Samsung ST 550

With the ever growing digital camera market, the competition between manufacturers has reached to a point where a 10.1 megapixel camera is available for less than Rs. 10,000. And now with 12.2 megapixel cameras hitting the consumer market, the race is just going to get stronger. But Samsung is a step ahead with their newest offering, the ST 550, the camera with the unique feature of a front LCD for Portrait shots. With this feature Samsung will claim to be at the top of the pile, but does the camera deliver on its own. Let’s find out -

With the dimensions of 99.8 (W)x 59.8 (H)x 18.6 (D)mm and weighing at 165.7g without the battery and memory card, the ST550 is a very compact camera overloaded with features. With a complete black body and a gold lining running between it, the camera is a sure treat for the eyes. With a solid metal body at the back to hold the LCD, the front panel has a clean piano finish.

On the front, the camera features a 1.5”, 61K LCD. A trend setter by all means, Samsung st 550 is the first camera to feature a front LCD screen for portrait shots. To activate, simply start the camera and tap on the front LCD. Somehow, the touch sensitivity on the front LCD is not that responsive, as you have to tap hard to activate it. A very innovative feature in itself, the front LCD is put to very good use which we will talk about in the feature section.

The camera runs on rechargeable SLB-07A battery, and the images and videos are saved on a micro SD. The topside of the camera feels a bit crowded. Along with the power and shutter button (which are well placed), the zoom lever tries to squeeze itself in there. While a few might find this very frustrating, we found it to be VERY WELL PLACED. The tiny zoom lever is perfect for use with just one hand and for zooming in and out while taking portrait shots. Just under the zoom lever is the playback button.

And on the back, the camera functions are accessed on a Full Touch 3.5” TFT LCD (800 x 480). The display is crisp with 1, 152K colors.
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The ST550 uses the Schneider-KREUZNACH 4.9-22.5mm lens capable of taking shots up to 12.2 megapixels (CCD) with 4.6x optical zoom. It is packed with numerous features. Along with the front LCD, the feature set would definitely be its USP.

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It might seem a bit confusing at the start but once you get the hang of it, you understand how well the features have been organized in the UI. At the top left corner of the screen, is the simple scene selection tab, which gives you the options for – Auto, Program, Smart, Movie, Dual Image Stabilization and Manual Scene selection. The Dual image stabilization is very much like the Auto mode in every way, except for two differences. In the Dual image stabilization mode, the camera activates digital and optical image stabilization but flash is disabled. In auto, just the optical image stabilization is active but the feature of flash is enabled.