Samsung's
TL500. We caught the bright, bulky beast bristling at
PMA in front of a miniature 3D model of the Taj Mahal enclosed within a shadowy cube. The articulating display was indeed quite luminous, and as you can see from the sample shot, the flash-imbued capture is quite nice -- same can't be said sans flash in this instance, though. As for the TL350, we're always a fan of the analog dials for battery and storage, and the 1,000 frames per second video recording was quite the treat. That said, at 138 x 78 resolution, it's not practical, but the in-between burst shoots do lend themselves to some fun party tricks. Hardware shots just below, TL500 sample shot after the break.
Composite sample shot from TL500 -- left side with flash, right side without. Taken in Auto mode, no adjustments to levels or color balance made.
posted February 21st 2010 6:24PM
Looks smexy.
@Nitesh
Not nearly as much as my (red) Lumix GH1.
But how can they pretend to sell it at about the same price as the Lumix GF1
Moreover at that price point this Samsung thingy it is probably one the worst cameras one could possibly choose: just look at the Fuji Film FinePix S200 or the s2000HD or even the s1600 and s1500 (which beside being much better happen to cost a fraction ) or at the new Nikon and Canon micro 4/3 hitting the shelves in the spring.
500$ lately can buy quite a decent camera.
Personally I know that I will stay faithful to my beloved GH1 for many years to come.
@Nitesh
Indeed it does, too bad that silly VGA video spoils it.
@Nitesh
I like the white GF1 but there's definitely something about brushed metal that gives it the industrial look i like. Kinda like comparing the zune to the ipod touch. The touch is so rounded. The sharper lines of the zune looks much better.
Anyone knows if that ring around the lens turns? And if so, is it possible to hook zoom or aperture, etc. to it?
@Atkins uhh, as a g10 and a gf1 owner, you are wrong about build quality. if anything, id say they are equal. they are both built like tanks. i will give you that the g10 can take some great shots, but i got the pancake lens for the gf1 and im taking indoor shots without a flash at iso 400. thats impressive. plus, with the g10 its very hard to achieve depth of field to really concentrate on your subjects. i dont even touch the g10 anymore (maybe i will to take some product shots when i try to sell it).
Looks nice but the price is a little high.
@mynameisjay
It's only expensive if you aren't in the market for a premium P&S compact. My last 3 P&S (over 10 years) were $400-$500.
@MacBandit
At this price range I'd rather get an entry level SLR or something like the very nice Canon G11 for ~$50 more. I suppose if you must have something super-thin and a fast lens on a point and shoot (seriously?) it would fit the bill... maybe. Drop the price a bit, and then you might have a nice deal.
Looks nice. I know from experience that price will surely go down a month or so after it's released.
@mynameisjay
Wow? really?! You mean the price of newly released electronic devices goes down over time?
Thank you so much for your insight, Captain Obvious.
[/dickish sarcasm]
Wow. These new cameras look so sexy.
Engadget is missing the best part of this camera. It's a compact with a f/1.8 lens. That's incredible! This camera will be a low-light master among its compact peers.
@yikesmoose While I see what you're talking about, and I do think that is an interesting development (concentrating on better optics), F/1.8 is still not that great an aperture with a sensor that size. http://www.cambridgeincolour.com/tutorials/digital-camera-sensor-size.htm
Crop factor has to be factored in not only when calculating focal length, but also aperture.
@bernardos70 It's a great aperture when you compare it to what other ultracompact (0.6"-0.8" thick) cameras offer. The standard is f/3.5 and sometimes you see f/2.8. Never do you see f/1.8 in an ultracompact. Never. That alone makes it a breakthrough. Your link is great and information-rich. Thanks for sharing. And yes, an ultracompact's crop factor isn't going to yield the same results as a camera with a larger image sensor. But who in the world is going to compare an ultracompact to SLR sensors? They're two completely different beasts.
@yikesmoose I'm sorry. This camera is 1.14" thick, so it can't be classified as an ultracompact, rather it's a compact. However, my previous comment is still valid about its class-leading aperture setting.
Only the lens
@decalfx Or in my case the Dell mini 5!
Love the look of the TL500, but wonder what it feels like in the hand - is the body all/mostly metal? There's something about the look of the camera that reminds me of a cross between the Sony DSC-V1 and the Sony DSC-V3.
From the specification, it looks like a good challenger to Panasonic's LX3 premium compact - can't wait to see what the reviews have to say about it, as am considering getting a new prosumer compact in the coming months.
@decalfx Drop the iPad!
I think I can deal with a slight lower Image quality over Canon S90 and Panny LX3(and their subsequent updates) because of the nice articulating screen on the TL500.
Kind of wish the TL500 had that nice analog dials of the TL350.
A very appealing camera. However, my experience with a Canon that has an articulated LCD makes me think Samsung would've done better to spend development resources on adding a good optical viewfinder and improving low-light performance.
BTW, improving low-light performance doesn't just mean increasing sensitivity and sacrificing sharpness and detail in an effort to eliminate graininess. Better to have some grain in an image that's sharp, detailed and has reasonable color fidelity.
Fortunately there is not only the f/1.8-2.4 lens, but also RAW capability. So even if the JPEG's are overcooked (Samsung typically are), this could be a very good camera with RAW.
Just read some Info on the review, seems like this camera only shoots in a standard SD mode (640x480)... HUGE DISAPPOINTMENT. Such a waste... I hope this is not the full version. At least 720p support would have been nice. What's the use of having a HDMI port without HD video capability?
I'm really curious as to what all the functions on the camera do, since all the PR material is mum on the front wheel, and what appears to be a lens ring like the Canon S90.
Also, did the picture on the LCD screen not auto flip in some instances?
Engadget people, can you tell us if that is a scroll wheel on the back or not? If so, this could be the best compact ever on paper. Two dials for exposure, 3" flip out AMOLED screen and a f1.8 24mm lens. I am boxing up my G11 right now...
Seriously, When is Samsung going to stop copying other companies' technology? (o_o )
@Atkins, That fast lens is definitely a low-light shooting improvement, to the extent that it's sharp and reduces the need for pushing to higher ISO levels.
I'm really liking the TL-350. I'll take it in a color other then silver though.
Trying to decide between this and the S90, some comparison pics would be nice. I started a pro/con list about it http://www.proconlists.com/list/consumer-electronics/samsung-tl/27
@thejackel777 I returned my new S90 after about 50 shots due to the dreaded 'lens error'. Definitely do your research on 'lens error' before buying the S90...as well as any cannon. Now awaiting this samsung TL500.
Everyone seems to be forgetting the f1.8 on this camera; which itself makes it significantly better than an LX3 or other P&S cameras on the market!