How the NX Lenses are launched into the World. PART II : The NX Lens Planners

The NX series, which
was a major hit upon its release last year, has won high praise from users to
journalists of camera magazines. For the compact system camera, the lens is an
essential product. Aren't you curious about how the Samsung lens came to life?
What about the planning, designing, and marketing work that happened behind the
curtains to develop such a widely hailed product that promises an excellent
value for your money? Here is a sneak peek into how the Samsung NX lens
came to life and the behind stories.

Planning

1. Where
does lens planning start from? Do you follow market demand or do you focus on
technology?

Youngbae Kim
(Director, Product Planning Group) : The NX lens
planning is driven by the market and consumers. We identify consumer needs and
define the lens specification based on their needs, and figure out how to match
the spec with the NX camera.

Jayong Koo
(Manager, Product Planning Group) : Our planning is focused on the
consumers. We analyze various sales data, survey and interview the consumers to
build sophisticated understanding of their needs, and match that with our
technology to come up with a lens that the market is looking for.

Youngbae Kim (Director, Product Planning
Group)

2. What
channels do you use to gather consumer demands and
reactions?

Youngbae
Kim : It's simple. We analyze market data, sales data, and conduct
consumer surveys to segment the customers by age group/type and decide the lens
specification for each.

3. What
made you develop the i-Function lens in the first place?

Youngbae
Kim : I made a lot of effort trying to understand consumer needs and
their usage behavior, and it led me to the i-Function lens. I thought very hard
about how to make photo shooting easier and enjoyable. Lens until now had
increasingly better quality but that was about it. If existing lens were
reactive, following what the body ordered, I wanted to develop a lens that has
buttons on the lens that can give directions, and the outcome was the i-Function
lens.

Jayong
Koo : An innovative idea on a lens that is the i-Function
lens. If a former lens was part of the body that moves reactively at the
body's control, the i-Function lens, in contrast, controls the body, ensuring a
new innovative and convenient UI.

4. Where
did you focus in order to differentiate against competitors
products?

Youngbae
Kim : We will continue to focus on performance and features, just like
the i-Function
lens which has brought about a breakthrough in features.

Jayong Koo (Manager, Product Planning
Group)

5. What is
your outlook on mirrorless cameras and the future of the
i-Function?

Youngbae
Kim : With such an entrenched DSLR market and mirrorless camera at only
its initial stage, many uncertainties exist. Nonetheless, I think that the
ability to fulfill the consumer's need to capture a beautiful scene is more
important than mirror versus mirrorless. It's true that the mirror camera was
able to better satisfy the consumers because it had better technology and
performance; however, I think that the transition from DSLR to mirrorless is a
natural path towards digitalization.

Jayong
Koo : The compact system camera is an innovative camera that combines
the benefits of existing DSLR and point & shoot camera, and I think the
compact system camera market will grow. As a differentiated function of the NX,
the i-Function lens will be continuously upgraded and made more
convenient.

6. Do you
personally enjoy taking pictures?

Youngbae
Kim : I recently had a late child and have taken a lot of pictures of
the baby.

Jayong
Koo : I've been in the camera business for about 10 years and have
taken lots of pictures, which has been a great learning experience. These days,
I take pictures of my children using the NX100.

7. Can you
say a brief sentence about the lens you are currently developing that will be
revealed later?

Youngbae
Kim : We plan to launch lenses for different purposes such as for macro
shooting, lens fit for video, and lens for portrait among many
others.

Marketing

1. Can you
describe what a product manager does?

Howoung Lee
(Senior Manager, Product Marketing Group) : A product manager is
responsible for the whole process from its inception to mass production. Other
responsibilities include, when, where, and how much of the product will be
launched, how to compete with competitors, and what benefits to offer the
customers.

Howoung Lee (Senior Manager, Product Marketing
Group)

2. How is
marketing for cameras and lenses different from that of other electronic
products?

Howoung
Lee : A camera is a product that has both digital and analog
attributes. The emotional aspect of the camera helps to connect people with
other people and deliver my own story.

3. What do
you highlights the most when trying to promote the excellence of the NX lens
compared to existing SLR cameras?

Howoung
Lee : In marketing, there is a terminology called POP and POD. POP
stands for 'Point of Parity' and POD 'Point of Difference'. In terms of POP, we
made a high resolution lens to strengthen the attribute of the lens. In terms of
POD, we introduced the unprecedented i-Function to differentiate against
competitors.

4. Do you
personally like to take photos? If so, what is your favorite camera and
lens?

Howoung
Lee : I was a sales man in the past and there was this one time when I
took a photo of a customer on a heavy snow day, which facilitated the
negotiation. became even fonder of photos then. I like light lenses that work
best with family photos.

5. Do you
have any words of advice for those aspiring to become a marketer or working in a
camera related business?

Howoung
Lee : Because camera portrays the heart and philosophy of people, I
think you need to have a warm heart to do camera marketing.

Design

1. Can you
briefly talk about the lens design?

Kyunghan Noh
(Senior Designer, Design Group) : A lens designer thinks about what
value and benefit the lens should offer to the consumers when it comes out.
These thoughts impact the shape and composition of the lens.

Kyunghan Noh (Senior Designer, Design
Group)

2. I would
think that the lens would be limited in outer design compared to the camera
body. What do you think? What is the most important about outer
design?

Kyunghan
Noh : The lens is an ultra precision instrument with size issues, so
it's true that it has limitations in design. Defining a unique image group is
important.

3. I hear
that designers often have a hard time being stuck between the developers and
planners. What process do you go through to coordinate?

Kyunghan
Noh : In the past, the designers had a little role to play, but the
mindset has shifted towards creativity, so now people come to ask for our
opinions.

4. Bluering
is a key feature of the Samsung NX lens. How did this come
about?

Kyunghan
Noh : We borrowed blue, the color that represents Samsung, to express
Samsung's unique identity through the lens as well.

5. A
self-evaluation of the i-Function lens?

Kyunghan
Noh : I think the i-Function
lens redefined the paradigm of interchangeable lens. If the existing cameras
were not able to control the function looking at the object, the i-Function lens
is able to do so, which is a clear differentiator.

6. What
kind of lens do you want to make in the future?

Kyunghan
Noh : Our plan is to strengthen the premium lens line-up. We will also
continue to develop upgraded versions of previously launched lenses. I also want
to make a lens than can control the whole body from it.

7. Do you
have any words for those who want to become a lens
designer?

Kyunghan
Noh : A lens designer should first have ample experience in taking
pictures. If you take a lot of pictures, you start to see improvement areas as a
user, so for those who want to become a camera or lens designer, I recommend you
take a lot of pictures.

