Samsung TL500 Full Review
Samsung TL500 (EX-1 in Europe) are not typical compact digital camera. TL500 can function as both a point and shoot camera, but it is designed for photo enthusiasts. The TL500 is very compact way that attractive earthy, feels solid and stable in your hand, and features a sturdy all-metal body is built with the original grip.
Most current point-and-shoots come with a wrist strap is thin, but the TL500 neckstrap sport that not only provide better protection against drops and bumps, but also saves a few seconds when a Kodak moment occurs because the camera is always at hand rather than in your pocket (or worse, at home). TL500, unlike the auto exposure only point-and-shoots are dominating the imaging market, allowing full manual exposure control.
3x zoom TL500 first level (of the legendary German lens maker Schneider-Kreuznach) has a very fast f/1.8 maximum aperture, which makes it almost a full f-stop faster (it's possible considering almost twice as much as f / 2.8 maximum apertures of some of the current point-and-shoots) of most of the competition. A faster lens, everything else equal, is better than slower lenses because they are substantially improve the low light / natural light option for serious photographers.
But the strongest possible appeal TL500 for a straight shooter (photojournalist, documentary photographer, street / shooter honest, available / natural light fan, and environmental portraitists) because it was clearly designed for photography reactive. TL500 is a straight shooter camera is almost perfect - it's unintimidating for the subjects, very responsive, and capable of producing dependably first-rate negative format 10 megapixel digital RAW or JPEG image files.
DEVELOP AND DESIGN
The Samsung TL500 is, thinking is designed precision built and built strong clear imaging tool designed for serious shooters.
TL500 is a digital camera (traditional black) attractive understated that reminds me of the classic compact cameras from the past, such as ROLLEI 35S. TL500 is small enough to fall into a jacket pocket and light enough to be used all day without fatigue. All metal body is built to withstand TL500 hard time and heavy use.
Ergonomics and Controls
TL500 user interface is logical and not difficult - all the buttons and controls is relatively small, but they are all marked with a clear, coherent and easily accessible place. TL500 rear deck, in the compass switch is Ameli (Auto Exposure Lock) button and the touch of a video. Next is the button Menu and Metering. The TL500 is the compass switch (4-way controller) provides direct access to the flash settings, macro mode, sensitivity (ISO), and the LCD screen.
The JOG dial switch rotary compass which I used primarily in review mode. Other users may use it easily and quickly scroll through menu options. Under the compass switch is Review and (function) Fn button. Pressing the Fn button provides direct access to white balance, image size, metering options, the choice of AF, OIS, etc. Fn key function as the delete key in review mode.
Power button (surrounded by the drive mode button), shutter release button (surrounded by the zoom switch switch) mode button and the triangle shape that dominates the right side of the deck on the camera. In front of the camera, right under the shutter button, at the top of the gripper (right in the two fingers of your right arm a natural focus) is the control wheel can be used to change various settings such as aperture or shutter speed, or with quickly browse the menu.
Samsung have all the time I use this prize to an array of control TL500 allows users to manage the power on / off, mode selection, Zooming, change settings, menu navigation and take pictures with the thumb, index finger and two finger right hand - without releasing the camera. Samsung TL500 is a control array of the best I've ever seen and I have been using and testing the digital camera for almost a dozen years. Canon, Nikon, Olympus, Panasonic, and Fuji are urged to steal a variety of perfect ergonomic control TL500 for their premium point-and-shoot.
Menu and Mode
The Samsung TL500 features a user-friendly, icon-driven, five system menu tab. TL500's menu system, accessed via a special button on the compass switch is logical and easy to navigate. I applaud the use TL500 that until now, but what is branded Samsung thinking when they planted the exposure compensation function in the very middle of a long list of menu options? EV function must allow users to easily and quickly lighten or dark picture (stages) in Program mode.
This one single step, in my opinion, the biggest offender TL500. This is a record for the designer camera everywhere - the exposure compensation function to be the best has its dedicated button (or place within the compass switch) and the worst, quickly available via function keys.
The TL500 provides a comprehensive choice of shooting modes including:
Smart Auto: Digital display automatically selects all parameters (except for flash on / off) by analyzing the subject in the frame and then select the appropriate scene mode for the title and condition.
Program: Auto exposure with user input (sensitivity, white balance, exposure compensation, etc.).
Aperture Priority: User choose shutter speed and the camera selects the appropriate shutter speed with the existing situation.
