Product Reviews

It's widely known that you can't judge a camera by its megapixels. Of course, that doesn't stop manufacturers and sales assistants pushing ever higher resolutions, but the truth is that cramming more pixels into a tiny sensor can bring more problems than benefits. If there's one specification that does have a significant impact on picture quality, it's the physical size of the light sensor. In most 8 megapixel and lower-resolution cameras, it measures 1/2.5in from corner to corner. The Samsung NV8's sensor measures 1/1.7in - more than double the surface area - which allows it to capture more light and measure it more accurately.

The result is that the NV8's photos are

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far cleaner and sharper than we've ever seen from a budget camera. This budget compact even beats the majority of premium models, many of which also use 1/1.7in sensors but cram in 10 or 12 million pixels. The NV8 picked up subtle textures such as skin and foliage with a crispness we normally only see from digital SLRs. Even in low light, noise (graininess) was unobtrusive, and although we had to increase the ISO rating manually to avoid blur, we got excellent results at ISO 800 and usable shots even at the maximum 3200. Colour accuracy was first-rate, too.

Image quality aside, the NV8 is a straightforward, likeable camera. The metal body looks great, and the unusual control system, which uses 13 buttons that line the 2.5in screen, makes it quick to adjust the most used settings. There are some unusual features, too, including manual exposure and automatic exposure bracketing; the latter takes three shots at different exposures, allowing you to chose the best. Battery life and continuous shooting speed could be better, but otherwise performance is up to scratch.

You could pay more for a bigger zoom, optical image stabilisation or more manual controls, but if you just want a straightforward camera that takes great pictures, the NV8 is unbeatable.