Canon EOS 7D Digital SLR: 18 Megapixels, 8 FPS, $1700 Canon Adds 3 New Lenses Including EF 100mm f/2.8 L Macro IS USM

Samsung Introduces WB5000, a 12.5 Megapixel, 24x Superzoom, with EVF

0 comments

Posted by Patrick on Sep 1, 2009 in Cameras, Compact

Interested in cameras, photographers, and tutorials? Then consider subscribing to our RSS feed to stay up to date on the latest in photography related news at Neutralday.com

A bit lost in today’s Canon hype, Samsung has quietly released the WB5000, a superzoom offering 12.5 megapixels of resolution, with a 24x zoom good for 26-624mm of focal length. Also catching our eye is an electronic view finder which provides visual access to the WB5000’s interface. The LCD is 3 inches, but lower resolution at just 230k. Finally, the WB5000 is capable of recording high definition video, specifically, 720p at 30 fps in the disc friendly h.264 format.

Press release and images follow.

Samsung WB5000

1st September 2009 : Samsung Digital Imaging, leaders in innovation and digital technology, today announced the launch of the WB5000 – a camera which offers photography enthusiasts an unrivalled Schneider-KREUZNACH 26mm wide angle lens and 24x optical zoom, all within a compact camera.

The WB5000’s powerful zoom lens breaks new ground in offering users unmatched wide angle versatility, with the chance to take pictures much more closely than ever before. This cements Samsung’s position in the growing and important High-zoom category – compact cameras equipped with the sort of advanced zoom lens technology traditionally seen only in SLR cameras. Combine that with full manual control and taking professional looking shots is easy and fun.

Full Manual Control and RAW Shooting
For the more advanced user who prefers to have more control over camera settings, the WB5000 offers aperture priority, shutter priority and two “User defined Modes” as well as full manual shooting modes. The ability to manually focus the lens and shoot in RAW format for maximum detail will also be a welcome addition for the budding enthusiast.

Dual Image Stabilization
The WB5000 combines Optical and Digital Image Stabilization into a Dual Image Stabilization function, providing fantastic quality photos without any blur from handshake – even in low light conditions.

HD Movie Experience
The 12.5 mega pixel WB5000 records HD video in 1280×720p resolution at 30 frames per second using the latest H.264 format. This format allows more than twice as much recording capacity as the MP4 format, so gives you more room on your memory card for images and movies. With a dedicated movie button to allow an instant switch into movie mode, you’ll never miss a movie opportunity again.

Smart Face Recognition
Samsung’s innovative Smart Face Recognition technology actually remembers faces it sees frequently and then prioritises them when focussing and exposing future shots. It can store up to 20 recognised faces in the cameras’ internal memory and allows users to search for their favourite faces in playback. This can be done quickly by using the ‘Face’ search in Smart Album, instead of viewing every single photo on the memory card.

In “Blink Detection Mode” the camera will take a series of shots when closed eyes are detected so everyone is captured with their eyes open; in “Smile Mode” a picture is automatically taken when smiles are detected and, in “Beauty Shot” mode, facial skin is retouched to three different user defined levels for brighter and smoother skin tones.

Smart Auto and Smart Album
Take professional-looking photos with Samsung’s advanced Smart Auto feature so you never have to worry about your photos being washed out, too dark or out of focus. Smart Auto analyses key elements of your composition such as colour, brightness, motion and subject and then automatically adjusts to take the perfect shot.

This advanced compact camera also features the ‘Smart Album’ Digital Contents Management system; a contents management program within the camera that makes it quick and easy to store and manage your photo collection. The clever navigation program automatically organizes photos based on the date they were taken, their contents, colour or themes making it quick and easy to locate your favourite images.

The WB5000 will be available from leading high street and online retailers from September 2009. All Samsung cameras include a one year warranty.

Continue the Discussion

Join us on Facebook! Become a fan of Neutralday today!

Become a fan of Neutralday on Facebook. Interact with us and stay updated on what's coming next at Neutralday, photography news, and other fans' insights.