Samsung ST30 gets its specs from 2007, but the ST6500 is thoroughly modern
It's time to go back... back... back into the mists of time. 2007, to be precise, which is where the specs for the new ST30 from. The new ST6500 is a little more modern.
Cast your mind back -- way, way back -- to the halcyon days and golden summer of 2007, when, er, the last Harry Potter book came out and Chris Benoit committed suicide. Samsung has certainly done that with the new ST30 budget compact camera, announced today alongside the touchscreen-packing ST6500.
The ST30, pictured above, is a bargain-basement snapper. It packs a 10-megapixel sensor and doesn't have optical image stabilisation. That doesn't sound much next to other current cameras, but 10 megapixels is more than enough for everyday use.
To keep the costs down, Samsung has actually back-pedalled down the evolutionary scale, to the sort of specs that were cutting-edge five years ago, patronisingly standard three years ago, and charmingly retro in today's market. The ST30 is so tiny and so budget it doesn't even shoot video.
The ST30 comes in silver, black, lilac, pink and lime. It measures a diminutive 82mm by 51mm, and is 17mm thick.
The ST6500, pictured above, is bang up to date. The 16-megapixel snapper sports a 3-inch touchscreen and 5x optical zoom, equivalent to a respectable 26mm wide angle on a 35mm camera. It shoots 720p high-definition movies and will come in black, red or silver flavours.
Both new cameras hit the shops in March. The ST6500 will cost around around £200, but the ST30 could be yours for less than £90. Which is fair enough, considering it's basically a camera from three years ago, but with new parts. Is this a new technology trend: low-priced new models with the specs of yesteryear? Tell us your thoughts in the comments.
Samsung announced the SH100, WB700 and NX11 at CES 2011. There'll probably be more at photography show PMA in February, but here's our pick so far of the best cameras for 2011.