Customer Reviews

Samsung WB600 Digital Camera - Black (12MP, 15x Optical Zoom) 3.0 inch LCD

5 star:		(28)
4 star:		(15)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is a lot of camera for the price. The build and feel are solid. Be aware these ultrazoom cameras are chunkier than many; i chose this one largely because it was the least thick of this genre (bar the new fuji FX80 (10X zoom) camera), as well as the amazing zoom.
Startup time is amazing even when flash is used. Controls are easy to work out. Battery life seems fine; I took the camera for a long weekend to Madrid and it coped with shooting all day and into the evening including some short videos without apparently running low. It comes with a plug adapter and USB charger cable for in-camera charging which is a very compact arrangement for travel (unless desperate to be charging one battery while using another i much prefer an in camera charger).
The back screen is prone to minor scratching as with all cameras of this type. The front lens has a protective screen which is easy to clean.
Images are crisp and colour balance appears good to my taste. Camera performance in challenging lighting conditions is astonishing; in both automatic modes it intelligently picks out lighting areas as well as subjects on which to focus; my previous camera was a canon IXUS 950 IS and in the 2 years or so since i bought that the smartware has progressed in leaps and bounds. The only gizmoware i have fiddled with is "beautyshot" which is flattering and clever if a little overprocessed for my taste.
Be aware it is not shipped with an SD card so out of the box you can only take a few pics with the on board memory.
HD Video and sound reproduction seem good. I have one gripe however: when zooming during video the sound drops out. Other than this i can't fault this camera and am very pleased with it.

After much research I ordered this in preference to the Panasonic tz7 because of the many negative reviews re the fragility of the Panasonic screen and the cost of spare batteries.
The wide angle lens is a joy to use and the few pictures I have taken so far in both daylight and with flash have been of excellent quality. The impressive zoom capability is also a bonus.
The controls are simple to operate. So far it has been used as a simple point and shoot with very good results.
BE AWARE there is NO memory card included with this camera.
I bought a Samsung 8gb and a card reader at the same time, both of which work very well and connect painlessly with my mac OSX, as does the CD manual.
On the basis of only a couple of days use I can highly recommend. There are cheaper cameras out there for sure, but this one ticks every box for me and was worth paying the little extra for.

Purchased this camera at the end of August and 2 days later took it on an extended tour of Spain.
I bought this particular model to get the benefit of the double image stabilisation, ( my hands are not as steady as they used to be ) and in reality did not really have time to get used to it before my holiday. I didn't need to, it was simplicity itself to use, the zoom is incredible, battery life is excellent and it seems to take a good photo whatever I try with it. I am no expert photographer and no doubt some experts would pick holes in my pictures but for what I need - sharp pictures, good colour, flexible to use, great zoom and video it is brilliant and the "anti shake" has extended my photography lifeline which I was ready to give up as I could not get the results I wanted from other cameras, even my son who uses one of those fancy SLR things is impressed by the results!

I bought this just a couple of weeks ago despite already being the satisfied owner of both Panasonic TZ10 and Canon EOS400D digital cameras. The main reason for buying the WB600 was that it was incredibly cheap (just over £[], perhaps a pricing mistake ! ?) and offered some advantages to the TZ10, albeit omitting GPS - but as hinted below I don't find that much of a loss. They are also, rather spookily, similar in overall design and appearance + they are both terrific little cameras...!

I'm writing this review mainly to compare WB600 with the TZ10, which it is VERY similar to but as they do have a few, for me, quite important differences either way. PLEASE NOTE that overall the comparison is fair BUT the WB600 is not the true competitor to the TZ10 since it has no GPS - for that you have to get the next model up, the WB650, which adds GPS/a better quality screen but NOTHING else (although the incorporation of the GPS capability is apparently not very good !). Anyway, since I've found the GPS capability to have limited value and, to be perfectly honest, after some usage something of a gimmick I think the comparison is valid although the WB600 is actually a true competitor for the TZ8, not TZ10.....

You might not think the WB600 is comparable when looking at it, as its appearance is much more unobtrusive than the TZ10. It is missing the rather prominent, flashy, logos 'advertising' the HD video capability and various other facets that the TZ10 has emblazoned all over it - despite the fact it has those very same capabilities ! Also, look a the Amazon review-count for these two and the TZ10 is apparently some 6x more popular, which is in my opinion misleading or perhaps suggests that owners of them are more keen/lazy about review-writing depending on your point of view !

