Samsung launches NX200 and new Smart Cameras

We attended the Samsung Smart Camera launch that was held yesterday at the Rockwell Tent. The event was hosted by none other than Ms. Iya Villania with guest appearances from Ashley Rivera (a.k.a Petra Mahalimuyak), Laureen Uy and Sam YG. Each of them has demonstrated some of the featured smart camera’s functionalities by telling it to the audience themselves or by showing a short video clip. The event featured entry level, mid-range and high end cameras that are affordable but are packed with features.

On the entry level side we have the Samsung ST66 (Php5,990) and Samsung ST77 (Php6,990). The only difference between these two is the OIS (Optical Image Stabilizer) of the latter and the color variants. The ST66 comes in three colors pink, black and lavender while the ST77 comes in purple, red and white.

Here are some photos of the ST66 and ST77 and their specs.

Samsung ST66 and ST77:
Dimension: 90.05 x 52.60 x 16.90 (19.50mm)
Weight: 101g (without the battery)
Display: 2.7” QVGA TFT LCD screen
Image Sensor: 1 / 2.3” CCD Image Sensor, 16MP
Image Stabilization: Digital for ST66 and Optical for ST77
Lens: 5x optical zoom
Shutter Speed: 1/8 – 1/2000 seconds (depending on settings)
Storage: up to 8Gb on SDHC
Battery: 740mAh can charge through MicroUSB 2.0

There are two highly-functional smart cameras on the midrange level, the WB150F and the DV300F. Before we go into the details of each smart cameras, its better if we understand what makes a camera, well, SMART. Here’s how Samsung defines smart camera:

So it’s basically a regular point-and-shoot with WiFi connectivity and other goodies that comes with it. Both the DV300f and WB150f smart cameras boasts features like easy upload to social networking site (FB, YouTube, Picasa and PhotoBucket) and email, PC Auto Back-up (that saves stills wirelessly to the PC), TV link (that lets you broadcast your pictures to a Smart TV) and Remote View finder (that turns your Android or iOS device into a remote that controls your smart camera’s shutter, zoom and pixel quality from up to a meter away).

I’ve personally tried the Remote View finder and it works like a charm. Just download the app on Google Play or iTunes and follow some steps to connect your camera and phone and you’re all set.

Here’s the specs of these two smart cameras.

Samsung DV300F:
Dimension: 95.2 x 56.5 x 18.3 (20mm)
Weight: 120g (without the battery)
Display: 3” 460K dots TFT LCD and 1.5” 61k dots front screen
Image Sensor: 1 / 2.3” CCD Image Sensor, 16MP
Image Stabilization: Optical Image Stabilization
Lens: 5x optical zoom
Shutter Speed: 1/8 – 1/2000 seconds (depending on settings)
Storage: up to 32GB on SDHC and 64GB on SDXC
Battery: 880mAh charge via MicroUSB 2.0

Samsung WB150F:
Dimension: 106.5 x 59.9 x 23.4mm
Weight: 188.2g (without the battery)
Display: 3” 460K dots TFT LCD type screen
Image Sensor: 1 / 2.3” CCD Image Sensor, 14MP effective pixel up to 16MP total
Image Stabilization: Optical Image Stabilization
Lens: Schneider- KREUZNACH 18x Zoom
Shutter Speed: 1/8 – 1/2000 seconds (depending on settings)
Storage: up to 32Gb on SDHC and 64Gb on SDXC
Battery: 1050mAh charge via MicroUSB 2.0

Though both of these devices are equally capable, the DV300f features a secondary 1.5 inch screen at the front which makes taking picture of yourself or with a group a lot easier by lessening retakes. But specs wise, the WB150F definitely packs a stronger punch. These two smart cameras are relatively cheap for its features. The DV300F has a retail price of Php9,990 while the WB150F will retail for Php11,990.

Here are some photos of the DV300F and WB150F.

Lastly on the high end category, Samsung features the CSC (compact system camera) NX200 with 20.3MP APS-C CMOS sensor, ISO ranging from 100 to 12,800 and is capable of recording 1080/30p full HD clips and continuous shooting at 7fps. The Samsung NX200 also has 3” AMOLED screen, so colors and details of photos and video clips are more vivid and crisp. The camera comes with 20-50mm kit lens and can be upgraded to 85m Prime lens for an additional cost.

With a suggested retail price of Php39,990, this is definitely an option if you’re in a search for CSC that can be a substitute of replacement for your SLR. Here are some pictures of the camera and its specs.

Samsung NX200
Dimension: 116.5 x 62.5 x 36.6mm
Weight: 220.4g (without the battery)
Display: 3” VGA 614k dots AMOLED type screen
Image Sensor: APS-C CMOS Image Sensor
Image Stabilization: Lens Dependent
Lens: Schneider- KREUZNACH 18x Zoom
Shutter Speed: 1 / 4000 seconds ~ 30 seconds (depending on settings)
Storage: up to 128Gb
Battery: 1030mAh
Other: GPS (Geo-tagging), Super Sonic Drive Dust Reduction Type, i-Functions, Direct Print System.

Nowadays, taking high-quality pictures is just not enough. It is also equally important to be able to share those stunning photos for the whole world to see. Smart phones are now equipped with cameras that are equally capable if not more capable than some point-and-shoots and has the capability of instantly uploading it to social networking sites. What Samsung is doing is adopting some of the connectivity capabilities of smart phones (Wi-Fi) and putting it on a camera. Thus making the camera smart (in some sense) by giving it an ability to share without the use of a PC. What’s good about it is that these cameras can be yours without hurting your wallet too much.