Samsung Launches Two More Two-Screen Cameras to Follow ST500 and ST550

Samsung ST100 MARCHANDS €     Micromania  99.00  Pixmania.com  144.00  Rue du comm...  144.00  Pixmania  144.00  Darty.com  144.90  Pixmania ce...  169.99  Compare prices

Samsung ST600 MARCHANDS €     Amazon.co.uk  24.99  Amazon mark...  29.14  Very  179.00  Very  179.00  Amazon mark...  239.00  Amazon.co.uk  301.12  Compare prices

Samsung has unveiled two new members of its family of compact digital cameras with a second screen at the front.  The new ST100 and ST600 share a lot of technical similarities, but look very different thanks to their use of alternative lens technologies: the ST600 has a telescopic zoom, while the ST100 uses a periscopic zoom.

Common Ancestry

It's clear the two new ST cameras share a common ancestry.  First of all there's the 14 Megapixel CCD sensor which has been everywhere in the past few months, but there's also 720p HD video with H.264 compression and Micro SD memory cards.  We had thought that SD cards were now standard on all point-and-shoot cameras, but obviously, life would be too simple if everybody used the same format ...

Both cameras share the same interface, with only a handful of physical controls for the shutter release, zoom, the main power switch and one for the second screen.  Other settings are configured on the 3.5'' touchscreen that we found on the Samsung ST550, while at the front the same 1.8'' display is back and can help with self-portraits, showing the countdown timer or attracting the attention of a young child.

One Big Difference: Two Different Lenses

There is however one very big difference between the ST100 and the ST600, which has a direct impact on their design: they use different lenses, which, of course, also influences the position of the sensor and other equipment.

The ST600 as a 5x telescopic zoom (one that unfolds in front of the camera).  It's the equivalent of a 27-135 mm but is fairly slow (f/3.5 in wide angle, or f/5.9 in telephoto). 

On the other hand, the ST100 has a 5x periscopic zoom, installed vertically inside the camera body itself and relying on a series of mirrors, which allows for a more compact design.  At the front of the camera, all that's visible is a small window at the top corner.  The downside is that there's no wide-angle, with this lens the equivalent of a 35-175 mm f/3.6-4.8.  In general, periscopic lenses often tend to be of lower quality than those with telescopic zooms. 

Our verdict is that this small difference in design will have a big impact on what you use these cameras for, and the ST600's wide-angle means it can be used for a wider variety of photos, including landscapes.

The two new cameras will go on sale in mid-September. 

> Digital Camera Reviews: Choose the Best Compact Camera

> Buyer's Guides: Our Pick of The Best Products