Samsung MV800 review
Image and video quality are nothing special, but a clever design and lots of fun shooting modes make it an attractive camera for social media addicts
Specifications
1/2.3in 16.0-megapixel sensor, 5.0x zoom (26-130mm equivalent), 140g
Whether image quality is up to scratch depends on your expectations. The huge 16-megapixel resolution is overkill for a compact camera, and inspecting photos up close revealed smudged textures, soft focus towards the corners and chromatic aberrations giving discoloration around high-contrast lines. These problems weren’t particularly noticeable once photos had been resized to fit a computer screen, though. Low-light shots without the flash looked grainy and smudged on close inspection but were good enough for Facebook-sized shots.
Image quality in bright light is the right side of acceptable – click to enlarge
Indoor videos were less forgiving, though, with smudged details and fizzing noise in shadows. Outdoor clips were much better, and the optical zoom worked smoothly and quietly. The 720p resolution is disappointing, though – we expect 1080p at this price.
Low light shots don’t stand up to scrutiny but at small sizes they do the job – click to enlarge
Image and video quality fall far short of the standards set by our favourite compact camera, the Canon Ixus 230 HS. However, for those who only ever post pictures to Facebook – and who take lots of self-portraits – the MV800’s hinged screen and plethora of fun shooting modes may hold more of an appeal. Picture quality is only a little better than from a good smartphone, but the 5x zoom lens gives it a distinct advantage over any phone-based camera. The only thing holding it back from a higher rating is the price. If and when the price falls to around £150, we’d be happy to recommend it.
Basic Specifications | |
---|---|
Rating | *** |
CCD effective megapixels | 16.0 megapixels |
CCD size | 1/2.3in |
Viewfinder | none |
Viewfinder magnification, coverage | N/A |
LCD screen size | 3.0in |
LCD screen resolution | 288,000 pixels |
Articulated screen | Yes |
Live view | Yes |
Optical zoom | 5.0x |
Zoom 35mm equivalent | 26-130mm |
Image stabilisation | optical, lens based |
Maximum image resolution | 4,608×3,456 |
Maximum movie resolution | 1280×720 |
Movie frame rate at max quality | 30fps |
File formats | JPEG; MP4 (AVC) |
Physical | |
Memory slot | MicroSDHC |
Mermory supplied | 10MB internal |
Battery type | Li-ion |
Battery Life (tested) | 200 shots |
Connectivity | USB, micro HDMI |
HDMI output resolution | 1080i |
Body material | aluminium |
Lens mount | N/A |
Focal length multiplier | N/A |
Kit lens model name | N/A |
Accessories | USB cable |
Weight | 140g |
Size | 56x93x22mm |
Buying Information | |
Warranty | one year RTB |
Price | £190 |
Supplier | http://www.jessops.com |
Details | www.samsung.com/uk |
Camera Controls | |
Exposure modes | auto |
Shutter speed | auto |
Aperture range | f/3.3 (wide), f/5.9 (tele) |
ISO range (at full resolution) | 100 to 3200 |
Exposure compensation | +/-2 EV |
White balance | auto, 5 presets, manual |
Additional image controls | N/A |
Manual focus | No |
Closest macro focus | 5cm |
Auto-focus modes | multi, centre, flexible spot, face detect, tracking |
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, smile detect |