Samsung PL20 Review

Samsung PL20 Overview

Posted: 02/07/2011

The Samsung PL20 has a 1/2.3"-type, 14 megapixel CCD image sensor, which is coupled to a Samsung-branded 5x optical zoom lens. The PL20's lens provides a 35mm-equivalent zoom range from a useful 27mm wide angle to a moderate 135mm telephoto, with actual focal lengths being 4.9 - 24.5mm. Maximum aperture varies from f/3.5 at wide angle to f/5.9 at telephoto. Befitting its cost-conscious, entry level design, the PL20 forgoes any form of optical or electronic viewfinder, instead relying solely on an LCD display of indeterminate size and resolution. Likewise, it lacks any form of mechanical image stabilization, instead relying on what Samsung terms "Digital Image Stabilization", which essentially just raises the ISO sensitivity (along with the noise levels), so as to yield a faster shutter speed. Power comes courtesy of a proprietary lithium ion rechargeable battery pack, whose model number and specification aren't stated.

Only very limited information was available on the Samsung PL20 at press time. We do know that it includes a high definition 720p (1,280 x 720 pixel, 24 frames per second) movie mode, although compression and file types aren't stated. There's apparently also a Smart Filter function that yields effects such as fish-eye, miniature, and sketch, plus a Smart Auto 2.0 mode which can identify the scene type being photographed, and then automatically select an appropriate scene type from a subset of available scene modes. It also includes face detection autofocus, and a Beauty Shot mode that automatically adjusts skin tones for a more pleasing look.

The Samsung PL20 will be available from March 2011, priced at around US$120. Four body colors will be available -- silver, black, pink and red.