Customer Reviews

Samsung HZ35W - Digital camera - compact - 12.1 Mpix - optical zoom: 15 x - supported memory: SD, SDHC - gray

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

For what it is, this is a pretty decent camera. After playing with it for while I've concluded it has quite a bit of features, many of which I probably won't use. For instance, the camera has a setting where it will learn commonly photographed people's faces and remember how you want them to be exposed.

The camera can be used in full manual mode, aperture priority and shutter priority. In manual mode the longest shutter time is 16 seconds. I've experimented with some long exposures and notice the photo is "processing" for about the same amount of time that is was exposed. I'm guessing it may take another photo with the shutter closed, and then compare the two for error correction. The manual doesn't say anything about this and there are no options. I've simply seen this on other cameras.

In addition to the shutter, aperture and manual modes there are two auto modes. One is called Smart Auto. Auto gives you fewer options than program mode. It seems to simply choose some of the options for you. Smart Auto gives almost no options and is supposed to automatically sense just about everything about the scene you are photographing. While taking various shots around the house and yard I've actually found some of the best shots coming from the Smart Auto mode. I suspect Smart Auto mode to use battery power faster as I can hear it doing something just moving the camera around to different types of scenes.

Optical stabilization is a menu item. Dual stabilization also adds digital stabilization and is only available in the Dual mode. This mode is selected on the top mode selector and is separate from P A S M, etc. This mode does give options similar to the Auto mode.

The camera records decent video on the highest quality settings. It saves the clips as an mp4 file. A huge plus for me is the dedicated video record button on the upper right of the back of the camera. No need to switch modes. Just hit that button and it begins recording at the previously set video settings. You are able to cut out clips from your video on the camera and it will save them as a separate file. The video may record with stereo sound. The manual seems to indicate there are two microphones. You can zoom while recording video, but the noise it creates is quite evident on the playback. Not a big deal to me. You have the option to not record sound or have the sound not record during operation of the zoom. A neat feature they included was the miniature setting. This is available in video and photo modes. I would have liked to see a time lapse video function. My little Canon SD1000 can do time lapse and will miss it when using the HZ35W.

I've read where some people don't see the GPS become available for a long time. I went outside, reset the GPS in the settings and I had a good signal after about 3 minutes. I don't know if resetting the GPS helped, but from what I read in the manual it seems to make sense to do so if you have relocated to a place far from the last time it had satellites. From my experience with other GPS receivers you pretty much have to be outside to get a good signal, so I imagine it is the same here.

I've also read of people wondering about the images being saved at 96 PPI (pixels per inch). I took several test shots and looked up the data in my image viewing program. I'm doing a simple comparison to a Canon 7.1 MP camera I have which saves at 180 PPI.

Samsung at 12 MP Auto and P modes:

Resolution: 4000 x 3000

File Size: 4.878 MB

Compressed BPP: 3.98096

Image Dimensions: 41.67" x 31.25"

Samsung at 12 MP Smart Auto mode:

Resolution: 4000 x 3000

File Size: 2.708 MB

Compressed BPP: 2.15496

Image Dimensions: 41.67" x 31.25"

Samsung at 8 MP Auto and P modes:

Resolution: 3264 x 2448

File Size: 3.261 MB

Compressed BPP: 3.93331

Image Dimensions: 34" x 25.50"

Samsung at 5 MP Auto and P modes:

Resolution: 2560 x 1920

File Size: 2.026 MB

Compressed BPP: 3.86542

Image Dimensions: 26.67" x 20.00"

Canon SD1000 at 7.1 MP

Resolution: 3072 x 2304

File Size: 3.217 MB

Compressed BPP: 5.0

Image Dimensions: 17.07" x 12.80"

