Samsung TL500 10 Megapixel Rotating LCD Digital Camera

Resolution: 10 MP
LCD Size: 3.0"
Shutter: 8 ~ 1/1500 sec
Price: $329 - $429/£299 - £399

Buy Camera in US Samsung TL500 10 Megapixel Rotating LCD Digital Camera

Review

The TL500 is a middle-of-the-road digital camera might appeal to the user who's on his way to a professional model but is not quite ready to make the investment yet. There are quite a few nice features including a crystal-clear articulating LCD screen, built-in micro-HDMI port, and an internal flash with a 5.2m range.

This camera was also Samsung's first legitimate foray into the compact class; they did a nice job maintaining a sleek design that is relatively light weight, albeit bulky as a pocket camera. Also, some of their control placements are a bit clumsy and nonintuitive. It certainly took a little bit of use for us to get comfortable with the layout.

In terms of picture quality we were very disappointed in the difference between JPEG and RAW formats. Like most compacts, the TL500 had significant noise issues at higher resolutions. We were also disappointed by the limitations on video. Overall the TL500 would be a pretty good choice in the compact class if it weren't for its cost. The one saving grace here is the fact that prices have fallen since its release date some two years ago.

Advantages: high-res OLED display; excellent performance in low light conditions; Smart Auto mode.

Disadvantages: inconsistent picture quality; poorly placed controls; poor video; too expensive for a compact with so few features.

Price and Availability: available worldwide; US price: $329-$429; UK price: £299-£399

Release Date: February 20, 2010 (UK); September 1, 2010 (US)

Ratings:

Megapixel Count 3/5
Lens 4/5
Shutter Lag & Sensor Size 3/5
Flash 4/5
Memory Card 5/5

Overall Rating: 3.8/5

Basic Specifications:

Resolution: 3648 x 2736 (10mp)
Kit Lens: Schneider 24mm wide angle lens
View Finder: N/A
LCD Size: 3"
ISO: auto, 80, 100, 200, 400, 800, 1600, 3200
Shutter: 8 ~ 1/1500 sec.
Max Aperture: F1.8 - F2.4
Dimensions: 114 x 63 x 29 mm (4.5 x 2.5 x 1.1 in)
Weight: 10.8 oz (not incl. battery)
MSRP: £399 (Feb. 2010)
Availability: worldwide

Detailed Specifications:

General Information: an articulating 614K AMOLED display does a good job at framing; the Schneider-KREUZNACH lens is also very good for this class.
Image Sensor: high sensitivity CCD, 10 mp
Image Capture: JPEG, RAW, DCF, EXIF 2.21, DPOF 1.1, PictBridge 1.0 formats; 7 res options
Video Capture: H.264 (MP4) format; 640x480 @30fps
Optics: optical zoom 3x; focal length 24-72mm; F no. F/1.8-2.4
Auto Focus: yes; Smart Auto, optical image stabilization, digital image stabilization
Display: 3" AMOLED articulating display
Exposure and Flash: +/- 2EV (1/3 EV steps); built-in flash 5.2m range
Image Storage: internal 22M; external SD/SDHC
Connectivity: USB 2.0, micro-HDMI, video out NTSC, PAL
Power: SLB-11A rechargeable Lithium-Ion battery (1130mAh)
Software: N/A

Buy Camera in US

Samsung TL500 10 Megapixel Rotating LCD Digital Camera

Review

Basic Specifications:

Detailed Specifications:

More Samsung Digital Camera Reviews