January 9th, 2008
The most exciting cameras at CES, continued...
CES may not be a big show for cameras traditionally, but some of the camera vendors that aren’t waiting for PMA this year have outdone themselves with sheer numbers. Samsung announced eight new cameras cameras alone and Kodak trotted out nine of its own. Samsung wins my vote for the most interesting of the bunch:
Samsung NV24HD
What’s hottest about this 10-megapixel camera depends on who you ask. DPReview leads with, “Samsung has announced its first camera capable of recording 720p HD video at 30 fps.” But CNET (which titled its post “Optical IS hits Samsung NV cameras,”) says, “More interesting than the high-def functionality is the NV24 HD’s 2.5-inch AMOLED screen.” (That’s Active Matrix Organic Light Emitting Diode, in case you’re wondering.) HD recording is interesting, especially since you can get an optional HDMI cradle to connect the camera to a Samsung HDTV (and navigate the Nv24’s menu with the TV’s remote control). The OLED screen should offer a wider viewing angle, brighter image, and better battery life, and though OLED screens have been appearing on other small devices for a while now, this is the first camera I’ve seen with one. But, honestly, my favorite thing about the NV24HD is the ultra-wide angle lens (3.6x optical zoom from 24mm to 86.5mm). I used to think I was all about zoom (since I’m not an in-your-face kinda gal) but I love having a wide enough angle to shoot big groups and wide landscapes. If I can get my hands on an NV24HD at some point, I’ll let you know if the 86.5mm zoom feels too restrictive.
Janice Chen has been covering technology for almost two decades. She got her hands on a Nikon Coolpix 900 back in 1998 and has been a digital camera enthusiast ever since. See her full profile and disclosure of her industry affiliations.
Subscribe to Digital Cameras via Email alerts or RSS.
