The new Samsung Digimax V50 is
based on the Digimax
V4, which we tested last year. The basic design of the V4
is recognizable in the body of V50, but the V50 benefits from
some valuable improvements.
This camera offers a 5 megapixel
resolution, and continues the use of the Schneider-Kreuznach 4X
zoom. The body is finished in a champagne colour and while the
front of the camera is metal covered, the back and the cover
doors are made of plastic, in a matching colour.
A small round disk with a raised half serves to improve the hold on the
camera, and when the camera is turned on, a row of blue LEDs between this
disk and the lens, called the Function Lamp, light up.
The top part of the camera bears
the shutter release, and around it sits a control called the "Jog
Dial" which serves to make selections for some of the camera
settings such as aperture and shutter speed.
The 3X optical zoom — augmented by a 5X digital zoom that cannot
be turned off — is controlled by a rocker switch located on the upper
right-hand corner of the camera's back.
In playback, the control also serves
to display thumbnails of
the images that have been captured (9 per screen), or zoom into
an image under review.
Nearby is the Mode dial, and next to it the On/Off switch. The Mode Dial
provides for the selection of one of the 8 capture modes:
The Auto mode lets the
camera select the aperture and shutter speed along with
all other image parameters. Only the image size and quality
can be modified.
The Program mode, while
letting the camera select aperture and shutter speed, allows
the user to configure image quality and size along with
most other image parameters such as metering pattern, exposure
compensation, white balance, CCD sensitivity, colour balance,
sharpness and burst mode.
The A/S/M setting, provides
all the options of the Program mode, but lets the user
select from 3 programs:
Aperture Priority (A) to select
the lens aperture from a range of f2.7, 3.5, 4.0,
4.9, 5.6 and 6.7 at the wide angle end, and f4.9,
5.6, 6.7, 8.0, 9.5 and 11.0 at the telephoto end.
Shutter Priority (S) to select a
shutter speed from a range of 1/2000 sec. to 15 seconds.
Manual Mode (M) to set both aperture
and shutter speed.
This Mode dial position provides
access to any one of three sets of settings preferences
which have been previously saved while the camera is set
to Program, A/S/M or Night
Scene mode.
Indicates the Voice Recording mode
which can capture up to 1 hour of audio recording provided
the card can hold that much.
The Movie Clip mode
records MPEG-4 video at either one of two image sizes (640
x 480, or 320 x 240) and at 30 frames per second with sound
(Mono, 7980 Hz). The length of the recording depends on
the capacity of the memory card in use. Focus and white
balance are established at the first frame, but the exposure
is adjusted as the recording progresses. The optical zoom
is locked at the first frame and the digital zoom is disabled.
The Night Scene mode
makes it possible to select either the shutter speed or
the aperture, or both, or leave everything on automatic.
It offers the same range of settings at the Program and
A/S/M modes but forces the white balance to Auto and the
flash to Off.
The Scene Mode dial position
is the gateway to the camera's 9 scene modes, themselves
selected in the menu:
Portrait mode uses a wide
aperture to blur the background and sets the
flash to red-eye reduction.
This mode, called Children,
acts much like a Sports mode. It allows capturing
fast movement by giving preference to the shutter
speed, setting the autofocus to continuous mode,
and setting the flash to Auto with red-eye reduction.
The Landscape mode accentuates
greens and blues and forces the flash to off.
The Close-up mode activates
the macro mode, forces the zoom to the wide angle
setting, forces the flash to Off, and switches
the autofocus to continuous mode.
The Sunset mode optimizes
warm tones in the image and forces the flash
to Off.
Dawn cools the image tone
and also cuts off the flash.
The Backlight scene mode
forces the flash on to fill in the foreground
shadows.
Fireworks mode permits
access to the longest exposure times and forces
the flash to Off.
The last scene mode, Beach/Snow,
boosts the brightness of the exposure to avoid
a possible underexposure caused by reflective
snow or water, while placing the flash on Auto
mode.
The other controls of the Digimax V50 are all on the back of the camera,
above and to the right of the LCD monitor.
The V50 is equipped with a 2 inch
LCD monitor with 117,600 pixels. The monitor opens out to the
left of the camera to a maximum of 180° and can be rotated
180° towards the front, or 90° towards the back, or folded
onto the back of the camera with the monitor facing out.
The hinged monitor makes it much easier to see the screen and frame shots
accurately, and also offers protection for the surface of the monitor during
transportation.