From this we can see a few things. First, Smart Auto mode cuts the file size in half and the amount of info saved per pixel is less. I can't find an option to adjust the jpeg compression and don't fully understand what is happening here yet. The Canon is set to use the best quality jpeg options. We can also see the image PPI are simply saved at a smaller value on the Samsung, hence the larger image dimensions. For instance on the 12 MP Samsung image: Multiply the 96 PPI by 41.67 inches. You will get the listed horizontal resolution of 4000. Samsung could have just as easily saved the PPI larger and it would have equated to smaller calculated image dimensions. So if you view your image so it is 41.67" x 31.25" (huge!) then, yes, it will be 96 pixels per inch. I'm sure someone will correct me, but I think when you view or print the image smaller more information will be crammed into the smaller space and the apparent quality will increase. Additionally, when selecting a megapixel size the camera states the max recommended print size. For 12 MP it states 33.1" x 23.3", which equates to approx 121 PPI.

Pros:

Lots of settings and effects to play with. Dedicated video recording button. SD cards good up to 16 GB. Bright screen. Fairly good images for a point-and-shoot (including low-light). Easy to switch to Smart Auto if handing the camera off to someone who doesn't know cameras. GPS tagging. Nice zoom. HDMI output. Camera does have internal memory to store photos on (unfortunately only about 3 images at 12 MP!)

Cons:

Digital zoom can't be disabled (although it is not available in certain modes). Doesn't come with an SD storage card or case. Manual doesn't explain features and settings enough. Image jpeg compression options seem to be non-existent. Some settings in P mode will be reset when turning off the camera (like the Auto Contrast Balance). This option-resetting may occur in other modes as well, I haven't experimented enough. After taking a shot utilizing the flash the camera won't respond to input until the flash is charged again. Battery is charged while inside the camera, but the cord to connect it to an outlet is only about a foot long, maybe less. You have to find an outlet close to a shelf or something to set the camera on.

Conclusion:

This is just a preliminary review and I haven't spent too much time experimenting with the camera. This camera is a good choice if you are looking for a compact design, great zoom, GPS (outdoor use), good video and the ability to occasionally adjust the settings (aperture, shutter, etc.). It's just not going to give you the quality of a DSLR. Photos can look a bit grainy. I'm not sure why, perhaps in part due to the massive jpeg compression that's going on. I have a 5 MP Olympus that produces larger jpeg file sizes and its images can look better than the Samsung. If you are worried about the camera's size, it is larger than a subcompact, but I think the features outweigh the inconvenience of the size increase.

*Update*

I've since experimented with Samsungs jpeg compression options. There are three: Super Fine, Fine and Normal. The mode Auto Smart will only take images at Fine quality. Here is some more info to compare. I took four shots at 12 MP:

Auto Smart

File Size: 2.705 MB

2.15034 BPP (bits per pixel)

Auto with Super Fine

File Size: 4.737 MB

3.86252 BPP

Auto with Fine

File Size: 2.668 MB

2.12106 BPP

Auto with Normal

File Size: 1.834 MB

1.42007 BPP

It seems evident what Auto Smart is doing. It's a shame you can't improve the compression quality for Auto Smart because it is actually doing a pretty good job of analyzing the scene and choosing the best options. Auto Smart is also available in the movie mode.

I tend to partially block the flash when holding the camera. It takes a little practice placing your fingers in a place that won't block the flash and IR light while still keeping a good grip on the body. I guess sacrifices have to be made to cram all this stuff in a compact body. I would have liked to see the flash on the other side of the lens, although not having a pop-up flash is nice.

I just started using a 16 GB Ultra SD card. It will hold 2,313 images at 12 MP on Super Fine (Auto) or 3 hours 22 minutes video on the best quality settings. These numbers will decrease after other items are loaded on the card, like GPS maps, etc.

Against the grain of reviews here I ordered one of these HZ35W's. I love the camera so far. It feels very sturdy. I did have a Kodak Z950 which has the same megapixels but only 10x zoom and no GPS.

