Customer Reviews

Samsung SL620 12.2 MP Digital Camera with 5x Dual Image Stabilized Zoom and 3.0 inch LCD (Black)

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

 

 

I have to admit, the first time I saw the Samsung SL620 on-line, I wasn't exactly blown away. I mean, it looks nice enough, and the 3" LCD screen is bigger than the screens on most other cameras in its class. But to tell the truth, it seemed a little boring. So I passed on it.

Instead, I ordered a Nikon Coolpix S230 - on the surface, a much sexier camera. 3" LCD TOUCH SCREEN, the ability to write on photographs with the included stylus, this was the exciting technology I was looking for. Right?

Wrong. It turned out the Coolpix S230 was a complete dud (see my review of that camera for more details). I ended up sending it back.

When I did, I decided to take another look at the SL620 - best thing I could've done! This camera takes the clearest pictures you can imagine. The level of detail in each shot is incredible. And that doesn't just apply to the still camera. The video on this thing is fantastic as well (the audio isn't always as loud as I'd like, but that warrants a minor gripe at best).

It also has cool features like Smile Detection, which actually waits for the subject of the photo to smile before snapping the shot, and Dual Image Stabilization, which reduces the blur caused by a user's hand shaking. It offers several shooting modes - including "Smart Auto," which takes all the work out of getting the perfect photograph - and a 5X optical zoom.

Trust me, people may not ooh and ahh when you first pull the SL620 out to take a picture, but they will when they see the photos it takes. And for the price, this camera can't be beat. I'm in love with mine and you will be, too! Buy it.

I got this camera because it was on sale, a good bargain for a 12 MP camera. I have a Samsung 52" LCD HD TV that I am so happy about and love a lot. The price was much less than the competition from Sony or Mitsubishi on the TV I felt like I got a real value and thought I would trust Samsung again because I knew what they are capable of.

The SL620 is a nice form factor, fits in my pocket and comes out ready for action quickly. It has the 12.2 Megapixels and 5x zoom, really astonishing technical achievements in a great package.

There are some things that I do not like about this camera that might have been deal breakers had I known about it before my purchase.

I really do not like the proprietary USB port and cable. Every time I go to hook this up to charge it or download the mini-hdmi (what it looks like) connector does not want to connect. It is hard to see whether it is up or down because it is so small. This is really irritating, and I am sure would be expensive if I ever lost or damaged the cable. A big thumbs down for that. I have gotten used to a standard mini-USB cable, but Samsung uses this one port for download, charging, and displaying to TV as well which probably saves money and parts - for them, but it does nothing to make the camera easier or better to use.

Second thing is that I love the on-screen help, but when you flick between modes the text is on the screen not even fast enough to read - very frustrating. You have to keep clicking away and back to read the help screens? Maybe there is a setting to adjust this, but learning the camera becomes harder, and when they do not implement the help well, it is worse than no help at all because it is just a distraction.

Next is the viewfinder. I have found that I have to be very conservative, ie. move back and try to give extra margin around my subject to shoot because what I see on the viewfinder is not necessarily the picture I end up with. I have not really analyzed this to find out exactly where the picture is or how it changes with modes, but one needs to see on the viewscreen exactly what the picture is, otherwise the viewscreen is useless too.

The pictures are so huge that taking the picture seems to take a while before the camera comes back. The "snappiness" of the response leaves a bit to be desired.

I also do not like the way the zoom is implemented as a vertical rocker switch up near the top of the trigger. Your thumb wants to move right and left if you hold the camera like a normal human being, and making it go up and down really makes the zoom clumsy to use, and makes the camera more likely to shake.

As I said, I like the form factor, the detail is wonderful, the size and shape are great. The picture quality is very good. The screen help idea is great, and the text that comes up when you change modes is a good idea, but as I said you can hardly read it before it goes away leaving it just as hard to tell what mode you are in as the cameras that have no such help.

I have to say I am disappointed overall in the design details of this camera, though all the parts are there and the picture is nice and very detailed an the zoom power is very good.

The video is sharp and clear and very nice. I cannot say for sure but I think the image is stabilized in the video.

I would recommend this camera for those who want all the features of a 12 MP 5x optical zoom for an inexpensive price and do not mind overlooking some ... what I think of anyway ... as bad design judgements. With proper tweaking this camera could have been so much much better.

