The Pro 815: Samsung's High-End Non-SLR Digital Camera
http://www.slrtoday.com/articles/54/1/The-Pro-815-Samsungs-High-End-Non-SLR-Digital-Camera/Page1.html
By SLR Today
Published on 10/3/2006
Not all high-end cameras are SLRs these days. Case in point is Samsung's Pro 815, an 8-megapixel non-SLR digital camera with 15x optical zoom. For everyday amateur photographers who are looking for more than the average point and shoot camera can provide, the Pro 815 is an attractive, user-friendly dSLR alternative.
The Pro 815's lens is a highly-refractive Schneider-Kreuznach, known for producing clear, natural-looking images. The camera's 15x optical zoom has a focal length of 28- 420mm, allowing the user to shoot in wide angle and telephoto with one lens. And with an 8-megapixel resolution, optically zoomed images are still of high print quality.
The Pro 815's lens is a highly-refractive Schneider-Kreuznach, known for producing clear, natural-looking images. The camera's 15x optical zoom has a focal length of 28- 420mm, allowing the user to shoot in wide angle and telephoto with one lens. And with an 8-megapixel resolution, optically zoomed images are still of high print quality.
The Samsung Pro 815 15x Digital Camera
Not all high-end cameras are SLRs these days. Case in point is
Samsung's Pro 815, an 8-megapixel non-SLR digital camera with 15x
optical zoom. For everyday amateur photographers who are looking for more than the
average point and shoot camera can provide, the Pro 815 is an
attractive, user-friendly dSLR alternative.
The Pro 815's lens is a highly-refractive Schneider-Kreuznach, known for producing clear, natural-looking images. The camera's 15x optical zoom has a focal length of 28- 420mm, allowing the user to shoot in wide angle and telephoto with one lens. And with an 8-megapixel resolution, optically zoomed images are still of high print quality.
Samsung claims that the Pro 815 has the world's largest LCD display at 3.5-inches. Even if it isn't the world's largest, it is certainly larger than most. The average LCD display on new dSLR cameras is about 2.5-inches; a full inch smaller. The display is not only quite large, it is also bright and clear with some16.7 million colors and a wide viewing angle. But wait, there's more! There is an additional, smaller LCD display on the top of the camera as well. The 1.44-inch color display is useful for waist-level shooting (just like the old days) and taking photos from a variety of angles.
The camera also comes with some useful manual adjustments, like white balance (auto, preset modes), sharpness, contrast, and saturation. There is also a EVC ring, manual focus ring, and manual zoom ring on the lens for additional control. The camera can shoot in either compressed JPGs or 8-megapixel RAW files.
Another SLR-like feature on the Pro 815 is hot shoe on the top of the camera. Although the camera has a high-powered built in flash, you may also attach an external flash for optimal results.
Samsung claims that the camera starts up in about 1.0 seconds and has a 1.3 second shot-to-shot speed. Not exactly the speed of typical dSLR, but certainly not bad for a regular digital camera. The camera also has a shutter speed of up to 1/4,000 second; fast enough to capture fast-paced action and limit some of the effects of camera shake. There is also a continuous shooting mode capable of capturing 2.5 fps. Finally, and like many digital cameras these days, the Pro 815 can record VGA video with stereo sound.
Price: Around $600
Key Features:
The Pro 815's lens is a highly-refractive Schneider-Kreuznach, known for producing clear, natural-looking images. The camera's 15x optical zoom has a focal length of 28- 420mm, allowing the user to shoot in wide angle and telephoto with one lens. And with an 8-megapixel resolution, optically zoomed images are still of high print quality.
Samsung claims that the Pro 815 has the world's largest LCD display at 3.5-inches. Even if it isn't the world's largest, it is certainly larger than most. The average LCD display on new dSLR cameras is about 2.5-inches; a full inch smaller. The display is not only quite large, it is also bright and clear with some16.7 million colors and a wide viewing angle. But wait, there's more! There is an additional, smaller LCD display on the top of the camera as well. The 1.44-inch color display is useful for waist-level shooting (just like the old days) and taking photos from a variety of angles.
The camera also comes with some useful manual adjustments, like white balance (auto, preset modes), sharpness, contrast, and saturation. There is also a EVC ring, manual focus ring, and manual zoom ring on the lens for additional control. The camera can shoot in either compressed JPGs or 8-megapixel RAW files.
Another SLR-like feature on the Pro 815 is hot shoe on the top of the camera. Although the camera has a high-powered built in flash, you may also attach an external flash for optimal results.
Samsung claims that the camera starts up in about 1.0 seconds and has a 1.3 second shot-to-shot speed. Not exactly the speed of typical dSLR, but certainly not bad for a regular digital camera. The camera also has a shutter speed of up to 1/4,000 second; fast enough to capture fast-paced action and limit some of the effects of camera shake. There is also a continuous shooting mode capable of capturing 2.5 fps. Finally, and like many digital cameras these days, the Pro 815 can record VGA video with stereo sound.
Price: Around $600
Key Features:
- 8.0-megapixel sensor captures enough detail for up to 3,264-by-2,448-pixel photos
- Schneider Kreuznach 15x optical zoom lens; 3.5-inch LCD screen and 1.44-inch top-side LCD
- Manual zoom, focus, and exposure; high-speed shot-to-shot transition for continuous high-speed shooting
- Stores photos on CompactFlash memory cards; 64 MB card included
- Transfers photos via USB; compatible with Windows and Mac operating systems; rechargeable Li-ion battery