Product Review: Samsung DualView Touchscreen Digital Camera

As if I haven’t already said it enough in my Samsung-sponsored giveaway as well as on Facebook and Twitter, the DualView touchscreen digital camera is one of the sexiest, most advanced, and highest quality compact cameras I’ve ever used. This camera – which boasts a 12.2 million pixels per photo {up to 4000 x 3000} resolution, 27mm wide angle lens, high definition video up to 1280×720, and not only a 3.5″ touchscreen on back but also a 1.5″ touchscreen on front – gives you much more to love than just the sleek, clean look that meets the eye. Aside from the shutter, play, power, and zoom buttons, every other control is operated by the touch panel on the back of the camera. I give that one big fat thumbs up!

By just a swipe of the finger, you can scroll through – and even edit, crop, or delete – photos, change your camera settings, switch modes, apply effects, remove red-eye, and even retouch faces! Too much going on in your photo? No problem! Just zoom in and crop it. Took a photo at 12MP but meant it to be 3? Reducing the size of your photos can also be done right there in the camera. One thing I’ve always loved about DSLR cameras is how they blur the surrounding area to enhance the focus of the photo… The DualView will apply the same effect – in any photo with a face, simply select the face(s) you want to concentrate on and BOOM, everything else becomes second fiddle!

Aside from the amazing quality of the photos and the outstanding capabilities of the Samsung ST550/TL225 DualView Touchscreen Camera, there are some bells and whistles included simply for the experience… With Haptic technology, there is a soft vibration effect as the camera processes various commands when you touch the screen, and for your viewing pleasure you may scroll through your photos and select modes simply by tilting the camera. Have you always wished you had more timer options in your camera than 3, 5, or 10 seconds? Your wish is Samsung’s command. You can set your timer to 2 seconds or 10 seconds – alternately, you may choose to have two photos taken – one at 10 seconds and one 2 seconds later OR turn on the motion sensor so that the camera detects movement for up to 6 seconds and snaps the photo when everyone becomes still. Flash functions? Select from none, auto, red-eye reduction, and automatic red eye detection and removal. Sweeeeeet!

{the photo on the right has facial retouch effect applied}

Do you often take pictures with the camera turned sideways? The DualView will detect that and automatically rotate those photos for you. Or not. You choose :) If you are one of those people who hates installing yet another program on your PC just to manage your captures, Samsung has catered to you as well. You can opt to run the IntelliStudio software directly from your camera via USB plug and play. We have all been on vacation or visiting home for the holidays and wanted to show off all the pictures we’ve taken, right? Well, for some things, that massive 3.5″ touchscreen display works wonders… but for sharing shots with a semi-large group of people? Let’s not risk dropping this beautiful masterpiece of digital technology by playing a game of musical camera. Simply plug the camera up to your television and activate its built in slideshow. You can select which photos you want to show, choose the interval between shots as well as the transition effect, and even load your own music to play in the background. As an added bonus, you can even set the slideshow to loop instead of stopping at the end.

And if all that weren’t enough for you, Samsung also lets you control what you see when the camera turns on – the viewing area, their logo, or a custom shot you’ve taken. Isn’t that thoughtful of them? :)

PURCHASING INFORMATION

I’m sure by now you’re drooling and in a trance-like state reciting the chant, “Must have cameraaaaaa… Must have cameraaaaa…” Be sure to order in time for Christmas! The Samsung ST550/TL225 DualView Touchscreen Digital Camera is available in a variety of online stores and retails at $349.99 or can be purchased through Amazon.com for around $300 – mine arrived from Amazon.com with standard shipping within 6 days of order placement.

WEBSHOW RECAP:

DISCLOSURE:

I RECEIVED NO MONETARY COMPENSATION FOR MY REVIEW. SAMSUNG PROVIDED ME WITH ONE UNIT WHICH BECAME MY SOLE PROPERTY AND ONE UNIT TO HOST A GIVEAWAY ON MY BLOG. THE HONEST OPINIONS EXPRESSED HEREIN ARE MY OWN.