I wonder if Samsung can make a firmware upgrade or something to fix some of my gripes ... though I have never heard of a f/w upgrade for a camera.

Pros: great detail, the 12 megapix give amazing clarity. I bought this for a trip to Rome, and it captures every little bit of detail a sculpture or painting. the "Dual" mode does a great job of eliminating blurriness from shaking hands. The 5x optical zoom works fast, and the auto focus adjusts quickly as well.

Cons: the night time mode doesn't work that well, and makes pictures very yellow-ish. I had some problems with pictures corrupting. Of the 600 pictures I took, 8 of them became corrupt (although that could be a problem with the memory card and not the camera).

I've owned the SL620 for about a month now, upgrading from a 4 year old Canon 3.2MP camera. Here are my thoughts:

PROS:
- Photo quality, when transferred to a PC, is great. I would say that the Smart Mode seems to not handle contrast when using a flash as well as I'd hoped, but it is still impressive.
- The 3" viewer is very nice. Within this price range, there aren't many full 3" LCD displays.
- Battery life is acceptable, better than some competitors.
- Video quality, for standard VGA resolution, is good. If you want HD resolution at 720 lines, you'd need the SL820. However, the SL620's video and audio quality is better than I expected.
- I had no problems with the PC connection, although I found the software to be less than intuitive, and easier to browse/copy pictures using "My Computer" and opening the camera's folder.

CONS:
- As some have noted in other reviews, the LCD's display of descriptions of what each mode is about, is very short. For example, when you switch among Dual IS - Video - Smart, and the other modes, there is an on-screen description on the LCD explaining what each mode does. This description lasts about one second or less. When you're learning the camera, it's very annoying not having enough time to read it. You have to switch modes and back to continue reading the description.
- Samsung's properietary USB cable also takes some getting-used-to. The camera end of the cable can be hard to tell which end is up, unlike standard USB 2.0 cables. It also means that if you lose or want a replacement cable, you must buy from Samsung and pay a premium for it.
- The cover over the camera's PC connector is also hard to detach. It looks very classy to the eye, as does the rest of the camera, but it's difficult to remove.

All things considered, I am happy with the camera. The pros outweigh the cons for me. I would add that the number of megapixels has become a moot sales tactic. Unless you plan to print posters larger than 16x20", there is no gain in having more than 8MP. Otherwise, you can easily have lower quality photos from a 12MP camera than an 8-10MP camera.

This camera gets a thumbs up! U cant ask for more unless you go to the $300.00 price range. Great Pics and great videos too! Shows great on my samsung tv Samsung has really stepped their game up... Im a samsung fan,and their customer service is great.....Luv My Cam!!!!!

I got this camera because it was on sale, a good bargain for a 12 MP camera. I have a Samsung 52" LCD HD TV that I am so happy about and love a lot. The price was much less than the competition from Sony or Mitsubishi on the TV I felt like I got a real value and thought I would trust Samsung again because I knew what they are capable of.

The SL620 is a nice form factor, fits in my pocket and comes out ready for action quickly. It has the 12.2 Megapixels and 5x zoom, really astonishing technical achievements in a great package.

There are some things that I do not like about this camera that might have been deal breakers had I known about it before my purchase.

I really do not like the proprietary USB port and cable. Every time I go to hook this up to charge it or download the mini-hdmi (what it looks like) connector does not want to connect. It is hard to see whether it is up or down because it is so small. This is really irritating, and I am sure would be expensive if I ever lost or damaged the cable. A big thumbs down for that. I have gotten used to a standard mini-USB cable, but Samsung uses this one port for download, charging, and displaying to TV as well which probably saves money and parts - for them, but it does nothing to make the camera easier or better to use.

Second thing is that I love the on-screen help, but when you flick between modes the text is on the screen not even fast enough to read - very frustrating. You have to keep clicking away and back to read the help screens? Maybe there is a setting to adjust this, but learning the camera becomes harder, and when they do not implement the help well, it is worse than no help at all because it is just a distraction.

Next is the viewfinder. I have found that I have to be very conservative, ie. move back and try to give extra margin around my subject to shoot because what I see on the viewfinder is not necessarily the picture I end up with. I have not really analyzed this to find out exactly where the picture is or how it changes with modes, but one needs to see on the viewscreen exactly what the picture is, otherwise the viewscreen is useless too.

