Customer Reviews

Samsung Digimax S85 8MP Digital Camera with 5x Optical Zoom (Black)

5 star:		(16)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

I've had my Samsung S85 for a little over 2 weeks now. Before I purchased it , I spent many hours looking over reviews and comparisons of many different digital cameras before I decided on getting the S85. I could not find any reviews with anything negitive to say about the S85. At first I was prepared to spend anywhere from 2-250 dollars on my next camera. But after I did my research, I could not justify spending $200 plus on a Sony cybershot, when the S85 offered me all of the same features and then some, for under 130.00.

As far as picture quality goes, the color, and detail of the photos this camera takes are fantastic. Even zoomed all the way to 5X the pictures are still very clear. Once you start going into digital zoom the pictures predictably become less clear.

One thing I noticed many reviewers stating was that the interface on the camera itself is somewhat complicated and difficult to use. I can see why they say that. But it I don't think it is a deal breaker. After playing around with the controls for a few minutes, I quickly became comfortable with how the controls worked. As far as the overall fit and finish of the camera goes. It won't win any beauty contests, but overall the camera feels very solid.

The camera comes with 2 AA alkaline batteries included. However as the above reviewer stated, the thing eats through alkaline batteries rather fast. Rechargable batteries are a must.

DON"T LET THE PRICE OF THIS CAMERA FOOL YOU. All of the functions it offers(and there are loads of them)work exactly as they should. If you are looking for an ultra compact digtial camera, and aren't looking to spend loads of money on it. You don't have too. The Samsung S85 is a steal!

November, 2011 Update: Although the S85, with its excellent lens, manual control, 5x zoom, and sturdy frame is still a solid little camera, one shouldn't pay more than $60 or so for a good used S85 if a used Canon with optical image stabilization, like the A2000 IS, comes available online for less than $100. At the same time, the S85 lens is sharper than that of the Canon A590 IS, and the flash is stronger. Because of its sharp lens and natural color, at a modest price I would choose it over most any other model without optical image stabilization. This little baby is a classic, but it does need good rechargeables, as I note in the review below.
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Looking for a more portable, less expensive second camera with a fairly long zoom, I happened on a S85 in a store and snapped some surprisingly clear, high-resolution images even at the far end of its 5x optical plus 5x digital zoom (25x). The two web reviews at the time ("Trusted Reviews" and "Register Hardware") were both very positive so I bought it and am very happy I did.

The S85 eats up Alkaline batteries like popcorn, so rechargeables are a must. Alkalines shut the camera down after just a few pictures, the zoom still half extended, suggesting some ominous malfunction. Changing to rechargeables (especially Sanyo Eneloops) removes the problem permanently. No need to return the camera or bother Samsung's customer service.

The S85 has a myriad of functions and shooting options but it's "fiddly," as one reviewer puts it, so they're revealed only by a confusing combination of buttons. It takes time to master them all, but well worth the effort.

The "Program" mode is preferable to the "Auto" mode since it allows setting the camera at the lowest ISO for clarity of image and selecting the best white balance. It is especially preferable in indoor flash situations since with the flash in "Auto" come higher ISOs, overexposing nearer subjects and causing noise as well. For superb results, set the ISO on 50 and the flash at anything other than "S" ("Slow"). You'll be delighted! It has a powerful flash.

The "Manual mode" allows almost complete camera control, something very valuable for set-up conditions like tripod or macro shooting (the S85's macro capabilities are amazing). The "Movie clip" mode seems to work very well. Its version of image stabilization, unlike the optical IS system found in many other cameras today, is operable only within a specially dedicated "Advanced Shake Reduction" mode (ASR), and then only without use of the flash. The ASR mode somehow produces sharp images, holding the ISO around 200 to 300 but with a longer shutter-lag. When I bought the S85 those portable compacts with true optical IS all cost at least twice as much and then were without some of the S85's other valuable features.

The red eye removal function is strikingly effective. The S85 does have a red-eye prevention setting which also works well, but its use increases shutter-lag and so I prefer correcting the problem after the fact. The "E" button offers additional post-processing adjustments, such as modifying brightness, contrast, and even color due to any white balance error. On the other hand, the S85 has an extraordinary feature preventing this problem which was discovered by a reviewer of the S730 on this site. To shoot in low light situations without a flash, before taking the shot, hit the E button, select "Image Adjust" and then "Saturation." Next, point the camera toward the subject and hit the "OK" button. Doing so adjusts brightness and color for all successive pictures in the same environment. In a new lighting setting repeat the process to again produce perfect results.

The S85 has three automatic focus options: spot, center, multiple, along with a "face recognition" capability. The impressive 230,000 pixel, 2.5" LCD has adjustible brightness ("dark" is normally sufficient), and the S85's image colors are very true to the world one sees with the naked eye. It has a very solid feel, heftier than the earlier S630 and S730, at the same time being the most compact of all the "S" series Samsungs. The S85 slips comfortably into a front pants pocket, even when housed in the very inexpensive Samsonite soft shell case I got for it on E-Bay to protect it from dust and the "thousand natural shocks that [cameras are] heir to."

