 Versatile Super-Zoom Digital Camera |
| Review Date: May 29, 2009 |
| Reviewer: Eagle Vision, Southeastern United States |
PROS
HDMI connection terminal
In-camera cropping
In-camera trimming of video clips
10x optical zoom
Lightweight
Crisp viewing from LCD
CONS
No dedicated battery charger
Unusual placement of flash adjacent to grip
Short charging cable (2 feet)
Average sound quality for a camera but below average for someone looking for a camcorder
INTRODUCTION
I am a casual user who prefers size, convenience and function over versatility of SLR cameras. I have been using digital cameras since the 1.2 MP era in the late 1990s. My most recent camera prior to this model was the Panasonic Lumix TZ-5 with 9 MP and 10x optical zoom.
WHAT IS IN THE BOX?
Camera
User manual
AC adapter
Rechargeable battery
Audio Video Cable
Carrying Strap
CONSTRUCTION
The metallic body has a black matte finish with a grip on the right side. The grip is textured which decreases the chance of slipping from my hand. It is slightly heavier than my TZ-5 and really requires two handed operation to keep it steady.
On the top of the camera, there is a power button, speaker, zoom lever, and mode dial. The flash is on the same side as the grip which is something that you need to be congnisant of when using flash. In the bottom of the unit, there is a centrally placed tripod unit which is more stable than eccentric placement that I have had on other cameras. The Battery chamber holds the battery and memory card. The back of the camera has a nice vivid color screen, a multidirectional keypad, command lever, function/delete key, play button and effect button. On the right side of the unit a USB, AV and DC terminal are located towards the top.
The command lever allows for custom exposure control, ISO/white balance and Aperture/shutter speed.
The unit has 21 MB of internal memory and is guaranteed to work with up to 8 GB. The built in memory does not allow for more than 5 photos at the highest resolution.
OPERATION
Setup of the camera is easy and intuitive. You initially set up the camera by entering your language (English, Korean, French, German, Spanish, Italian) and the Time and date.
I set my command lever for white balance but you can also set it for exposure levels.
Operation of the camera includes full automatic mode, program mode, manual mode, Scene, beauty shot , movie and smart auto. There are a few scene modes including landscape, self shot, children, beach/snow, and fireworks, just to name a few. The mode is set by using the control dial at the top of the unit. What I like about this camera over my Panasonic Lumix TZ-5 is that the dial actually locks into place, as opposed to inadvertently switching me to another mode (big advantage in my opinion). Beauty shot mode allows you to clear facial imperfections (this is the first that I have experienced something like this).
This camera has good low light sensitivity with both video and photographs.
This camera uses an SDHC card up to 32 GB. With a 1 GB card, you can take 404 pictures at the highest resolution or 780 photos at 5 MP. At the highest quality movie, you can record 8 minutes 20 seconds at 1280 HQ, 30 Frames per second.
Battery life by the manufacturer is about 140 minutes for stills only and 125 minutes for movie mode, so I recommend a second battery for backup when travelling or taking videos of your child's rehearsal, for example. Unfortunately, this has no supplied battery charger, so you have to plug the camera into the wall.
The glossy LCD screen is comprehensive showing icons for remaining battery life, shots remaining on camera, metering, ISO, color saturation, date/time, flash status, zoom level, and histogram (there are other functions revealed but I mentioned what I feel are important). The quality of the images viewed on the LCD is vivid and crisp.
The camera can take 1.5 frames per second in high speed mode or one picture at a time, aside from the continuous and motion capture mode (6 shots per second for 5 seconds).
Image stabilization is good but there are times that I would still get motion blur.
There seems to be a long refractory time between photographs when flash is being used. Shutter lag is average to other point and shoot cameras that I have used.
PHOTOGRAPHY
Photographs are stored in JPEG, EXIF, DPOF. Color effects include normal, black and white, sepia, red, green, blue, negative and custom color.
Recharging time for the battery is about 5 seconds when freshly charged.
Viewing photos by normal display or thumbnails is intuitive. I like the ability to crop the photo within the camera - it's like having a built in photo-editor. You can also view photos by slide show, which I use to play back when we go on trips.
