Customer Reviews

Samsung Digimax L60 6.0 MP Digital Camera with 3x Optical Zoom (Black)

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I took a chance on this little camera after reading reviews on CNET and at Steve's Digicams. It is every bit as good as the Canon Digital Elph I had previously (the Canon died of the E18 error), but almost 100 dollars cheaper.

The photo quality between the two cameras is a draw. In some situations the Samsung performs better, in others the Canon wins out. The overall differences are marginal.

Where the Samsung excels over the Canon is in it's MPEG4 video cabability. Using a 1GB card you can get 48 minutes of video at 640x480 resolution at 30 frames per second (1.5 hours at 15 FPS). You can even cut footage inside the camera (though it's a bit awkward). That said, the video is of the same grainy, highly compressed quality you get with your standard digital camera. You wouldn't use it to record a wedding, but still, it's a fun diversion that's well implemented.

I was also surprised at the battery life I've been getting (when freshly pulled off the charger). I charged the batteries before a 3-day hiking trip and came back with over 200 photos and 10 minutes of video - and the camera still had plenty of juice in it for another 40 photos a few days later (I was too lazy to charge it when I got back). Most of these were outdoor photos, so there wasn't much flash usage. Still, that's 240 photos plus 10 minutes of video, plus enough juice to download all of it to my computer. I've never had it die on my during use.

In either case, it's tough to go wrong with this camera for only 180 bucks or so. I carry it in my pocket or backpack most everywhere I go. I sewed a piece of fabric into a sleeve to keep the screen from being scratched while in my pocket. That's the only case I've needed for it and I like that it doesn't add any bulk to the camera's slim profile.

For those wondering about the size of the camera, it is similar in thinness to the the Canon Digital Elph series of cameras but slightly longer in it's longest dimension. Overall the slim design (0.8 inches) is very easy to slip into my jeans pocket.


**** RESPONSE TO THE FEW NEGATIVE REVIEWS ****
I completely agree that the "pre-flash" (the auto-focus assist lamp) slows down photo taking. Also, in dark situations, people will sometimes see the red assist lamp turn on, think it was the flash, and start to move before the real flash kicks in. I sometimes have to tell people to "wait for the second flash!"). However, this handy feature does allow the camera to do an admirable job of focusing in low light conditions - even complete darkness. And to be fair, my Canon Digital Elph did the SAME THING with its AF assist lamp (and likewise did an admirable job of focusing in low light.) I agree that it should be easier to turn off the AF assist lamp without turning off the flash.

At the end of the day, this camera still holds it's own against ultra-compact cameras costing 250+ dollars, which makes it a solid buy. It has all of the advantages (and disadvantages) of other ultra-compact cameras. You need to decide if you can live with the compromises of an ultra-compact camera in return for the high-portability.

I must agree with the first reviewer, Steve Smart. This is really a sleeper of a cam about which few know or to which fewer still pay any serious attention. No, it's not a branded big name, but Samsung is gradually making their name heard in the digicam world with their most recent offerings, stylistic, and very functional designs.

Instead of burdening the user with a myriad of features which one will rarely use, Samsung provides a basic, well-conceived and executed little gem with the L60. It has everything one really needs and more. The photos are usually well-exposed with very good contrast, sharpness, and detail for a 6MP cam negating the need for a lot of post-processing. Small enough to stick into your jeans pocket and carry and use unobtrusively.

I'm giving this cam 5 stars based on its price point, substantial but not overwhelming feature set, good battery life, quality and apparent durability and, oh yes, those surprisingly good pics that come out of it!

This is the 3rd digital camera I use, and it really is impressive.Here are the highlights:
-First off I LOVED the Video Feature, you get a decent 640X480 with SOUND, and since the camera is so small , you'll always be able to capture those special moments, it also comes with a USB cable to connect to the PC and a cable to connect the camera to a T.V (has video and audio out)
-The rechargable LiOn Battery that also comes with a charger is a very nice feature, digital cameras are notrious battery drainers, I had a separate budget for Batteries (AA) for my former camera, and those aint cheap!- so you wont worry about this with this one.
-it also has a voice recorder so you can record notes when you are taking still photos.

on the negative sides:
- you need to buy a separate SD memory because the high resolution stills and the videos take a lot of memory, you'll need AT LEAST 512MB, better yet go for the 1GB.
-The special effects button on the back of the camera is kinda useless, It can turn the pictures into monochrome, B/W. sepia etc. or negative,
_ the biggest negative thing I found is it takes way too long to actually capture the picture even on the low res. the flash goes on twice for red eye reduction( very impressive results) but the whole process is slooow, so you end up not taking the shot you intended , I am still trying to figure out how to disable this feature so it takes photos faster.
this may be the only real negative feature of this camera.

