Overview
The Samsung Digimax L74 is a seven megapixel camera with a 3.6x wide angle lens. This type of lens is a good choice for photography where you need to squeeze width into the picture, such as with a landscape or group portrait shot. On the back of the Digimax L74 is a touch LCD screen.
Main Features
Megapixels:
Zoom:
LCD Screen:
Dimensions:
Weight:
7
3.6x
3 inches
104.5 X 61.8 X 21.8m
174g
Macro:
HD Movies:
Manual Controls:
Batteries:
Memory Cards:
5cm
No
No
Lithium-ion Rechargeable
SD/SDHC
Image Quality - See Sample Images Below
Outdoor Scenic Shots in Good Light
Outdoor 1 (Medium Zoom):
The Digimax L74 gets off to a good start. I am happy with most aspects of this photo. Sharpness levels are good without being perfect and the camera manages to retain most of the sharpness towards the edges of the shot. This photo is a good test for sun glare and I think the camera handles it pretty well.
Outdoor 2 (No Zoom):
This picture helps to illustrate the ability of the wide angle lens, with more details being squeezed into the shot then with a more conventional lens. This photo is a bit soft though especially towards the edges.
Outdoor 3 (Maximum Zoom):
A pleasant enough photo with not too much to report. The wide angle lens means that the Digimax L74 is unable to get in quite as close as some digital cameras can. This is something you need to be aware of if you are planning to take lots of photos from a distance where you will need some extra zoom.
Portraits
Outdoor Portrait:
Looking hard at this picture I can see that it is not as pin sharp as I am used to seeing with other cameras. Skin colour tones have come up on the strong side for my own personal taste, although perhaps I am being a bit picky here.
Indoor Portrait with Flash:
This is a good effort by the Digimax L74. Focusing in this picture is very sharp. The flash is not overpowering and a fair amount of natural colour is retained. The photo is also free of red eye.
Indoor Portrait without Flash:
Without the flash turned on the Digimax L74 struggles to focus sharply. This is a shame, because in terms of colour balance I think the camera compares well against other models.
Macro, Colours and Noise
Macro:
The Digimax L74 produces a decent macro shot without quite being up to the very best standard. The shot is clear and the colours are about right. There is a small loss of sharpness towards the edges of the shot.
Colours:
Colours in most of the photos are satisfactory. In my dedicated colour test blue appears to overpower other colours. In areas that should be white there is a blue tinge. It also produces a rather muddy looking yellow.
ISO 400:
Once you reach ISO 400 the photos start to take on a speckled affect and colour starts to go.
ISO 1600:
Increasing the ISO setting to its maximum of 1600 makes a real mess of things. Picture quality more or less disappears.
Summary
Although not a bad set of photos I was hoping to see more all round quality from the Digimax L74.
Style
This section of the Samsung range looks a bit different to the majority of digital cameras. They look good to me. The grip on the right hand side can help you to hold the camera steady when taking a shot.
Shutter Lag Times
Single Shot
Five Shots
Single Shot With Flash
Five Shots With Flash
0.59 seconds
14.46 seconds
1.78 seconds
19.84 seconds
Ease of Use
Having a touch screen doesn"t necessarily make working with the menu easier or quicker. You need to get used to symbols before you can really get to grips with the camera.
Points I Like
Looks good - feels good it the hand - large LCD screen - after photo effects - massive internal memory
Where it Could Improve
Shutter lag
Verdict
The Samsung Digimax L74 is a digital camera full of good intentions. My own feeling is that when it comes to picture quality it is half a yard of the pace in places. It is not a bad camera, but there are a number of rivals I prefer. Having said that when you look at the price tag it is very reasonably priced.
Product Shots
Front View
Back View
Top View
Sample Menus
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Related Pages
Samsung Digimax L74 Review Samsung Digimax L74 Specification Samsung Digimax L74 Sample Images Samsung Digimax L74 Features
Review Date
October 2007
