Today, the main attention is paid to what is happening in the world of SLR and mirrorless cameras, but no less interesting developments appear among compact models. The very first camera of this type was the Kodak Brownie, introduced in 1900. For almost 100 years, compacts have been the easiest and cheapest way to get a photo. All this has changed the digital revolution. In less than 20 years, base-type compact cameras have evolved into many varieties, including ultra-compact, waterproof, automatic, with an ultrasound and, finally, with a travel zoom.
Samsung WB350F: specifications
Travel zoom compacts look and work like standard ones, but are equipped with long focal length lenses and allow manual exposure settings. The Samsung WB350F is a prime example of this type of camera. This is a digital compact with 21x magnification, a 16-megapixel BSI CMOS 1 / 2.3, 3 ”sensor and a TFT-touch LCD monitor with a resolution of 460 thousand pixels, which allows you to record full HD-video at a speed of 30 fps, manually control the exposure and provides wireless Wi-Fi and NFC. In the event of a breakdown, the manufacturer guarantees a free repair of Samsung WB350F within a year after purchase.
Assembly and design
Under the outwardly ordinary compact, a device with great capabilities is hidden. The WB350F housing has dust and water tight seals and is finished with a soft-touch leather substitute in white, black, brown, red or blue. The price of Samsung WB350F is 250-300 US dollars.
The user interface of the WB350F is simple and logical, and although the camera’s screen is touch-sensitive, it has a full set of buttons, knobs and switches, so you don’t have to rely solely on the display when working with the camera. All elements are clearly marked, reasonably placed and easy to reach.
Description Samsung WB350F standard for compacts. The upper panel contains a classic set of a switch, a mode dial, a larger than usual shutter button with zoom control and a pop-up flash. The activation button for the latter is located at the beveled top edge, as is the Wi-Fi “direct connection” button. The controls on the rear are also traditional. A 3-inch fixed LCD monitor occupies about 2/3 of the surface. There is also a textured pad under the thumb, to the right of which is a red video button, eliminating the need to use the screen. A 4-way navigation bar provides direct access to display, flash, self-timer and macro settings. Below are the play button and a function key that brings up a menu of customizable parameters - shutter speed, aperture, exposure compensation, photosensitivity, white balance, metering, autofocus, resolution, etc., and when viewing, it is used to delete pictures. As with most travel zoom models, there is no hand grip.
Operating Instructions: Operating Modes
The drive on the top of the camera contains the following camera control options:
- Smart Auto - automatic scene recognition, in which the camera compares what is in front of the lens with the on-board database, and then immediately before recording the image compares this information with the distance to the object, white balance, contrast, dynamic range, lighting and color to choose the best storyline. In this case, the user can only turn on and off the flash.
- Program - automatic exposure mode with limited manual settings (sensitivity, white balance, exposure compensation and flash).
- ASM - allows you to manually set the exposure with aperture priority when the photographer selects the aperture, and the camera - the appropriate shutter speed, and shutter priority, in which the camera independently selects the desired aperture.
- Fully manual mode, allowing the selection of all exposure parameters.
- Smart Scene sets the scene that best fits the subject.
- Best Face is a comprehensive face recognition mode.
- Choice of effects - Low Light, HDR, Split Shot, etc.
- Custom settings mode with the ability to set your own shooting settings.
- Wi-Fi - allows you to share images.
Display
Like most modern digital cameras, there is no optical viewfinder. Instead, users must rely on a 3 ”TFT screen with a resolution of 460k dots to crop, view pictures, and navigate menus. Photographers rarely use optical viewfinders, even if they are, because in many cases it’s faster and easier to track the decisive moment on the screen than through the viewfinder. The display is bright, accurately reproduces colors, automatically adjusts to the conditions of external lighting and covers approximately 100% of the frame. Like all LCDs, the Samsung WB350F is hindered by glare from bright outdoor lighting. The display by default displays all the information that the target audience of this model may need.
Shooting efficiency
Turning on the camera takes ages 3.4 seconds, but then the camera’s performance is noticeably accelerated.
Automatic exposure in Smart Auto and Program modes is reliable and impressively fast. The Samsung WB350F smart camera is equipped with a fairly standard contrast AF system with central, multi and tracking AF. In this case, the scene is analyzed, the distance to the object is calculated, the nearest point is determined and the focus is fixed on it. The central AF option is perfect for portraits and traditional landscapes, as well as for street photography, since it does not require a face selection. All this takes no more than 0.1 s, and a series of 6 pictures is recorded at a speed of 7.1 fps.
Backlight
Pressing the flash button and puts it in the working position. It is attached to a metal folding mechanism that raises it almost 25 mm above the top panel. Since the light source is located to the left of the axis of the lens, the problem of red eyes should be significantly less.
