Samsung S860 8.1MP Digital Camera with 3x Optical Zoom (Blue)
June 27, 2009 by Digital Master
Filed under Digital Camera Reviews
Manufacturer Description Compact and stylish, the Samsung S860 digital camera features a 3x optical zoom, a Samsung SHD lens, and Digital Image Stabilization (DIS) to help minimize the effect of camera shake and produce sharp, clear images, especially in low-light environments. You can also take advantage of advanced features such as Face Detection and Self Portrait mode. Face Detection technology makes taking pictures of family and friends a snap, as it detects up to nine faces and (more…)
I bought this camera as an addition to our Minolta digital SLR, just to have a small and convenient point and shoot for times that I don’t want to drag the SLR around.
Samsung has put together a very good camera for this price, and it has a couple of nice things beyond the basics. I especially like the facial recognition feature, which makes sure that you actually get a focus on a person instead of sharp surroundings and a blurred human subject. The menus are very easy to use, and the camera itself takes very good action shots. There are eleven different photo settings from which to choose. It also takes small video clips. The photo quality is excellent and you can print up to poster size and maintain that quality. It is an 8.1 megapixel camera with a 3x optical zoom and a 3x digital zoom.
The body of the camera itself is small and compact, and it easily fits into standard blue jean pockets. It has a nice, solid feel to it and since I have small hands, it’s very comfortable for me to use. A person with very large hands may want something bigger for ergonomic reasons.
The only down side to this camera is that you have to use the LCD screen to take your shot. There is no standard view finder. The LCD screen itself, however, is very large and extremely crisp.
This is an excellent camera if you are looking for a basic point and shoot with a few added perks beyond the most basic category. If you are looking for a camera with tons of settings, features and major zoom ability, you need to look elsewhere. However, for basic everyday use, Samsung has really put out a great product in the S860.
June 12, 2008 I bought this camera yesterday and I am totally overjoyed with it. Before I bought this one and found the RIGHT CAMERA for me, I returned a Kodak Easy Share camera to the store. Why did I do this? Well, the Kodak took great pictures, however, when you shoot a movie (video) it is saved in the MOV mode on the Kodak (Apple format, not Microsoft). So you have to download Quicktime to play a movie in the MOV mode on a Windows PC! Not fun. I wanted both a camera that is easy to just point and shoot for stills and also wanted the AVI video output so when I downloaded my video card on to my PC, I can instantly watch my movies! I found this perfect camera for me with this cute pink Samsung! On my first day I found that the basics of this camera were easy to learn. I used mostly the AUTO mode, and the camera does the work for me in any light! I took some stills in daylight and then inside both from faraway and also some closeups of flowers in my garden with the micro setting and later did an indoor and outdoor video. Everything came out just beautiful and as soon as I loaded my computer with the videos, I watched them from my PC. Plan to put these on a DVD to watch on TV. So far this has been an easy camera to learn for just the basic features that I need. My favorite feature is the clear videos that are saved in the AVI mode, not in the MOV mode. This AVI mode plays perfectly in my computer the Vista Windows Media Player and saves great to watch on a DVD on my TV. Note, that there are so many settings, I just use the AUTO and the DIC for low light and anti shake. By the way, it seems easy to use and does great micro shots as well. This is my newest camera after updating my older HP camera from near 3 years ago with just a 5 pixels. Another great feature I love is the FACE RECOGNITION. I took several pictures of friends and they came out just perfectly, NO RED-EYE and SKIN TONES were perfect. (With my old HP 5 pixel, the skin tones came out too red). My advice if you are looking for a good basic camera that takes great stills and videos, this is the one for you!
The Samsung S860 is a low priced camera that is can produce clear images with vibrant colors, however results can be uneven and unsatisfactory. Obtaining decent results, may require that you take some time to explore the camera’s capabilities.
Ideally, when set in auto mode, a camera should provide reliable results with a minimum amount of fuss and adjustment. At this, the Samsung receives low marks. In auto mode, I found that the camera’s autofocus sometimes has issues. It is very annoying to focus on the subject, lock on, and press the shutter button, only to have the camera fail to fire. This seems to happen more often than average with the S860. The results are a little better, using `Multi AF’ instead of `Center AF’, but in this mode the camera can have problems with selecting the proper subject or focus area. ISO is automatically set by the camera according to the lighting conditions. Unfortunately, in low light situations, ISO is often set too low, resulting in blurry images. Also annoying, is that the flash function defaults to red eye reduction mode. So if you were in autoflash, or flash off mode when you turned the camera off, it will reset to red eye reduction the next time it is turned on. Being in red eye mode is not the best place to be, if you want to take a photo quickly.