Shutter speed on automatic mode runs from 1/8 to 1/1,500, on program mode from 1 to 1/1,500, manual from 16 to 1/1,500. ISO equivalents are from 80 to 3200.
VIDEO
The video mode allows for zooming while filming. Zoom is smooth in transition.
Video is stored in MP4 (H.264(MPEG4.AVC). Audio is saved as a WAV file.
Video clips are set by determining your image size from 1280x720 HQ to640x480 to 320x240. Maximum recording time per clip is 29 minutes. Frame rate can be set based upon resolution. Videos can be recorded with or without sound.
Sound quality from the microphone is decent but not as sensitive as a conventional camcorder.
A nice feature of the movie playback is the ability to trim clips, if they are longer than 10 seconds. So in-camera processing is relatively painless.
PLAYBACK ON TELEVISION
Image size for playback includes 1080i, 720p, 480p, and 576p.
SOFTWARE
System recommendations for the USB support on Windows:
Pentium III 800 Mhz
Windows 2000/XP/Vista
Greater than 1 GB
MS Direct X 9.0 C
The recommendations for USB support on Mac:
Power Mac G3 or later
Mac OS 10.3 or later
110 MB hard drive space
>512 MB RAM
The software is rudimentary allowing for photo organization, inserting text, effects, narrations, and music files to a movie clip. It is not quite a full featured program like iMovie on my Mac.
CONCLUSION
Overall, this is a powerful camera for its relatively compact size. Its limitations for video include low sensitivity for the microphone and just an average shutter lag.
Highly recommend for an all purpose camera and casual videography.
UPDATE June 13, 2009
I was at the beach last weekend and I took a picture of the clouds. With the 12 Megapixel resolution, I was able to zoom into the picture and see very good detail of people (who were in the distance). So even though you probably would not print a 30x40" picture, you can zoom in and crop small details of your photograph. I have also found that using the in-camera crop feature, that I can edit out 'bystanders' in photos without having to resort to Photoshop Elements. |
Great Results and GREAT Customer Service from Amazon
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| Review Date: July 9, 2009 |
| Reviewer: Randal Gibson, Tampa, FL USA |
I bought the Samsung HZ15W for its small size, high megapixels resolution, large LCD screen, and wide-screen 720p movie recording ability. Plus there were some pretty good reviews concerning this camera's picture quality. I took the camera on a vacation to Las Vegas and I am very pleased with the 9 megapixel 16x9 pictures that I took and the 1280 x 720 movies with 10x smooth zooms. Pictures and movies shot in low light and night-time situations turned out better than I believed possible.
THE SOUND OF ZOOM
One of the reviews for this camera complained about the fact that you can hear the zoom when recording movies with sound. Yes you can but there are three options available when recording movies. You can record with no sound at all, sound at all times, or you can automatically have sound muted when you use the zoom feature. With a movie editing program on your computer you could then cut and paste a length of background sounds from the rest of your movie to cover the zoom sound or the muted portion of your movie, depending on your settings.
SHUTTER BUTTON AND GREAT CUSTOMER SERVICE
As soon as I got this camera I knew something was weird with the functioning of the shutter button. I would press the shutter button half way and nothing would happen - no pre-focus or focus lock. And, sometimes when I pressed the shutter button all the way down the camera would not take a picture. I would sometimes have to press the shutter button 2, 3, or 4 times before the camera would take a picture. Despite this obvious problem, I took a lot of very good pictures and movies in Vegas. I also got a chance to try this model camera in a store where I discovered that my camera was definitely acting abnormally with the shutter button.
When I got home, I accessed the Amazon website and reported that I wanted to exchange the camera for a new one of the same model. I filled out a web page and was able to print out a return authorization and a UPS shipping label to return my defective camera. I was given notice that my return request would be processed within three business days and that I would receive an email telling me if my request was accepted. Also, as long as I returned the defective camera within 30 days, there would be no charge involved.
This request was made on a Sunday. The following Wednesday, just three days later, I was shocked to receive a new camera in the mail. I hadn't even checked my email yet to see if I should return my old camera. The new camera does have a correctly working shutter button and my old camera will be dropped off at the local UPS store tomorrow. Amazon just solidified a customer for life with their incredible customer service.
