Samsung Announces Five New Models

By Greg Scoblete On Jan 8 2007 - 8:00am

Samsung will pull back the curtain on five new digital cameras at International CES, hoping the momentum that saw it gain market share ground against several competitors will continue in 2007.

The 7-megapixel L73 ($249-suggested) will incorporate Samsung's new "wise shot" mode, which snaps two pictures in quick succession. The first photo turns on the camera's electronic image stabilization but not the flash, the other disables stabilization and turns the flash on. Users can then choose the best shot.

The camera will also offer a motion timer mode, which is used when the camera is set to self timer. In this mode, the camera can detect motion and pause two seconds before snapping a photo, allowing the subjects to properly pose.

The L73 features a 3x optical zoom, 2.5-inch LCD screen with Samsung's "smart touch" interface, MPEG-4 video recording with movie clip stabilization, a built-in red eye fix mode and face detection autofocus.

A 10-megapixel camera will also be added to the company's lineup. The S1050, for a suggested $299, offers a 5x optical zoom lens, 3-inch LCD screen, manual exposure controls, image and MPEG-4 video stabilization, and facial recognition.

For $199, Samsung will offer the 8-megapixel S850. The camera boasts a 5x optical zoom, a 2.5-inch LCD, manual exposure controls, still and MPEG-4 video stabilization, the new wise shot mode, and a dedicated control for accessing camera effects, such as highlighting, photo frames and RGB colors.

The S630 will feature a 6-megapixel sensor, a 3x optical zoom lens which can operate silently during movie mode, a 2.5-inch LCD, and image stabilization. It accepts both AA alkaline or rechargeable Ni-MH batteries. Pricing was not set at press time.

Rounding out the line is the S730, which shares many of the same features as the S630, but adds a 7-megapixel sensor. Pricing was not announced.