Samsung EC-PL120 Digital Camera with 14.2 MP and 5x Optical Zoom (Black)

by Samsung

• The Samsung PL120 offers Smart Filter, a collection of lens effects that give your still shots an artistic edge , 720HD Movie
• In addition to the 2.7-inch viewfinder on the rear of the camera, there is an additional 1.5-inch LCD screen on front , 14.2 Megapixel.
• 14.2 Mega Still + 720p HD Movie (MJPEG)
• 1.5" Dual LCD for perfect portrait shot
• Smart Filter 2.0 to make every photo unique

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 3.7 x 0.7 x 2.2 inches ; 3.8 ounces
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B004L3JPX0
• Item model number: EC-PL120ZBPBUS
• Batteries 1 Nonstandard Battery batteries required. (included)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (83 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,253 in Camera & Photo (See Top 100 in Camera & Photo)
• Date first available at Amazon.com: January 27, 2011

Product Description

From the Manufacturer

The Samsung PL120 DualView 14.2-Megapixel Digital Camera features LCD viewfinders on both the front and rear of the camera, making it easy for you to take great self-portraits as well as set up your other shots clearly. Thanks to HD Movie, you can also use the PL120 to shoot high-definition video. Digital image stabilization creates clear, blur-free photos, while Smart Auto 2.0 optimizes settings for pictures and video in any lighting.

PL120 DualView Digital Camera (Black) At a Glance: 14.2-megapixel digital camera and 5x optical zoom for high-quality images 1.5-inch front LCD screen lets you take great self-portraits Shoots high-definition video in 1,280-by-720-pixel resolution Digital image stabilization creates clear, blur-free photos and video Smart Auto feature analyzes composition elements to create the perfect shot One-year limited warranty on parts and labor

Features LCD viewfinders on front and back of camera for perfectly framed shots. View larger.

Beauty Shot feature automatically removes imperfections for flawless portraits. View larger.

Digital Image Stabilization for Sharp Images and Video
Make sure the only motion in your videos is intentional. Digital image stabilization automatically compensates for unwanted camcorder movement by realigning each electronic image, frame by frame, with steady results.

The Samsung PL120 allows you to record movies in the palm of your hand. With HD Movie, you can capture video in 1,280-by-720-pixel resolution at 30 frames per second.

Front and Back LCD Viewfinders
With the PL120, it's easier than ever to put yourself in the shot. In addition to the 2.7-inch viewfinder on the rear of the camera, there is an additional 1.5-inch LCD screen on front. This allows you to quickly line up self-portraits or join a friend or loved one for a perfectly-framed two-person photo.

Smart Auto 2.0 Creates the Perfect Shot
Using Smart Auto 2.0, the Samsung PL120 captures the perfect shot by analyzing key composition elements and selecting from 17 different photo and 4 different movie modes.

Using its face/smile/blink-detection feature, the Samsung PL120 detects and adjusts the lighting on up to nine different faces at a time. The camera will automatically shoot the subjects when they laugh or smile, and prohibit the shot from happening if anyone's eyes are closed.

Advanced Effects for Your Photos with Smart Filter
The Samsung PL120 offers Smart Filter, a collection of lens effects that give your still shots an artistic edge. They include a miniature filter, which miniaturizes everything in your picture; a vignetting filter, which delivers a striking compositional contrast; and a fish-eye filter, which zooms in to give your subject a cool, distorted look.

The camera's Beauty Shot feature automatically removes dark circles, facial blemishes, and imperfections to create great portraits. It's like having a makeup artist in your camera. A 1.5-inch front LCD screen makes it even easier to take great self-portraits.

Product and Warranty Information
The Samsung PL120 is equipped with a 26mm Samsung lens, a 5x optical zoom, a 2.7-inch LCD screen, and a 1.5-inch front LCD screen. The camera measures 2.15 by 3.7 by 0.74 inches (H x W x D) and weighs 0.24 pounds.

The Samsung PL120 is backed by a one-year limited warranty on parts and labor.

What's in the Box
Camera, AC adapter/USB cable, rechargeable battery, wrist strap, user manual CD-ROM, and quick start manual.

