With a 14.2 megapixel CMOS sensor, the
Samsung WB 150F comes equipped with an I 8x Schneider Kreuznach, 24-432 mm
optically stabilised lens. Samsung has been turning some heads with their new
range of smartphones and they have managed to keep it up with their cameras as
well. Compared to the other entries in this year's shootout, the WB I 50F is
one of the better-looking cameras. The build quality overall is superior; the
control buttons have small knurls in concentric circles which gives them a
better feel.
Price
$ 235.9
The front panel is simple with a matte
finish and has a lens along with a built-in flash embedded in the handgrip.
This could be an issue at times as one has to be careful not to cover the flash
with their finger while shooting. The camera features a 3-inch LCD display and
720p HD video recording at 30fps and I5fps.
What makes the Samsung stand apart from the
rest in the shootout is that it is the only camera that offers Wi-Fi capability,
which allows users to email photos from any hotspot or share them on social
networks such as Facebook and Picasa. The camera is loaded with several
shooting modes like advanced A/S/M shooting modes for the more experienced
user, auto modes for the beginner, Live Panorama mode and a range of creative
filters and effects.
Features
·
18x Optical Zoom
·
24mm wide-angle lens
·
Built-in Wi-Fi capability
·
Manual mode
·
Smart Filter
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-H100
Price
$ 235.861
The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-H 100 is a
comfortable camera to shoot with and is designed like a Prosumer camera. One of
the main reasons why this mega-zoom has a bigger bulge for the handgrip is
because the camera draws power from four AA batteries. Among the other compact
cameras the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-H 100 is much bulkier in size.
With a 21 x optical zoom, far off subjects
can be captured with ease. The user interface is similar to most Cyber-shot
cameras; which is easy to grasp. The camera is loaded with six main modes,
including a Scene mode, Intelligent Auto, Program Auto, Manual mode, Sweep
Panorama mode and Movie mode which can be accessed by a dedicated mode dial.
Features
·
Super HAD CCD sensor
·
Optical 21xzoom
·
HD video 720p
·
Intelligent Auto
Image Comparison
In this test the images were shot using a
light tent, thus maintaining minimal change in quality of the light using the
camera auto mode. Most of the cameras did well in this category as we were able
to make out the difference when looking at the images adjacently. Fujifilm
FinePix F660 EXR aced this test with its clarity and colour reproduction, and
not to forget the auto white balance, which seemed the closest to the actual
scene. Coming in second was the Samsung WB I 50F which produced consistent
results with an accurate white balance and vivid colours. However, the overall
image quality of the WB I 50F seemed a tad on the softer side.
Night Test
Canon IXUS 125 HS
The images shot under low light conditions
produced a clear image with decent colour reproduction. On magnifying the image
to scale, we noticed low noise on the overall image.
Fujifilm FinePix F660 EXR
Like its predecessor, the F660 has a
Pro-light mode which takes a series of bracketed exposures and merges them
together in camera. The image shot in low light conditions lacked details and
sharpness there was also visible noise. The image in this case was slightly
overexposed.
Nikon Coolpix S8200
Like some of the other cameras in the
shootout, the images shot with the S8200 on the Night Landscape mode took a
series of bracketed shots and merged them in-camera. The overall exposure
maintained by the image seemed good. The white balance and colour reproduction
was fine, though again there was apparent visible noise on the picture which
made it loose its detail and sharpness.
Olympus SP-620 UZ
The image shot on the Olympus using its
Night Scene mode was decent in low light conditions. The white balance seemed
to be accurate and there was little visible noise (except when it was zoomed in
to a 100%). However, the images shot during low light conditions were slightly
soft.
Olympus
SP-620 UZ
Panasonic Lumix DMC-SZI
The images shot using the SZI were a little
overexposed on the Night Scenery mode. The resulting images were soft and
exhibited visible noise at 100% zoom. There was also a lack of detail in all
the images. To compensate for the overexposure, the exposure compensation on
this one can prove to be quite handy.
Samsung WB 150F
The images shot using the WB 150 under low
light conditions was good, and the overall exposure level and white balance
were accurate as well. The images maintained their details and were sharp even
at 100% zoom. There seemed to be some loss in the detail, but much less if
compared to other cameras in the category.
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-H 100
The images shot under low light conditions
using the H 100 were good. They has more contrast as compared to the other
contenders. There was a visible lack in detail and noise on the resulting
image.
Like the previous year, the same frame was
shot using the default night mode of the cameras. As any consumer would want,
we looked into the exposure, clarity of image and colour reproduction. Since it
is a compact camera shootout we weren't really looking for noise or chromatic
aberration, since the average consumer would be aware of all of those things.
As we can see the results, most of the cameras performed quite well. However
upon zooming to 100% scale, we noticed digital noise (grainy effect caused
during longer exposures). The Samsung WB I 50F won this test on account of the
sharpness rendered, colour reproduction, accurate white balance and minimal
noise; the image seemed more pleasing than compared to the others. Coming in
second was the Canon IXUS 125HS, with a clear image, low noise and decent
colour reproduction.
