Samsung NV9

Full Review

Samsung has attempted to marry ‘classic’ and ‘cool’ in the NV9. There are two retro looking dials on the top side of the all black nV9 that are sure to catch your attention - one shows battery level and the other indicates the free space left on the memory card. The 5x image stabilized optical zoom starts at a rather long 38mm (unlike the Fujifilm F200 EXR which starts from a wide 28mm). On the performance side, it produces quality images but with a hint of oversaturation, similar to the Sony Cyber-shot T77. White balance was a bit of in our tests, more than with the Sony. ISO 400 is for the most parts unusable. Not only is the noise very high, but a lot of detail is washed out due to noise reduction. The Samsung NV is a tad slower compared to the Best Buy Canon (or the Sony, for that matter). The delay between shots is more noticeable. Video recording however was very impressive, second only to the Canon. In video mode, the camera even lets users select the metering modes that are available for still capture. Another impressive feature is its ability to zoom during recording, a definite plus point. The NV9 is more than a camera – it is a text viewer and PmP (Portable media Player) as advertised by Samsung. The PMP interface is usable but the sound quality is just about average, maybe in part due to the bundled headsets that come with a proprietary connector. Videos need to be converted to the SDC format using the supplied software. This can be quite a hassle, we would not completely agree with its positioning as a camera-cum-PMP.

Bottom Line

The NV9 is an able camera at a somewhat higher asking price. The 5x image stabilized lens gives more reach to the photographer (like the Fujifilm F200 EXR). This is one of those few cameras that allows optical zoom during video recording