There’s no doubt that 5-megapixel resolution currently defines the sweet spot of point-and-shoot digital cameras. Samsung’s 5-megapixel ultracompact entry, the Samsung Digimax i5, offers a competitive snapshot feature set housed in a nondescript but slender metal body. Interesting features, a bright 2.5-inch LCD, and a VGA movie mode, however, don’t compensate for listless performance and just so-so image quality.
The camera turned in an average performance at best and elicited mumbles of frustration in the continuous-shooting mode, which blacks out the screen while capturing less than 1fps. Both start-up time and shot-to-shot time exceeded two seconds–and twice that with the flash. Autofocus worked relatively quickly with high-contrast subjects but otherwise wandered and searched before locking in, often on the background rather than the subject. You can turn on the autofocus-assist lamp to improve matters somewhat.
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Announced in May, the Digimax i5 is Samsung’s smallest digital camera and is housed in a stylish, stainless steel body that will be available in silver, black, and red. The camera is about the same width (3.53″) and height (2.35″) as a credit card and only .68″ thick - or should I say thin. Samsung has definitely designed the camera to be simple to operate by reducing buttons and confusion on the camera body itself. The clean, simple design will make it very comfortable for almost anyone to pick up and use. The Digimax i5 features a internal 3x optical zoom, which means that the lens doesn’t extend out like it does on many small cameras. This keeps the camera thin and compact even during use. Other features include a whopping 50MB of internal memory, full screen video (640×480, 30fps) mode with sound and zoom capability, and a bright, large 2.5″ TFT color display.
There is a lot to like about the Samsung i5 and a few things not to like. The camera performed satisfactory under most lighting conditions, but performance was only average. Start-up time was fairly quick at 2 seconds, but shot-to-shot times were very slow. Even in continuous shooting mode the best I could achieve was 1.5 seconds between shots and in this mode the screen goes completely dark while the camera captures frame after frame. Since you can’t see exactly what the camera is capturing after you press the shutter release, the continuous shooting mode is more pot-luck than anything else. In single-shot mode, it took the camera about 2.5 seconds before it was ready to capture another image. Shutter lag was almost a full second, a pretty slow time when compared to other newer cameras in this class. Shutter lag times can be decreased by pressing the shutter-release halfway in order to pre-focus the camera. Pressing the shutter from this half-way position reduced shutter lag to about 0.5 second.
The stainless steal body, sleek compact design, internal 3x optical zoom lens, layout and overall feel, docking station, rechargeable battery, 50MB of internal memory, integrated lens/flash cover, large 2.5″ TFT color LCD display, easy-to-navigate menu system, and 30 fps MPEG-4 video mode with audio and zoom are reasons to consider the Samsung i5. The camera also features a superb super macro mode which should be considered if you often take pictures of small objects (think ebay auctions). Long exposures (night mode) seem to be one of the high points of the Samsung i5. A 12-second exposure taken in a dimly lit room yielded bright, sharp, clean results. This was very unexpected especially considering the camera lacks a tripod mount - a necessity when shooting with long exposures. To get around the lack of a tripod mount, use a bean bag or table along with the self-timer to keep the camera steady when shooting.
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The Digimax i5 ($350) is Samsung’s entry into the very crowded ultra thin camera market. The i5 features a 5 Megapixel CCD, 3X optical zoom lens, large 2.5″ LCD display, and VGA movie mode. If that sounds like every other cameras in this class, you’re right.
Camera performance was just okay. Start times were just under two seconds, which isn’t as fast as most of the competition. The camera focuses quickly enough in good lighting, but it was horrible in low light conditions, despite having an AF-assist lamp. The i5 also had noticeable shutter lag, and I don’t know why Samsung even bothered with the continuous shooting mode.
Photo quality was generally very good, with my only complaints being the somewhat soft images at default settings and above average noise levels. As you’d expect on a camera like this, redeye was a problem.
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This protective housing will allow underwater photography up to a depth of 5 m.
The Digimax SPH-A3 has been developed to overcome the limitations of digital cameras when used in environments subject to water, moisture and shock. The housing uses a lightweight polycarbonate as its base material, achieving excellent endurance and allowing camera operation to be monitored and controlled efficiently.
Like the i5 the Digimax SPH-A3 (113 x 72 x 29 mm, approximately 110 g) is compact. This versatile protective housing satisfies the various requirements for photography of water sports; for example, at a swimming pool or beach, for water-skiing or white-water rafting, and for underwater activities such as snorkeling. It is also ideal for winter sports such as skiing and ice-skating, as well as for other activities at industrial sites with a high level of dust and moisture.
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Samsung Camera has recently announced the launch of a new 5 mega-pixel, 3x Optical Zoom digital camera with Internal Zoom technology adopted for the first time in Samsung digital cameras (model name: Digimax i5 / #1). With enhanced design and multimedia capabilities, the Digimax i5 will accelerate Samsung’s penetration into both the domestic and international slim digital camera market, where demand is surging among the young population.
The newly-released Digimax i5, to which the company has devoted a strong R&D team and invested millions of dollars, is the digital camera that brings internal zoom capability to Samsung Camera. Its cool stylish stainless body means it will not scratch or tarnish. Moreover, the product provides enhanced capabilities in a portable package to satisfy those whose focus is on function and style.
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