In the two series,
we met with the lens developers, the NX lens
planners, marketers and designers to talk about the key features of the NX lens
and how the i-Function came about. We were able to see that the NX lens
was created to meet the needs of the users in a convenient way, which was made
possible through unsparing effort of experts in their respective fields. I look
forward to how the NX lens
evolves and develops in the future!

The NX series, which
was a major hit upon its release last year, has won high praise from users to
journalists of camera magazines. For the compact system camera, the lens is an
essential product. Aren't you curious about how the Samsung lens came to life?
What about the planning, designing, and marketing work that happened behind the
curtains to develop such a widely hailed product that promises an excellent
value for your money? Here is a sneak peek into how the Samsung NX lens
came to life and the behind stories.

Planning

1. Where
does lens planning start from? Do you follow market demand or do you focus on
technology?

Youngbae Kim
(Director, Product Planning Group) : The NX lens
planning is driven by the market and consumers. We identify consumer needs and
define the lens specification based on their needs, and figure out how to match
the spec with the NX camera.

Jayong Koo
(Manager, Product Planning Group) : Our planning is focused on the
consumers. We analyze various sales data, survey and interview the consumers to
build sophisticated understanding of their needs, and match that with our
technology to come up with a lens that the market is looking for.

Youngbae Kim (Director, Product Planning
Group)

2. What
channels do you use to gather consumer demands and
reactions?

Youngbae
Kim : It's simple. We analyze market data, sales data, and conduct
consumer surveys to segment the customers by age group/type and decide the lens
specification for each.

3. What
made you develop the i-Function lens in the first place?

Youngbae
Kim : I made a lot of effort trying to understand consumer needs and
their usage behavior, and it led me to the i-Function lens. I thought very hard
about how to make photo shooting easier and enjoyable. Lens until now had
increasingly better quality but that was about it. If existing lens were
reactive, following what the body ordered, I wanted to develop a lens that has
buttons on the lens that can give directions, and the outcome was the i-Function
lens.

Jayong
Koo : An innovative idea on a lens that is the i-Function
lens. If a former lens was part of the body that moves reactively at the
body's control, the i-Function lens, in contrast, controls the body, ensuring a
new innovative and convenient UI.

4. Where
did you focus in order to differentiate against competitors
products?

Youngbae
Kim : We will continue to focus on performance and features, just like
the i-Function
lens which has brought about a breakthrough in features.

Jayong Koo (Manager, Product Planning
Group)

5. What is
your outlook on mirrorless cameras and the future of the
i-Function?

Youngbae
Kim : With such an entrenched DSLR market and mirrorless camera at only
its initial stage, many uncertainties exist. Nonetheless, I think that the
ability to fulfill the consumer's need to capture a beautiful scene is more
important than mirror versus mirrorless. It's true that the mirror camera was
able to better satisfy the consumers because it had better technology and
performance; however, I think that the transition from DSLR to mirrorless is a
natural path towards digitalization.

Jayong
Koo : The compact system camera is an innovative camera that combines
the benefits of existing DSLR and point & shoot camera, and I think the
compact system camera market will grow. As a differentiated function of the NX,
the i-Function lens will be continuously upgraded and made more
convenient.

6. Do you
personally enjoy taking pictures?

Youngbae
Kim : I recently had a late child and have taken a lot of pictures of
the baby.

Jayong
Koo : I've been in the camera business for about 10 years and have
taken lots of pictures, which has been a great learning experience. These days,
I take pictures of my children using the NX100.

7. Can you
say a brief sentence about the lens you are currently developing that will be
revealed later?

Youngbae
Kim : We plan to launch lenses for different purposes such as for macro
shooting, lens fit for video, and lens for portrait among many
others.

Marketing

1. Can you
describe what a product manager does?

Howoung Lee
(Senior Manager, Product Marketing Group) : A product manager is
responsible for the whole process from its inception to mass production. Other
responsibilities include, when, where, and how much of the product will be
launched, how to compete with competitors, and what benefits to offer the
customers.

Howoung Lee (Senior Manager, Product Marketing
Group)

2. How is
marketing for cameras and lenses different from that of other electronic
products?

Howoung
Lee : A camera is a product that has both digital and analog
attributes. The emotional aspect of the camera helps to connect people with
other people and deliver my own story.

3. What do
you highlights the most when trying to promote the excellence of the NX lens
compared to existing SLR cameras?

Howoung
Lee : In marketing, there is a terminology called POP and POD. POP
stands for 'Point of Parity' and POD 'Point of Difference'. In terms of POP, we
made a high resolution lens to strengthen the attribute of the lens. In terms of
POD, we introduced the unprecedented i-Function to differentiate against
competitors.

4. Do you
personally like to take photos? If so, what is your favorite camera and
lens?

Howoung
Lee : I was a sales man in the past and there was this one time when I
took a photo of a customer on a heavy snow day, which facilitated the
negotiation. became even fonder of photos then. I like light lenses that work
best with family photos.

5. Do you
have any words of advice for those aspiring to become a marketer or working in a
camera related business?

Howoung
Lee : Because camera portrays the heart and philosophy of people, I
think you need to have a warm heart to do camera marketing.

Design

1. Can you
briefly talk about the lens design?

Kyunghan Noh
(Senior Designer, Design Group) : A lens designer thinks about what
value and benefit the lens should offer to the consumers when it comes out.
These thoughts impact the shape and composition of the lens.

Kyunghan Noh (Senior Designer, Design
Group)

2. I would
think that the lens would be limited in outer design compared to the camera
body. What do you think? What is the most important about outer
design?

Kyunghan
Noh : The lens is an ultra precision instrument with size issues, so
it's true that it has limitations in design. Defining a unique image group is
important.

3. I hear
that designers often have a hard time being stuck between the developers and
planners. What process do you go through to coordinate?

Kyunghan
Noh : In the past, the designers had a little role to play, but the
mindset has shifted towards creativity, so now people come to ask for our
opinions.

4. Bluering
is a key feature of the Samsung NX lens. How did this come
about?

Kyunghan
Noh : We borrowed blue, the color that represents Samsung, to express
Samsung's unique identity through the lens as well.

5. A
self-evaluation of the i-Function lens?

Kyunghan
Noh : I think the i-Function
lens redefined the paradigm of interchangeable lens. If the existing cameras
were not able to control the function looking at the object, the i-Function lens
is able to do so, which is a clear differentiator.

6. What
kind of lens do you want to make in the future?

Kyunghan
Noh : Our plan is to strengthen the premium lens line-up. We will also
continue to develop upgraded versions of previously launched lenses. I also want
to make a lens than can control the whole body from it.

