A trio of stylish Samsung shooters
Samsung just announced the L100, L110, and L210, three new compact digital cameras.
The 8-megapixel Samsung L100 and L110 and the 10-megapixel Samsung L210 present the latest in Samsung's L-series of style-minded, compact snapshot cameras. Besides 3x optical zoom lenses and 2.5-inch LCDs, all three cameras share a handful of editing and playback features that set them apart from simpler, budget-priced point-and-shoots.
Besides the typical VGA video modes found on most snapshot cameras, all three new models feature an SVGA video mode that can capture 800x592 video at 30 frames per second according to Samsung. Onboard video editing tools let users trim and arrange their video clips on the camera, without using a computer. The camera's optical zoom works while shooting video, letting pocket filmmakers get closer without the detail drop usually found in the digital zoom modes many cameras use for movies.
The three cameras include several still photo options, including face detection and self portrait modes. A Multi-Slide Show feature lets you play back your photos with a variety of slide transitions and your own MP3 music soundtrack. Finally, the L110 and L210 include Samsung's Optical Image Stabilization system in addition to the digital stabilization feature all three models share. Optical image stabilization physically shifts the lens to help reduce camera shake, while digital stabilization usually just increases sensitivity and quickens the camera shutter.
The Samsung L100 and L110 ship in February with suggested prices of $200 and $230. The L210 ships in March, and will retail for about $270.