Bought this camera for my teenage daughter who wanted something sleek. The camera is all that and powerful too. Photo quality is excellent and the camera is easy to operate. The video feature works very well, also. My daughter found the controls intuitive enough that she hardly had to look at the user manual. Battery life is good although you can't charge it without removing the battery. Extracting and inserting the battery is pretty straightforward and is not as inconveinient as you might think. This is an easy pick for a solid, versatile camera.

One of the things that other reviewers left out is how great a camcorder this is. Ok, I know it is a camera, but in video mode it will shoot a high quality video for about one and one half hours with a 2 Gb card. It uses Sd cards, very cheap (I paid $19 for mine on sale at Best Buy). It has an image stabilizer built in but you still have to hold it steady, a tripod is best. When I show friends video they cannot believe it is from a camera. Mpeg4 640X480 at 30 frames per second. The really cool thing is you can zoom while video recording. Most cameras do not allow this. It is only 3 times optical but I have had good results filming little league baseball.
As a camera, it is fair. Good prints but long shutter lag. You can put it on program rather than auto and then force the flash to always go off. You get better pictures inside and out. The backlight function works very well as another reviewer mentioned.
It is small so I carry it everywhere and makes a great second camera.

I gave this as an Xmas gift to my 14-yr-old daughter and she loves it. Super easy to use. Good idea to get a backup battery if you're like her and forget to charge it sometimes. Big selling bonus was that it was thin enough to fit into her pocket.

Nice look, good feel, turns on fast, takes great pictures. Really great, with ridiculous depth of field and resolution, you can in no way appreciate how good the pictures will look on the LCD back, which is huge. So, what's my beef? Slow pictures, double flash, slow slow follow on shot, slow. Okay say cheese, one second, two seconds.... i only got thiis camera because I thought that problem was solved. Yes my battery is charged, no I do not see how to stop the problem other than no flash at all... where is one flash and let me worry about the red eye? slow- i hate it!!!!!! Still, its awsome, slick, and a fair price.

This digital camera is the best. I cannot complain about any aspect of it. It has a huge amount of modes and settings and additional features to add to pictures as you are taking them. It's small enough to fit into your pocket and not think about it (it's smaller than a wallet). It takes excellent pictures that come out looking great, all very high quality. The huge screen makes it easy to view what you are looking at and has great image quality. The videos are equally good, with great sound and good picture. It looks better than just about any other digital camera that I have seen. Even though I said I cannot complain, there are a few things that slightly annoy me occasionally. The first is that it flashes twice. Remember to tell this to people before taking their picture! After the first flash, people tend to look away, and by the time the second flash comes and the picture is taken, the moment is lost. This only occurs when the camera is set to "AUTO" mode. I usually press the menu button and choose a mode. When you do this, the flashes occur very quickly (you barely notice a gap between them). Some of the features are very useful. I use the "backlight" mode quite often. It allows you to take a picture of something even if there is a bright light in the background. My only other complaint is for those of us with large fingers, the circular button that operates pretty much every feature can be difficult to use (sometimes I push 2 buttons at once, or the complete wrong one). But everything else that this camera can do cancels it out. This camera has more features and better quality than many larger and more expensive cameras out there.

Firstly, I love its black all-metal body. I also love its ergonomics and size. I've own other digital P/S and SLRs. They are all good cameras, but big in size. I tend to bring the L60 with me everywhere I go (e.g. biking, hiking, etc.) for convenience.

On the inside, it was also beautiful. I've ordered prints upto 11x14 and they turned out beautiful. Using a 2GB SD card, it also allowed me to record more than 1.5 hours of 640x480 video in MPEG4 at 30 FPS. If you need a small, robust camera that you can take everywhere you go and still takes beautiful pictures, this is it.

due to my being lazy i'm just now writing a review! i've had my camera since august of '06 and absolutely LOVE it! My pictures are crisp/clear, camera's compact enough to fit in my little purse and it goes everywhere with me! my only issue is that I paid $189 +tax and as u can see it's a lot cheaper now! Go for it!!!!!!!!!!!