Samsung WB350F's small multi-mode pop-up camera flash is praised by users for an acceptable range of lighting options, including automatic, automatic with red-eye reduction, fill-flash, slow sync, red-eye removal, and manual. It also allows you to produce backlighting with reflected light - just hold it at the required angle with the index finger of your left hand (while holding the other camera). This feature greatly enhances portraiture capabilities. According to user reviews, the flash reload time is 3-4 s.
Vibration compensation
A particularly important functional feature of the Samsung WB350F is called image stabilization, which provides a longer zoom, since it is almost impossible to hold the camera still at maximum magnification. Image blur is eliminated by quickly and accurately offsetting the vibration-compensating sensor. Image stabilization reduces shutter speed by 3 steps. It is also useful when shooting without a flash in dimly lit rooms or in situations where the presence of an additional light source would be too obvious.
Duration of work
The battery life of the lithium-ion battery SLB-10A with a capacity of 1030 mAh approximately corresponds to the average value for cameras of this type. The instructions for the Samsung WB350F indicate the number of 310 shots, which corresponds to 155 minutes of photo or 120 video recordings. The battery is charged inside the camera - an external charger is not included, but is offered as an optional accessory (along with a case, an A / V cable and a memory card with an adapter). The battery can be charged via a USB port from a computer or using the supplied AC cable.
The WB350F saves JPEG photos and high-definition video to MicroSD storage media.
Lens operation
When you turn on the camera, the lens extends from the housing, and when it is turned off, it retracts back. The built-in cover closes to protect the front lens. The zoom is smooth, fairly fast and relatively quiet, especially for such a telephoto lens. Thanks to its large zoom and compact profile, the camera is ideally suited for an incredibly wide range of applications, but its strengths are the small weight and size demanded by travelers.
There is no point in installing a zoom lens on the camera that will not allow you to take a high-quality photo. Not so long ago, a 10-fold increase was considered the limit, so 4.1–86.1 mm (23–483 in 35 mm equivalent) brought the camera to a whole new level. A maximum aperture of f2.8 is sufficient for outdoor shooting, although indoors and when there is a lack of light, this task can become more difficult, since with sensitivity above ISO 400, noise becomes a problem. The sharpness in the center of the frame is good, but at the wide-angle end of the zoom, the angles become noticeably softer. No vignetting. The barrel and pincushion distortions of the Samsung WB350F are called user-friendly by user reviews.
The contrast is a little “hard”, and the colors are accurate, but noticeably oversaturated. Chromatic aberration is remarkably controlled, but in the transition areas between dark foreground objects and a bright background, a colored border is sometimes visible. Zooming is smooth but slow compared to cameras with shorter focal lengths. The noise of the lens is much less than expected. Pictures taken at longer telephoto settings become noticeably softer, but still retain sharpness more than most other models in this price category.
Video quality
Samsung WB350F Black captures HD video in MP4 format with a resolution of 1080p or 720p at a speed of 30 fps, and you can change the zoom while shooting a video. The image is clear and colorful, the focus is smooth, but a little slowly adjusts to all changes in the scene. The sound quality for the compact camera is good. The voices are clear and the sound of the lens motor is not heard. The camera does not have an HDMI output, which would allow you to view video clips on a TV.
Image quality
According to user reviews, the images are noticeably oversaturated, with a slightly harsh contrast. Images are distinguished by good resolution and essentially no noise up to ISO 400. With increasing photosensitivity, interference becomes more apparent. The vast majority of digital compacts increase color saturation - red shades become too warm, blue shades brighter than in real life, and green and yellow become more expressive, and the WB350F is no exception. Photos taken on the Samsung WB350F, reviews are praised for good detail and amazing clarity. Image quality is better than average for cameras of this class, at least with ISO 400 settings and lower.
Wireless connection
The captured photo and video can be sent directly to Picasa, Facebook, YouTube, Dropbox, Samsung Link or by email. The MobileLink app for iOS and Android allows you to transfer images to a smartphone or remotely control the camera. It supports automatic backup with saving content to a PC. AutoShare instantly duplicates images as they are captured. It is possible to use the camera as a child monitor with broadcasting video to a smartphone in real time. In addition to Wi-Fi connection, the Samsung WB350F camera supports NFC, which allows you to establish a connection with a smartphone (or similar devices) when they are in contact with them. The camera also downloads the necessary applications from the Google Play store without having to search them.
Finally
Despite the fact that the camera surpasses most of its competitors in terms of functionality and convenience, higher average noise levels above ISO 400 may be decisive for some potential buyers. Samsung WB350F reviews are called compact, well-designed, durable and easy to use digital camera with 21x zoom, which will appeal to both traveling and street photographers. It is small, fast enough not to miss a crucial moment, imperceptible, does not look threatening and is able to reliably capture high-quality photos. The camera is pleasant to use, and although it is not without drawbacks, they are not critical.