Samsung have slammed out the sizzling 10 mega-pixel EX1 snapper with a scorchio lens, aimed at advanced and enthusiast photographers.
The flagship of the company’s compact digital camera family, the EX1 packs in a high-performance imaging sensor with the standout feature being an incredible 24mm f/1.8. ultra-wide angle zoom.
“With the EX1, Samsung further differentiates its line up from the competition and achieves yet another milestone in the industry,” purred Steve Mitchell, General Marketing Manager, Samsung Digital Imaging.
“With ultra-wide angle capability and unparalleled speed, the EX1’s lens offers a new level of versatility allowing the user to be more creative and take better pictures,” he continued, in an insistent manner.
The ultra-fast, f/1.8 lens is coupled with Samsung’s new high-performance 1/1.7” CCD sensor offering a max ISO 3200 at full-resolution, with the updated DRIMeIII imaging processor doing the backroom stuff.
Our favourite camera of last year – Panasonic’s astonishing Lumix LX3 – also features a fast 24mm zoom, and once you get used to capturing big scenes with ultra-wide lens, even a 28mm lens feels restrictive.
The Samsung steals a march on the Lumix with its three-inch, super-swiveling AMOLED screen, offering a higher contrast ratio, deeper blacks and more accurate, vivid colours, with the lower power consumption promising an improved battery life.
There’s also Samsung’s Dual Image Stabilisation technology on-board to shun the shakes and banish the blurs.
Shooting modes
In line with its pro-pleasing aspirations, the The EX1 supports RAW and offers full shutter‑priority, aperture‑priority and full Manual shooting modes, as well as Samsung’s Smart Auto 2.0 (Still & Movie) scene recognition technology.
Movie what?
Rather surprisingly, when it comes to video recording, the EX1 can only muster a decidedly old school 640×480 / 30fps / H.264 which seems hopelessly outdated when you consider the two year old LX3 can shoot HD video at 16:9 aspect ratio at 1280 x 720 pixels at 24fps, and 848×480 at 30 fps.
Priced around £399.99, the Samsung should be shimmying into the stores come April.
We’re certainly digging the looks and we’re swooning over the fast lens – but come on Samsung – what were you thinking when you burdened this stylish snapper with such a crappy video mode?
Samsung EX1 Specifications
• 10 megapixels
• 3x optical zoom / ultra-wide 24mm
• 3.0” swiveling AMOLED LCD
• Movie Mode: 640×480 @30fps / H.264
• Size: 114.3mm x 63.2mm x 29.2mm
• Special Features:
– The Bright f/1.8 lens on a compact camera
– 24mm Ultra-Wide-Angle Lens
- 3.0” Swiveling AMOLED
– Dual Image Stabilisation (Optical + Digital)
– Manual Controls: A/S/M
– RAW support
– Smart Auto 2.0 (Still & Movie)
- Large 1/1.7 inch, high sensitivity CCD
– Front Wheel Control
No HD video? Insane!
I can tell you what I believe Samsung was thinking: The camera has specs that already make it very very attractive, so they can allow themselves to first sell these cameras with reduced resolution video. Then, in a year or so, upgrade the video and sell the improved camera again to the same, now addicted, people.
I just bought a Canon sd 3500 is 21.5 f2.85x zoom lens 14.1 megapixels touch screen.
Excellent construction and features. I predict many hours of reliable fun with this camera.
Doug Rosbury
Why don’t the camera manufacturers build a decent compact camera? Something like a rangefinder style, it must have manual and aperture and priority settings. All this at a reasonable price, and not a silly over inflated price. The cameras out at the moment are very poor indeed, with the exception of the fuji x100 this is a nice little camera, but very poor video. Also the price is crazy, it should be about £200 in price, there is no need to be asking £700 for it. IT ALSO must have a VIEW FINDER !
The Fuji x100 is too expensive