Samsung Digimax Pro 815

[sunystory@hotmail.com]

Samsung seem to have released a new digital camera - the Samsung Digimax Pro 815. The details come from a chinese website (our skills in translating Chinese are sketchy) but it is a a largish camera (SLR like) with a 28-420mm zoom lens (15x Optical Zoom), a 2/3 inch CCD sensor, a 3.5inch TFT LCD screen, flash hot shoe and 2.5 frames per second fast shooting mode. No word on how many megapixels this camera has at this stage although some are speculating that it could have an 8.0MP sensor.
source=http://www.livingroom.org.au/photolog/reviews/samsung/samsung_digimax_pro_815.php

http://www.livingroom.org.au/photolog/Samsung-digimax-pro-815.jpg


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samsung is catching up in almost all fields so fast, except for gaming consoles and portable game players. I am actually very surprised at samsung's technology to overcome the huge time gap between Nikon, Canon, Minolta and make its own hybrid SLR. The lens, Schneider, will be a shock in the market, it is the only available SLR type Schneider available in the market. The actual price of this lens should be similar to Zeiss, and we know how premium this lens should be. I think it adopted Rollei's platform in its new hybrid DSLR (Rollei was absorbed into Samsung Techwin about a decade ago)

[Phoenix81]

Well, one thing I worry about this almost perfect ultrazoom prosumer is the widest aperture at tele end. There are no indication about this in any sources I've read so far. Without IS(Image Stabilizer), if the widest aperture is so small(like f/5.6 or f/6.3), handshaking at 420m will be a serious issue(given that the pics are so noisy at higher ISO).
Just my 2 cents
http://photocdn.sohu.com/20050424/Img240020394.jpg

[sunystory@hotmail.com]

Phoenix81 aperture is 2.2-4.0 for all range. I believe in the quality of Schneider:)
This is the only Schneider lens available for prosumer cameras . And we know that Schneider is the only competitor for Carl Ziess:) :) (I think the CCD must be from Sony, because of their cross-licensing)
The CCD is the largest for prosumer cameras.
some more pics
http://dc2.donga.com/zero/data/userinfo/0426100832509886.jpg
http://dc2.donga.com/zero/data/userinfo/0426101428146722.jpg
I am not yet sure about IS function.

[Phoenix81]

sunystory@hotmail.com, I've read some rumours about f/2.2-4.0 as well but I still think it's too good to be true. Waiting for some more official announcement. This cam is on my list as my 20D backup.

[Crossblade]

What is so good ?
Sorry I'm an amatuer but ...
Panasonic FZ20 - f/2.8 at all the whole 12x zoom :D plus OIS. And yes - Leica lens are better then both Schneider and Carl-Zeiss

Constant F2.8 max. aperture (Wide-Tele)
4x Digital Zoom (up to 48x when combined with 12x Optical)

Steves-Digicams Review (http://steves-digicams.com/2004_reviews/fz20.html#specs)

[sunystory@hotmail.com]

Phoenix81
yeah, F/2.2 is quite too good for prosumer lens. Even most of Canon L lenses (with zoom) in the range of 75mm~100mm are not usually 2.2.

Crossblade
Yeah, but LEICA from Panasonic is produced from panasonic, whereas the samsung is the genuine Schneider. I don't think LEICA is more well-known to be better than Schneider or Carl Zeiss. These lenses have gotten its reputation from medium format SLR's. (And for Schneider, it is widely used in large format cameras, well leica is also used widely though.). I think it depends on preference. Nikkor lenses are the duplicates (in some sense) of Schneider Kreuznach (Extremely realistic, extremely sharp, perfect color temp), and Canon Lenses are the duplicate of Carl Zeiss (quite sharp, exaggerated color temp, which makes it a brighter and deeper color tones, yet not as realistic as Schneider). LEICA lies in between of these two extremes. I prefer Zeiss lenses&LEICA over Schneider, but Schneider has definitely got more fans than what I know about LEICA though...

Does anyone here know what the HS function means? I hope it is Hand Shaking (AKA I.S.).

[Phoenix81]

Crossblade, Well, you have to understand the relation between sensor size and the focal lenght first. For example, in low-end DSLR using APS-C size sensor(smaller than film 35mm), the focal lenght have to be multiply by 1.5 or 1.6. So you get long lens in smaller size than usual. For D-Compact with very tiny sensor, you can use just a small lens to get the same focal lenght as in film camera.
What I wanna say is, 2/3" sensor of Pro815 is much bigger than 1/2.5" used in FZ20. To make it a very long zoom(15x), the len has to be bigger. If you want it brighter(f2.8), it has to be even larger and harder to make. That's why Canon EF 70-200mm L f2.8 IS (only three times zoom) is incredibly large and expensive. Just my 2 cents.

[sunystory@hotmail.com]

yes, cropping factor is another factor. But I don't think it depends on the focusing mm of the lens. I think it depends on the length from the mount to the ccd, as well as the cropping just due to the CCD size. 2/3 inch CCD is definitely not a full frame, so there should be at least 1.4~1.7 croped (1.3~1.7 multiplied focal lengh.):) But that's one problem. I just want to see if this camera comes with F2.2. That will be amazing with Schneider lens. :):)

[musiccam]

Hi everyone I am a freelance photographer, I take photos at various music fests in the UK and further afield mostly in the jpeg format, as my pictures are wired live at the gigs. I have been using Canon 20ds, a stack of lenses in a huge camera bag over my very drooped and sore right shoulder. At the Live 8 gig in london I was given a Panasonic FZ20 to try. Cracking shots, great lens fast and above all no lens swapping so no large bag on my shoulder. The OIS was a god send no monopod needed. I lost very few shots all were sharp and close. It won't stop me using the canons ( The FZ20 has no raw mode) but I will carry it with me at all times. I am definately interested in the Samsung 815 for a prosumer the spec is brilliant.