Imagine a company that sells products you can't get locally, provides informative customer reviews for those products, and then provides the best customer service possible. Amazon.com is the best. Keep up the good work Mr. Bezos.
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The "down to earch point and shoot pics and vids" review
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| Review Date: September 8, 2009 |
| Reviewer: Tom P, |
I have had a few weeks to get familiar with and use my new HZ15W in a variety of situations. I must say that I am very, very pleased with this camera. I come from using the Canon Elph Line of digital cameras, which I was really happy with. My wife lost my SD1100 and my kids destroyed the SD700IS (dropped it one time too many. That thing had been flushed down a toilet, kicked, dropped and bounced for 5 years before it died. Excellent camera)
Key Highlights:
Simple to use Smart Auto and Auto modes. Smart Auto adds to the normal auto settings by selecting the scene type. As expected, it is not 100% perfect every time, but usually selects the right scene 98% or more of the time. For example, I zoomed in on a flower about five feet away, it automatically switched to macro mode and took a very detailed close up shot. Very cool. When clicking shots of my kids tubing on Lake Michigan over the weekend and "zoomed out" it, switched to landscape mode and took a beautiful shot of them on the water with the huge lake in the background. Zoomed in further on the kids it took a "normal" shot.
HD Video - My camcorder days are 100% over. The Canon's took OK regular video, but the files were too large and a 3x zoom just didn't cut it. The Samsung takes beautiful HD video and the 10x zoom is liveable (I would love a 30x optical, but I know that is not reasonable). At first the videos played very slow on my computer, but an upgrade to my ATI Radeon x1950 video drivers fixed that. Absolutely gorgeous video by my everyday user standards, but indoors and out. (The video driver problem is common for MP4 files on PC's, this is not a Samsung issue. Plenty of google search results on people with MP4 playback problems on Windows boxes. Upgrading video drivers and using a good player like VLC media player is the most recommend fix).
What the camera is not:
Super small and light for those who want to keep it in a shirt pocket. It can be pocketed, but it is heavy and you will have the "big rectangle" shape if it is in a front pants pocket. If you don't mind it clanking around and knocking your leg, cargo shorts worked OK. For me, I don't want the camera to be small and stuck anywhere...in my house that means it gets lost a lot. This camera is being kept in a case and tracked much more closely than the others. No kids allowed to touch!
I am somebody who does not like setting camera modes and getting fancy with different settings. The most I do is change the flash mode. If you are a user who likes good looking photos at a good price and wants to shoot HD video in the latest format (MP4), have a powerful zoom, and don't care about it being super tiny, then this is a camera for you. I also suggest you look at the package deals on the other Amazon sellers. For only a few bucks more I got a spare battery, case, and 8GB card.
Tom |
Excellent results with this camera
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| Review Date: May 31, 2009 |
| Reviewer: Matthew K. Morgan, Ruther Glen, VA USA |
The Samsung HZ15W Digital Camera is a relatively new entry in the digital camera market and it boasts a very impressive set of features right out of the starting gate. I wondered if the promise this camera shows is too good to be true, so I spent some time getting to know it and learning how to use it. After testing for several days I can say that this camera delivers on every promise it makes.
Rather than talk about every single feature this camera brings to the table, I will specifically address the features that set it apart from others. Almost every digital camera has review, delete, shutter speed settings, etc. so there is no need to discuss what comes standard.
The Samsung is a slightly smaller camera than my Canon PowerShot A630, due to the fact that it uses a small, square rechargeable battery, whereas other cameras with which I have worked (including my Canon) rely on bulky disposables or AA batteries of some form. Because the battery requires little space, Samsung has designed the camera body to be slightly thicker on one side, making holding the camera easier. The battery cam be charged with the included USB cable connected to a computer or using a travel charger (there was one in the box). Charging up completely takes approximately 3 hours.
The camera body itself is very solid and feels sturdy. It feels a little more substantial that my Canon, to be truthful.
With the battery in and a memory card inserted, I was shocked when I powered on the camera. After the initial set-up (language, date/time, etc.), the camera is ready for use and has an enormous LCD screen. The screen is very bright, clear, and it accurately replicates the colors of the target at which the camera is pointed. That said, it does compensate for light levels so what is displayed may be a little off in lower-light conditions, which is acceptable. There is plenty of information that can be displayed about the current mode on the screen without cluttering the display.