The optical viewfinder has etched
markings for the AF zone, but no diopter. It is flanked by two
LEDs on the right — the top one serving to indicate focus
as a solid green and no focus by blinking, the lower one for
the flash, becoming solid red when it is charged and ready — and
two buttons on the left:
In the capture modes this button serves
to lock the exposure reading, allowing the user to re-frame
while retaining the exposure settings.
In playback, the button serves to copy one or more images from one
memory card to another as the camera is equipped with 2 slots, one
for SD or MMC cards, the other for Memory Stick Duo (see the Characteristics
section of the review).
When using the Program, A/S/M or the Night
Scene modes, this button serves to focus manually,
but is inactive in all other modes. The button displays
a distance scale on the right side of the screen, and the
Jog dial is used to select the appropriate focus distance.
In playback the button serves to delete
the image currently under review.
The remaining controls are to
the right of the LCD monitor, and the most dominant is the 5-function button,
a multi-direction control that lights up in blue every time it
is pressed.
The 5-function button serves to navigate the camera's menu, while the oval
button at its centre, ,
calls up the menu. Moreover, the four directional arrows provide
additional functions (see further down).
To its left, the top button controls the LCD monitor:
The button cycles the display through 3
modes and then turns it off. By default, the display indicates
all the basic settings of the camera, overlaid on the image.
Pressing the button once clears all indications except
for the focus area off the screen. A second press of the
button flips the monitor's image horizontally — like
a mirror — so it can be used when the screen is facing
front. And a third press turns off the monitor.
In Playback the Display button can be used to overlay some of the
shooting parameters on the screen.
The button labelled S/± opens
a short menu, overlaid on the right side of the monitor,
that serves to access the most commonly needed photographic
settings. Worth noting, this is not a shortcut menu as
the options presented here are not presented in the menu:
Exposure compensation: is available with
the Program and A/S modes and the Children and Portrait
scene modes. Compensation is possible over ±2
EV in 0.5 EV increments.
White Balance: is available in the Program,
A/S/M modes, the Children and Portrait scene modes
and with the Video Clip mode. The options offered are
Auto, Daylight, Cloudy, Daylight Fluorescent, Warm
White Fluorescent, Tungsten (incandescent) and Custom
(user set).
ISO sensitivity, also only when the camera
is in the Program and A/S/M modes, and provides settings
of Auto, 50, 100, 200 or 400 ISO.
Colour balance, available in Program and
A/S/M modes, in the Portrait scene mode and with the
Video Clip mode, makes it possible to vary the saturation
for Red, Green or Blue.
Selection of A, S, or M mode when the Mode
dial is set to A/S/M;
Finally, only one option appears when the camera
is in the Night Scene mode, and it is exclusive to
that mode. It allows setting either the aperture, or
the shutter speed, or both, or leaving both on Auto.
As noted earlier, the multi-direction control called the 5-function button
offers additional functions in the recording modes:
The up arrow can be used to add a voice
annotation up to 10 seconds long to an image immediately
after its capture, or during playback.
The right arrow starts the self-timer which
provides a delay of 2 or 10 seconds, indicated by the Function
lamp. In addition it can also be used to turn on the camera's Remote
Control receiver when the optional remote control is
used.
The down arrow engages the macro mode.
The mode allows the camera to focus on a subject 4 to 80
cm (1.56 inch to 31.2 inches) when the zoom is at the wide
angle end, and 30 to 80 cm (11.7 to 31.2 inches) when it
is set to the maximum telephoto.
And, during video clip playback or during
sound recording playback, the down arrow serves to start
and stop the playback.
The left arrow serves to select the flash
modes: Auto, Auto with Red-eye Reduction, Fill-in,
Slow Synch, Forced Off.
The last external control of the Digimax V50 is on the lower part of the
back, next to the monitor:
Starts the Playback mode, and if the camera
is turned off, holding the button down for a couple of seconds
turns on the camera, placing it directly in playback.
The Samsung Digimax V50 has some interesting features and an
ergonomic design that is, overall, quite good.
However, two components of this design might have been better. First the
placement of the Jog dial is somewhat counter-intuitive and one has a tendency
to push it to zoom. And second, the small cover door for the external connections
of the camera has a tendency to open while the camera is being manipulated.
Compare Prices for Samsung DigiMax V50 Digital Camera Battery Charger (CH-9700)
Introduction
of
the images that have been captured (9 per screen), or zoom 
into
an image under review.
,
calls up the menu. Moreover, the four directional arrows provide
additional functions (see further down).