7. Do you
have any words for those who want to become a lens
designer?

Kyunghan
Noh : A lens designer should first have ample experience in taking
pictures. If you take a lot of pictures, you start to see improvement areas as a
user, so for those who want to become a camera or lens designer, I recommend you
take a lot of pictures.

In the two series,
we met with the lens developers, the NX lens
planners, marketers and designers to talk about the key features of the NX lens
and how the i-Function came about. We were able to see that the NX lens
was created to meet the needs of the users in a convenient way, which was made
possible through unsparing effort of experts in their respective fields. I look
forward to how the NX lens
evolves and develops in the future!

How the NX Lenses are launched into the World. PART I : The NX Lens Developers

The Samsung NX series camera won high praise from users when it was unveiled last year. One of the most important things for interchangeable lens cameras is the lens. Offering i-Function on top of the optical function, how did the Samsung NX lens come to life? I met with lens developers from different fields to learn about how the NX lens was created and other behind-the-scene episodes.

1. Please introduce yourself.

Geonmo Kang (Vice President, Lens R&D Group) : My interest in camera and lens dates all the way back to my younger years when my father bought me a camera. I joined Samsung in 1984 and since then I’ve been working in the camera field.
Sungwook Choi (Principal Engineer, Opto-Mechanics Lab, Lens R&D Group) : I joined Samsung a little over 20 years ago and I’ve been working on interchangeable lens design for three years now.
Woojong Cho (Principal Engineer Ph.D, Control Lab, Lens R&D Group) : I majored in laser optics and I am currently in charge of developing and applying new technology to control and run interchangeable lens.
Youngwoo Park (Principal Engineer, Optics Lab, Lens R&D Group) : Hello, I am in charge of the NX lens optical design. I personally like to take pictures and I have strong interest in lens, which naturally led me this field.
Hyuckki Lee (Principal Engineer,Superprecision Optics Lab,Lens R&D Group) : Making lens has long been my dream. I was so deeply moved after reading about this one kid who was featured in a kid’s magazine making cameras and telescope with lens, I purchased lens glass on my own to cut it myself and process it as I wished. Later, I developed my own lens and polished it myself. In a constant pursuit of my dream of becoming a lens developer, I created my own polishing machine. At university, I spent 28 days in a tent in order to capture the sight of Halley’s Comet, and ultimately I became the first person in Korea to do so.

Geonmo Kang (Vice President, Lens R&D Group)

2. It is true that Samsung is a follower in the lens area behind other players? Can you briefly explain the background of your path to where you are now?
Geonmo Kang : Many think that the NX lens came out of nowhere, but it is actually the culmination of over 20 years of research into film cameras and SLR cameras. The first motto that underpinned the lens development team for the NX lens was ‘best-in-class optical function,’ and the second motto was to sell lens to the consumers at a reasonable price.
Youngwoo Park : When the NX was first released, the compact system camera market was underdeveloped, so we were the first to try many technologies. It was quite challenging to stabilize the function.
 

Sungwook Choi (Principal Engineer, Opto-Mechanics Lab, Lens R&D Group)

3. What challenges did you face while developing the lens?
Geonmo Kang : I had made many prototypes, but because I didn’t have enough experience in mass production, I went through a lot of trial and error.
Sungwook Choi : The NX uses a bigger APS-C sensor than other companies. At the initial stage, developing a competitive product at the right size and performance, while also using a big sensor was difficult. Although I had a lot of experience in compact camera, it was my first time developing an interchangeable lens, so dealing with it was difficult at first with many trial and error.
Woojong Cho : Different from existing DSLR lens, the NX system uses contrast AF, which means that control is difficult and leads to many issues. In order to overcome the innate limitations of limited lens performance due to small camera size, we adopted the latest technology used in DSLR. However, it was challenging because the technology was not stable at the time.
Youngwoo Park : We designed various types of lenses that will fit well with the compact and light-weighted NX. In the process, researchers invested a lot effort and time.
Hyuckki Lee : Lenses are like living organisms that do not always turn out as you planned. The key lesson I learned while studying polishing abroad was how to communicate with the lens. It may strike you as odd that I talk to an inanimate object, but interestingly, when you communicate with the lens, you find solutions. Talking with the lens while polishing has now become a habit.
 

Hyuckki Lee (Principal Engineer,Superprecision Optics Lab,Lens R&D Group)

4. Where did you focus to differentiate your lens from competitors?
Youngwoo Park : We wanted to minimize the weight of the lens that moves for focusing for rapid AF. We also developed a proprietary control technology to ensure a certain level of OIS correction.
5. Do you enjoy taking pictures?
Geonmo Kang : I like to take close-ups and enjoy capturing ordinary objects in our everyday life. I also run a photo blog.
Youngwoo Park : I take a lot of pictures using the NX10 and 30mm lens.
Hyuckki Lee : I enjoyed taking pictures ever since I was young, so it has become a hobby for me. Being able to take pictures with the lens I made is a special privilege.

6. As a developer, what do you think are the advantages of the NX lens?
Geonmo Kang : Best-in-class optical function. We put special effort in ensuring balance of the center of the lens with the surrounding.

7. Can you briefly talk about the lenses to be rolled out in the future?
Woojong Cho : A premium lens that sets Samsung’s unique status will be launched. One is the 18~200mm super zoom lens which will be released in the second of half. It is the first to apply AF mechanism called VCM(voice coil motor), with no noise and quick AF. The second is a macro lens named F2.8. It is the first among compact system cameras to have SSA(supersonic actuator). The F1.4 85mm lens, another lens with VCM, has the widest diameter among compact system camera.


8. Do you have any words for younger students wishing to become a lens developer?
Hyuckki Lee : Even with digitalization, lens will remain analog. For those students who like the feel of analog lens, continue to develop yourself with the dream of becoming the best expert in the analog field.
So, that was a sneak peek into how the NX lens was created! Obviously, the NX lens is not an outcome of overnight effort, but a product of long research and development. I was particularly impressed with the pride each developer had on the lens development work and their passion and commitment. In the next posting, I will meet with the lens planner, marketer and designers to talk about their work on the NX lens.
Next post will be published May 17th. Until then, take care!

Samsung WB1000(TL320) receives EISA’s”European Advanced Compact Camera 2009-2010″-Award

Seoul, 11. August 2009, Samsung Digital Imaging Co., Ltd. is proud to announce that its current DSC flagship, Samsung WB1000(TL320), has been awarded with the “European Advanced Compact Camera 2009-2010″-Award by one of the worlds renown award-organizations, the European Imaging and Sound Association (also known as EISA).

