Overview
The Samsung ES17 is one of the cheaper entry level digital cameras. It has 12 megapixels and a 3x optical zoom lens. As you would expect at this price point emphasis has been place more on ease of use than features. Compromises to keep the price of the ES17 low include a smaller than standard LCD screen (2.5 inches), a macro mode that needs to be 10cm away from the subject to focus and no image stabilisation. The camera has a standard, rather than High Definition movie mode, but this is a feature you would expect to pay a fair bit more to get your hands on.
To help someone relatively new to photography Samsung has included help text that describe the various camera functions.
Why Buy The Samsung ES17
This is a very simple digital camera with a low price.
Main Features
Megapixels:
Zoom:
LCD Screen:
Dimensions:
Weight:
12
3x
2.5 inches
94.1 x 62.7 x 25.2mm
121g
Macro:
HD Movies:
Manual Controls:
Batteries:
Memory Cards:
10cm
No
No
AA
SD/SDHC
Image Quality - See Sample Images Below
Outdoor Scenic Shots in Good Light
Outdoor 1 (Medium Zoom):
Focusing is well below levels I am used to seeing. This is true right across the photo. If you make smaller, snapshot sized prints this may not be a big issue, but larger prints will start to show the strain.
Outdoor 2 (No Zoom):
Surprisingly this is a sharper effort than my first test shot. The problem you can see here is that some parts of the photo are very dark.
Outdoor 3 (Maximum Zoom):
Sharpness levels are under pressure once more and the definition in this photo suffers. As in my second outdoor shot dark areas around the trees struggle to show very much detail. They also look a lot darker than in pictures taken by most other cameras.
Outdoor 4 (Building):
Once again there is a lack of cutting edge to the sharpness of this scene. Overall I can only give the ES17 around five out of ten for focusing.
Portraits
Outdoor Portrait:
I like this picture. The colours are about right and the ES17 has no problems with focusing.
Indoor Portrait with Flash:
This photo is not quite pin sharp. On top of this the light from the flash has not managed to counteract some of the shadows in the shot. This is despite the fact the picture was taken well within the range of the flash unit.
Indoor Portrait without Flash:
The ES17 struggles here and produces a blurred photo. This is one of the areas where you will need to accept picture quality is not perfect with a cheaper digital camera.
Macro, Colours and Noise
Macro:
If you are able to crop your photo as I have done here the ES17 is capable of a decent macro photo. Macro mode is limited by the fact you need to be at least 10cm away from the subject for the camera to be able to focus.
Colours:
The colours produced from this camera and other Samsung digital cameras I have tested recently sit in mid range when it comes to strength. I thought the colours from the ES17 were well balanced.
Noise:
Noise is more of an issue with smaller compacts like the ES17. The good news is there is not a lot of evidence of noise in outdoor shots taken in good light.
Summary
Picture quality is not all it could be. Even for a camera in this price bracket I am disappointed.
Style
This camera is on the large side for slipping comfortably into most pockets. It has a standard look to it. I found the camera had a very plastic feel and the door to the battery compartment felt breakable.
Shutter Lag Times
Single Shot
Five Shots
Single Shot With Flash
Five Shots With Flash
Turn on Time
0.57 seconds
15.57 seconds
1.47 seconds
20.11 seconds
3.87 seconds
Ease of Use
There should not be much to trouble anyone with this camera.
Points I Like
Ease of use
Where it Could Improve
Small built in memory - picture quality
Verdict
The Samsung ES17 is a cheap and cheerful digital camera. Its greatest attractions are its price and the fact it is easy to use. Picture quality is a struggle and you can find better for a similar price.
Product Shots
Front View
Back View
Top View
Sample Menus
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Related Pages
Samsung ES17 Review Samsung ES17 Specification Samsung ES17 Sample Images Samsung ES17 Features
Review Date
November 2009
