Pocketable megazooms are very popular this year. Samsung has two in its spring 2009 lineup: the HZ15W and HZ10W. The major specifications separating the two are megapixels and LCD size. The 15W is a 12.2-megapixel model with a 3-inch display, the 10W is a 10.2-megapixel camera with a 2.7-inch LCD. Both have 24mm wide-angle lenses with 10x zooms.
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Samsung HZ15W
• 12.0 megapixels
• 24mm wide-angle lens with 10x optical zoom
• 3-inch LCD (230K dots)
• Dual image stabilization
• 720p HD video with HDMI
connectivity
• Manual mode (aperture, shutter speed, ISO, and exposure controls)
• March 2009 at an MSRP of $329.99
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Samsung HZ15W
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Samsung HZ15W
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Samsung HZ10W
The 10-megapixel HZ10W from Samsung looks wonderful on paper. A compact camera with a 10x megazoom wide-angle 24mm Schneider lens and a whole mess of features.
You get 720p HD video capture at 30fps using H.264 for good-quality compression and the zoom works while shooting. The video mode also lets you pause and resume capture so you don't end up with a bunch of small files.
There's optical image stabilization, too, so your photos aren't a blurry mess when that lens is extended. And for those that like a lot of control, you'll be able to adjust the HZ10W's settings manually for things like shutter speed, aperture, exposure, and focus. I also wouldn't doubt the inclusion of multiple settings for color, sharpness, and contrast.
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Samsung HZ10W
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Samsung HZ10W
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Samsung HZ10W
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Samsung TL320
• 12.2 megapixels
• 24mm wide-angle lens with 5x optical zoom
• 3-inch hVGA AMOLED (460K dots) with a contrast ratio of 10,000:1
• Dual image stabilization
• 720p HD video with HDMI connectivity via optional dock
• Dual analog gauges for memory and battery (like last year's TL9)
• Aperture priority, shutter priority, and manual modes
• Advanced Picture Mode for adjusting the color temperature from 2,800-10,000K or manual control of color space shift
• May 2009 at an MSRP of $379.99
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Samsung TL320
Yes, the dual analog gauges--one for battery life, the other for remaining storage--are a novelty, but they're definitely cool looking.
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Samsung TL320
If you're into screens, the AMOLED one on the TL320 is pretty sweet.
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Samsung TL100
The TL100 is a 12-megapixel digital camera with a 3x optical zoom.
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The TL100 is very small measuring just 3.7 inches wide by 2.2 inches high by 0.6 inch deep.
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Samsung TL100
Like any decent point-and-shoot camera in its class, the TL100 has a largish LCD at 2.7 inches. It also has the shooting options currently in vogue: face, smile, and blink detection, auto scene recognition, and full-resolution ISO settings up to 1600.
