Samsung NV3
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Details at a glance
Megapixels: 7.2
Optical Zoom: 3x
Digital Zoom: 5x
LCD: 2.5 inches
Storage: SD/MMC
We clicked with
PMP and MP3 player functions, design of camera, usb/power cable, button layout
Shots in the dark
Placement of lens, poor quality of images (noise and fringing), 2.5mm headphone socket isn't the standard here
Links
More Samsung information
www.samsungcamera.co.uk
Price Comparison:
Samsung NV3
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When Samsung announced their NV (pronounced eNVy) series
earlier this year they made a lot of bold statements. The NV7 and the NV10 brought a striking blue and black design and a new style of interface to the compact camera market, but strangely the other camera in the set, the NV3, didn't get this interface. Instead it has a normal d-pad and button. However, the NV3 is very different from other compacts because of its multifunction abilities.
Features
Multifunction cameras aren't a new idea and photo viewers have been around for years (and they are seeing a bit of a come-back recently). So far it hasn't really been an idea that has successfully worked with a camera. On an SLR the idea is an obvious no-no but the idea works with a compact like the NV3 - watch a film while you are travelling, listen to music while you are wandering about looking for a good shot and then take the picture. The included CD gives you the software to convert movies relatively quickly to the supported SDC format and MP3s be dragged and dropped onto the camera's SD card just as they are.
However, we aren't a gadget site and I'd be slacking if I didn't review the NV3 as a camera. The NV3 fits straight into the ultra-compact market with its stylish looks, it has a 7.2 MP sensor and it has a 3x optical zoom lens with a folding technology so it doesn't protrude. In fact the only indicators that it is more than just a camera is the two speakers on the top and the headphone socket on the side.
The NV3 has all the features you would expect from a camera. There are the customary 10 scene modes for portraits, landscapes and everything in-between, day or night. It has high sensitivity of 1000 and it has a sensor based image stabiliser called “Advanced Shake Reduction” and this is selected by its own mode.
Handling
Despite lacking a grip the NV3 is easy to hold. As the lens is tucked away in the top right hand corner you have most of the front to put your right hand to hold it steady, and if you need to you can use the top to hold it as well. The two stereo speakers won't be ruined if you use them to hold it. Unfortunately the location of the lens causes its own problem as well and it was a bit too close to the edge of the camera for my liking and because it doesn't extend it led to a few dreaded “finger in photo” mistakes. This is a rookie error I'll admit but the camera's design does little to stop these accidents from happening.
While the NV3 doesn't have the same new interface design as the other NV cameras it feels like a lot of thought has gone into button layout. The number of buttons on the back have been kept to a minimum because they are all used for different uses depending on what mode the camera is in. You select the mode by a mode dial on the top. This is to be expected really, but the fusion between camera and PMP has thrown up a different twist on the zoom control. We are used to zooms that are controlled by a rocker or a slide but they have all been horizontal. The NV3's doubles as a volume control and so is vertical. . It doesn't sound as obvious as left to zoom in and right to zoom out, but it does make a lot more sense and its easier to use (although it helps that the control is quite responsive).
Finally on the handling front there are the connections. Most cameras need to have a separate connection for power and USB, which adds to the cables you need. Others even give you a dock as well which adds another cable and more clutter to the mix. The NV3 is different with just one cable for. This reduces the amount of accessories you can lose, allows you to recharge the camera through USB and ultimately shows that Samsung have put some thought into day-to-day camera use.
Image quality
This is where a camera gets a chance to really prove its worth, after all a camera is useless whether it looks beautiful or not. Unfortunately, the NV3's image quality isn't too impressive. The camera suffers a fair amount from noise even at low ISO levels. Worse is the anti-noise processing that gets applied to photos which appears to over-smooth areas (look at the bricks in example). Edges of objects seem to have escaped any bad effects from this but colour detail is lost in even the smallest areas.
Edges are more affected by fringing. Even the best compact can get thrown off by a high contrast and it manifests itself in a purple blur around edging. It's a problem that you find mostly on architecture because of the darkness of the building against a light sky. A lot of photos I took were affected by purple fringing and even green fringing - which is a more extreme form.
Even so, there are a few positive comments about image quality, colours in particular across the scale are well defined without being too garish, and as long as you don't stray onto the extremes of the digital zoom photos will be ok for web use or 6x4 printing. But if you were intending to print them out any larger than that I'd look for a different camera.
Shooting
The NV3 is a reasonably fast camera, taking about 1.5 seconds from shot to shot (unless you are shooting in burst mode of course). Turning on is similarly quick but be careful that if you hold the on/off button too long the camera will turn off again - press the button for just a second and it will turn on then off. The LCD doesn't turn on immediately, and the tiny green status light will probably be covered up by your right hand so you might miss the signs of power up. If you have the camera set to one of the camera modes the vibration caused by the lens cover opening will let you know the camera is on.
As the camera uses a traditional turning mode dial to choose the camera mode then it is capable of remembering what mode you are on, meaning you could pick up and shoot immediately. With the NV3's more gadgety modes it can remember where in the video or music file it left off and you can resume or choose a new one. Unfortunately it cannot remember which camera scene mode you last used.
The Advanced Shake Reduction works well enough, allowing you to use a slower shutter speed in poor light. Unfortunately ASR is a separate camera mode of its own, using the Program mode as its basis. As such you can't use it to help in the other scene modes, leading you to make the tough decision whether to use it or not, especially if it's night time and you don't have a tripod.
What's not to like
If you are using the NV3 properly as a multi-function camera you may end up using it as an MP3 player while you are not taking photos, after all it is one less budget to carry in your pocket. Unfortunately as soon as you switch to a camera mode from MP3 inevitably the music stops. This isn't the biggest problem in the world as all you have to do is switch back to the MP3 mode after and resume but it is a good enough reason for you not use it again. Plus you may look a bit silly having headphone wires sneaking up to your ears while you are taking photos.
Also on a gadget note, the camera takes a 2.5mm headphone connector (the standard over in Korea), while the over-whelming majority of people use 3.5mm. We get some headphones included that have the smaller jack but it would be nice to use your own headphones without an optional adapter. Especially as the included ones aren't too good. Whenever the headphones aren't connected the speakers come into play, which can be a bit embarrassing if the jack comes out.
My last niggle is with the battery cover. Like others it has a lock and unlock push latch but even the slightest movement away from unlocked was enough to push it open, and I lost count of the times that I took it out of my bag or coat to find it opened. Luckily both the battery and the memory card are held in tight.
Camera specification
| Mega-pixels: | 7.2 |
Photo: | JPEG |
| Optical Z: | 3x |
RAW: | No |
| Digital Z: | 5x |
Aperture: | f/3.5-4.5 |
| LCD: | 2.5 inch |
Focal L: | equiv. 38-144mm |
| Dimensions: | 94.5 x 57 x 17.5 |
Shutter: | 2 sec to 1/2000 |
| Weight: | 142g |
Exposure: | ISO 60 to 1000 |
| Storage: | SD/MMC |
Movie: | 640x480@30fps |
| Internal: | 15mb |
Battery: | Li-ion SLB-0837 |
| Interface: | USB 2.0, AV |
PictBridge: | Yes |