Product Description

The Samsung PL120 DualView 14.2-Megapixel Digital Camera features LCD viewfinders on both the front and rear of the camera, making it easy for you to take great self-portraits as well as set up your other shots clearly. Thanks to HD Movie, you can also use the PL120 to shoot high-definition video. Digital image stabilization creates clear, blur-free photos, while Smart Auto 2.0 optimizes settings for pictures and video in any lighting.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

123 of 126 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars READ THIS before making a buying decision December 7, 2011

By AEinstein

Amazon Verified Purchase

I almost did not purchase this camera because of some negative reviews. However, I have and I'd like to address the negative comments.

BLURRY PICTURES - when taken in low light conditions:
YES - this does occur. It did when I used the camera for the first time.
REASON - the user may not see the funky 'hand' that is displayed which indicates a questionable photo.
The simple solution is to set the MODE to 'SMART AUTO' ! THIS SHOULD BE THE DEFAULT MODE for the camera.
The first photos I took in low light were blurry. I thought the camera was defective. After I went into the user manual (which was NOT a hard copy but a disk) I figured out what was going on. Samsung should put in instructions on how to use the 'common' functions of a camera.

DIFFICULT TO USE:
MAYBE YES - For the 'average user' who has little experience in photography. But only -IF- they do not set the camera in 'SMART AUTO', or try and figure out what all the MENU items are.
If you just want to POINT AND SHOOT set the MODE to SMART AUTO.

For the EXPERIENCED user this camera allows you to create photos any way you want. It's quite amazing how many settings you can manipulate.

SLOW RESPONSE between shots:
PERHAPS - This has a -slower- response than some of my other cameras. But this also depends on the lighting and resolution settings. However, I bought this for carry around, not rapid picture taking.

BATTERY not standard:
NO it is not - Problem is, if you want a -very small- camera you must have a -very small- battery. Resulting in an no standard (AA or AAA) battery. Get a larger camera if you want such a battery.

48 of 48 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Well done sir.. June 14, 2011

By Alex R.

Apparently I went to MIT to study rocket science since I found this camera to be perfectly user friendly and straightforward. Quick, quiet, fun, "cute" even, this thing is a real joy to own thus far. At the price I paid (~$120 for camera and 8gb sdhc card and reader, bag, cleaning kit, tripod, and sweet cardboard box my cats love) this camera can't be beat for similar items elsewhere. The front facing lcd I didn't think much of at first has been rather useful taking (accurate) self pics and not merely the gimmick I thought it was going to be. Highly recommended...

31 of 32 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Watch out May 25, 2011

By Jim

I really like this camera, the only thing to watch out for is that it does not use an SD card like it implies. It actually uses a MicroSD wich is not so bad but was not prepared for it.

59 of 69 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Lots of Features for the Price May 2, 2011

