Samsung NV20 Review

The Samsung NV8, NV15 and NV20 are very closely related designs, with the most significant difference between the three being the choice of imager. Compared to the other two in the trio, the top-of-the-line Samsung NV20 offers the highest resolution at 12.1 megapixels, and adds the ability to "scan" business cards thanks to the addition of a "Biz" scene mode and bundled "Samsung Biz Reader" software.

The NV20 shares the same body design, LCD and the same Schneider-Kreuznach Varioplan branded 3x optical zoom lens as the other two models. The lens features a 35mm equivalent focal range of 34 - 102mm, and a minimum macro focusing distance of just 1.6 inches. Maximum aperture across the zoom range varies from f/2.8 at wide angle to f/5.1 at telephoto.

Images on the NV20 are both framed and reviewed on a 2.5" LCD display with 230,000 pixel resolution, as the camera foregoes any form of optical viewfinder. The Samsung NV20 offers ISO sensitivity ranges from a minimum of ISO 100 equivalent to a maximum of ISO 3200, and shutter speeds vary from 1/1500 second to a max. of 15 seconds. Images are stored in 20MB of built-in memory or on SD / MMC / SDHC / MMC Plus cards, with a limit of 2GB capacity for all except the SDHC type - this being guaranteed to a maximum of 8GB. NV20 connectivity options include both NTSC / PAL video and USB 2.0 (speed unspecified) computer connectivity. Power for the NV20 comes from a proprietary SLB-0837 Lithium-ion battery, and the camera ships with a Samsung Master software package.

The Samsung NV20 is slated to ship from Fall 2007, at a suggested price of US$399.