Samsung SL720 Review

Unfortunately, few details were available on the Samsung SL720 at press time. We do know that the SL720 features a 12.2 megapixel image sensor behind a Samsung-branded 5x optical zoom lens that offers focal lengths ranging from a useful 28mm wide angle through to a 140mm equivalent telephoto. The Samsung SL720's maximum aperture that varies from f/3.5 to f/5.6 across the zoom range. There's no optical viewfinder, with images instead being framed on the Samsung SL720's 3.0", 230,000 dot LCD display. Usefully, the SL720 offers dual image stabilization - achieved both by raising ISO sensitivity, and with an optical stabilization system. The Samsung SL720 also has a built-in flash strobe a 30 frames-per-second H.264 720p high definition movie mode, and HDMI connectivity (which requires the purchase of an optionally available camera cradle).

Other features of the Samsung SL720 include autoexposure / autofocus-linked face detection, which in a first for Samsung's SL-series is capable of recognizing the faces of up to twenty individuals whom you've taught the camera to identify. This is used both to prioritize those individuals when they appear in a photo, and to speed retrieval of photos in which they're present when in playback mode. Samsung's face detection is also used to provide both blink detection and smile shot capability, which can warn when your subjects blink, and trigger the shutter when they're smiling. There's also a "Smart Auto" mode that automatically chooses one of eleven scene modes, "Smart Album" function in playback mode, and a "Beauty Shot" mode which enhances skin tones.

The Samsung SL720 ships from August 2009, and expected pricing is around $230.