Samsung Introduces New DualView Cameras For Fall

Three cameras, five screens: Samsung is the latest company to join the late-2010 camera-announcement party, and two of the company’s three new point-and-shoot models are additions to the innovative DualView line.

The aptly named DualView cameras sport a secondary LCD screen on the front of the camera, which is designed to help frame self-portraits, display a countdown clock for self-timer shots, and coerce easily distracted babies (or adults) to look toward the camera. The new cameras also feature huge 3.5-inch-diagonal touchscreens on the back to control most of the in-camera settings.

New DualView cameras: Samsung ST600 and ST100

ST600
The new DualView cameras both offer a slightly larger front-facing LCD screen than last year’s fun-to-use Samsung TL225; the front LCD for each camera now measures 1.8 inches diagonally, up from 1.5 inches.

In addition to the animation and the self-portrait, self-timer, and smile-triggered- shutter modes found in last year’s DualView cameras, the front-facing LCD screen has a new trick. In the new “Jump Shot” mode, the front LCD prompts a subject to jump at a specific time, then shoots three rapid-fire images while they’re in mid-air.

ST100
Both cameras also feature Samsung’s Smart Gesture UI interface, an extremely clever menu-navigation system that allows you to switch camera modes by tilting the camera, to delete photos by drawing an X on the screen, and to rotate shots during playback by drawing a circle on the screen.

The 14-megapixel Samsung ST600 is the slightly larger of the two new models, offering a 5X-optical-zoom wide-angle lens (27mm to 135mm), dual optical/digital image stabilization, basic in-camera editing tools for rotating and cropping images, and preset imaging effects that include a miniaturization effect and a fish-eye lens simulator. The ST600 also captures 720p high-definition video at 30 frames per second.

The 14-megapixel ST100 has all of the same specs but is a bit more compact, thanks to an internal 5X optical-zoom lens that doesn’t offer as much coverage on the wide-angle end (35mm to 175mm).

Both the ST600 ($330) and the ST100 ($350) will be available in September.

Sub-$200 pocket megazoom: Samsung PL200

PL200
Samsung’s third new offering has only one LCD screen, but it does represent some good bang for the buck. The 14-megapixel PL200 pocket megazoom packs a 7X optical-zoom lens (31mm to 217mm), dual optical/digital image stabilization, 720p high-definition video capture at 30 fps, and a 3-inch-diagonal LCD screen.

Available in September, the PL200 is priced at just $180.