduction seems to work well.
Decent editing software.

*Cons:
Has difficulty focusing particularly in low light, and when digitally zoomed. Digital zoom on any camera is crap so I'm not too worried about it here.

Somewhat slow operation. The screen blanks out for 2 or 3 seconds (or an additional second or two if using flash) as the image is being written to the card. You can't change settings or do anything while this is happening.

*Quirks (May be good or bad according to your preferences):
Battery charges through the USB cable only, either from your PC's USB or a wall socket. This is convenient, yet it ties up your camera while charging. I got just under 200 shots in the real world, but over 450 at home when testing it. So, your mileage will vary greatly depending on how you are shooting.

Although there is a manual mode (M), you can only choose one of two apertures at whatever focal length you are at. These are normally the maximum and minimum available apertures. Though these choices really are sufficient, control freaks may be disappointed.

Continuous shooting is available in 2 modes, "continuous" and "shutter capture". "Continuous" is what most people think of but only about 1 shot per second (pretty slow). "Shutter capture" is a snappy 6 shots per second for a maximum of 5 seconds for a total of 30 shots. This is great performance - except the images are only 640 x 480 pixels, barely 4 x 6 inches at full size.

Exposure bracketing. This can be a great feature as it gives you three exposure choices. However, the difference is only 1/3 of a stop each way which is not very noticeable. It should be at least 1/2 stop (or more) either way to be useful, as editing software can adjust 1/3 stop easily. Also, the camera takes 3 shots in a row and the LCD will be blank during all of it, about 9 seconds.

The self-timer has some neat options such as taking 2 consecutive shots at a time (so you don't have to run back to the camera to "do" another one), or motion-detection that waits for everyone to settle down. However, once the shot is taken, the camera reverts to the normal mode. If you want to take a series of night shots on a tripod with the self-timer to minimize blur, for example, you will have to set the self-timer each time.

The zoom indicator shows a little bar to indicate where you are in the zoom range. This only works when you are actually zooming, however. On the subject of zooming, the face-detection feature disables the digital zoom (probably a good thing, though).

Movie mode has a high-res option, yet at a reduced frame-rate so it may appear slightly choppy. You can zoom while recording, which is a plus. But, I can't get any sound when played on the computer though it is audible when played in the camera. I have nearly every codec imaginable and routinely play many file formats. The provided codec gets an "access denied" installation error when I try the full option. Bummers.

The user manual is a PDF file. However, there is a dedicated "mode" on the dial that is a help guide. There is a printed quick-start quide to get you going, and as most the options are pretty straight-forward, you should not have a big problem operating the camera.

For a basic camera, I think it is OK, with a few good features. For anything advanced, you might think it is missing a few features.

[jdl7538]

Suddenly the Samsung BL1050 with 5x optical zoom and 10mp appeared on the scene selling for $99.00, including case and 1gig card. It looks almost identical to the S85, but ads don't give full specifications, nor closeups of control wheel or buttons. For $99 all one gets is "Auto" mode with 5x zoom and 10mp, or what? Anyone know more about it?

[rx_morph]

Suddenly the Samsung BL1050 with 5x optical zoom and 10mp appeared on the scene selling for $99.00, including case and 1gig card. It looks almost identical to the S85, but ads don't give full specifications, nor closeups of control wheel or buttons. For $99 all one gets is "Auto" mode with 5x zoom and 10mp, or what? Anyone know more about it?

Hey jdl7538,

I too found that every website, including Samsung.com, didn't list very specific specifications on this model. However if you download the user manual (http://org.downloadcenter.samsung.com/downloadfile/ContentsFile.aspx?CDSite=us&CttFileID=2063648&CDCttType=UM&ModelType=C&ModelName=SAMSUNG%20BL1050&VPath=UM/200811/20081121151844625/BL1050_English.pdf) then you'll see that it does indeed include the features of the S85 and even a few extra. I actually got this as a gift for someone for Christmas this year since they're still using an old Kodak 3.2mp with no optical zoom whatsoever. I don't think they'll be disappointed...especially if this performs as the S85 that I have does - which by all indications it should. I grab it for $110.00 (10 for shipping) online a couple weeks ago though and the included case and 1gb card is just icing on the cake! :)

[jdl7538]

Hey jdl7538,

I too found that every website, including Samsung.com, didn't list very specific specifications on this model. However if you download the user manual (http://org.downloadcenter.samsung.com/downloadfile/ContentsFile.aspx?CDSite=us&CttFileID=2063648&CDCttType=UM&ModelType=C&ModelName=SAMSUNG%20BL1050&VPath=UM/200811/20081121151844625/BL1050_English.pdf) then you'll see that it does indeed include the features of the S85 and even a few extra. I actually got this as a gift for someone for Christmas this year since they're still using an old Kodak 3.2mp with no optical zoom whatsoever. I don't think they'll be disappointed...especially if this performs as the S85 that I have does - which by all indications it should. I grab it for $110.00 (10 for shipping) online a couple weeks ago though and the included case and 1gb card is just icing on the cake! :)

I would love to know what's going on in the numbers designation department at Samsung. This one is labled "BL1050" and they are offering another one with the designation "S1060" which also looks all the world like another enhanced S85, hardly much different, if at all, from the BL1050. Check it out: http://www.samsungcamera.com/product/pro_view.asp?prol_uid=4300&cat_uid=11 I can't see that either has an optical image stabilizer, and I wonder whether the performance in low light has improved. The Panasonic LZ8 has gotten a great recommendation from Simon Johnson at DPReviews. It too has a 5x optical zoom, but with optical stabilizing, and sells now for around $130. It does very, very well in low light, so it's getting harder to stay with the Samsungs which are notoriously poor in low light, though they still have a sharper lens.

[Tp1R]

I'm looking for a new compact digital camera and just started checking out the samsungs. Do you have any idea how they perform?

[jdl7538]

I'm looking for a new compact digital camera and just started checking out the samsungs. Do you have any idea how they perform?

There's not much activity on this Samsung forum, as you've experienced. I'm neither a professional nor a camera dealer, but I've had experience with the S85. Before I bought it, I handled it in a store and took some sample shots. Then I found two reviews of it on the internet, both praising it and offering sample images to compare with images generated by other cameras: Trusted Reviews was especially helpful. Like most less expensive Samsungs, it doesn't have optical image stabilization. It also is very poor in low light. But the flash is very strong, it has an excellent lens, and has lots of features, especially the 5x optical zoom. I've gotten some great pictures with it, very sharp, and great even at 8"x10". I'm still high on the S85. Not all Samsungs, from what I've read, have great lenses, but all seem poor on battery life and don't do very well in low light (compared, for example, to the Fujis).
If you are looking for a sub-compact, because Samsung doesn't have optical image stabilization, I'd look at what Canon has to offer. It's still the top brand, mainly because Canons have great color and produce good images overall. If pocketability is not a huge value for you, the Trusted Reviews report on the Canon A2000 IS shows what a sharp lens it has---still a fairly small camera, at about $170 at Amazon.com. It has a 6x optical zoom, which is a great feature -- much better than the normal 3x or 4x, when you are looking to get a good candid. I'd suggest, however, reading as many reviews online and stopping by a store and handling and shooting some trial shots with any camera before buying it.
One other trouble with Samsungs is that they don't get reviewed much online and so you can't get a good idea just how good a given model might be.