The Samsung Digimax NV20 is a 12 megapixel digital camera with a 3x optical zoom lens. It will just about squeeze into a pocket. The Digimax NV20 is a bit different to most digital cameras. This is true in terms of looks and also the way in which the camera's menu system works. Therefore I would suggest taking a look at one and seeing if the camera suits you before buying. For more advanced work it has a basic manual exposure mode.
Image Quality Samsung Digimax NV20 test shots
Outdoor 1 (Medium Zoom)
The Digimax NV20 does not get off to the best of starts. There are two problems with the photo that worry me. The first is the way the camera handles the glare from the sun. This camera was tested in a group with other digital cameras. The majority of the other models handled glare better than this camera manages. This means there is a danger of lighter areas of a photo being over exposed and detail being lost on bright, sunny days. The second issue is the degree of pixilation showing in the photo. This causes the sky to look quite unnatural in places.
Focusing is acceptable without being especially sharp. There is also a decline in sharpness as you move away from the centre of the photo.
Outdoor 2 (No Zoom)
When it comes to focusing quality the Digimax NV20 sits roughly in the middle when compared to other digital cameras. There are a couple of issues that do concern me though. On the left hand side of the photo you will see a blue and white boat. Along the edges of some of the windows and the door I can see purple fringing when the photo is blown up. This is where a purple line is added to the photo. The other problem is a recurrence of the pixilation seen in the first picture. This shows even when the print is not especially large.
Outdoor 3 (Maximum Zoom)
With the zoom fully extended the camera takes a better shot. Focusing is once again average or slightly above average.
Outdoor Portrait
This is easily the best shot so far. The picture works well with a pleasant balance of colours. I have used a white balance setting of cloudy to adjust the colours. Focusing is also spot on. To help the camera with focusing I used the face detection setting.
Indoor Portrait with Flash
When compared with other cameras I detect a lack of colour in this shot. This effects more than the skin tones. I would like to have seen more colour throughout the picture. The camera has a built in red eye removal tool. This has managed to remove most of the red eye in the photo.
Indoor Portrait without Flash
Without flash the Digimax NV20 compensates for the lower light found indoors and creates a very bright photo. The result is much brighter than most cameras manage in these conditions. Noise does creep in as expected and reduces the quality somewhat. Despite this you do have the option to take photos in lower light without flash, as long as the available light remains fair.
Colours
The colours produced by the camera are about right, but I would like to see a bit more zest in some areas.
Macro
This is one of the better shots produced by the Digimax NV20. It is bright and clear and is sharper than average. There is just a hint of purple fringing in places.
ISO 400
Noise, purple fringing and colour problems all show up at ISO 400. This effort is below average.
ISO 1600
Not surprisingly the problems that show up at ISO 400 are magnified at this level. Overall picture quality is a problem.
Overall
My assessment of the camera places it somewhere in the middle range or lower. I must admit to being a bit disappointed with quality in a number of pictures.
Shutter Lag
I was able to take a single photo in 0.39 seconds and five photos in 7.57 seconds. These are average times. With flash times increased to 0.45 seconds for a single photo and 10.42 seconds for five photos. These are fast times.
You can compare this camera to other models by taking a look at the Shutter Lag Comparison Table.
Style: This camera is a bit different to other models. It is quite a classy looking camera. It has a grip on the right hand side of the camera to help you hold the camera steady and the lens unit protrudes on the front of the camera even when the camera is turned off.
Dimensions: 96.5 x 60 x 25mm
Weight: 151.7g
Batteries: Lithium ion (SLB-0837(B)).
Memory cards: 20mb of storage has been built into the camera. I was able to take 7 photos before the card was full. It is also compatible with SD and SDHC cards.
Click here to save money on SD cards.
Ease of use rating: Average. The menu system on this camera is very different to any camera outside of the Samsung NV range. Although it takes a bit of getting used to it does do a very good job of placing controls at your fingertips and there is no need to burrow down through different menu levels to find what you are looking for. Changing some key settings such as shutter speed can be a slow process.
Points I like:
Looks good - feels good it the hand
Where it could improve:
Noise/pixilation in some pictures - purple fringing in places
Verdict:
The Samsung Digimax NV20 falls short in some key areas when it comes to taking pictures. It has a lot going for it in terms of looks and features, so it is a shame it is not that bit better when it comes to the all important business of taking a photo.
Front View
Back View
Top View
Sample Menus
| Samsung Digimax NV20 Summary |
| Description: | 12 megapixels and a 3x optical zoom |
| Ease of Use: | 8 |
| Features: | 8 |
| Colour: | 8 |
| Macro: | 8 |
| Indoors: | 8 |
| Value for Money: | 8 |
| Style: | 8 |
| Movie Mode: | 8 |
| Image Quality: | 7 |
| Build Quality: | 8 |
| Total: | 79 |
| Verdict: | This camera just falls short when it comes to picture quality. If it could improve by a few percentage points in key areas it would be a very useful camera. It has a unique design and style. There is also a basic manual exposure mode. |
| Review Date: | January 2008 |
| Click for: | Specification Sample Images Features |
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