The EISA Awards, are chosen by Panels representing nearly 50 well-known Photo, Video, Home, Theater, In-Car and Mobile Devices magazines from more than 19 European countries, in order to determine ‘the most advanced technology, the most desirable features, the ultimate expression of design, the most … in short, EISA selects the features most likely to be appreciated by the public.

Therefore, we would like to express our deepest appreciation towards the EISA organization, for awarding us with this most precious award, and our dear customers, without whom a development of such a product wouldn’t have been possible.

The European Imaging and Sound Association introduces the Samsung WB1000(TL320), as follows:
“The Samsung WB1000(TL320) is an advanced compact camera that features an elegant titanium body and a pair of analogue dials on the top plate that display battery-life and memory capacity information. The Schneider-Kreuznach 5x optical zoom, that has a 24mm widest focal length, has very well controlled distortion, while the 12.2-million-pixel CCD and SLR-like exposure modes help users to shoot creative pictures. Still and MPEG4 HD moving images can be reviewed on the camera’s 3in high-quality AMOLED 460,000-dot screen. These features, together with the built-in optical and software-based stabilization, ensure that high quality images are easy to achieve”

For further information’s regarding the EISA Awards, please visit http://www.eisa.eu/.

Samsung Digital Imaging Co., Ltd.

Precious digital camera WB1000(TL320) for digital camera mania

Posted by KIMMINSEOK on Aug 9, 2009 • (0)

Prologue

I used the WB1000(TL320) for a long time. Most of all, I like the WB1000(TL320) providing setting for good picture in various situations, and it’s even precious to me. This is the first review posting for me. I’d like to help you who are looking for a stylish digital camera.

1. Features

Having everything for great pictures!

1. A/S/M mode making pictures free

2. 24mm ultra wide angle lens

3. Incomparable hVGA AMOLED screen

4. Analog Dashboard

5. Great interface, Smart dial

Plus,

I. Smart mode taking pictures you want

II. Customizing like DSLR

III. HD quality HD video

2. Why WB1000(TL320) / Main function

Lens

The most important thing of digital cameras is the lens performance. The WB1000(TL320) has F2.8[W]-5.8[T], and has great image quality using the Schneider lens. Especially, the 24mm ultra wide angle is suitable to get all angles when taking pictures. When taking a traveling picture, there’s no cut for building or scenery, and it’s also good for portrait shots.

24mm wide angle lens can take famous buildings without cutting.

(Especially, if you consider trip to Europe, you should select a digital camera having wide angle such as the WB1000(TL320).

AMOLED

Different from other digital cameras, the WB1000(TL320) has adopted the AMOLED for the first time. The AMOLEDS shows incomparably great color and clean image, so it’s called ‘Display of dream’. From any angle, there’s no difference of light and darkness, and under the sunlight, you can see the screen, so it’s the best screen.

AMOLED screen showing a vivid picture under the sunglight. Everyone will like this.

Manual shot mode A/S/M

It’s the representative function of the WB1000(TL320), using the smart dial, you can adjust iris and shutter speed to take pictures. You can freely adjust out focusing and exposure, so you can get pictures you want. It’s useful for those who want to learn pictures with manual shot function like DSLR and want to have a sub camera.

Picture taken In the dark place on the shutter speed mode with exact exposure

Smart Dial

Setting shots by rotating a dial is another advantage of the WB1000(TL320). Almost all settings can be done by rotating the dial such as shutter speed, iris, white balance, and focus region. When setting the M mode using iris and shutter speed as a fully manual set, the convenience of the smart dial is more outstanding. Easy and fast setting is possible, so it helps take good pictures.

Fast setting by using the smart dial is so effective.

Great high ISO noise reduction (High ISO test)

Even though it’s a 12.2M pixels camera, the WB1000(TL320) has relatively stable high ISO noise. The noise reduction as an advantage of Samsung cameras gets better with the WB1000(TL320). There’s no noise from ISO80~400, and ISO 800 shows great quality. There’s some noise on ISO 1600, but not as much as other cameras, and it’s good enough to upload on the web site after resizing.

High ISO picture gallery

ISO 800, there’s no noise.

ISO1600, it’s surprising that it takes the detail as it is.

ISO1600, the atmosphere is rather cool.

ISO1600, this can be the best of all compact cameras in the high ISO shot.

ISO1600, it also has great color expression.

HD video recording function

The video quality of the WB1000(TL320) using H.264 codec is as great as some handy camcorder. This can take an HD video for 20 minutes at 30 fps, and by adopting the H.264 format, it can record the best quality video with a small capacity. When recoding, if you are zooming, the sound is not recorded, but it’s good enough to take life with high quality videos.

3. Sample pictures / Gallery

-The market in Venezia-

-The texture is quite good..-

-Image quality in tele angle is great.-

-Rialto Bridge..-

-Calle Noris street..-

-Basilica San Marco..-

-Palazzo Ducale..-

-Laughing, bread..-

-Beautiful Gondola..-

-Notre-Dame.. The flowers in the park near..-

(All pictures were not compensated, but resized.)

4. Design

Sensible and stylish design

The appearance of the WB1000(TL320) is outstanding with metallic and luxurious design. Adding the rubber grip on the front, this looks better. On the whole, the color and design are mixed well.

Rubber grip showing luxurious design and stable grip

Analog dashboard (Finishing the design of the WB1000(TL320))

The dashboard showing the status of memory and battery is the second face of the WB1000(TL320). As a unique design, I saw people were so wondering when they saw this.

Neat design finishing…

By putting the smart dial, buttons were minimized at the back. The neat whole composition is noticeable.

Wonderful quality AMOLED and rotating Smart dial

Precious digital camera WB1000(TL320) for digital camera mania

Epilogue

The WB1000(TL320) will be a great gift looking for a high performance and good design camera. The general resolution of the camera is really good, and there’s rarely chromatism on the lens. 12.2M pixels shows the real value for high ISO pictures, and the screen of AMOLED deserves to be loved by digital camera mania. Except the weakness stopping voice recording while zooming, the HD video recording function is much more useful than any other cameras. And the manual shot function is good for beginners and users who want to know more about pictures.

Read more: http://www.samsungimaging.net/precious-digital-camera-wb1000tl320-for-digital-camera-mania/#ixzz0OP4mE26G

[WB550] Color feel of Samsung is sort of lyrical

1. Prologue

Smarter 24-240mm ultra wide high zoom compact digital camera ‘WB550’

The WB500 which started the Samsung digital imaging has come back with higher tuning such as high resolution and bigger LCD based on the smart auto. Certainly, they caused some kind of confusion, because it’s been such a short time delay after releasing the WB500, but the WB550 means the improved Samsung. After actually using it, I could see things getting better than the WB500 which are not in the specification. From 24mm wide angle to 240 tele photo zoom angle, the WB500 has the widest FOV among compact digital cameras having more than   optical 10x zoom. Besides, additional functions and manual functions. Only with them, the value of the WB500 is enough.

