Samsung’s new WB5000 ultrazoom is built around a 24x optical zoom (26-624mm equivalent) wide-angle lens and a 12.5MP CCD sensor. Designed for advanced shooters, the advanced cam also features full manual controls and can also record uncompressed RAW images in Adobe’s DNG format for post-shoot editing.
The full manual mode gives the shooter controls that are closer to DSLR cams to set it apart from the average ultrazoom. The WB5000 features a wheel dial for setting aperture and shutter speeds, as well as white balance and color temperature (3,000K to 10,000K range) quickly. The WB500 (renamed as the HZ25W in the US) can also record 720p HD video at 30 frames per second and features a high sensitivity that maxes out at ISO 6400 for shooting in low light.
While it doesn’t feature an optical viewfinder, a 3-inch, 230K-pixel TFT LCD is available for shot composition and playback. The WB5000 also features Samsung’s Smart Album feature for sorting captured media. For easy, optimized shots, in-cam tech includes face recognition, smile detection and dual image stabilization (optical and digital IS). A Smart Auto mode lets users shoot without worrying about the settings.
The Samsung WB5000 is expected to ship this month in Europe and Korea followed by an October release in the US (as the HZ25W) for $400.
Tags: Digital Cameras, Samsung
