Product Face-Offs
Samsung NV100HD
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| Sensor | CCD 14 mégapixels (1/1.72) | ||
| Zoom | 5x (28-102 mm, f/2,8-5,9) | ||
| Optical stabilization | Yes | ||
| Internal/external memory | 40 Mo / SD / SDHC | ||
| Sensitivity | 100-1600 ISO | ||
 See all specifications | |||
| Video mode | 1280 x 720 pixels / 30 fps |
| Power source | Lithium-Ion Battery (proprietary) |
| Dimensions/Weight | 94.9 x 59.5 x 19.9 mm / 160 g |
 Hide specifications | |
Renaud Labracherie
Test date: November 04, 2008
Test date: November 04, 2008
Little Extras
This new camera is brimming over with clever new features, some of which are more useful than others.
The toys include a 'Beauty' mode, which uses face detection technology to identify your subjects and then applies a series of automatic retouches such as evening out color.
We found that this feature produced rather unusual results, blurring out a lot along the way.
Other features are more useful, like the self-portrait mode which uses an audible signal to let you know when the autofocus and face detection settings think you're in focus.
More unusual is the presence of a virtual Trash, like on a computer, meaning photos aren't necessarily deleted straight away. Of course, the system occupies space on your memory card, but can help out in situations where you accidentally delete the wrong photo.
The toys include a 'Beauty' mode, which uses face detection technology to identify your subjects and then applies a series of automatic retouches such as evening out color.
We found that this feature produced rather unusual results, blurring out a lot along the way.
Other features are more useful, like the self-portrait mode which uses an audible signal to let you know when the autofocus and face detection settings think you're in focus.
More unusual is the presence of a virtual Trash, like on a computer, meaning photos aren't necessarily deleted straight away. Of course, the system occupies space on your memory card, but can help out in situations where you accidentally delete the wrong photo.
A 5x optical zoom is complemented by both optical and digital image stabilization, while on the back there's a 3'' touchscreen LCD.
It's also part of a new generation of compacts that can record video in High Definition, working at the 'HD Ready' 720p standard.
With so many features, the Korean manufacturer need have no fear taking on the big boys in this field, Panasonic and Canon.
Handling
Following innovative rows of rolling buttons in earlier models, Samsung has for the first time based the whole interface almost exclusively around a touchscreen, which has made room for a large 3" screen which occupies nearly all of the back of the case.
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It's easy to use, and access to all the key settings is not only quick but clear thanks to a contextual help system to explain each of the icons.
The effect is spoiled a little by the sheer number of icons on the screen, and the influence of Apple's iPhone is also present in playback mode, where you 'slide' from one shot to the next.
A good antiglare coating means you can enjoy the touchscreen even in bright sunlight.
The rest of the camera does as well as the screen, starting up quickly, with a nifty autofocus in most situations with good light levels.
You can choose between two burst modes, one at two image per second--a perfectly reasonable score--or an incredibly fast seven images per second if you reduce the quality of the photos down to 1 Megapixel.
Image Quality
Any camera with a huge 14.7 Megapixel sensor like the NV100HD's needs to be able to handle the electronic noise that can ruin otherwise good photos.
Things started well: at 80 ISO and 100 ISO, our pictures were very sharp and details clear.
However, from 200 ISO, blurriness began to creep in, although chromatic aberration is largely absent at this film speed.
At 800 and 1600 ISO, photos become even more blurry and these speeds can only really be used for 4 x 6'' photo prints and nothing bigger.
Despite this blurriness, though, there were few chromatic aberrations and even those shots taken at the fastest film speeds looked acceptable when viewed from a distance.
While the center of the lens gives good results, the edges of the frame are less sharp at all focal depths.
When we printed images at A4, we also noticed purple fringing in high-contrast zones.
The image stabilization system works perfectly, producing photos that are sharp enough at 1/6s.
Most of the time, the exposure readings and white balancing are accurate enough, which is something of a rarity.
A macro mode which works up to 5 cm is OK, but Samsung must know that some its competitors do better.
Finally, the flash could do with a little more powerful: in this test shot, where our model is less than two meters away, the result is a little too dark.
When we printed images at A4, we also noticed purple fringing in high-contrast zones.
The image stabilization system works perfectly, producing photos that are sharp enough at 1/6s.
Most of the time, the exposure readings and white balancing are accurate enough, which is something of a rarity.
A macro mode which works up to 5 cm is OK, but Samsung must know that some its competitors do better.
Finally, the flash could do with a little more powerful: in this test shot, where our model is less than two meters away, the result is a little too dark.
Compare the Samsung NV100HD to other digital cameras in our Product Face-Off
We were pleased to discover that the optical zoom remains working during the recording of a films in High Definition, and a neat feature allows you to automatically deactivate the microphone as the lens moves backwards and forwards to avoid the background noise being recorded as part of your video clip.
The end results are far from remarkable, and it's usually fairly obvious that the video is compressed, although the size of the 720p images is useable.
If you plan to watch the video clips you shoot on the NV100HD on your TV, you should know that using the HDMI output requires purchasing a special docking station from Samsung.uros).
The end results are far from remarkable, and it's usually fairly obvious that the video is compressed, although the size of the 720p images is useable.
If you plan to watch the video clips you shoot on the NV100HD on your TV, you should know that using the HDMI output requires purchasing a special docking station from Samsung.uros).
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Stabilized wide angle zoom
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Fun touchscreen interface
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Fast autofocus
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Optical zoom works during filming
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HD Video
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Very noisy images above 400 ISO
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Impossible to rotate images
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HD Video could be better
The Samsung NV100HD deserves its good mark: it's quick off the mark and looks good, and combines easy-of-use with powerful features like image stabilization and HD video. Unfortunately, the photos it takes a little below average.
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