Becoming the leader of the optical trend

Wide, wide, wide~~ Why are looking for wide angle? Some time ago, the standard of snap cameras became ultra wide angle, so 28mm is like a criteria of compact digital cameras.

Samsung has solved the distortion of wide angle, and released 3 cameras supporting 24mm ultra wide angle such as WB500/WB550/WB1000. Once including the IT100 supporting 28-1400mm, it’s like a strong wide angle group. It’s better than the Panasonic which are being popular with wide angle compact digital cameras in wide angle and various functions. Samsung Digital Imaging…it’s so threatening.

Specification is not enough to show all the changes.

The difference from the WB500 is 12M pixels, smart auto recognizing 11 scene modes automatically, optimizing portraits with AE/AF/AWB, and taking vivid scenery, internal HDMI port, and 3 inch large LCD. There’s no difference in appearance. The size is exactly the same, and the weight becomes 10g heavier due to the change of the LCD size. And users will prove the overall improvement of completion. Especially, I like the improved performance of the OIS. Beauty shot making face handsome, 720p HD video less loss of voice with supporting light on recording, Dual IS consisting of optical and electronic, simple manual mode, various face recognition functions, smart album, and ISO 3200 are supported as a representative compact digital camera of Samsung.

The revolution of Samsung digital imaging is going on.

Looking at Samsung digital compact cameras keeping released, we can feel a little improvement in some parts. That’s not reflected in the specification. That means Developers of Samsung have reflected the customers’ voice not just ignore them. I can see their trial to improve something. I feel the improvement in the things I mentioned in the WB500 review such as AF rate, IS, and AF on video recording. The warm and light color are also very impressive. I like the way of Samsung. Let’s meet the Samsung WB550 with this feeling.

2. 24-220mm

Ultra wide angle, optical 10x zoom 24-240mm Schneider lens

The 24mm (Actual 4.2mm) is the best among compact digital cameras. It supports not only just 24mm wide angle, but also optical 10x zoom, and there’ s no image distortion on wide angle. On the reference of 24mm optical design, optical 10x zoom is realized, and 24mm shot is possible, so some people take out heavy DSLR, and choose the WB550.

Not just with the wide angle, Samsung has made users trust them with great pictures. I think only specification will disappear, because Samsung has tried to improve the performance endlessly. I feel so secured like the big lens tells everything about the WB550.

24mm Max. wide angle                        Optical 1.5x zoom(On 36mm)

             Optical 5x zoom                               Max. Tele 10x zoom(240mm)

   Max. wide angle                                              Max. tele angle

It’s much wider than 28mm wide compact digital cameras. It’s incomparable with 35mm wide angle cameras. Unexpected scenery comes in, group pictures are possible in a narrow space, and the same picture becomes cool and great. It supports digital 5x zoom, but it degrades image quality, so please use it if necessary.

      Max. Wide angle          /     Max. Tele angle   /         Max. Tele angle + Digital zoom

Wide angle                                                     Tele angle

F value is F3.3(Wide)-F5.8(Tele). You don’t need to say F3.3 is not enough. The WB550 supports 24mm ultra wide angle. The wider, the stronger to shake. Besides, for IS, it supports OIS and the famous Advanced DIS. Especially, when taking outdoor scenery pictures, it doesn’t matter. On wide angle, the lens is coming in a little, and when zooming, the thick barrel comes out. The zooming is smooth and the speed is appropriate. However, on 100m, the F value becomes F5.0, so you need to be cautious of shake by checking the shutter speed on tele angle shot.

Powerful OIS

The OIS function appears more powerful to me. On max. tele angle, compared to the WB500 making minor shake eve with the IS function, it’s much more stable. Looking at the video, the difference is noticeable and when taking tele angle shots, it gives mental stability with less shake, and it’s reflected on real pictures.

Same image quality on every FOV

There’s no big quality decrease by zooming due to anti-distortion. Especially, the image quality on middle range FOV is great. Getting to tele angle, the quality gets worse, but it’s hard to see the difference. The details getting rougher to the surroundings, chromatism, and noise in dark side are still not satisfactory, but resolution increase to 12.2M pixels with sustaining details needs to be praised. Especially, the quality of central parts on a sunny day is really good.

Long arms and legs. Smooth background blur

People taken by the 24mm ultra wide angle have long legs and arms, and their faces become small or bigger. Using tele angle together, there’s a slight background blur effect. Using this strength of the WB550, dynamic photos can be made.

Not only for objects, but also for human pictures, taking a shot in an appropriate distance with far background, you can produce mores smooth pictures with background blur. Even adding the beauty shot here? Do you think we can find any better compact digital camera?

5cm closeup shot, 1m closeup shot

The closest shot is 5cm on wide angle. It has really wide FOV, 5cm closeup shot takes relatively wide background. 3cm could have been much better, I think. Closeup shot on tele angle is also good. I feel a little distance on the max. Tele angle closeup shot, but it’s possible to take a shot in 1m close on max. tele angle.

Max. Wide angle Closest shot                   Optical 2x zoom Closest shot

Optical 5x zoom Closest shot                    Max. Tele angle Closest shot

There’s a high possibility to make shade on wide angle, I recommend optical 2~3 zoom closeup shot to take out useless background. Take a closeup shot with flipping the zoom dial 2 or 3 times.

 

3. Style

It’s better, because it’s compact.

Due to projected grip and appropriate size, the portability is quite good. Certainly, some users who don’t know anything about FOV or zoom are not satisfied with the thickness, but if you know the great thing of 24-24mm FOV, I’m sure you will be wondered at the size. To compare this to DSLR, wide angle lens and tele angle zoom lens are needed. Going out with a body and 2 lenses is not easy in this simplicity society. That’s why people say the WB500 is for ‘Travel’, ‘Sub’, and ‘substitution of DSLR’. This size fits a pocket in some way and hand bag.

The WB550 and WB500 are two-egg twins. The WB550 has Larger LCD and simpler grip part. The gray color gets darker and HDMI port is on the side.

It comes in 2 colors such as black and gray. When getting light, the grey model has a little purple. Dark grey is rather correct, I think. People normally like the black more, but the dynamic gray is more mechanical and special.

Let’s take a look at the front. The lens is really big. Compared with the competitive model Panasonic ZS3, it has a slight bigger body, but the lens is much bigger. It’s for optical compensation and quality stabilization. Internal flash, Samsung logo, AF and Self timer lampa are located on the right place. For better grip, the grip part for middle finger is slightly protruding, and it’s simpler than the WB500 for impact grip.

