Digimax L85

If you are considering this camera, BUY IT. I spent 3 months of painful research for replacing my beloved Olympus D40Z. I wanted something still compact, but could deliver high quality photos and a multitude of combined features.

I don't understand why we haven't seen alot of reviews yet for this camera as I think it is great and I often marvel at the quality of pictures it produces. The colors are magnificent and it also allows full control over Fstop, ISO/ exposure if you want it. And if you don't, the auto feature works just fine as well.

A big favorite is the wide angle(this function also allows full control over settings. Other modes include various scene modes: night, snow, fast/moving objects, etc. The camera offers a plethora of special effects which allow you to snap a photo and edit on the camera itself to increase R,G,B, or turn to NEGATIVE, Sepia, Black and White, and several other effect options.

It was also important to me to get a camera with the ability to take good quality movies. The Digimax L85 takes movies @ 30fps... and to my surprise, not only were the movies clear... but the sound was impressive, crystal clear. I did a test that even had the camera pick up background radio noise several feet away at a very low volume, and it was still perfectly clear. My previous camera had auto focusing (?) ticking as a regular noise when making a movie, and I am relieved to say this is not an issue at all with the Samsung Digimax L85.

Playback on the television is great, with both Audio and Visual out, I am waiting for my HDMI cable, remote control, and charging/playback cradel... can't wait to try the HDMI feature.

I have noticed a few other reviews from other pages have noted the size of the camera as a downfall, saying that it is too bulky to be a 'pocket cam.' I tried this myself, and had no problem fitting it into the back pocket of a slim pair of jeans. True, it isn't as thin as alot of cameras out there are, but the size and rubber-bodied texture allows for a great grip for those one-handed shots.

Another big perk was the 8MP ability and fast relay time between shots (also with charging times between flashes). I also wanted this camera for the 40x TOTAL zoom. The Optical zoom is 5x (great) with an 8x Digital zoom. This has particularly come in handy when on trips and you are looking for a close up across a body of water, mountain range, etc.

I have found because the color, sharpness, and exposure is great with this camera, I have virtually no need to edit every picture I download to my computer before printing. The camera also allows for editing both stills and movies directly on the camera (I assume, you can also do while plugged into your television in playback mode). My largest use of the editing feature is cropping and occasionally playing around with the colors for effect.

A nice feature that I thoroughly enjoy is the date stamp (can also choose additional information) which stamps each photo in a very unassuming, creative font in muted yellow in the lower right-hand corner of each picture. Looks professional, and saves you time from dating each print later.

Other notable perks: Huge LCD display with the option of increasing the brightness in bright settings since there is no viewfinder. I also think the menus are very user friendly and easy on the eyes... I had no problem feeling comfortable with the menus within the first hour.

Enjoy that mode dial. Thank you, Samsung for including it and ALSO making it EASY to see what mode you are switching to in the DARK! (mode dial switching turns shows on the LCD display) You also have Auto focus assist and image shake warning PRIOR to a shot being taken. Additionally...image stabilization during movie mode, also with zoom enabled!

I also think Samsung deserves a job well-done for the METAL tripod mount on the base of the camera. Most cameras I have reviewed have a Plastic tripod mount (boo!). The battery/SD card door is also plesantly hefty and doesn't feel like I will snap it off in the midst of changing out batteries in a rush.

Aside from the camera also looking pretty sharp by echoing a style similiar to our vintage cameras with the black and silver... the body is metal, and the camera exhibits textured chrome buttons on the back which are offset beautifully against the black rubber grip finish. Buttons are imprinted with the function, so you don't have to worry about the "paint" rubbing off with years of use (so I suffered with my last camera.)

In a nutshell, if you have been seriously considering this camera, just buy it. Online stores have several competitive deals, the only thing is that you need to also purchase extra memory (SD, camera comes with 23mb internal memory only)... if that is my only gripe, I still think this is a great camera and am most happy with this purchase. I can't stop carrying it around. I am just itching for the next road trip...