Samsung NV100HD Review
(also known as the TL34HD)
Review Date: December 19th 2008
Author: Gavin Stoker
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Image Quality
All of the sample images in this Review were taken using the 14M JPEG mode, which gives an average image size of around 6-8Mb.
In general terms images from the Samsung NV100HD have a more obvious than normal digital look and feel, by which we mean almost unnaturally bright, well-saturated and warm colours and what looks like in-camera sharpening applied, even when left on default 'normal' colour effect setting (vivid being another workable option when conditions are otherwise dull). Strangely this is only discovered when viewing the images properly on a desktop, reds, greens and blues being particularly eye catching, as the rear LCD displaying them in a more muted fashion. Regarding light sensitivity, the NV100HD gives an average performance. Up to ISO 800 image noise is kept reasonably well under control, but at that setting and above its visibility in the shadow areas and overall softening of detail is immediately noticeable. While there is slight curvature visible towards the edges of the frame when shooting at maximum wideangle on the Samsung, most apparent in our white brick wall image, under most circumstances it wouldn't be noticeable. If we're being picky, there is also a slight loss of focus towards the corners, but again only seen on close inspection, and likewise a line of purplish pixels between areas of high contrast plus burning out of highlights on sunny days, the NV100HD choosing not to underexpose the image to preserve them. Again this is no worse (or better) a performance than you'd expect for a snapshot camera in this price bracket. To the naked eye, when viewing images on the desktop, results appear no noticeably sharper than those from an eight or 10 megapixel camera; but in this case it's not like you're paying much of a premium for the apparent extra pixels anyway.
Noise
There are 7 ISO settings available on the Samsung NV100HD which you can select at any time if the camera is in the normal shooting mode. Note that the image resolution is reduced to 3 megapixels for ISO 3200. Though noise is reasonably kept at bay up to and including ISO 800, at ISO 1600 detail is noticeably soft, while ISO 3200 reveals a smearing of detail and results closer to an Impressionist painting than a photograph. It's far from being even close to the worst example we've seen however, meaning it can be lived with at a push. Here are some 100% crops which show the noise levels for each ISO setting:
ISO 80 (100% Crop) |
ISO 100 (100% Crop) |
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ISO 200 (100% Crop) |
ISO 400 (100% Crop) |
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ISO 800 (100% Crop) |
ISO 1600 (100% Crop) |
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ISO 3200 (100% Crop) |
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Sharpening
Here are two 100% crops which have been Saved as Web - Quality 50 in Photoshop. The right-hand image has had some sharpening applied in Photoshop. The out-of-the camera images are just a little soft at the default sharpening setting of Normal. You can change the in-camera sharpening level to one of the preset levels (Soft, Normal or Vivid) if you don't like the default look.
Original
(100% Crop) |
Sharpened (100% Crop) |
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Chromatic Aberrations
The Samsung NV100HD didn't deal very well with chromatic aberrations during the review, with obvious purple fringing present around the edges of objects in high-contrast situations, particularly in the corners of the image, as shown in the examples below.
Example
1 (100% Crop) |
Example
2 (100% Crop) |
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Macro
The Samsung NV100HD offers a Macro setting that allows you to focus on a subject that is 5cms away from the camera when the lens is set to wide-angle. The first image shows how close you can get to the subject (in this case a compact flash card). The second image is a 100% crop.
Macro Shot |
Macro Shot (100% Crop) |
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Flash
The flash settings on the Samsung NV100HD are Auto, Auto & Red-eye reduction, Fill-in, Slow sync, Flash off, and Red Eye Fix. These shots of a white coloured wall were taken at a distance of 1.5m.
Flash Off - Wide Angle (28mm) |
Auto Flash - Wide Angle (28mm) |
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Flash Off - Telephoto (102mm) |
Auto Flash - Telephoto (102mm) |
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And here are a couple of portrait shots. As you can see, both the Auto setting and the Red-eye Fix option caused a tiny amount of red-eye.
Flash On |
Flash On (100% Crop) |
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Flash - Red-eye Flash |
Flash - Red-eye Flash (100% Crop) |
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Night Shot
The Samsung NV100HD's maximum shutter speed is 16 seconds, which is good news if you're seriously interested in night photography. The shot below was taken using a shutter speed of 1/2 second, aperture of f/2.8 at ISO 200. I've included a 100% crop of the image to show what the quality is like.
Night Shot |
Night Shot (100% Crop) |
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PhotographyBLOG
is a member of the DIWA
organisation. Our test results for the Samsung NV100HD have been submitted to DIWA
for comparison with test results for different samples of
the same camera model supplied by other DIWA
member sites.