Samsung SDC-MS21: a new addition to the Miniket line?

You'll have to forgive us, as our Dutch is a bit rusty, but perhaps some of you Netherlands-based folks can help us decipher this new Samsung SDC-MS21 that GadgetZone.nl spotted at IFA. Fortunately, specs can be understood in any language: this one features 6 megapixel, 2.5-inch screen, 3x optical zoom, ISO 1600, MP3 playback, SD card slot, 640 x 480 video at 30 fps. We're also pretty sure that the SDC-MS21 can be used as a voice recorder and a webcam, and also appears to us like it's an upgrade or possibly an addition to the Miniket line that we saw last year. Oh, and one more detail that we were able to glean from hours of pouring over our Dutch dictionaries and grammar books: it's red.

[Thanks, Robert]

[Jan Beckman @ Sep 25th 2006 1:18AM]

I guess your dutch must indeed be rusty it looks like burgundy to me

[Bert Singels @ Sep 25th 2006 1:39AM]

Well I guess your Dutch is good enough, here is my translation for you:

IFA has been a couple of weeks ago now, but we still find in the piles of photos we took gadgets that we haven't seen anywhere else, like this Samsung SDC-MS21: a multifunctional digital camera that also plays mp3's.
The camera has a 6 megapixel CCD, 3x optical zoom and ISO 1600 (High Sensitivity Photo).

The camera can record video at a resolution of 640 x 480 af 30fps in mpeg4 format. Everything is recorded on a SD card. Further uses for the camera include a voice-recorder and webcam functionality.

[ScooterJP @ Sep 25th 2006 2:11AM]

very strange placement of the lens.

[ShredSled @ Sep 25th 2006 3:37AM]

That's the same area where Sony places their lenses.

[zoara @ Sep 25th 2006 6:34AM]

I always find it useful when products have stickers proclaiming features like "Slim & Stylish".

I wouldn't be able to tell whether it was thin or if it looked good without the help of those stickers.

Thanks, sticker-designing guys and girls! You make my life easier!

[LeJupp @ Sep 25th 2006 7:08AM]

I'd love to see a six megapixel image, shot at ISO 1600 through a lense the size of pinhead. This has to be the worst noise generator ever.

[Tony Chang @ Sep 25th 2006 9:46AM]

The lens is placed in the corner of the camera because the light path and mechanicals runs vertically within the camera body, with the CCD/CMOS sensor usually at the bottom of the digi pointing. Typically called "folded optics", it's how the thing can still have optical zoom -- the lens barrel that usually sticks out most cameras (that have optical zoom) is fully contained within the camera body. Pretty much all the flat cameras like this are designed the same way.

Course, the design and size of the optics dictates that the digi will probably only be good for casual snapshot photography, since there will be corner distortion and purple fringing aplenty, a flash useless beyond five feet, and terrible low-light performance.