PMA 2009 Tradeshow
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Samsung's TL320 digital camera. Photo provided by Samsung Electronics America Inc. Samsung: Two more brand-new digicams
By Michael R. Tomkins, The Imaging Resource
(Monday, February 23, 2009 - 08:01 EST)

Less than a week after its last batch of digital camera announcements, Samsung has added a further two models that will debut at this year's Photo Marketing Association tradeshow.

The Samsung HZ15W and Samsung TL320 are due to start shipping in the USA from March and May 2009 respectively, and both couple twelve megapixel imagers with zoom lenses that offer a 24mm wide angle. Priced at about $330, the HZ15W is the lower-cost of the pair and is closely related to another camera that launched just last month - the Samsung HZ10W. Compared to that model, the HZ15W boosts the resolution slightly from 10.2 to 12.0 effective megapixels, and offers a more generous 3.0" LCD display. A mechanically stabilized, Schneider-branded 10x optical zoom lens with 24 - 240mm equivalent focal lengths is retained from the HZ10W design, as is a 720p movie mode. The Samsung HZ15W also offers built-in HDMI connectivity. More details can be found in our Samsung HZ15W preview.

Meanwhile, the Samsung TL320 couples its 12.2 megapixel image sensor to a Schneider Kreuznach Varioplan-branded 5x optical zoom lens with 24mm - 120mm focal lengths. One interesting feature of the TL320 is a high-res 460,000 dot 3.0" AMOLED display - said to be the largest AMOLED to have been used in any digital camera to date. The display offers roughly double the usual resolution for its size, and is said to improve power consumption, contrast, and viewing angles. The most eyecatching feature of the TL320, though, has to be the two analog gauges on the camera's top panel - a design we first saw on the company's TL9 digicam, and one you're bound to either love or hate. Priced at $380, the Samsung TL320 will be available in both black and silver finishes. More details can be found in our Samsung TL320 preview.

Detailed specifications aren't currently available for either camera, but official product photos and press release follow below.

Samsung HZ15W
Samsung's HZ15W digital camera. Photo provided by Samsung Electronics America Inc. Click for a bigger picture!
Samsung's HZ15W digital camera. Photo provided by Samsung Electronics America Inc. Click for a bigger picture!
Samsung's HZ15W digital camera. Photo provided by Samsung Electronics America Inc. Click for a bigger picture!
Samsung's HZ15W digital camera. Photo provided by Samsung Electronics America Inc. Click for a bigger picture!
 

Samsung TL320
Samsung's TL320 digital camera. Photo provided by Samsung Electronics America Inc. Click for a bigger picture!
Samsung's TL320 digital camera. Photo provided by Samsung Electronics America Inc. Click for a bigger picture!
Samsung's TL320 digital camera. Photo provided by Samsung Electronics America Inc. Click for a bigger picture!
Samsung's TL320 digital camera. Photo provided by Samsung Electronics America Inc. Click for a bigger picture!
Samsung's TL320 digital camera. Photo provided by Samsung Electronics America Inc. Click for a bigger picture!
 

Original Source Press Release:

Samsung Introduces Pair Of 12 Mega-Pixel, 24mm Ultra-Wide Angle Compact Digital Cameras

New TL320 Boasts Three-Inch AMOLED for Enhanced Viewing and Energy Efficiency

HZ15W Offers 12 Mega-Pixel Resolution and 24mm, 10x Optical Zoom Schneider Lens


RIDGEFIELD PARK, N.J. – February 23, 2009 – Samsung Electronics America today unveiled two new 12 mega-pixel compact digital cameras boasting 24mm ultra-wide angle Schneider lenses. Samsung’s new TL320 raises the bar for innovation in the digital imaging industry as it is the world’s first digital camera to feature a three-inch AMOLED screen with HVGA resolution. The new HZ15W, Samsung’s second mega-zoom, point-and-shoot digital camera, offers consumers one of the most powerful lenses on a compact point-and-shoot with an impressive focal length of 24-240mm (35mm film equivalent).


The TL320

The new TL320 goes above and beyond traditional compact point-and-shoot digital cameras, offering an impressive list of features that set the camera apart from the competition. The TL320 features a Schneider lens, renowned for quality and trusted by professionals worldwide, and offers consumers a more versatile 24mm ultra-wide angle focal length paired with a powerful 5x optical zoom.


Utilizing the same advanced technologies found in its revolutionary AMOLED televisions, Samsung was able to incorporate a three-inch, 460,000-dot HVGA AMOLED screen in the new TL320, the largest AMOLED screen on a digital camera to date. In comparison to a traditional TFT-LCD screen, the TL320’s AMOLED consumes less power and offers a higher contrast ratio of 10,000:1, producing darker black levels, more vibrant colors, and a brighter display which can easily be viewed outdoors and even in direct sunlight. Additionally, unlike a TFT-LCD, the TL320’s AMOLED screen has the ability to display images that can be reviewed at any angle, while fully maintaining the same color gamut.


Samsung’s new TL320 also offers advanced high-definition video recording at a resolution of 720p, as well as HDMI connectivity through the use of a cradle to view one’s video and photos in HD clarity on an HDTV. The camera’s 5x optical zoom can be used while recording, and because the camera utilizes H.264 compression (a codec for high-definition video that yields three times the recording length than that of MJPEG video) users can record HD video for longer periods of time with the TL320.


