Samsung TL500 (EX1) Review

Samsung TL500/EX1 Review, by Richard Butler, July 2010

Review based on a production Samsung EX1

As DSLRs have become less expensive, the number of people keen to purchase high-end, manually controllable compact cameras has fallen away – so long as camera size is not an issue, the benefits of a bigger sensor are hard to resist. However, because size is a concern for some people, the sector did not die-off entirely and, in July 2008, Panasonic introduced the DMC-LX3, finally giving an alternative to Canon’s well-respected G-series.

Now Samsung, another vast electronics specialist wanting to show off its photographic credentials has introduced the TL500 (EX1 outside North America), a pretty tiny thing that follows the LX3 recipe of a fast, wide (though reach-limited) zoom lens in a fairly compact metal body. The Samsung offers an impressive F1.8-2.4 zoom lens that covers a range from the very wideangle 24mm equivalent out to 72mm equiv. making it a fraction faster than the LX3 at the wide end and a touch longer at the other.

The other standout feature of the TL500 is undoubtedly its rear screen – not only does it have a fully articulated screen, it also has the excellent VGA-equivalent OLED screen we first saw on the NX10. In principle OLED screens can be more efficient and offer greater contrast than LCD panels because they can selectively light just the pixels that need to be illuminated. They also promise greater viewing angles.

In many other respects the TL500 closely mimics the LX3′s design though it adds a direct video record button, despite only offering rather dated VGA video recording. This limitation, coming from a 10MP, 1/1.7″ CCD, strongly suggests the camera is based around the same high sensitivity Sony sensor as the Canon G11 and S90.

Overall it’s an impressive specification, packing a lot of desirable features, such as RAW ability and simple manual control into its stylish form.

Samsung TL500 Key Features 24-72mm equivalent F1.8-2.4 image stabilized lens 10 million pixel 1/1.7″ sensor (0.43 cm²) Front click dial and rear control dial RAW shooting 3.0 inch VGA-equivalent articulated OLED screen Accessible manual controls Optical Image Stabilization Smart Mode with automatic scene detection VGA output HD output Side by side

It’s clear from this picture that the Samsung is not as small as the Panasonic LX3 that has clearly played heavily on the minds of its designers. Canon’s S90 is smaller still, however the TL500/EX1 is not as massive as Canon’s G11.

Samsung TL500/EX1 specifications Recommended price $449 €387 £395 Sensor 1/1.7″ Type CCD 10 million effective pixels Image sizes 3648 x 2736 3264 x 2448 3648 x 2052 2592 x 1944 2048 x 1536 1920 x 1080 1024 x 768 Movie clips 640 x 480 @ 30, 15 fps 320 x 240 @ 30, 15fps File formats Still: JPEG (Exif v2.21), RAW Movie: Container : MP4, Video : H.264, Audio : AAC Lens 24-72mm (35mm equiv) f = 5.2 – 15.6 mm 3x optical zoom F1.8-2.4 Image stabilization Yes (Lens-Shift) Digital zoom up to 4x Focus Auto focus :TTL – Center – Multi AF – Selection – Tracking – Face Detection – Smart Face Recognition Macro Manual focus AF lock Yes (on/off selectable) AF assist lamp Yes Focus distance Closest focus distance 5 cm Metering Multi Center-weighted Spot ISO sensitivity Auto ISO 80 ISO 100 ISO 200 ISO 400 ISO 800 ISO 1600 ISO 3200 AE lock Yes Exposure compensation +/- 2EV in 1/3 stop increments Shutter speed Auto (1 – 1/1500 sec) 16-1/1600 sec Modes Auto Program AE Shutter Priority AE Aperture Priority AE Manual Scene modes Beauty Shot Frame Guide Night, Portrait Children Landscape Close-up Text Sunset Dawn Backlight Firework Beach & Snow Movie White balance Auto (including Face Detection WB) Daylight Cloudy Tungsten Fluorescent L Fluorescent H Flash Custom Self timer 10 or 2 seconds Continuous shooting Yes (rate not specified) Image parameters Normal Sketch Defog Soft Vivid Forest Retro Cool, Calm, Classic Negative Custom RGB Flash Auto, Flash On, Flash Off, Slow Sync, Red-eye reduction Wide : 0.2m – 6.2m, Tele : 0.5m – 5.1m (ISO AUTO) Flash EVC +/- 1EV (1/2 steps) Monitor 3.0 inch multi-angle AMOLED 614000 dots Connectivity USB 2.0 Hi-Speed HDMI mini connector AV out (PAL / NTSC switchable) Print compliance PictBridge Storage SD / SDHC Power Rechargeable Li-ion Battery SLB-11A Weight (no batt) 356 g Dimensions 114 x 65 x 30 mm

If you are new to digital photography you may wish to read the Digital Photography Glossary before diving into this article (it may help you comprehend some of the terms used).

Conclusion / Recommendation / Ratings are based on the opinion of the reviewer, you should read the ENTIRE review before coming to your own conclusions.

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