Product Reviews

Samsung's 8-megapixel Pro815 is one of the new batch of lower-priced all-in-one cameras aimed at users considering a budget digital SLR. There are several impressive features, not least the massive 3.5in LCD screen, but the most striking for enthusiasts must be the inclusion of a high-quality Schneider-Kreuznach 15x optical zoom lens.

While many of its rivals offer telephoto zooms with modest wide-angle capabilities, the Schneider lens boasts a large-aperture wide-angle 28mm f/2.2 setting through to an impressive 420mm f/4.6 super-telephoto. By encompassing the most widely used focal lengths, Samsung is counting on the extraordinary versatility of the lens to entice new users. This range enables you to cover cramped indoor scenes or isolate distant subjects with a simple twist of the mechanical zoom ring. Along with a macro-zoom capability using focal lengths of 50-100mm, and with a minimum focusing distance of 3-70cm, the Pro815 has a useful close-up capability that provides a working distance to rival many SLR systems.

The Pro815's electronic viewfinder is big and bright, but falls short in terms of colour accuracy and clarity compared with the images seen on the ground-glass screens found in most digital SLRs. We found its somewhat unorthodox shape very comfortable in use, although some users may not like that the viewfinder sits high on the body's shoulder.

Mind you, most users will probably eschew the viewfinder in favour of the massive monitor. At 3.5in, it's the largest screen found on any digital camera. However, while there's no doubt about it being a class act, it's practically impossible to prevent the reinforced and coated screen from becoming covered in fingerprints. There's a third monitor on the top plate, and this can be used for overhead shooting, or you can toggle it to display camera settings instead. Although only small, it's a handy addition.

As a high-grade camera intended for serious photography, the Pro815 sports all the usual semi-pro features, such as a choice of colour temperature and space (Adobe RGB or sRGB), Raw capture, bursts of up to 2.5 frames per second (fps) and even manual focusing. You control the latter via a large ring on the lens barrel, but as it's electronically

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linked, there's a feeling of hesitancy and vagueness. Still, it worked fine for our studio shots. A third, knurled collar looks remarkably like an aperture control ring, but, sadly, it's used with a fiddly button to fine tune exposure. In all, the layout doesn't work as well as it could.

Stereo sound with 640 x 480 pixel, 25fps movies may look like good specifications on paper, but the 30-second cap regardless of the type of CompactFlash card fitted is poor.

The Pro815's durable body and lens are well balanced and the camera handles nicely, but Raw and Tiff file capture are both painfully slow.

Image quality was a mixed affair. Contrast was compromised at longer focal lengths and fringing was evident at the edges of some of our test shots. Needless to say, noise levels were quite high, but the Pro815 handled tell-tale speckling well. We've no real concerns up to 200 ISO, but our A4 test prints showed noticeable noise at the maximum 400 ISO.

That said, compression artefacts introduced by selecting the basic Jpeg setting had a greater impact on image quality, but at least you have the option of other settings. You don't have the same freedom when light levels drop. All the same, on an overcast day using the maximum sensitivity, we found we could comfortably take hand-held shots at 420mm f/4.6 and still achieve sharp, blur-free shots at 1/200 of a second. Part of the reason is the design. Unlike digital SLRs, which suffer internal vibration from mirror bounce, weighty all-in-one devices like the Pro815 have the edge.

However, the Pro815 faces some strong competition from Sony's superb DSC-R1 and Fuji's S9500, although the Pro815 is most likely to be compared with the similarly priced Panasonic DMC-FZ30. We prefer the image quality from the Pro815, although the Panasonic model is an appealing alternative, with its optical image stabiliser and quality Leica 35-420mm f/2.8-3.7 zoom. For everyday use, the Pro815 is incredibly convenient, but with budget digital SLRs such as the Olympus E500 or Nikon D50 at ludicrously low prices, they're difficult to ignore. What's more, manufacturers have cottoned on to bundling two-lens kits for a small premium.

We can't deny the Samsung Pro815 has an attractive feature set, but the limited sensitivity and lack of image-stabilisation technology will be a concern for anyone attempting to photograph poorly lit scenes using the longer focal lengths. Without some of the aids adopted by its rivals, the chances of successful telephoto shots free of camera shake are much slimmer. And it's not something that can be rectified by the built-in flash, either. So, while Samsung's first hybrid is a good effort and maybe a pointer for more interesting models to come (re-badged Pentax digital SLRs aside), we still find the Pro815 difficult to recommend.