Samsung drops three new digital cameras

Posted by Al Warmington on Tue 14 Jul 2009

Al Warmington on Samsung's new line of 12MP snappers

It’s time for the bi-annual digital still camera upgrade and according to our inboxes, it’s Samsung’s turn. The tech giant has rolled out three fresh snappers for your viewing pleasure, the ES17, the PL55 and the PL70.

Unusually, all three provide 12 megapixel sensors, which instantly ruins the traditional method of telling them apart. But as we all know, the megapixel count – much like men’s shoe sizes – is not a great measure of the quality within.

Topping the new selection is the Samsung PL70, which boasts a wide-angle, 5x optical zoom lens, Dual Image Stabilisation and 720p HD recording. The LCD screen is a 3” affair, while the camera counts 11 optimised picture pre-settings to its name, as well as face, smile and blink detection. Owners of this camera will thus have absolutely no excuse for not capturing the most perfectly posed family snaps known to man.

The Samsung PL55 is much the same, albeit with a scaled down feature set. You get same 5x optical zoom, but the lens is a standard 35mm and the video recording is limited to 640 x 480 pixel resolution. The LCD screen is a fraction smaller at 2.7”.

If you’re on the hunt for something more basic, the ES17 could be up your street. As mentioned, it still packs the same 12 megapixel sensor, and you’ve got a 3x optical zoom lens on board. You also get face detection, but the smiling and blinking is your lookout.

However, you do get an in-built Beauty Shot mode that will automatically retouch facial skin tones to make your subjects look less like jaundiced agoraphobics they are, and more like the tanned philanderers they see in their minds eye.

You also get digital image stabilisation and, presumably, a low price tag.

All three cameras are expected on shelves in August, and their coming in a selection of colours, mainly including black, silver, red and pink. Exact prices have yet to be confirmed.

Link: Samsung