Auto mode may be suitable for outdoor situations with good lighting, but the best option for normal use is probably `P’ (Program) mode. ISO, white balance, sharpness and image quality can be adjusted in this mode. The flash setting when the camera comes on is the same as when it was last turned off. The focusing issues remain, but adjusting the ISO does improve the results. However, when ISO is set to 800 or above, the camera takes 4 or 5 seconds to save the file to memory, and the noise in the images often increases significantly.
In Manual mode your options are limited. While a standard range of shutter speeds is available, only two aperture settings F2.8 and F8.4 can be selected. The camera has many other modes and features, including macro and face detection. The camera is capable of producing movies that are of acceptable quality, and you can get about half an hour of recording time on a 4GB card.
The mode selection dial located on the top of the camera is too loose, and prone to being accidentally rotated (a small piece of adhesive tape is my simple solution). Being familiar with Canon and Fuji cameras, I found the design and operation of the menu and settings not especially convenient to navigate. The 2.4″ LCD is clear, and has good visibility in a bright light, though it is very prone to smudging. Useful information like battery level, memory level, ISO, flash setting, metering mode and face recognition function can be displayed.
As with many other cameras, the zoom function is controlled by a toggling button, located at the top right corner, on the rear of the camera. If the zoom control was located by the shutter button, it would be much easier to operate the camera using one hand. It can be done, but is a bit awkward attempting this with the S860. The wrist strap could really use a locking ring. It is a very small thing that could go a long way, if it keeps you from dropping your camera even once.
The camera has a USB connection, but is not recognized by a PC. Rather than loading in Samsung’s software, you can use a card reader to download images. The S860 uses AA batteries. Setting the camera in powersaver mode helps to increase battery life, but carrying spares is highly recommended. Because it uses AA batteries, the camera isn’t super thin, but having a readily available power source can be very convenient. There is a quick start pamphlet, but no printed manual included. Samsung has a manual in PDF format available at their website.
This is not a glowing review, but I already have several SLR’s and point and shoots, and the S860 has enough good points, for me to decide to keep it as a walk around camera. Even at the most basic mode, performance could definitely be better, but you do get a lot of features at a low price level. As with any camera, it really depends on what is important to you, and how you like the results. Feel is important as well, so getting one in your hands and trying it out, is always recommended.
1.0 out of 5 stars
Stopped working the day after we got it
The camera’s feature set is pretty decent for the price, but the quality is not. The camera freezes at random times and needs to have the batteries removed and put back in in…
5.0 out of 5 stars
Satisfactory, no porblems faced
I had a good experience. The product arrived timely, product was in good condition. I did not face any problems at all.
4.0 out of 5 stars
Great little camera for the price
This is an awesome little camera for the below $100 price range. Good clear pictures and the colors pretty true. Watch your batteries, though. It tends to drain them quick.
4.0 out of 5 stars
Nice Camera for 9 year old, but you need to buy memory card
Bought this camera for my 9 year old niece. She loves it (especially because it’s pink) but was upset that it only took about 3 pictures.
2.0 out of 5 stars
Returned item immediately – but great price
I think this camera is probably fine but it felt like one of those old digital cameras from earlier this decade.
5.0 out of 5 stars
granddaughter loves it
I bought this camera for my granddaughters 9th birthday and she just loves it so I would imagine it to be easy to use saying she has just been photo shooting everything which…
5.0 out of 5 stars
Easy to undersand functions
I found that this camera is much easier to use than my last one. Easy to understand function Clear pics on the simple mode.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Samsung S860
I am not a professional photographer. I am an ordinary person who wanted a point and shoot camera. This camera is everything I need.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Love It!!!
I brought this camera to keep in my purse because it was small and compact. To my surprise, it takes clearer and sharper pictures than my very expensive bulky camera!
1.0 out of 5 stars
Don’t waste your money!
I loved this camera after I got it. I was upgrading from a 3.1MP, so the pictures I took looked amazing. However, after only 3 months, the camera is not operable at all.