Shutter priority: Users select the shutter speed and the camera will choose the appropriate size of the hole with the existing situation.
Manual: users select all exposure parameters.
Double IS: For low light shooting or shooting action in a bad light. IS standards used and the camera automatically increases sensitivity and shutter speed to blur boundaries further.
Scene: Close-up, Scenery, Children, Portrait, Night, Beauty Shot, Snow / Beach, Fireworks, Backlight, Morning, Afternoon, and Text
Movies: The TL500 VGA video recording at 640 x 480 maximum resolution at 30 fps.
Display / VIEWFINDER
Like most current P & S digicams TL500 does not provide the optical viewfinder, but there are optional OVF (a mountain in the hot shoe) that is available. Users should rely only on the style 3.0-inch (614,000 pixels) AMOLED tilt-turn camcorder LCD screen for all framing / composition, review photographs taken and work the navigation menu. The most modern shooters rarely use optical VIEWFINDER with point-and-shoot (if any) and the shooting scene a lot, actually faster and easier to watch when determining come together on the LCD screen rather than through the optical viewfinder.
The TL500 LCD screen can be rotated to 270 degrees. It allows users to frame the subject silently, closer and more precisely manage areas of focus in macro mode, shooting vertically above the heads of many, and turn the LCD on the back towards the camera to protect it (if not used) from the stain and scratches.
The TL500 LCD screen bright, accurate color, liquid (smooth - not jerky), automatically increase the gain in dim light / low, and covers approximately 100% of the picture frame. The TL500 LCD screen, like all LCD monitors, subject to fading and glare / reflections in bright outdoor lighting, but I can not solve the problems associated with the TL500 since we have not got much in the way of outdoor lighting is bright here in Bluegrass Country for nearly a month. I must rely only on the peak brightness and contrast ratio of the DCR test lab.
Objective laboratory test to measure the brightness of the LCD DCR peak and contrast ratio to assist readers in making a purchasing decision more accurate. A qualified LCD contrast ratio must be between 500:1 and 800:1. That would be bright enough to use the LCD for framing and composition of the external lighting, and that will give a better sense of color and contrast. TL500 weighs in at a very high end of that on a scale of 2430:1 - for purposes of comparison, some entry level model scores Canon point-and-shoot in the middle of 400. Peak brightness for TL500 (output panel of the all-white screen at full brightness) is 243 nits and the dark side, the measurement is 0.10. For reference, anything over 500 nits bright enough to be outside.
Info Display default provides all the data target audience for this camera is likely to want or need, but I have one small complaint with the TL500 LCD. Screen information bar at the bottom of the frame is dark-powerful and totally block a small portion of the frame. That's bad because the dark area at the bottom of the frame, which makes it difficult to assess whether you have left enough space at the bottom of the picture to prevent deletion of an important, such as the feet of the subject. Info display can be turned off, so no big deal - unless you want to see the whole frame and still have all relevant information (shutter speed and aperture) of the pictures that you write.
PERFORMANCE
Samsung TL500 is the first general purpose point-and-shoot that will dependably produce excellent quality images not only for fans of photography, but also for tourists, casual shooter, and a straight-shooter.
Shooting performance
Time is one of the most important consideration when assessing the performance of digital cameras. The TL500 DCR laboratory-measured time on or near the top class in the shutter lag (0.01) and AF acquisition (0.43), but it is slower (1.5 fps) than most of the competition in continuous shooting mode. Interestingly, the TL500 Canon G12 beats in every category except the continuous shooting.
* Note: Continuous shooting framerates on the camera's fastest full-resolution JPEG continuous shooting mode, using the fastest media type (300x CF, SDHC, etc.). "Frame" indicate the number of captures recorded per burst before the camera stops / slows to clear the buffer.
Exposure mode Auto Intelligent Auto and Program is consistent and dependably accurate and tremendously fast. TL500 dependably choose the appropriate shutter speed in aperture priority mode and aperture priority mode the appropriate shutter speed. In manual mode, the accuracy of exposure is dependent on skills and experience of the shooter.
TL500 features TTL Contrast Detection AF system with center AF, Multi AF, Selection AF Tracking AF, Face Detection AF and Smart Face Recognition AF mode. TL500 AF system analyzes the scene in front of the lens and then calculates camera to-subject distance to determine the AF point (in various modes AF) closest to the main subject and then locks focus on that AF point. Press the shutter button halfway and AF marks will turn green (if the focus is achieved) or red if the AF system can not achieve focus.
