By Mr. R. Mclachlan “Richard” (Ipswich, Suffolk)

I recently bought a near cousin of this as a happy snapper camera (the S850) while in Germany. The only difference is the number of pixels which is 8MP rather than 10MP. They appear to be otherwise identical.


There are normal batteries in the box but the manual says that you can and should use NiMH rechargables, which I did and a pair last for hundreds of shots. Nowadays sets of AA NiMH batteries with capacities above 2000 mAh can be found really cheaply - my local Aldi in England had them for £2.50 for 4, and Saturn in Germany usually have sets of 4 for 2.99 Euros.The picture quality on my mere 8 MP model is stunning - as good as my Sony 828 and Fuji S3 Pro with Nikon lenses - but the camera is much smaller lighter, cheaper and fits in a pocket. Better than I need for happy snaps. I wish I’d seen this 10 MP model 3 weeks sooner.

The big screen on the back is great for reviewing the results, but not a lot of help when composing a picture in bright sunlight, so 1 star off the rating.

By Bernard Morey (Bulleen, Vic. Australia)

This is my third digital camera. I have an Canon digicam with a 12x optical zoom but I wanted something pocketable to take on bike rides and around town, so the Samsung is an adjunct rather than a replacement. I didn’t want to spend a lot of money but wanted something decent. The Samsung was 1/3 to a 1/4 the price of top brand cameras with similar specifications. The salesman in the electronics superstore sneered and made a disparaging remark when I expressed interest in the Samsung - but I bought it anyway. It exceeds my expectations.

Cons: It is *just* pocketable - lucky I have large shirt and suit pockets. It used the alkaline batteries in the box in about 20 shots but that didn’t worry me as I always intended to use hi-capacity nicads. The power usage is to be expected as it has a large screen and runs off two AA batteries.

The symbols on the buttons and multi-function dial are black (same as the plastic case) and impossible to see in dim light. It is reasonably heavy and does weigh down my pockets.

The auto shake reduction is not a true anti-shake system. It merely increases the ISO and hence shutter speed automatically, resulting in higher noise. Still, you can’t expect electronic or mechanical shake reduction at this price point.

Pros: The camera feels solid and-well made and is comfortable in the hand, The large 3″ LCD takes up most of the back of the camera. The 5x optical zoom is more useful than the usual 3x.

I took identical photos on the Canon and the Samsung. There is no noticable difference between them. Colour rendering and sharpness were perfect. The Samsung in some areas has a greater range of adjustments than the Canon - it is certainly not lacking in manual adjustments. The Samsung doesn’t have a panorama function but this is a minor point as you can still take panoramas and use open-source stitching software. It has a macro function that takes photos to within 1 cm of the lens, i.e., actually touching the lens surround. The flash is quite powerful. The tripod mount is metal rather than plastic.

Summary: An excellent camera that takes quality pictures. It’s not tiny or especially light but it is particularly good value for money.

• Read More About Samsung Digimax S1050

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