I chose this HZ35W over the HZ30W for the GPS. It didn't take long before I got frustrated over this GPS feature because the GPS capture is very slow at first. Downloading and installing the maps could have been easier as well. I actually had to check out a forum where someone posted screenshots of their directories on the SD Card that were using had to figure out how it was done. I also had to change the power saving settings to never turn the camera off because if not the GPS signal would never come through. I finally got it tonight and inside my house even. It took about 45 minutes of leaving the camera still to acquire the GPS signal but now that it's got it, it picks it up quick.

Overall I am very satisfied with the pictures. Quality is about the same as the Kodak Z950 but the zoom is much better with having 5X more optical zoom then the Kodak and the colors are sharper as well. Low light pictures are great too, I can take a picture in low light and it comes out very bright and colorful. The HD video quality and sound is also better than the Kodak and the file size is half the size of what I was used to so uploading to YouTube is much less of a pain not having to wait as long.

I chose this one over the Sony HX5 because the color is off when taking pictures in the sunlight on the Sony, they're too yellow in my opinion. The Samsung seems to shoot the scene more true to life in regards to the lighting and colors. Now that I've acquired my GPS signal and ensured that it works I'm very pleased with my purchase. Another day and I could have gotten it for $20 less but stuff like that happens.

I'd definitely grab them up while they're still on sale for $299. If you can be patient for up to 45 minutes or so then I'd say you should finally get a GPS signal, it really shouldn't take that long but like I said, I left it indoors to acquire it's first signal...outside should provide better results. Other than that, I have no reason not to recommend this Samsung HZ35W.

I bought two. At the time in March 2010, there were only two or three compacts offering comparable zoom range and gps geotagging. I'm pleased with this purchase. But since most readers will be interested in the bad news, I'll start there:

The Bad:

GPS map display DOES NOT WORK FOR THE TIME BEING. This is not important to me because the Geotagging does work, but this non-existent map-displaying feature has been praised by ill-advised reviewers. Samsung aknowledges the problem, says it applies to all US models but no UK models, and says it is working on a fix.(Related problem: Samsung told me it does not plan to offer maps for much of the developing world.)

Manufacturing quality is below average (except for lens). One camera was a missing screw in the base.

Tech support is below average.

The camera does not use GPS time! Only user-set time. This is the kind of thing that makes me worry about the overall design, but I haven't found any other design flaws this bad.

It doesn't display geographic coordinates it tags to images. The coordinates are recorded in the meta-data and you can see them when you get back to your PC, but you'll never find out what they are from the camera.

There's no exposure longer than 16 seconds, which doesn't matter because the low-light noise is bad, like all other compact digital cameras I've used.

It takes a long time, more than 10 minutes, for the GPS receiver to lock onto satellites after being off for a few hours (satellites move, don't they). If it's turned on within several minutes of having located itself, GPS acquisition is reasonably fast. Luckily, there is a setting on the camera that allows you to turn the GPS on with the lens retracted. So you can turn it on well before you plan to take pictures and give it time to acquire statellites.

The good:

This new lens is fantastic. I'm blown away by the quality when it gets enough light, even at extreme ends of the zoom range and at full aperature. The zoom range on this lens pushes the limits of compact cameras, but it does at least as good a job as most compact lenses I've used with much smaller zoom ranges. I love it.

The image stabilization is fantastic. Even pushed in to extreme telephoto and even at shutter speeds where I'd expect blurring, the crispness of the images surprised me. The video is also unexpectedly stable when pushed in. I'm used to much worse from compact cameras and really thought this would be a big problem on a camera with such extreme telephoto.

I can charge the battery without an AC adapter through any USB power source. This won't matter to some people, but it was a deal-closer for me.

LED display lives up to Samsung's marketing hype.

GPS accuracy is pretty good for a receiver this small (within 30 yards in handful of tests).

Auto-focus is good and fast.

The Wait and See:

I haven't figured out memory formatting. My Windows Vista PC does not read the memory card. So I have to transfer pictures through the camera. It's probably just a problem with me and the camera documentation.