TL500 Centre's option, AF super for portraits and traditional landscapes, but it is better to shoot a gun straight from the street do not want to choose a face camera in public to focus on. AF is consistently quick and dependably accurate.
Push the release of lightning TL500 slider switch and flash pop-up perform with palpitations satisfyingly solid - there is also a standard hot shoe for external flash units such as the installation of Samsung SEF 20A. TL500 small multi mode, pop-up flash provides an acceptable option artificial lighting options, including a reduction in Auto, Auto & Red-eye, Fill flash, slow sync, red-eye fixed, and manual - plus (+ / - 2EV) flash exposure compensation. According to Samsung, the maximum flash range is about 20 feet at ISO Auto, which seems quite optimistic given the small size of the unit. Based on very limited use of my flash, flash recycling time TL500 is about 5 seconds.
Image sensor shift stabilization system TL500, reduce blur with fast and accurate transition 1/1.7-inch CCD sensor to compensate for small camera movements. Image stabilization allows users to shoot at shutter speeds up to three f-stops slower than would be realized otherwise. Image stabilization helps when shooting in too many places in the building where flash is inappropriate or where the use of flash will become clear when looking at the images.
See the image below that was shot in the leather shop workroom old friends. Room lights are from a single cool white fluorescent tubes. My friend's hand a little fuzzy, but others he quite sharp. This image will be impossible (without flash) using a maximum aperture f/2.8 DIGICAM with, but the maximum f/1.8 aperture TL500 allow light to almost double by to get to the sensor. Interestingly, this image also demonstrates the effectiveness of auto white balance mode TL500 given fairly accurate color even under lighting "green" cool white fluorescent.
Samsung Dual IS mode standard TL500 combines mechanical sensor-shift with high sensitivity and faster shutter speed to insure sharper images. Are Dual IS really works, and it should have a special place on the mode dial? With this camera the answer is yes to both questions. Check out the pictures below - they were shot in the living room too many friends. Blurred images shot with the TL500 in Program mode (auto WB / ISO Auto) with standard Image Stabilization. Here are the data exposure - ISO 80 at 7/10ths second. A sharper picture was shot with the TL500 in the Dual IS mode. Here are the data exposure - ISO 800 at 1/15th second. Interestingly sharper images also show the effectiveness of sound management system TL500 - this picture looks like an image from the image ISO 400 ISO 800.
According to Samsung, TL500 is good for about 240 exposures (no flash) or 100 minutes of new video-07a Battery SLB payment rechargeable lithium-ion. That's less exposure than the average for this type of camera. The battery is charged to the camera - external AC charger not included, but Samsung offers external charger as optional accessory.
The battery can be charged via a USB power port on your computer or the included AC charging cable. Samsung TL500 memory media support SD / SDHC and provides 1GB of storage built-in image.
On the right side of the locking TL500 small (metal) door with a two-port I / O. Is the connection port for hooking the camera to HDMI to HDTV. The second port is a USB connection to download images and video to your computer, printing directly when plugged into a compatible printer, the standard video output via optional A / V cable, and charger.
Performance of the lens
Samsung TL500 built around the very fast f/1.8-2.4, 5.6-15.6mm (24-72mm equivalent) Schneider-Kreuznach zoom lens Varioplan. Most point-and-shoot offers a maximum aperture zoom with f/2.8 or slower. The maximum f/1.8 aperture allows light TL500 is almost double of the maximum aperture f/2.8, enabling faster shutter speed (in dim light) without increasing the sensitivity and the shallow depth of field for less distracting background.
When the TL500 is powered, the zoom is extended from the camera body automatically, as soon as you remove the lens cap, including a pinch clip. When the camera is powered, lens retract into the camera body. Word of caution for buyers TL500 - I keep misplacing the lid is a small lens.
Zoom is smooth and relatively quiet. Minimum focusing distance (in macro mode) just shy of two inches (5 centimeters). TL500 needs about 2 seconds to move the zoom lens from wide angle to telephoto.
Schneider zoom TL500 is amazing good that even though it shows some very minor corner softness, but no vignetting (dark corner) at the end of the wide angle lens. Barrel distortion (straight lines bow toward the center of the frame) at the end of the wide-angle zoom range is basically absent, the design and optical engineering is amazing. Check out the bricks in the mural below, shot at the end of a wide-angle zoom - no barrel distortion can be seen. Pincushion distortion (straight lines bow out from the center of the frame) is not present at the end of the telephoto zoom.
