My Review of the Samsung SL720 12.2MP digital camera

I've been testing out my brand-spanking-new Samsung 12.2MP digital camera. And I am really, really digging how AWESOME it is! I mean, I was literally speechless at the detail of the pictures, especially the close-up (macro) pictures.

Things I like about my new camera:
It has a literal metric tonne of features for a point-and-shoot. I'll never program the damn thing. I just wanted a camera that wasn't as fussy as my previous Samsung, which this one is. It takes relatively blur-free pictures in unfavorable lighting conditions. That pleases me. The camera takes pictures fast, even when the specifications are turned up all the way with maximum megapixel rating. The view screen is big and fast. It can even record video in high-def, and even allow the user to zoom while recording. That is pretty hard to find in a point-and-shoot camera. Did I forget to mention it has a ton of features, firing modes, and settings. Yeah...

Things that are weird about my new camera:
Since this camera has a wide-angle lens, it yields a subtle reverse fish-eye effect on the view screen. Objects framed in the center of the screen look farther away than objects closer to the edge of the screen. It isn't too distracting, though. Start-up time isn't bad at all but it just "feels like" the camera could boot-up quicker than it already does.

Things I don't like about my camera:
No piece of technology is without flaws. This sweet camera is no exception. First, my biggest gripe is with the battery. The camera uses a proprietary battery pack. I was trying to avoid anything proprietary, but I guess technology is heading into that direction -- whether the user likes it or not. The camera didn't even include a battery pack recharger. That means the whole camera, with the battery inserted, has to be hooked up to a proprietary USB cable connected to a computer; or, attached to that USB cable connected to an included outlet plug. Secondly, the LCD screen is so big, it pushes the tiny buttons close together to one side of the camera. I believe it shouldn't require too much concentration to access the buttons. Finally, Samsung didn't even include a camera pouch. I got a camera pouch with my Digimax A7, so why didn't I receive one with this SL720? Come on, Samsung, throw me a bone here.

Overall:
I really like this camera. Like I said above, the proprietary battery non-sense is annoying. However, the features are overflowing and the camera is snappy so I got myself a really great value for my dollar. 4 out of 5 stars.

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