Samsung MV800

Duck face?! (Taking silly photos with my brother Kason.) The above photos are examples of pictures taken with the Samsung MV800. Usually I'm not a fan of flash photos but I was really impressed that it didn't flatten out the depth too much. In daylight the photos are phenomenal! No editing was used!

I was about to kick myself after I realized I had gone on a shopping binge. One of the items I bought during my period was the Samsung MV800. I figured since I'd be going off to college my parents most likely would not hand over the Nikon D40 even though I use it most. I decided I might as well purchase my own camera that was less bulky and easier to carry along with me.

The Samsung is one of the smallest digital cameras with a swivel screen. The screen can be unfolded up to a 180° angle making it much easier to see what you're taking a picture of when, say, you need to take a self portrait. Instead of spending numerous minutes snapping photos at what you think is aimed towards our face you get to see what you're taking right off the bat. It's also extremely convenient when you need to take shots that would originally require you to awkwardly position yourself.

Price: $279.99 (the model came out last year but I got mine for $199.99 at http://www.adorama.com/ which included free shipping)

Pros:

• Shoot from any angle


• Adjustable LCD touch screen


• 16.1 Mega pixels (The Nikon I used to take photos of this camera has 6.1 MP. If for some reason you wanted to enlarge the photos then you've got a great big poster awaiting you.)


• Includes fun features for photo taking (frames, fish eye lens, etc.)


• Live panorama option


• Can take 2D or 3D photos


• Can take videos as well


• Great if you're looking to take non-professional photos (more for fun and traveling!


• Black brushed metal exterior


• Can stand up on its own with or without the swivel screen as a support


• Very bright and lightweight


• Built in speakers


• Includes a USB cable that can be connected to a laptop or connected into a charger via outlet


• The flash on the camera isn't too harsh and does not flatten images as much as other digital cameras

Cons:

• Requires a micro SD (not included)


• The software that the camera downloads is very slow and limited (I avoid it all together)


• Full scene shots aren't as nice as the close up


• Face detector only recognizes faces if their face is directly pointed at the camera (not even slightly tilted will enable the detection)


• Sometimes lags on snapshots (more so with the special effects/frames)

Below are photos of the packaging and the product itself (Sorry for the visible little dust particles.)Look at the brush detail on the metal!This is when you unfold the screen just enough for it to rest as if it were a stand.Fully opened at a 180° angle. Notice it resembles a flip phone.The swivel screen folded down. The camera clicker is located on the top right.Has a hole to screw on a tripod if you needed.The bottom compartment opens to hold the battery and the micro SD card. As you can see on the right it has a slot for a USB to charge or uplaod photos to your computer.When the screen is opened up all the way you can't press the top clicker to take photos so there's another button on the back to take photos

Overall I strongly recommend this product. For questions or more photos please comment!