Samsung ST550

Samsung's ST550 has some very standard specifications, but some interesting features too.  It has a 12.2 Megapixel sensor, can film in 720p HD with a 27 mm wide angle lens and a combined optical and digital stabilization system.  However, what's garnered the most attention is its 3.5'' touchscreen--and the smaller second screen on the front.

Handling

We were convinced by our very first contact with the ST550: it's a serious camera with excellent construction.  It's a successful design that won the approval of the majority of people here in the lab.  The glossy black camera body with a hint of colour (purple, gold, orange and red accents are available) gives it a very attractive finish.  The downside of a glossy finish is that it easily becomes covered with greasy fingerprints, which rather takes the shine off the ST550.

The back of the camera is occupied by a 3.5'' LCD screen with 1 152 000 sub-pixels.  It's very responsive and operating the camera using it is a treat.  We were less convinced by the system of controlling the camera by shaking it, which takes a while to learn; we're not really sure it actually  saves much time.

The display is good quality, with lots of detail visible, wide viewing angles and fluid movements.  The screen is less responsive when light levels drop, but the image is still sharp.  Because the screen takes up so much room, all of the physical controls are along the top.  The shutter release button is accessible, but the zoom control is far too small.

The main new feature is a second, smaller screen on the front of the camera.  It's just 1.5'' across and has a resolution of 61 000 pixels, but displays some interesting options.  In child mode (one of the scene modes), it shows a short animation to capture the attention of your younger subjects.  When we tried it, this little feature worked rather well.   What remains to be seen, though, is how long it'll keep their attention, as you can't choose another animation or play a sound.  It's a good idea, though, and one that's definitely worth pursuing. 


It can also display data about the settings you've chosen or show your subjects a smiley face once everything is in focus.  Finally, and most interestingly, it allows you to get a great self-portrait shot, and works much better than the small square mirror sometimes included on other cameras for this purpose.

Let's take at a look at how fast it its: in general, the ST550 is a responsive camera, with a very fast focus and a wait of just over a second for it to switch on.  It's only the time you need to wait between two photos and the rather limited burst mode at 1 fps that are disappointing.

Connectivity is limited to a single proprietary port that carries video, data and electricity for charging the battery.  You'll need to remember to take the cables with you when you're traveling if you want to be able to look at your photos on a friend's computer, especially because they're saved onto a MicroSD card. The HDmi connection requires a separate optional accessory.

Image Quality

The photos produced by the ST550 are sharp at the lowest sensitivities, with plenty of detail around the edges of the frame.  Unfortunately, the electronic noise management is more disappointing.  Even at low sensitivities, blurriness is visible, and becomes more pronounced at 400 ISO, where graininess is very evident and the majority of details are lost, making make for colored pixels.  The white balancing also remains neutral up to 400 ISO, but is then effected by a blue tinge at higher sensitivities.