Samsung TL240 Review

The Samsung TL240 features a 14.2 megapixel 1/2.3" CCD image sensor behind a Schneider Kreuznach-branded 7x optical zoom lens. The TL240's lens includes optical image stabilization, which should help reduce the likelihood of blur caused by camera shake, as part of what Samsung terms "Dual Image Stabilization". The other part of the function is Digital Image Stabilization, which combats blur using the camera's firmware, automatically raising the camera's ISO sensitivity (and noise levels) as needed. Interestingly, Samsung is describing the TL240 and its sibling, the CL80, as the first consumer electronic products ever to be manufactured using hydro-forming technology, a technique that's become relatively common in automotive manufacture. Hydro-forming allows stiffer and more complex shapes to be formed, and Samsung says the techology has allowed them to produce higher quality surfaces with smoother silhouettes.

There's no optical viewfinder, with images being framed on a 3.5-inch TFT LCD display, which also features a touch panel through which much control is achieved. The LCD touch panel is also used in record mode, with a tap of the finger on your subject being all that's needed to manually set the focus point. The TL240 includes subject tracking capability, and once focus is locked, will attempt to follow the subject as it moves around the frame, adjusting focus as necessary. Holding your finger over the subject for two seconds will set focus and then trigger the shutter; alternatively you can press the shutter button immediately after focus lock is achieved. In addition, the TL225's display offers haptic feedback, which uses a slight vibration of the display surface as a method of tactile confirmation when the user presses an on-screen control. This vibration is accompanied by a beeping sound as a further form of confirmation.

The Samsung TL240 includes face detection capability with both smile and blink detection functions, which can be used to automatically capture a photo when everyone's smiling, and then retake the image if anybody blinks. There's also a "Beauty Shot" mode which smooths skin tones on detected faces. The face detection is also used to offer a Red-Eye Fix function which automatically locates and corrects for this common image defect. In addition, the TL240 includes Smart Face Recognition technology, which allows twenty individuals' faces to be registered in-camera and then recognized in subsequent shots. Once identified, those individuals' faces will be given priority over unrecognized faces in the scene when determining exposure variables, and can also be searched for in the Smart Album playback mode. The Samsung TL240 also has a variety of scene modes aimed at keeping things approachable for beginner photographers while still offering a degree of control over images, plus a Smart Auto 2.0 mode which automatically selects a scene mode as appropriate.

The Samsung TL240 has the ability to record standard or high definition movies with sound at 30 frames per second in H.264 format, with a maximum resolution of 720p (1280 x 720 pixels). Connectivity options include HDMI video allowing the camera to be connected to the latest high-definition displays.

The Samsung TL240 ships from Spring 2010. Pricing information was not available at press time.