Appropriate thickness, Stable shot

Because a little thick body and slightly heavy weight, it’s more stable when taking tele angle shots. Because the index finger has to cross the mode dial, I feel a little distance adjusting the shutter, but the whole feeling of shot is pretty good. Looking at the mode dial, I could see ‘S’ mark on the auto mode icon. It’s the smart auto mode not applied on the WB500. I like the slight curved line for better grip.

It gives luxurious feeling with the power button adopting a blue lamp, fresh shutter and zoom lever, smoothly swiveling mode dial, and position of speaker. I wish the zoom dial was smoother, because the dialing sound might be recorded on a video. I wish the position of model dial was closer to the LCD. It’s not comfortable to adjust, because it’s located on the center.

The multi coated 3 inch LCD filling the back has high transmissivity and low reflective light. Metal buttons having good touch feel are impressive. Besides, the command lever used for manual operation and value adjustment are left-right click type, so it needs a little strength. This command lever adjusts iris and shutter speed value on manual mode, and is used to edit exposure. Through the internal menu, users can allocate functions. The strap ring designed for thumb control is also noticeable. Because the 4 way and Ok button have the same height and are small, it’s a little inconvenient for manual operation. The Fn buttons is to set primary options, and the E buttons is used for photo style selector function to express the color and effects.

Built-in HDMI port

On the side of the grip part, 20-pin port for charge, transfer, and output is located and the  HDMI port which is newly installed on the WB550 is on the other side. By adopting the HDMI port, users can see much better and more vivid HD videos and pictures through connecting it to HDTV with HDMI cable or something.

Bright and vivid 3 inch 230K pixels LCD

The feature of the LCD on the WB550 is the brightness. Compared to other models, even though they have the same 3 inch panel, it’s brighter and warmer. It consists of multi coated panel with high transmissivity, and through automatic brightness adjustment system, the screen is vivid everywhere. Left-right viewing angle and low viewing angle are great, but when it comes to high angle, it shows reversion on more than 45 degree. Especially, when recording a video, the screen is very clear. There’s no much noise indoors.

Simple charge

Another feature of the Samsung digital cameras is that they can be charged through USB and adaptor. Moreover, if you purchase a charge pack used for cell phone and other instruments, you can charge even outdoors. AC adaptor charge is made by connecting the USB port to the adaptor and connecting the line to the 20 pin port directly. Full charging time is 150 min, and more and more the charge is going on, the charge lamp goes yellow from red.

Good Battery performance

The battery is 3.7V 1050mAh Li-Ion battery. The performance of the battery is 280 pictures on the CIPA reference. Even though it has a bigger LCD, but the battery time is longer than the WB500. It’s due to the OIS only activated on half shutter and LCD interface, I guess. It’s enough unless you take tons of pictures, but if you keep taking pictures, sometimes the battery consumption drastically increases. Therefore, you’d better have one more battery for spare. If the battery remains starts to decrease, the consumption gets faster, so users should keep this in mind.

MMD / SD / SDHC memories are used, and the biggest capacity is SDHC 8GB. I wish this supported bigger memory capacity for those taking a lot of videos. The memory slot is located on the bottom. The tripod hole is made of metal, so I could feel safe.

4. Smart Auto

Just push the shutter!!

The Smart auto mode is one of the biggest differences between the WB500 and WB550. Setting the mode dial to the smart auto mode, the camera automatically recognizes 11 scene modes according to the situations and takes pictures on the optimized setting. Not only for the auto scene recognition, but also for portrait, it measures exposure according to the face and expresses the color of faces and scenery more vividly.

 The Smart mode can automatically recognize various thing such as scenery, white, night scenery, night portrait, backlight, backlight portrait, portrait, macro, macro text, tripod, and action. When taking closeup shots, the icon change to the closeup and taking portraits, it changes to the portrait in real time. When it comes to backlight portrait and night portrait, the flash automatically lights, and on the tripod, the camera recognizes that there’s no shake, so it automatically takes a shot on low ISO (The lowest: 160) with slow shutter.

Options to set on the smart mode are picture ratio and flash auto/off. Flash needs to be on or off depending on the situations. When it comes to night scenery, it should be automatically turned off, I think. On the smart mode, 1/8 sec is the lowest speed and ISO800 is the highest, so there’s limit to express light in a very dark place.

When taking pictures indoors with flash, I recommend using P mode with slow sync or M mode with adjusting ISO, Iris, and shutter speed. It changes depending on the brightness of objects and background. When taking on M mode indoors, set the iris open, shutter speed 1/10 – 1/20 sec, and ISO 800.

The smart auto mode is not everything.

There’s no exposure compensation and nothing you can set.  If you are not a beginner, you should use P mode or M mode to set options. Below picture was taken on P mode with exposure +1.0, because on the smart auto a picture was a little too dark.

When you need flask like backlight, it’s good to set the intensity of flash by yourself. Using all the functions and taking pictures are the strong point of digital cameras… The intensity of flash light can also be set on P/M mode. You can just assume that the light intensity on the smart auto mode is around.

Smart album with easy picture management and search

The smart album is to sort image files by files, date, or color, and manage them. Using the zoom lever, you can set the type of thumbnail to 3, 9, and 20 divisions. 

The management by colors seems so special to me. It judges the overall color of pictures, analyze them to red, yellow, green, blue, etc, and play them.

It has fast play, magnification, and move. Using the zoom dial, you can magnify them and cut them out with the OK button..

‘Recycling function’ restoring mistakenly deleted pictures

Like we take out things in a trash bin, it can restore mistakenly deleted pictures. If you have an experience to delete wrong pictures, you like the function much.

5. Beauty shot

‘Beauty shot’ making handsome faces

Taking a shot with the beauty shot mode, all flaw will disappear. Using an editing function in the camera, it makes skins pretty. You can assume this auto photoshop function. The intelligent function will be welcomed from women who are not confident with their faces and men also. It’s so simple because you don’t need any extra edit, you can just upload pictures on the web.

When taking the beauty shot, you can adjust brightness and skin compensation on 3 levels. Setting them all to +3 makes pictures unnatural, so +2 is enough. One thing I’m not satisfied with is that it’s impiossible to compensate exposure when using the beauty mode. Of course, there’s a skin light item, but it’s a little insufficient. I personally perform photometry on dark parts such as hair or clothes in case the beauty shot goes red or dark.

The best thing is the post-processing. The beauty mode shot take a little more time, so you might miss the important moment. You can also set the intensity for the post-processing, and you can adjust image brightness, color feeling, and ACB together, so the post-processing is much more effective.

