This morning at the IFA conference in Berlin, Samsung took the stage to announce three new cameras. Sometimes new cameras are about as boring as old cameras, but that’s not the case here. We were lucky enough to go hands-on last night at Samsung’s preview event in New York city, and all three of these puppies have somewhat of a “wow factor.”
I’ll be honest when I say the MV800 impressed me the most, even as a basic point-and-shoot. What caught my attention was the fact that Samsung has intelligently built upon its Dual-View offerings with this one, and I think it’s a smart iteration of what had originally received mixed reviews.
Let’s take a look at what we have here, shall we?
Samsung MV800:
Samsung’s MV800 is an ultra-compact point-and-shoot with one very special surprise. It’s 3-inch capacitive LCD touchscreen flips out to let you shoot at just about any angle, even if you’re in front of the lens instead of behind it. The LCD screen actually flips all the way back around to face the photographer and become the true narcissist’s camera.
As far as cool software features go, this thing is packed to the brim. Samsung included its Smart Touch 3.0 interface which makes navigating camera settings much easier for anyone who isn’t fully aware of the numerous settings available. The Live Panorama function lets you take super wide shots by holding down the shutter button to capture the entire scene and then previewing that scene on the LCD.
The MV800 also comes with Magic Frame (a collection of background templates), Smart Filter (a set of artistic affects like “Watercolor finish”), and Funny Faces (a way to stretch and manipulate faces by tapping and dragging across the LCD). It even comes with its own Photo Editor that lets you edit and rotate photos straight from the camera.
Here are the basic specs on the MV800:
- 16.1 megapixels (a step ahead of Canon’s new point-and-shoot offerings)
- 5x Optical Zoom
- 26mm wide-angle lens
- Full HD video capture
- 3-inch capacitive flip-out LCD touchscreen
- MSRP: $279
Samsung NX200:
This is the next step on the road from point-and-shoot to DSLR, falling into the “compact systems” category. The NX200 brings a number of features already seen in the MV800 — like Smart Filter, Magic Frame, and the Live Panorama mode — but also brings some new things to the table.
For one, this camera supports Samsung’s i-Function 2.0 lenses, which basically gives the user control over settings (ISO, white balance, shutter speed, aperture, and exposure value) through the lens rather than the camera itself. That means you never actually have to look away from the shot while you adjust. New lenses for the i-Function system include 18-200mm, 16mm, 60mm and 85mm focal lengths.
Check out these specs:
- 20.3-megapixel APS-C CMOS sensor
- 18-55mm zoom lens kit
- 3-inch touch LCD screen
- high-speed continuous shooting (7fps is the max)
- 100ms Advanced Auto Focus
- wide range ISO (100-12,800)
- Full HD video capture (1920×1080/30p)
- Priced around $900
Samsung WB750:
This is what Samsung calls its longest zoom offering in a compact camera to date, at 18x optical (and 24x Smart Zoom). One of the cooler features of the camera would be Samsung’s Dual Capture technology, which lets you take 10-megapixel shots while shooting 1080p video.
It also comes with the same Smart Filter, Magic Frame, and Live Panorama features we’ve seen on the other two cameras, but takes that a step further. The WB750 has two other Panorama modes — Action Panorama and 3D Panorama. Action Panorama lets you take a shot of a moving person on a static background, which captures movement within a still image. 3D Panorama does just what you’d expect: shoots panoramic images in 3D.
Smart Auto 2.0 helps you get the settings right when you aren’t quite sure what to do, but the WB750 also allows for a good deal of creative control. Manual, Aperture Priority and Shutter Priority settings are all included.
Here’s the specs run-down:
- 12.5-megapixel BSI (back-side illuminated) CMOS sensor
- 18x optical zoom, 24x Smart Zoom
- 3-inch LCD screen
- 10fps burst mode
- 1080p HD video capture (with dual-capture)
- Creative Movie Maker — lets you edit video and arrange clips straight from the LCD
- No pricing or availability on this one
Samsung wasn’t clear about availability on these guys, but when Samsung gives word we’ll be sure to let you know. Check out our hands-on gallery after the break.