Durability. The first reason I buy a compact is to have it with me. So I'll learn soon enough how durable it is. Too bad this kind of information is never available on leading-edge products. (Tip: Contrary to the published specifications of the LowePro Santiago 20 semi-hard case, it fits the HZ35W perfectly.

The new Samsung HZ35W is a great compact camera with a wonderfull 15X optical zoom. So far the camera has been easy to use and takes great pictures. My biggest complaint is the GPS feature. I could not get the GPS to sync with any satellites. It turns out after several calls to technical support, that Samsung is not yet supporting the GPS mode in the US and will only gaurantee GPS in the UK. They have no estimate as to when they will activate GPS for the US or for the rest of the world for that matter.

Additionally, I would agree with the other reviews in that the manuals for the camera are incomplete.

On the positive side, the AMOLED screen is amazing!

I received my camera on 6 April, and it has worked great. I received GPS signal in Georgia (USA), Germany, Switzerland, and Austria. The GPS synced in a reasonable amount of time. I believe most of the GPS complaints are from people who are not familiar with GPS products. It is important to remember that you need a clear view of the sky, and it will not work indoors or downtown areas with very tall buildings. It took 2-5 minutes to sync when I moved between countries, which is actually fairly good. I found that if I left my camera and GPS on while I walked from place to place it tracked the satellites well, but it does drain the battery.

Overall, I am a satisfied customer, and I would recommend the camera.

The Samsung HZ35W is one of the three new 2010 compact cameras sporting both a superzoom lens and GPS geotagging capabilities.

Pros:

- 15X otical zoom lens providing an incredible 24-360 mm range

- Stunning AMOLED 3" display. The best I've seen on any camera

- Can recharge batter by connecting to PC

- HD Video with ability to zoom while recording

- Manual controls (A,S,M)

- Automatic switch to camera mode when depress shutter

- Battery is very good when not using GPS

- GPS Mapview of geotagged images

- Image quality is good

- Macro shooting is excellent

- Software included in camera ROM and easy to install on PC

- Image stabilization works great, even when zoomed at 15X

- Menu system easy to use

Cons:

- GPS takes a long time to acquire

- Documentation is on CD only and is incomplete

- Loading maps onto camera is not easy and is not well documented

- Uses proprietary USB cable to connect camera to PC and to wall charger

I purchased my Samsung HZ35W through Amazon for $299, which is a great price for this feature packed compact camera.

I just finished a month-long trip to France and Italy with this camera. I was really happy to have such a light and small camera that could take great, sharp shots, deep zoom and beautiful color OLED LCD display for reviewing the day's photos with my wife while at dinner. Take a look at [...] for the pictures, albeit at reduced resolution.

For about 1.5 weeks, I hiked over 100 km of the French GR6 trail from just east of Avignon to Sisteron in the Les Alps d'Haute Provence. While hiking, I really wanted geo-coded pictures to post on my travel blog. I kept the camera in a pouch secured to my pack's shoulder strap so I could grab it quickly. I took pictures perhaps every 15-45 min. In general, I got a new GPS fix very quickly (15-20 sec, at most). Sometimes I would have to wait 1-2 minutes...yes sometimes annoying, but generally it gave me time to get a drink of water, look around and think about the shot I was going to take and enjoy the scenery. That's what "slow travel" is all about anyway. FYI, I could not get a GPS fix in fast-moving French TGV or Teoz trains.

Before the trip, I took the time to download the maps of US, France and Italy, following instructions found on the Samsung UK website for the identical model WB650. That said, I didn't use the camera's map feature all that much since I had an iPhone as well as paper topo maps with a lot more local detail.

The 15x zoom along with optical+digital image stablization really great for being able to take interesting shots of people without being close or faraway coastal details without being there (yet).