Face recognition function / Face recognition menu

Not only for the beauty shot, but also for the smart auto mode, auto face recognition function is applied. The face recognition function helps set exposure focusing on faces not only on the AF, but also on backlight or on frontal light. Strong sunshine might make people hard, it’s good to use the face recognition function and flash on backlight. Other than the face recognition, it supports various face recognition functions such blink detection, smile shot, and self guide.

Face recognition on                      Face recorgnition off

Incomparable Self shot ‘Self guide’

The self guide function helps people take a self shot by making beep sounds when their face is on the center. When the face is inclined to one side, the interval of sound is kind of long, and it’s out of the angle, the sound stops beeping. When the face is on the center, it makes beep sound with a short delay to help get the right position.

Smiling, taken. ‘Smile shot’

The smile shot is to take a shot if the person smiles. It doesn’t forget the happy moment by quickly capturing the smiling moment. When the smile shot is set, the smile shutter is continuously applied, so every time you smile, it keeps taking shots of your smile. However, the intensity of smile is kind of different, so I wish it could set the intensity of the smile and become more sensitive.

Preventing blink

The blink detection function takes consecutive shots if the person blinks, and you can pick up a picture without blinking. It’s not unconditionally taking 3 shots. If you blink for the first shot, it doesn’t take more shots. It’s a so intelligent function.

Only one shot if not blinking

Recognition blink, taking 3 consecutive shots

‘Frame guide’ the composition I want

The frame guid is useful to ask someone to take a shot of you. Giving a camera setting the composition you want, the person can take a picture with that composition. It can prevent wrong composition, or other mistakes. Especially, the WB550 has so wide angle, it will be used more. This function doesn’t belong to the face recognition, but on the scen mode, but because it’s about the portrait, so it’s good to include this in the face recognition function.

6. Shooting & Control

Fast booting, Good AF speed

The time between pushing a power button and ready is a little more than 1 sec. It’s so fast. Zooming time from wide to tele is about 2 sec. Indoor AF is also good. AF rate gets better than the WB500, but I think it has to be even better on tele angle. When taking shots at night with insufficient light, the AF has a little problem. If so, you can use the MF unlimited shots. The AF performance is not bad for normal shots, but if it’s more improved in some parts, hign-end users will select this more.

There’s no shutter release lack. AF speed outdoors is fast, and setting the AF exactly and holding the shutter until the moment you want, it will capture the moment you want.

Satisfactory UI menu

In the shot menu, various compositon grids and real time histogram are supported, and by the Fn menu from right to left side, you can set most of the shot modes simply.

Composition grids and histogram

Fn menu

The E button takes a role of the photo style selector function. For the command lever, you can set one among the exposure compensation, ISO and white balance. The screen brightness can be set to auto, normal, bright, and dark, but when it comes to auto, the basic brightness is much brighter than real pictures, so sometimes setting to normal or dark is better. And, the color of the picture is deeper than the color of the LCD.

Command lever setting

Free from the shake with the Dual IS

Applying the OIS and Advanced DIS, it prevents the shake of objects. From the tele angle, it has much less minor shake compared with the WB500. Especially, the improvement of the OIS is remarkable. The OIS is not applied normally, but with a half shutter, lens shift is activated. It’s more effective for tele angle than wide angle, and the capacity of the IS is similar to 3 levels of the shutter speed.

The Advanced DIS is very useful where the light is insufficient or indoors. As a electronic type, it’s the strongest system. It takes at a high speed, goes through double noise reduction effect, and completed. The level of noise or chroma degration is incomparable to former DIS. Applying the OIS and Advanced DIS together, it becomes the best IS.

User AF target moving in 49 region

Because the FOV is so wide, when taking closeup shots, sometimes this function is necessary. If setting the focus and moving it, fint can be dislocated with the major object. Of course, by the multi AF, it’s possible to set a focus on the object you want, but the success rate isn’t that high. I wish the moving region was wider, but it will be enough to be used.

Useful MF shots

The MF is set by the 4 way closeup function button. It’s displayed from 10cm to infinity with a division, and according to zoom, the region of MF becomes different. It’s useful when the AF fails, sets a focus on a fence across, or objects for closeup shot. Taking on the MF, it’s better users can set the spot not just the center.

MF on short distance objets / MF on middle distance objects / MF on long distance objects

Manual mode for more creative pictures

There are people saying the manual mode is the best thing of the WB550. Of course, it’s not full manual function. Only 2 iris values can be set, and control and exposure information are kind of inconvenient for manual operation. However, once it has the manual mode, it will deliver valuable fun and memories that other compact cameras can’t for indoor shots or night scenery pictures. On wide angle, the F valus can be F3.3 or 7.5 and on the tele angle, it’s F5.8 or 13.1. The shutter speed is from 1/1500 ~ 16 sec.

The manual operation for night scenery is made by the command lever and 4 way button. Iris and shutter speed activation can be made by the Fn button, change of them is through left-right button, and the value adjustment is by the command lever. Then, with a half shutter, the exposure information comes out. It’s slightly inconvenient, but it doesn’t really matter, if you take your time for shots. The exposure information is displayed in numbers, and for night scenery, it should be adjusted to -. When it comes to LCD brightness, it’s much brighter than real, so it’s better to take with a slightly bright feeling.

7. Photo Style selector

Color feel of Samsung is sort of lyrical. Different from other brands having cold or sharp, there’s kind of smooth, warm feel with rural nostalgia. Looking at the picture of Samsung cameras, there’s something making your heart relaxed. The skin is also vivid. In the shade, a little dark magenta comes together, but with + exposure, smooth skin expression can be made without any inconvenience. Over exposure symptom seems less depending on the background.

Characteristic Photo style selector

The photo style selector is set by the E button on the back to Normal, vivid, soft, forest, retro, cool, calm, and classic. Normal and calm is good for human and has great gradation . If you want strong colors, vivid and forest would be cool. The classic reminds me of rough grey film and so charming.

Normal is not that soft, and vivid is also not distorting gradation much. The most natural thing is the Calm. For splendid forest with green, the forest is better than the vivid.

For the normal, setting contrast, chroma, and sharpness with 5 levels, you can make more unique pictures adjusing more dynamically. Also you can set the color more detailed such as black or white, sepia, red, gree, blue, reversion, and custom. For the custom, you can adjust RGB separately, so more various effects can be made.

Stable color balance

The Auto white balance is quite satisfactory. It’s the greatest thing of Samsung with the color feature. It used to make some different color feel at the same place, but it’s not that much, but kind of equal. The Auto white balance reacting to various sources of lights is also very stable. It less expresses skin too redish than the WB500, so it becomes calmer.