For added stability and blur-free images, Samsung has outfitted the TL320 with both Optical and Digital Image Stabilization. The shooter has the option of simply using Optical Image Stabilization or choosing Dual Image Stabilization, combining the strengths of Optical and Digital Image Stabilization.


For the more advanced user who prefers to have more control over camera settings, the TL320 offers aperture priority, shutter priority, full manual shooting, as well as Samsung’s unique Advanced Picture Mode. Much more precise than simple white balance presets, Advanced Picture Mode gives users the ability to fine tune color tones before image capture by adjusting the color temperature from 2,800-10,000K, in 100K increments, or by manually configuring the camera’s color space shift.


For users looking for simplicity when it comes to taking digital images, the TL320 offers a comprehensive suite of automatic controls designed to help them capture better images with ease, including the camera’s Smart Auto mode. When selected, Smart Auto will automatically choose from one of the TL320’s 11 scene modes, determining which best suits the environment the user may be shooting in. For example, the TL320’s Smart Auto feature will automatically set the camera to its Landscape scene mode if the user is taking an image of a mountain range, and then switch gears and automatically select the Portrait scene mode if the user proceeds to take an image of an individual. No manual interaction is required.


In addition to Smart Auto, the TL320 also incorporates Samsung’s proprietary Smart Album program. Smart Album is useful tool which allows users to easily search for a specific image they have saved on their memory card. Smart Album automatically organizes the user’s digital images and gives them the ability to narrow their search based on specific criteria. Users can quickly sort by the date or week the image was taken, the overall color tone, as well as whether they’re searching for portraits or specific file types, including  photos, videos, or voice memos.


Users can also take advantage of the TL320’s Face Detection, Blink Detection, Smile Shot, and Beauty Shot technologies. Designed to help capture better portraits and group shots of family and friends, Face Detection technology detects up to nine faces and automatically adjusts focus and exposure to ensure better composition and image quality. Smile Shot automatically triggers the TL320 to take a photo only when the camera detects smiles on the subjects’ faces, and Blink Detection will automatically fire two consecutive shots if the camera detects that a subject’s eyes are closed. Beauty Shot is a unique functionality which will automatically enhance and balance skin tones as well as remove blemishes.


Featuring a brushed stainless steel finish, the TL320 is as stylish as it is advanced. The camera offers a compact form factor highlighted by two analog dials found on top of the TL320’s body. The two dials give the TL320 a retro look and provide users with the ability to quickly glance down at the camera for an approximate readout of remaining battery life and memory capacity.


The HZ15W

The step up model from the HZ10W introduced in January at CES 2009, the 12 mega-pixel HZ15W offers consumers one of the most powerful lenses on a compact point-and-shoot digital camera, featuring a 24mm ultra-wide angle Schneider lens coupled with a generous 10x optical zoom. For blur-free images, especially when using the HZ15W at its maximum zoom, Samsung includes both Optical and Digital Image Stabilization. Optical Image Stabilization can be used independently or shooters can choose Dual Image Stabilization, which combines the strengths of Optical and Digital Image Stabilization.


Like the HZ10W, the HZ15W puts high-definition video recording in the palm of users’ hands. With the HZ15W, consumers have the ability to record high-definition video at a resolution of 720p, and utilize the camera’s full 10x optical zoom. Samsung also incorporates H.264 compression and offers consumers true HDMI connectivity, which allows the camera to be connected directly to an HDTV without the need for a cradle.  Additionally, the HZ15W’s ultra-clear, three-inch LCD screen is sure to turn heads and gives consumers the ability to easily frame their shots and review their images and video in any condition, even in direct sunlight.


Designed for a range of consumers, including entry-level photographers and advanced amateurs, the HZ15W offers a variety of shooting modes, including Manual. The camera’s Manual shooting mode allows users to manually configure settings such as shutter speed, aperture, exposure, and ISO values. Similar to the TL320, the HZ15W also features a highly-intuitive suite of automatic controls designed to help improve one’s ability to take great digital images. The camera’s advanced automatic shooting options include Face Detection, Smile Shot, Blink Detection, Beauty Shot, as well as Smart Auto, which automatically selects the appropriate scene mode for the user, and Smart Album, which simplifies the process of searching for an image saved on a memory card.


Available in black or silver, the TL320 will be available in May 2009 at an MSRP of $379.99.  


The Samsung HZ15W will be available in March 2009 at an MSRP of $329.99


About Samsung Electronics America, Inc.

Samsung Electronics America, Inc. (SEA), based in Ridgefield Park, NJ, is a subsidiary of Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. The company markets a broad range of award-winning consumer electronics, information systems, and home appliance products, as well as oversees all of Samsung’s North American operations including Samsung Telecommunications America, LP, Samsung Electronics Canada, Inc. and Samsung Electronics Mexico, Inc. As a result of its commitment to innovation and unique design, the company was ranked #6 in the Electronics Industry segment in Fortune Magazine’s “Most Admired Companies 2008,” and named as one of Fast Company’s “Fast 50 Most Innovative Companies of 2008.” Among popular BusinessWeek rankings, the company ranked #26 in the publication’s “Most Innovative Companies of 2008” and #21 in the “100 Best Global Brands” for 2007.  Samsung Electronics Co, Ltd. is also a top patent holder, ranking second overall in the U.S. in 2007.  Please visit www.samsung.com for more information.


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