One thing I feature I wish the camera was the ability to turn *off* the LCD. This is a feature that my waterproof Pentax Optio WP has. It's nice sometimes when you know you're going to take a series of photos over, say, the next 5-10 minutes. Rather than turning the camera on/off and waiting that usually brief period for a GPS fix, I would rather keep the camera and GPS on and just turn the display off. On my Pentax Optio WP, this is just one more display mode that you can cycle through using the up/down buttons on the 4-way wobble pad.

Definitely buy an extra battery. At least once, while waiting for GPS fix after a large change in distance, I left the camera on in "map mode", and drained the battery.

My other cameras are the Optio mentioned above and a Nikon D200 with a Red Hen bluetooth adapter that syncs with a candy-bar sized bluetooh GPS receiver. The Optio just isn't good enough for a nice trip like this where I can keep the camera dry. But the Nikeon D200 is just too big and I would be out lots more money to get a 15x zoom. This camera was "just right".

I would give the product 5 stars if Samsung USA really supported the map feature in a user-friendly way, e.g., with a PC/Mac or Web app that would properly create and populate the directory structure on the SDHC card with the maps you select. Also, Samsung's limit of three download attempts for each map is idiotic. Is this really supposed to be some sort of security? I called Samsung's "Customer Experience" department to let them know that the dropped the ball here.

So, I'm really happy with this camera for travelling and look forward to bringing it along on future trips.

Bought camera through Amazon & J&R Camera. Feature rich camera. Liked the zoom range. Camera came two days after I ordered it. Very nice. Charged battery fully and took it out the next day to test outdoors in the park. The temp was cool, in the mid forties. After taking several pictures the camera locked up. The power light was on and the screen active, but there was no button I could push(including the power button)to take control of the camera. After a few minutes I gave up and pulled the battery out. I re-inserted the battery and the camera seemed to return to normal. A few more pictures later the same thing happened again. Maybe it was the cool temp or maybe it was just a lemon. I'm thinking this camera was a pre-released version because it was not widely available at the time. Early adopters take their chances. I sent the camera back not wanting to get stuck with a lemon. I tried to load maps on to the gps in the camera. There is almost no docs on how to do that. I gave up before I could suceed. The pictures I took were ok but not what you expect from dslr. But that's not the reason I chose this camera. I wanted a camera I could hang on my belt and go everywhere I went. I have a Nikon D5000. I love the camera but it is a pain to carry around. I'm going to keep tabs on this camera and check reviews and maybe try it again.

I got this camera the first week of April. I am ,so far, very impressed. I would like to address the GPS complaints people have mentioned. First off, this is a camera not a GPS. The GPS did take a long time (about 20 min) to get a fix the first time I turned it on. Since then, as long as I an in the same general area as my previous gps fix, it will get a fast fix. If you move , Lets say 75 miles or so, it will take a bit longer to get a fix. The zoom is excellent! I have a canon DSLR with a 75-300mm ultrasonic lense. The samsung will bring objects in closer than my canon! Granted the final part of the zoom is digital, but it is one of the best digital zooms I have used. People are very amazed at the quality of pictures I took at night. The day pictures are great too. People are also amazed how feature packed this camera is compared to its size. Get a SD card of at least 8gb to accomodate the mapping software and high res pictures.

The only reason I didn't give 5 stars: Lack of small pocket sized manual, Mapping software instructions make loading and prepping a little difficult (samsung could have made the process dag and drop from the CD, lack of photo stitch on the fly, no Sepia?, Classic = B&W? , No 1080 video? Would be nice to extend the shutter exposure to at least 30 or 40 seconds.

I hope someone puts out a cool firmware upgrade like [...] for the canon cameras.

Bottom line...this camera rocks...just missing some of the frosting.

Loaded with good features but it has to be tailored

to your needs to get the best out of it.

The support is weak from Samsung but Forums like

DPReview help with advice from other users.

The Macro, Dual Image Stabilisation and 15x Zoom

are really great tools.

The GPS is cumbersome to set up and works

if you really need it.