Chromatic aberration (purple fringing) is very well controlled - essentially not present at both ends of the zoom range. Navigating around the zoom ring can be unscrewed to expose threads to attach a conversion lens options - Samsung now offers only one conversion lens - wide LWCEX01 conversion lens that takes into TL500 ultra-wide range.
Video quality
I talked with some of my photographer friends because I was brought TL500 around and they were surprised that the 400 dollar point and shoot does not provide HD movie mode. Most users expect digicams to reduce premiums to offer full benefits and features of most rivals Samsung offers HD movie mode (720p). What of that?
Perhaps the people at Samsung to conclude that the target audience TL500 will not shoot a lot of video and do not really care about HD video as they do about other features such as zoom Schneider TL500 great. TL500 record video at 640 x 480 at 30fps with mono audio. Zoom can be used during video capture, but the lens motor sound is recorded. VGA video clips produced by the TL500 is quite sharp, liquid (not jerky), and the right color.
Video in the player above have been compressed and re-encoded streaming online. To download the original file in its original resolution and format, click the link below.
TL500 Sample Video Here
If you really need to have HD video check out the great Canon S95 or Panasonic LX5 leading pack. Video clips that accompany this review was shot in the late afternoon cold gray cloudy days.
Image Quality
10 of TL500, megapixel 1/1.7 "CCD sensor driving DRIMe III image processor Samsung certainly produce excellent images. TL500 image file, it is clear exactly optimized for real world color and vary a little hard. Image shows a very good resolution (sharpness) with neutral colors and almost no noise until ISO 800. Viewed in the image of TL500 IBM monitor I see a lot like ISO 100 Agfa slide I shot during my stay in Germany.
Most current digicams boost color saturation - a little too hot red, blues are noticeably brighter than those in real life and green / yellow is too energetic. Veteran shooter called this "color guide" for casual shooters (demographic who buy most digicams) such as bright colors are bold. TL500 image is very detailed and surprisingly sharp with neutral colors and good contrast.
TL500 provides users with an excellent choice White Balance options, including Auto WB, Day, Cloudy, Fluorescent 1, Fluorescent 2, Tungsten, and Custom (manual WB). Auto WB system TL500 doing an excellent job across the board, even under fluorescent light (tungsten) and fluorescence.
Auto White Balance, 5500k fluorescent lights
Megapixel war has finally reached the point of diminishing returns - jam more pixels to a small sensor dependably result in higher levels of degrading the image noise and reduce contrast. Compact digital camera with 12 or 14 megapixel resolution does not really produce better pictures than digicams with a lower resolution - they just make the files larger image and noise. TL500 features 10 megapixel resolution, which shows the Samsung is committed to improving performance at a higher sensitivity (ISO) for better low light and indoor pictures.
TL500 provides a range of sensitivities, including auto and manual-set option to ISO 100 to 3200 is very impressive. 100 ISO ISO 200 images in principle indistinguishable. Both settings show the colors neutral, slightly hard contrast and virtually no sound natural. ISO 400 images are also very good, but with a little bit less pop.
In the setting of ISO 800, noise levels are noticeably higher and there is a perceived loss of detail. Image ISO 1600 and ISO 3200 showed flat color, contrast, noise is reduced and can be seen, but the real noise is less than expected.
CONCLUSION
Samsung digicams often provide better performance than their competition at the same price point and that is the case with the TL500. After this take a good small digital camera with me just about everywhere I go for a few weeks ago, TL500 was replaced Canon S95 as a benchmark (the end of the year plus the grading curve), I point and shoot.
TL500 is clearly targeted at advanced users, but this DIGICAM offers more to the mainstream shooters as well. TL500 is user friendly with an icon-driven menu is simple, Intelligent Auto mode that well designed, and the choice of scene mode setting is adequate. TL500 will be a good choice for couples (or families) with an advanced photographer and casual shooter spouse or significant other.
TL500 is a more qualified competitors in the "Prosumer compact point-and-shoot" specific marketing. If I bought a digital camera today, the samsung TL500 will be at the top of my short list.
advantages:
Excellent zoom with f/1.8 Schneider fast maximum aperture
Intuitive control layout
Stay in Mangement sound very impressive
Decent battery life
Easy to use by both new and advanced shooters
Cons:
expensive
No HD video capture
Some small design missteps
Charge the battery in the camera
