Samsung L310W review

The L310W has some remarkable specifications for such an affordable camera.

With a massive 13.4-megapixel resolution, it's hot on the heels of Canon's G10 and Nikon's P6000 - both premium models that cost over twice as much (What's New, Shopper 253). The 3.6x zoom range starts at 28mm for true wide-angle photos, and optical stabilisation counteracts blur at slow shutter speeds. It has manual exposure for creative photographers, while casual snappers will enjoy features such as smile and blink detection. Packing so much into a slim, aluminium-clad camera for under £100 is remarkable.

Sadly, impressive specifications at a low price rarely make for a great camera. Performance was poor: the autofocus is fast, but the huge photos take a long time to save. There was an average of 3.3 seconds between shots, rising to 5.1 with the flash. Continuous mode crawled at 0.6fps, during which the screen was blank and the camera silent, which is confusing. We had to select the macro mode to focus on subjects 50cm away - most cameras can manage this with their normal autofocus. The optical stabilisation was less effective than we're used to, keeping 20 per cent of shots sharp at a 1?15s shutter speed.

Photos in bright light were nowhere near as detailed as those from Canon's G10. Even at ISO 100, Samsung's 8-megapixel NV8 captured sharper detail. At higher ISO speeds, the L310W disguised noise by applying a blur to the entire image, retaining no more detail than a 1-megapixel image offers.

Despite its incredible price, the L310W's only strength is its wide-angle lens. Fujfilm's F100fd is much better value, even considering the extra cost.