There are several modes in which this camera may be set, and four of them should prove useful to most users. Smart Auto is a good place to start for most users, as it does a very good job of automatically adjusting itself for most situations. When set in this mode you can watch the camera auto-focus. The digital zoom does not seem to be activated in this mode (more on the digital zoom shortly). Another helpful mode is the regular Auto which allows a little more control. Beauty Shot does a smoothing effect to compensate for blemishes on the target (which may or may not work out quite as you'd like). Dual IS mode adjusts for motion and light levels. There are other modes for various purposes, but these are the ones most likely to be useful right out of the box with minimal interaction.
There is a movie mode too, and to be honest I have not tried it. I never have used the movie mode on my Canon either. That said, it is convenient to have the feature at the ready without carrying a separate camcorder.
This camera is the first I have ever seen with a 10X digital zoom. I decided to try it out and took a couple of shots in the neighborhood. I was stunned at how excellent the results were - signs that were absolutely unreadable at a distance could be read clearly in the resulting snapshot. The camera adjusted for the distance better than I ever imagined. Now, that said, at that distance motion must be factored in. It is difficult to hold a camera steady and get a good shot when trying to get a distance shot like that, so I'd recommend using a tripod for that. With a steady camera, the 10X zoom is a HUGE feature and makes the camera worth its salt.
Another remarkable feature is the photo touch-up capability, built right in. When reviewing shots taken, you can apply several filters, such as red-eye reduction, blemish removal (soften), and even switch to black and white. I have never seen this kind of functionality built right into a camera. I tried some of the filters and they work well, though I personally prefer using external software on the computer.
This is a 12.2MP camera. For the average user that may be higher than necessary. So, the camera gives the ability to drop the resolution. I set mine to 5MP - perfect for my uses. It can be set higher or lower than that, as needed.
In looking at the resulting snapshots I have taken, the camera has delivered very consistently high quality images that faithfully reproduce the colors of the target. Some camera do not get this right and add a purple tinge, wash out the photo or even over-adjust the light. Not so with this camera - it has been accurate every time.
I have found two minor flaws in the design of this camera. First, the LED associated with the power button is so bright that it casts a blue glow on the ceiling when in a dark room. Some people may find it distracting. The second, more serious flaw is the placement of the flash. It is on the right side in close proximity to the snap button, and if not paying attention the user can very easily cover the flash with a finger, which may result in a less than optimal photo. Both of these flaws are minor and can be overcome with some attentive care, but it is unfortunate that these mar an otherwise perfect product.
Samsung's HZ15W is a truly remarkable and amazing digital camera. It has a very generous feature set, produces very accurate results and even makes more difficult shots easy. This camera deserves serious consideration when looking for a high-quality digital camera, especially when looking in its price range. This camera is simply outstanding, in spite of a couple of minor design issues. |
This Little Camera is Awesome!
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| Review Date: July 14, 2009 |
| Reviewer: K.C. Cole, Atlanta, GA USA |
My previous camera was (is) a Kodak EasyShare Dx which I have owned for a number of years and liked quite a bit. I knew it was time for a change though, since the Kodak is only 6.1 megapixels, and I wanted to see if doubling the pixel count would actually make a difference. The Samsung HZ15W performed light years ahead of my current camera for obvious reasons:
*12MP versus 6.1MP
*10X optical Zoom versus 3X
*Digital Image Stabilization versus NONE
*3 inch LCD versus 2.2 inch LCD
To sum it up, I stepped up in a big way. The camera takes great pictures in many lighting situations with the exception of low light situations. This is not a deal breaker for me, since the Kodak didn't fare that much better, but did have a low light auto focus and shutter speed selections for low light. There is hardly any noticeable lag between snap and shutter closure.
Smart Auto and Movie mode are where this camera shines. You will make GREAT HD video with the movie mode, and the provided image stabilization will make you look like a pro to your family. The Smart Auto mode will allow you to take photos with minimal involvement. This mode is the one to use if you have just purchased the camera and want to use it out of the box.
Overall, I am pleased with my new Samsung. It is a definite improvement over my old Kodak, and definitely a keeper. |
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December 10th, 2009 | 
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