Strong Post-processing function

The post-processing function is quite strong. The reserved usersof the WB550 need to make the most of camera’s post-processing feature. You can restore wrong color feel by dark or mistakenly touch of white balance. It has various functions such as RGB adjustment, contrast, chroma, and noise effects. The below picture was taken on the custom white balance, it was recovered by the post-processing function with color, brightness, and beauty function from strong green tone picture. You can see the noise of fases disappears after the beauty compensation. Due to continuous compensations or brightness compensation, the gradation might be slightly degraded, but beautiful pictures are more important…^^

8. HD-VIDEO & Add-ons

1280×720p HD video recording

One of the remarkable things of the WB550 is the HD video. Size is 1280×720p(30fps), and with the HDMI port, the importance of HD video becomes bigger than the WB500. Different from other Samsung models, it can record voices on zooming while recording, and from the internal menu, you can rather turn off the voice. It still involves some mechnical sounds, but the AF becomes much better. Most of all, the wide angle recording which is not easy for  camcorders is awesome.

One thing you should remember is when fixed zoom or zooming out, the continuous AF is not made. And only zooming in, it is made. That’s why users have to use zooming in while recording. This isn’t exactly normal system, but definitely improved from a former model. I hope the next model can set continuous AF even when zooming out, and then without zooming, continous AF will be made.

Using various options, you will find becoming more intelligent. For example, on the backlight, setting the exposure to +0.7, you can get much more bright scenes. (Using the command lever)

Not only white balance, but also various colors of the photy style selector can be used, so it allows you to record various videos. Moreover, using the OK button while recording, you can pause a video and record it again on one file successively.

H.264 forman, various resolution

It records a video in H.264(MPEG4.AVC) format as an MP4 file. There are 5 compression rates such as 1280×720(30fps) high or standard, 640×480(30fps or 15fps), and 320×240(60fps, 30fps). The size difference between high and standard resolution is not that big. Below is the recording time with 8GB SDHC memory.

29 min of maximum recording time is not satisfactory, but considering that as a compact body, it has a great resolution like a camcorder, it’s really wonderful.

The advantage of the OIS is also noticeable. Because the shake on tele angle recording is much less, the optical type is much better in movies than sensor shift type using electronic compensation. Using the zoom well, there’s a background blur effect when taking objects or insects.

6 pictures / sec of Motion catprue

As a high continuous shot function, the motion capture function can take 6 pictures per sec up to 30 pictures. Due to 640×480 size, we can’t expect high quality, but for GIF animation, the small size might be better. It’s good for blog for fun. When it comes to the best resolution continuous shot, it’s taken 1.5 pictures / sec, and the speed gets slower after taking some pictures.

Natural ACB

The ACB function is used to take scenery and useful when the objects got shaded or darker, because cloud hides the sun or something. This function compensates those dark parts. It’s more effective for scenery than human. With appropriate compensation, it doesn’t make the picture unnatural.

Stop moving, you will be taken

The motion timer included in the self timer detects moving of objects after 6 sec, and if there’s no movement, it automatically takes a shot. It’s used for group pictures or kids, and the detection performance gets better than former models.

 

9. Quality

12.2M pixels great resolution, unsatisfactory surrounding resolution on wide angle

Looking at the resolution chart, it has quite good resolution. On top of that, on 24mm wide angle, there’s so less distortion. The comparison of 10M pixels and 12.2M pixels also shows the difference of expression of 2M pixels.

Below is the maximum wide angle picture. Looking at the image detail closely, you can see the sharpness gets worse as it goes outside. As I expect, there’s some physical thing on the surrounding for less image distortion, or resolution degradation for wide angle in the design stage.

Detail of center (1)                         Detail of surrounding (2)

Detail of surrounding (3)

 This feature will be a weakness for those who are sensitive to resolution. However, this is not a big problem in compact digital cameras. The detail expression in surroundings should be improved, but it has more plane and cooler feeling and it can’t be recognized after resizing.

Chromatism on surroundings

Chromatism on surroundings is not that big, but sometimes the chromatism where meet the white background will bother you. Handling it with software is worth being considered.

Up to ISO 3200, high ISO resolution on average

It supports ISO from 80 to 3200, and on ISO 3200, the 3M size is maximum. Because there’s a slight noise on low ISO in a dark part, it’s not very clean detail. It shows moderate resolution according to the ISO increase, and up to ISO 400 can be comfortably used.

To ISO 400, the details remain as it was. From ISO 800, I could notice the noise elimination process, and this is the limit line for normal use. On more than ISO 1600, the details are degraded noticeably, and the noise affects the whole color feel, so this has to be used for special occations. The resolution is moderate as a compact digital camera, but low resolution on dark parts and high ISO details are not satisfactory.

Low ISO and long time shot images are not bad. I could feel the rough noise on dark part, but it’s great enough when resized.

10. Epilogue

The best compact digital camera for traveling and sub from Samsung.

The advantage of ultra wide angle compact digital cameras is the portability and it provides the performance of snap shots. When traveling for snap shots, the preparation of heavy and big cameras is so bothering. Appropriate size and 24-240mm WB550 is the optimized model for travel. Compared to ultra zoom cameras, it has less lens and grip projection, and the 1 sec booting time allows users enjoyable shots anywhere. Even though it’s not that slim, but with appropriate thickness, it provides stablility of shots, and the portability is also very good. It supports simple manual mode and can take great night scenery and using wide and tele angle, various expression of portraits is possible. On top of that, HD video recording. As I mentioned, there’s no compact camera like this for main, sub, travel, and normal life.

Quite upgraded WB550

There’re a lot of things upgraded such as remarkably upgraded Optical IS function, AF for video recording, and smart auto mode. I like the internal upgrade rather than upgraded pixels and LCD size. Beauty mode, face recognition, and various additional functions. Nothing seems impossible with the WB550 to me.

To become the best of the best

Like the former model. There are thing to care such as resolution on high ISO and image details. If it’s hard to change the size of the sensor, they can just concentrate on the improvement of image sustaing the present pixel numbers and upgrade the compeletion of additional functions. It has the best FOV, but with the sharpness of the IT100 and process on high ISO of the PL50, it will be the best. Of course, the lens and other functions will cover those weaknesses, but to be better..

On top of that, as common comments, the mechanical sound of HD videos when zooming, 29 min limit, high capacity SDHC, bigger battery capacity, and better control for manual operation should be considered.

Nothing can be perfect at once. All you need to do is respond to customers’ voice. Because the Samsung digital imaging is a Korean company spreading out all over the world with our voice.

.