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    GadgetsLab: Samsung WB30F

    TechnologyGadgetsLabGadgetsLab: Samsung WB30F

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    Specifications:

    • Sensor:16.2 megapixel/  ½, 3” (Approximately 7,76 mm) CCD
    • Zoom and Optics: Samsung 10x Optical Zoom Lens f = 0,13” ~ 1,29” (1,05” film equivalent: 0,72” ~ 7,2”)
    • Physical Dimensions: 3,85” x 2, 27” x 0, 64”
    • Weight: 131 g

    What’s Hot:

    • Ease of use
    • Allows you to share instantly
    • Extensive photo editing options

    What’s Not:

    • Average image quality

    Bottomline:

    • The WB30F is your ultimate on-the-go camera if you’re big on sharing your photos online instantly.

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    I was never big on sharing tidbits of my life via social networks. The way I like my gadgets reflects this; as long as they perform their dedicated tasks well and make my life easier, I’m good. The arrival of smart devices, however, changed this simple little world of mine. Fate conspired, and a smartphone found its way into my life. This is the single most convenient thing anyone can ever own. Everything can be accessed and shared with just one click. Since then, every attempt I have made to keep away from my social networks has given me withdrawal syndrome.  When I heard of the existence of smart cameras, my inner shutterbug immediately took notice and the promise of instant photo sharing was too sweet to pass up.

    The WB30F of Samsung WB series of cameras is a Wi-Fi-capable device that was given the catch phrase “big on style and performance.” My first impressions on it were spot-on. Samsung came up with beautiful design for the WB30F. It’s barely the size of my palm, and very lightweight, despite the extra hardware that makes the camera smart. It even comes in several colors to suit your individual style. It has a relatively small set of external controls that I personally liked, since it helps reduce clutter and confusion  during use. It pops right into a pocket or purse, and once there, you won’t even know you have it.

    Under greater scrutiny, I am quite confident that it will live up to Samsung’s standards. As I’d mentioned earlier, it has a small number of external controls, so getting used to it is not a problem. At the top of the device sits the power button, just beside the zoom rocker with the shutter button at its center.  At the bottom is the battery door that houses both the 700mAh battery and microSD slot. The camera’s rear houses the LCD screen and a set of buttons which are rather self-explanatory. It also has a dedicated Wi-Fi button that enables you to share your photos in just one click.

    This button is the key to simplifying photo sharing. Hit the review button and scroll to your photo of choice. Hit “Menu”, choose “Share (Wi-Fi)” and pick among the list of sites on which you can share your photo. Let’s say you prefer to share on Facebook. The camera will then ask you to log-in using an on-screen keyboard. After finishing, click “OK,” and you’re done! WB30F also allows you to automatically share your images right after taking them through its Autoshare feature, which you have to connect to your smartphone or tablet with an installed Samsung SMART CAMERA App.

    The one thing I loved most about the WB30F is how easy it is to edit your pictures should you prefer to enhance them before upload. The button beside “Menu” will bring you to the different camera modes and filters that you can use before shooting. Scroll past these choices for the “Photo Editor” that gives you the freedom to rotate your picture, adjust the brightness and contrast, saturation and even re-touch your portraits and apply red eye correction. There is also an extensive set of smart filters including a miniature effect, vignetting, soft-focus and fish-eye. Should you want to crop your photo, just zoom it in while in review mode until you get your desired composition then hit “OK.” I had fun with the extensive choice of preferences with the photo editor, and how easy it is to use the different modes.

    If you’re looking for more, the WB30F also has a Live Panorama capability that creates great panorama shots just by moving the camera sideways while pressing the shutter button–something that beats a lot of other point-and-shoots, making me settle for stitch buddy features instead.

    While I did enjoy this beauty’s features in photo editing before upload, I find it a little lacking in the image quality department. Everything looks good enough in review mode on its 75 mm LCD screen, but once you move to a regular 14” monitor, the shortcomings start to show. The camera is also a little too light, which makes it feel a little squirelly in the hand, affecting my composition. The WB30F’s easy-sharing makes up for its average  photo quality though, and that makes sense; it’s a dedicated device for sharing images in the web above other things.

    Despite its light weight, stylish look and its good photo editing features, whatever the WB30F can do, the average smartphone can too, to a certain degree. I highly suggest the wonders of the WB30F for those who have money to spare for a dedicated on-the-go camera exclusively for sharing online, and occasionally, when you need a point-and-shoot to quickly document a nice night out.

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    First Published in Gadgets Magazine, May 2013

    Words by Cla Gregorio

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