Digital Camera: Samsung L83T Metal Body Digital CameraSilver 8MP 3x Optical Zoom 25 LCD

while this camera looks good and is a very handy size that can be slipped into just about any pocket, there are many downfalls.
I've found that the colour recognition is terrible, the camera appears to have trouble picking out reds and oranges and sometimes yellows especially in low light conditions such as a sunset - even though there is a special setting for such scenes!
So many pictures come out blurry even when flash is used.
talking of the flash, I find it to be very harsh, something i've not found with other digi cameras.
There are many features and settings that can be played with, but there doesn't seem to be a purely manual mode (or atleast i've not discovered it), which frustrates me as many of the settings and 'modes' are not correct for taking quality pictures.
I've had this camera for about a year now and just find that i get more and more annoyed with it as i can't get the picture quality i want.
Wish now i never gave away my Canon that took beautiful photos despite it being brick sized!

quick breakdown posted on 2008-04-12

initaily it worked ok then after a monththe screen broke down,also there is no proper manual and despite contacting samsung theyn have never bothered to, contact me

Reliable, but not so good for extreme conditions posted on 2008-04-03

IMAGE - On full auto mode the photographs are of a fairly good standard provided that conditions are not too extreme, however low light conditions and/or taking photographs of moving images will cause photographs to become blurred. This is mainly due to the slow automatically selected shutter speeds. I find that I can take excellent photos in all conditions provided that the correct mode/ settings are chosen. The higher ISO speeds tend to be very noisy and should be avoided. Video mode is surprisingly good although in low light conditions the colour reproduction is not accurate but this can be corrected by adjusting the white balance. The macro modes work superbly with high levels of detail.

BATTERY LIFE - This is excellent, I've taken around two hundred photos with and without flash on a full charge. I've also recorded ninety of continuous video at the highest resolution without the battery running out.

BUILD QUALITY - Simple design and aluminium construction. This camera is compact and very lightweight. I've dropped the camera a few times with no visible signs of damage. The screen is large, bright and has not picked up any scratches despite three months of use without a case. However it does tend to pick up grease and oil quite easily.

EASE OF USE - The full manual is included on the CD. The use of the camera is not entirely intuitive - whilst there are a great many modes, various manual settings are hidden away within specific modes. For example, the ability to control longer shutter speeds can only be found when shooting in night mode. However, for the majority of the time, the camera will be used in full auto mode which is easy to use, and reviewing photos is also simple. Combining the USB cable with an AC adaptor is a good idea and allows one cable to be carried with the camera rather than two. The lens is set into one corner of the camera and there have been occasions where I have taken a photo only to find that my finger has partially covered the lens. Software is included in the CD with the camera but is not required - images from the memory card can be uploaded to most computers running XP/ Vista without installing any drivers or additional software, connected with the supplied USB cable. The camera does lack a viewfinder but I have not found myself in any situation where I felt that a viewfinder would have been beneficial.

VALUE FOR MONEY - Fantastic value for money, I've taken many good photos with this camera and for this price I can't fault it.

register/manual posted on 2008-02-09

I have given this camera 4 stars although i have not taken a photograph.
The problems i have encountered is a lousy manual which shows and details top,front and back but not the bottom of the camera.The bottom of the camere is where the battery and usb cables are inserted and battery and SD card is installed but no instructions are given.
Also i found it impossible to register my camera on the Samsung website.

I only hope i do not have any problems with my camera as the above does not give me hope regarding their service department.

Poor Battery! posted on 2008-02-06

I agree with the fact that the camera is very small and handy but there are 2 negative points: 1. some picts come out blurred, you have to be very steady when taking pict unless you are using the function "children". 2. I am not happy with the battery: it takes hours to charge and it doesnt last long, especially if you want to see the pict while you are still on holiday. Twice I had the not nice surprise of being without battery while on holiday...and I hadnt used the camera that much!

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