I wish I could post some video I shot on this camera, the subject is off to the top of the frame, and even cut off. When I was shooting it it was all in the center of the viewscreen. This is a major problem ... I wish I could take it back at this point.

The pictures are so huge that taking the picture seems to take a while before the camera comes back. The "snappiness" of the response leaves a bit to be desired.

I also do not like the way the zoom is implemented as a vertical rocker switch up near the top of the trigger. Your thumb wants to move right and left if you hold the camera like a normal human being, and making it go up and down really makes the zoom clumsy to use, and makes the camera more likely to shake.

As I said, I like the form factor, the detail is wonderful, the size and shape are great. The picture quality is very good. The screen help idea is great, and the text that comes up when you change modes is a good idea, but as I said you can hardly read it before it goes away leaving it just as hard to tell what mode you are in as the cameras that have no such help.

I have to say I am disappointed overall in the design details of this camera, though all the parts are there and the picture is nice and very detailed an the zoom power is very good.

The video is sharp and clear and very nice. I cannot say for sure but I think the image is stabilized in the video.

I would recommend this camera for those who want all the features of a 12 MP 5x optical zoom for an inexpensive price and do not mind overlooking some ... what I think of anyway ... as bad design judgements. With proper tweaking this camera could have been so much much better.

I wonder if Samsung can make a firmware upgrade or something to fix some of my gripes ... though I have never heard of a f/w upgrade for a camera.

Bought this camera as a pocket camera for our trip to Europa. What a great buy!!! Better than I expected. Easy to use -- there are short help statements when you "dail" up a feature plus a short help menu. Using the "dail" to shift between mode is slick and easy. Couldn't be happier -- only a couple downers -- When battery charge goes, there is no warning (luckily I bought a spare battery that I kept charged and in my pocket). However, battery life is pretty long. I usually got through a whole day of picture taking on one battery. Another was that while in the movie mode, if you use the zoom, it can not be done smoothly and the sound recording is interrupted. However, this is a still pixs camera not a video recorder -- so what did I expect. In summary, a great camera, very satisfied.

I just received this camera...picture quality is awesome...Superb 3'in LCD with great clarity...very compact & light weight & looks trendy...comes with great selection of picture modes to choose...
I initially debated whether to go for Canon or Olympus...But, finally I decided to go with Samsung, and it was great choice !!!

First off, I will say that I won this camera with award points through my employer. I did have some options and went with the Samsung based on the reviews I've read and the overall reputation that Samsung has for quality electronics. Having said that, I probably would not have chosen this camera if I had to pay for it because most importantly for me, it uses it's own proprietary battery, which may be commonplace nowadays, but I prefer AA batteries, which are always widely available if you get into a jam. I am not a professional photographer, although I have taken some classes in photography in my lifetime and know a little bit about photography. I have owned probably 5 other digital cameras over the years and this being the newest, I was hoping for a lot more. The images, so far only taken in Auto mode, have been a little disappoining. Perhaps I'm not using the correct shooting mode, but I know that I have always used Auto mode (which a lot of my friends who are experienced photographers also do) with my point and shoot cameras, and have gotten much crisper images. The images I took in auto mode just were not as defined as I had hoped - and the camera was set for highest resolution. Another nuisance that I noticed only months after owning it is that the audio mutes (while in video mode) when zooming in/out. I don't know if this is a defect in my camera, or a design defect. It is a consistent problem. The quality of the video, however, is the best I've had compared to all of my cameras. I am considering trying to return it, but in the meantime, just zoom in to where I need to be before hitting the record button and then just don't touch the zoom button until finished. The size and weight of the camera are fine and it does feel like it's solidly built. I'm open to the possibility that I received a lemon, but wanted to mention these issues in case others noticed them also.

Update 3/30/10: I called Samsung and was told that audio going mute on playback at any time the zoom button was used is a "design flaw". They are not offering any sort of assistance and if you buy this camera, beware that this annoyance is something you will have to live with. My advice is to not buy this camera, or any Samsung camera as I was informed that all 2009 cameras have this same design flaw and 2010 models have not yet been tested, according to the Level 2 Tech at Samsung.

It was nice. I'd go into detail, but I'm a busy man takin' mah photos and moving along. Anywho, yea, its a good camera. ONE SIDE NOTE!!!! When taking video, you CANNOT record sound while zooming. Took me a while to figure that one out...