New Samsung digital cameras optimized for social networking

MANILA, Philippines - Samsung Electronics Philippines Corp. recently introduced the ST500, ST550 and ST1000, the newest members of its fast-growing digital camera family.

The three new compact cameras, which made their world debuts via a series of themed events in New York, Beijing, Bangkok, London and Seoul, boast innovative new features, groundbreaking technology and design, as well as ease of use.

Delivering twice the fun of any other compact digital camera, the 12.2-megapixel Samsung ST500 and ST550 quite literally put the photographer in the picture, thanks to its Dual LCDs — one on the front of the camera and another one on the back.

“Today’s product launch is an important milestone for Samsung, reinforcing our position as a leading innovator in the digital camera market and setting a new benchmark for digital camera technology,” said Sang Jin Park, CEO of Samsung Digital Imaging Co. Ltd., at the launch.

“It is our goal to continue to lead the evolution of the industry while delivering a first-class consumer experience through ease of use and the design of our ‘smart cameras,’” he said.

“We’ve listened to what consumers want and need, particularly in the social networking field, and I expect these latest products to surpass even the highest expectations of today’s budding photographer, guaranteeing fun and excitement to the user,” he added.

The growing popularity of social networking sites has given rise to the self-portrait or profile picture with many consumers turning their digital camera on themselves to become the subject of their photo. 

The 1.5-inch LCD on the front of the ST500 and ST550 allows users to take these self-portraits and profile pictures with ease, showing them exactly what the picture will look like, thus enabling the desired result every time.

Incorporating a 3.5-inch-wide, 1,152K-resolution haptic touch-screen rear LCD, the ST550 delivers one of the highest resolution screens available on a digital camera. The ST500 has a three inch-wide, 230K haptic touchscreen.

Complementing this is a 12.2-megapixel CCD and 27-mm, wide-angle Schneider-Kreuznach lens with 4.6x optical zoom, allowing a wider shooting range from a shorter distance, and producing clear, clean images with balanced resolution from the center of the image to the edges.

Both cameras can shoot 720p high-definition videos at 30 frames per second and have optical and digital image stabilization.

Another innovation found on the ST500 and ST550 is Samsung’s new powerful Smart Gesture User Interface (UI) with a built-in Gravity Sensor. Once the camera is on, a simple tap on the front LCD turns it on and the camera is automatically set into self-portrait mode with smile detection.

This means if users want to take a self-portrait, they only need to tap and smile and the picture will be taken automatically. Teamed with innovative Samsung technologies such as Smile Shot, Smart Face Recognition and Smart Auto, users are given the ability to take the perfect image with ease.

Embracing the latest consumer trends, Samsung’s new 12.2-megapixel ST1000 provides unprecedented connectivity as it incorporates geo-tagging, Bluetooth 2.0, Wi-Fi connectivity and DLNA compatibility, giving social networkers the ability to share their images while on the move and breaking the confines of uploading and sharing content in the traditional way.

The camera’s wireless functionality enables users to send and post pictures almost as quickly as they take them, while its GPS capabilities keep track of where users travel, giving them the ability to manage their images intelligently with geographical location data embedded directly into each corresponding EXIF file.

With the increasing importance of content sharing for consumers, the ST1000 provides an unrivalled experience and is a great way to keep one’s network of friends and family in the know.

The ST1000’s built-in geo-tagging allows users to record the details of the location and time the image was taken. Bluetooth 2.0, meanwhile, allows images to be distributed wirelessly to supporting devices such as mobile telephones, while Wi-Fi means that users can now e-mail photos directly from their camera and upload their photos or videos to popular social networking websites, including Facebook, Picasa, and YouTube. 

The camera’s DLNA-compatibility also allows it to wirelessly connect to another DLNA-compatible device such as an HDTV, within a user’s networked home to view and share their precious moments.

Like the ST550, the single-LCD ST1000 features a 3.5-inch-wide, 1,152K touch-screen rear LCD and 720p HD video recording at 30 fps. The ST1000 has a 5x optical zoom.

The P21,990 Samsung ST550 hits the market this month, while the P16,990 ST500 and P24,990 ST1000 will be available in October.