Samsung Digimax Pro 815

Conclusion : The Pro815's other big feature is the enormous 3.5-inch LCD that dominates the rear of the camera. It's fairly bright and remains so even on sunny days. It really shines after a day's shooting, where in the comfort of the car or back home, you can use ...

Points forts : 15X zoom, huge screen, rugged design

Points faibles : Poor image quality, sits badly in the hand, lower than average battery life

Conclusion : The Pro815 is a good first attempt by Samsung, but it is missing a few things that would allow it to compete with the big guns. The most practical feature is the 15X zoom, and if that is important to you then this may be a consideration

Récompense : Recommended!

Résumé : Samsung officially announced its first SLR-styled digital camera, the Pro815, an 8 megapixel, 15x zoom model back in June, but it didn't actually arrive until the late autumn. It's targeted at enthusiasts and boasts a lot of 'world firsts' including ...

Points forts : Huge 28-420mm equivalent zoom range with mechanical zoom ring, Excellent edge-to-edge results across the zoom range, Good resolution - especially in raw mode, Fairly light-handed noise reduction at higher ISO settings, Large, bright 3.5-inch screen, ...

Points faibles : Long shutter lag, Focusing can feel slow, 640 x 480 movies at 25 fps maximum clip length of 30 secs, Focus hunts - and often fails - at long end of zoom, especially in low light, JPEG processing doesn't make the most of the lens, smearing of low ...

Résumé : Samsung’s new Digimax Pro815 camera is an interesting beast in several ways, combining the best features of a compact digicam (integrated lens, live preview and video capture) with much of the shooting versatility of a digital SLR. Its black ...

Récompense : Editor's Choice!

Résumé : If you don't fancy changing lenses very often and can compromise on the oddly positioned electronic viewfinder, Samsung's Digimax Pro 815 with its 15x optical zoom should satisfy most enthusiasts and dSLR users looking for a spare camera.

Points forts : Numerous dedicated buttons for different settings ; 15x optical zoom ; 3.5-inch LCD, top color viewfinder display ; mechanical rings for zoom, manual focus and exposure compensation ; dual jog system ; above average battery life ; excellent continuous ...

Points faibles : Bulky and heavy in weight ; handgrip may feel uncomfortable during prolonged usage due to shallow chassis ; no image stabilization but sports a high-speed mode