Samsung SL502/PL55 & Samsung SL720/PL70 Digital Cameras

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Samsung have introduced two new digital compact cameras in its SL Series in the form of the Samsung SL502 and the Samsung SL720, both of which offer 12.5 megapixel sensors paired with 5x optical zoom lenses (35mm and 28mm wide angle equivalents) and which, as you’d expect from compacts, come with a host of auto features that promise optimal results with the minimum of fuss.

Adding to the six previously available SL Series compacts, the new Samsung SL502 and SL720 compacts feature optical stabilisation (dual optical stabilisation in the case of the SL720), and large LCD displays that measure in at 2.7″ and 3″ respectively.

“These are two of the most full-featured compact digital cameras on the market,” said Reid Sullivan, senior vice president of audio/video and digital imaging marketing, Samsung Electronics America who announced the new SL502 and SL720 compacts. “Typically, consumers may feel like they have to sacrifice functionality in order to find a digital camera priced within their means, but that’s not the case with the new SL720 and SL502. Samsung is giving consumers the ability to experience the latest and most advanced digital imaging technology, helping them step up to a more robust, feature-packed camera which will help take their photography to a whole new level.”

Quite whether either will indeed take your photography to a ‘whole new level’ is wholly debatable – we suggest probably not – but there’s no doubt that both the new SL Series cameras are capable if not overtly exciting cameras that are best suited to those looking for a compact point and shoot what with 20 point facial recognition, 11 scene modes (with auto scene selection – or ‘Smart Auto’ as Samsung refers to it), Smart Album (you can search for an image retained on your memory card by date taken or capture type), as well as Smile Shot, Blink Detection and Samsung’s Beauty Shot (the latter proving once and for all that the camera never always lies) all being in evidence.

On and above the aforementioned features, the Samsung SL720 also boasts 720p HD video capture capabilities (utilising H.264 compression) whilst the SL502 is limited to VGA video capture in MJPEG format – though both will allow the use of the camera’s 5x optical zoon during video capture.

Both the Samsung SL502 and the Samsung SL720 are set to commence shipping from August with the SL502 priced at just shy of a pretty respectable $150 whilst the HD video capable SL720 will come in at just short of $230.