With its combination of
* easy portability,
* long 5x optical + 5x digital zoom,
* sharp lens, producing high IQ even at full zoom extension,
* solid construction,
* ample 8 mp resolution,
* true color quality,
* powerful flash,
* high-res, adjustable brightness LCD,
* amazing set of controls, and
* wide range of scene shooting options, along with movie clip,
the Samsung S85 is a big camera in a little body for a great price.

I bought this as my "everyday carry camera" to complement my DSLR. I specifically wanted something that would take good pictures, use the same memory card format as my DSLR, uses AA batteries, and is inexpensive (so I don't have to worry about babying it).

I was attracted by the combination of size, style, and features at this price. The 5x optical zoom, 8MP resolution, and large LCD are all exceptional at this price. And the picture quality is impressive. The results are sharp with good color and exposure. Focusing is fast and reliable. And there are plenty of options, including full manual control over aperature / shutter / ISO, tweaks to sharpness and contrast, and the expected set of options for JPEG compression and resolution. Using a 2GB card with highest resolution and lowest compression, it estimates it will hold about 400+ pics.

The pictures I've taken thus far have turned out really well. The movie mode works great too. My only complaint is the power consumption. I use two 2500mAh rechargeables, and I'll easily run through them in a single afternoon of walking around taking only a few dozen pictures. There's no optical viewfinder and you can't take pictures with the LCD off, so I'm not sure how well you can tweak it to use less power.

That said, I always take along spare batteries, and with the camera being relatively small, it's not a big problem.

Overall, I'm very happy with this camera, especially at this price.

This little camera has got all you need to make great pictures. Just take time to get acquainted to its features and you won't be disappointed. I gave it to my wife so she can document her flowers, butterflies, and hummingbirds. The pictures came out wonderful. She only uses auto, zoom and shake reduction, since it is her first camera, I do not want to burden her with advanced features.
After seeing her pictures, I bought a S1050 for myself.
Both are bought at Amazon (due to its reputation). They are made in China, since I could not find one made by Taiwan, Japan, or elsewhere.
I would highly recommend it. Considering price and quality, I would say it is a very good bargain. BTW I use rechargeable batteries, 2500 mA and get an acceptable number of pictures. It takes a few seconds to recycle the flash. The flash is robust too.
May be I am lucky to get this one. We love it.

The biggest advantage of Samsung cameras is their shooting ability at night time. You will need a tripod for this, but taking shots without flash and on the auto or manual setting (the night mode setting is actually not as nice in my opinion) will yield pictures that are more vibrant than any other camera I've ever used.
The biggest disadvantage of Samsung cameras though is their durability. I'm an I've had three Samsungs break because I over used them (two while still in warrenty); when I got them back from the repair center, the reason for the failure was always "defective parts."
However their low prices sort of makes up for this.

Overall:
This camera has been working well for me. I has a nice 5X optical zoom which gives an extra "ooph" to get that perfect picture. It has many features/options that I haven't explored yet. Its manual controls are also plentyful.

Pros:
+ 5X Optical Zoom
+ Battery Life Good with Rechargables (Ni-MH)
+ Big 2.5" Screen that is very responsive/has good framerate

Cons:
+ If you get this NEW there is a "8MP, 5X zoom" sticker that won't come off nicly. I needed to use Goo Gone to remove the adhesive!!!
+ Some pictures I took came out fuzzy. (I was taking a low light picture w/o flash on AUTO mode)

I've only used this product to take a some 150 snapshots working with standard batteries.
At some point the camera turns into black and doesn't respond to any command. I had to take the batteries out every time this happened.
I guess this problem will disappear using rechargeable batteries.
The picture quality is excelent, and the 5x zoom is amazing.

This is a great camera. I bought one and it didn't work, so I am going to send it back. I didn't want to give up on the model because of the great reviews, so I bought another one at a different place and this one turned out to be fantastic! I learned very quickly that you need to use batteries with 2500 mAh or better in order for the batteries to last. If you are looking for a new camera that takes pictures and not expensive, this one is your best bet.

Great camera for the price. It's easy to use and fun. You can edit pictures, change colors, add fun features to your pictures. Really a good deal for the price!

I'm not much of a photographer but needed something to take pictures of my grandson. This camera has lots of features that I liked but it is fiddly to use. I can't read the little symbols on the buttons, but there aren't many buttons so memorizing their function isn't hard. The LCD screen is large and clear. I have a hard time figuring out the best setting for my situation simply because this camera offers so many variables and choices. The best pictures I have taken so far have been indoors without the flash. I like the camera but it has a higher learning curve thatn the one I owned previously.