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Samsung WB700 review

Our Rating :
Price when reviewed : £178
inc VAT

Comprehensive manual controls and a generous 18x zoom, but it can't compete for image quality or performance

Specifications

1/2.33in 14.0-megapixel sensor, 18.0x zoom (24-432mm equivalent), 203g

http://www.amazon.co.uk
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The 18x zoom may not be record-breaking but it’s still an impressive achievement, stretching from a wide-angle 24mm (equivalent) focal length all the way to a paparazzi-like 432mm. However, in order to achieve this, the WB700 uses just the central 14-megapixel area of its 16-megapixel sensor. This isn’t good news for detail levels, as 1/2.3in, 16-megapixel sensors tend to produce a lot of noise, and the ensuing noise reduction smears details. In the WB700, there isn’t even the small compensation of having massive 16-megapixel photos.

Samsung WB700 sample 6
The WB700 is noisier than its immediate competitors at ISO 1600 – Click on the image to enlarge it

Comparing our studio test shots at ISO 1600, the WB700 was noisier than the 16-megapixel Olympus SZ-30MR and much noisier than the 12-megapixel Nikon S9100. At their slowest ISO speeds, the WB700 still exhibited a little noise and couldn’t match the others for detail levels, especially towards the corners of frames at focal lengths between 50mm and 150mm.

In practice, these issues had little impact in brightly lit conditions, where its photos looked perfectly sharp when resized to fit a computer screen or for normal print sizes. However, the WB700’s disadvantage was more apparent in low-light shots without the flash. Grainy noise dominated darker areas of photos and delicate tones were drained of all colour, giving an unsightly patchwork of coloured and grey blotches.

Samsung WB700 sample 3
Low light performance was unimpressive – Click on the image to enlarge it

The WB700’s videos didn’t make the grade, either, not least because their 720p resolution can’t match the 1080p videos from the Nikon and Olympus cameras. Optical zoom was available while recording but focus was fixed for the duration of clips. That wasn’t a serious problem for wide-angle shots where a wide depth of field meant everything stayed largely in focus, but telephoto videos were often spoiled by inaccurate focus. Image noise was a problem once again, smudging details in bright light and obliterating shadows in low light.

Last year, compact ultra-zoom cameras were much of a muchness in terms of image quality. This year, the situation is reversed. The WB700 is by no means a disaster but – as other camera manufacturers are zooming ahead for image quality – Samsung remains in the slow lane.

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Basic Specifications

Rating ***
CCD effective megapixels 14.0 megapixels
CCD size 1/2.33in
Viewfinder none
Viewfinder magnification, coverage N/A
LCD screen size 3.0in
LCD screen resolution 230,000 pixels
Articulated screen No
Live view Yes
Optical zoom 18.0x
Zoom 35mm equivalent 24-432mm
Image stabilisation optical, lens based
Maximum image resolution 4,320×3,240
Maximum movie resolution 1280×720
Movie frame rate at max quality 30fps
File formats JPEG; MP4 (AVC)

Physical

Memory slot SDHC
Mermory supplied 23MB internal
Battery type Li-ion
Battery Life (tested) 220 shots
Connectivity USB, AV, micro HDMI
HDMI output resolution 1080i
Body material plastic
Lens mount N/A
Focal length multiplier N/A
Kit lens model name N/A
Accessories USB cable
Weight 203g
Size 62x105x33mm

Buying Information

Warranty one-year RTB
Price £178
Supplier http://www.amazon.co.uk
Details www.samsung.com/uk

Camera Controls

Exposure modes program, shutter priority, aperture priority, manual
Shutter speed 16 to 1/2,000 seconds
Aperture range f/3.2-7.3 (wide) f/5.8-7.6 (tele)
ISO range (at full resolution) 80 to 3200
Exposure compensation +/-2 EV
White balance auto, 5 presets, manual, custom
Additional image controls smart filter
Manual focus Yes
Closest macro focus 3cm
Auto-focus modes multi, centre, flexible spot, face detect
Metering modes multi, centre-weighted, centre, face detect
Flash auto, forced, suppressed, slow synchro, red-eye reduction
Drive modes single, continuous, self-timer, AE bracket