By Jerry Simpson

Just recently purchased this camera for the wife. All the time while on vacation trips, while I am trying to capture a shot on my camera, I would get this little tug on the shirt sleeve from the wife pointing out something that would make a great picture, which of course then I would miss the shot I was about to take. The solution, get the wife a camera that she would enjoy using, easy to quickly just point and shoot along with capturing some great pictures. At first she wasn't sure about having a camera as she would just have me take the photo. Now that she has used the camera for a short peroid of time, I most likely would loose an arm, a leg or both if I tried to take it away from her. She very much enjoy using the camera, which by the way does take great pictures along with videos. Its very small, which makes it easy to put into your shirt pocket or paint pocket, but not too small that would make it hard to hold. I myself even found, after playing with the camera for a few minutes, thinking about going back and getting one for myself to use just as a carry around camera to keep in the car all the time. I was amaze with all the features it has for the price, such as even program mode for the more pro camera buffs. Even in low light, the auto smart setting did a very nice job of capturing a photo my wife made outside at night of our kids standing out in a parking lot of a resturant to where it even very clearly show the lights and signs in the background along with the subjets being photograph. Something that normally would have caused an issue with the lighting. Accidently the wife even found out that the smile feature really works, while checking the camera out, it took her photo when she smilled while looking the at the front of the camera.... The display on the front is also a nice feature to have that you wouldn't expect to find in this price range. An issue that may be a con to some is that the camera only uses microSD memory stick instead of the standard sizde SD. To me, that wasn't an issue as most of the cell phones/camera combinations are now using the microSD and the prices have come down for the memory sticks. I guess this was due the fact that the camera is much smaller than some so they had to make room some how. We haven't done any fancy test shots to see how it compares to other cameras, but after using it, don't really see any reason to. Its a fun little camera to have on trips or even around the home. Its has too many features to list them all here as one can check out the specs or google the camera to find more about it. The camera can capture at lower resolutions, if one need to save space on the memory stick. Also as you zoom the camera it will show you if its shooting at 14.2 or lower resolution to compesate for the digital zoom. It comes with an AC USB adapter that charges the battery while in the camera. Yep, it uses rechargable battery instead of AA or AAA. The same USB cord is also used to connect the camera to the computer for uploading photos or for downloading firmware and for special graphics for the children feature on the camera. The CD that comes with the camera is only for the manual, a pdf file in many languages. The software is stored in the camera, so once it is connected to the computer, it will ask you if its ok to install the software to transfer pictures. The camera is also seen as a hard drive, so if you don't want to use their software, which seems fairly nice, one can just copy and paste the photos. I am running a desktop computer that uses windows 7 and didn't have any issues with getting the camera to be seen by the computer. I also connected the camera to my netbook which has windows xp and also no issues there. Not sure what happen with the other person that review the camera other than he may have gotten one that was bad from stock. The camera does comes in several colors, but only have found the black one avail at the local stores. With the 8gb microSD memory stick, it showed that around 1800 and something pictures could be taken in the highest quality mode. There are now so many point and shoot cameras on the market and they all seem to do about the same in the quality of the pictures they take, that the only way to find the one you really like it too look at the features the camera has, what you are wanting to use the camera for, and how does it feel when holding the camera. Most people now use the point and shoot cameras to send the photos via email or upload on the computer to look at more so than printing out the photos, which mean that all the megapixles in the world is not going to make the photo look any better if you are only saving the photo on the computer or uploading to facebook. Even this 14.2 is an overkill for that, but if you are going to print out some photos from time to time, then the extra megapixles can help when doing very large photographs. Just as and FYI, the cameras I use most of the time varies on what I am shooting. I sometime shoot with a Sony DSLR, a Nikon DSLR and other times I use a Lumix DSLR, which I am finding to like more and more each time I use it. It nice to be able to switch between stills and videos using the same camera. As mention earlier, I purchased this camera as a gift for the wife and from what I can tell, it was a good choice. It didn't resolve the issue about having the shirt sleeve being pulled while I am trying to make a picture, as now instead of her asking me to look over there at something I could make a picture of, its her saying....hey look at the great picture I just took, that you missed. That's ok, as now there are two of us making photos when on our trips, so the action is never missed, I guess. Read more ›

34 of 39 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars WORKS fine, Has little annoyances as with all LOWER end cameras May 12, 2011

By H. Ngai

After reading the few reviews that was posted here I was really confused with what others are experiencing. I know I'm a pretty good photographer but my above average knowledge of cameras should not be why I have not had any problems thus far.

I primarily shoot with a dSLR set up with weights anywhere from 4 lbs to 7 lbs depending on the setup, taking "self portraits" is next to impossible as a I'm a weakling of a man. I've been looking for a decent point and shoot camera for this purpose for a while. Although I have found a few okay ones in the past few years, Samsung 2nd screen is definite a great feature. When I saw that they put this feature in a $100 range camera I bought it.

If you have never shot with a dSLR before and are one of those people who make fun of people carrying one. You need to try one out and take a look at the result. This camera is 14MP but the image is still not the best. Remember, it's the lense and the sensor size that produce a good quality photo, DON'T tell a person shooting with a 10MP dSLR that your camera is better because it shoots 14MP. Because I'm so used to dSLR quality, I hate P&S, if they weren't so dang portable I would never own one! The photos produced by this Samsung is on the soft side and low light is noisy. But in bright sunlight, most people will find it sufficient.

I plugged it via USB on a MAC, Win XP and Win7. they all read, so I have no idea what other people are doing. The most annoying thing is that the shutter button has very little tactile feel to it. As you may know, you need to push the shutter half way to focus, then you push it all the way down to take a picture. This is too sensitive on this camera. I often push it all the way without noticing....

Second annoyance is the shutter LAG in low light conditions. The LCD would go blank for a bit before taking a picture.

Last annoyance (that I've really notice thus far) shot to shot recycle time. If light is good, it takes about 2 seconds, but in lower light it takes 3-4 seconds before you are able to take another picture. If you are using flash, be prepare to wait a bit longer...and I'm using a 4GB class 6 Micro SDHC (transflash) card if you needed to know.

Sorry for any typos. Read more ›