I intend to concentrate on the differences between the TZ10 and WB600 (and clear up what I believe to be 'comparison' inaccuracies I've read in other reviews), so I invite you to check my in-depth Amazon review of the TZ10 so you can confirm that unless mentioned in this review, you can be fairly confident that what I comment on about the TZ10 is also valid for the WB600.... :

It can bee seen at the following Amazon link (or via my Amazon Profile) and is dated 27 Mar 2011 : Panasonic Lumix TZ10 Digital Camera - Black (12.1MP, 12x Optical Zoom) 3.0 inch LCD

To get to the crux of my absolute justification for also buying a WB600, it is that it is not 'afflicted' with the deficiency I believe the TZ10 has in its otherwise excellent video capability/performance (ie the screen going to-black/blank for too long before recording starts) PLUS the Samsung has slightly more zoom lens range. Therefore, as I think the video quality will do me fine, when required I plan to use the WB600 as a substitute for a compact yet HD-capable digital 'camcorder' (due to the better zoom range) and use the TZ10 for stills (because it has one significant capability missing on the Samsung, more on this later, + GPS). The relatively low-cost of my WB600 makes that option viable, but if only one camera can go with me it would be the TZ10 as it is better all-round. I know the HD video spec is not absolutely the same on these cameras as high-end camcorders, but what I can get out of the TZ10/WB600 easily satisfies my tastes at a huge cost size/benefit !

So, to the comparison/differences :

Both have optically-stabilized zoom lenses with an enormous maximum and minimum range, BUT the WB600 is 15x (24-360mm) whereas the TZ10 is 'only' 12x (25-300mm).
Although different formats, the quality of the HD video footage from both is the same ie astonishingly good. HOWEVER, I think that the WB600 'MP4' format is more likely to be supported by computer programs etc. MORE SIGNIFICANTLY, the difference in filesize for identical video clips is significant: the WB600 comes in at around 75% the filesize of the TZ10 ie if nothing else, more video will fit on your SD card !
Both offer unrestricted access to the zoom range whilst taking video.
The screen of the WB600 goes blank for a micro-second before re-showing what you are recording as opposed to the longer, rather frustrating, 'wait' imposed by the TZ10.
Both take equal-quality still images. As well as video, I took as-identical photos as possible. I was initially duped into thinking the WB600 was going to be inferior as the camera screen appearance of photos was worse (the colours were MUCH less 'rich' and vibrant), but once downloaded to PC the quality of the photos between the two was inseparable to my eye. After some tweaking I believe that initial hint of a difference was that the brightness of the WB600 LCD was too high, after reducing it the on-camera difference was far less obvious....
Both have Program, shutter and aperture priority program modes - plus the usual array of custom/'scene' modes. HOWEVER, and this is a biggy, the TZ10 has a massively useful and highly-capable 'Panorama Assist' mode, which allows you to take adjacent photos to form a seamless wide-angle photo later on, automatically, using the supplied software; the WB600 HAS NO SUCH CAPABILITY....
Both have big, clear operating screens.

Secondary points:

Both have a handy placement of the dedicated video record button.
Both have a handy quick-menu button, BUT the TZ10 has a better provision of other dedicated selection buttons on the back. This means with the WB600 you have to go via the main menu then select/scroll to/function from there, which is more fussy and also takes more time.
Both are small, well-built, sturdy and fairly lightweight. However, the TZ10 definitely feels more robust as the case is predominantly made of metal, whereas the WB600 is mostly plastic; it remains to be seen if that advantage makes any real difference in the long run...
That longer zoom range of the WB600 lens is also easier to set and adjust. You can achieve a more accurate desired zoom-setting than the TZ10, which tends to 'jump' further to another setting when the zoom switch is flicked and it is also more 'laggy'...
The WB600 requires you to recharge the battery in-situ, whereas the TZ10 comes with a separate battery charger (which I prefer); I've already bought such an item for my WB600.
Both have HDMI connections, but they are different and Samsung INCORRECTLY state the WB600 socket is a 'Type C' when it is actually a 'Type D'. See my reply to a comment posted by someone to this review and Image 30, added to the photos on the Amazon item page which explain it all (hopefully !).

and, for me, that's it really.

There are some other minor differences but for the most part I think I've covered the biggies/significant ones. HOWEVER, aside from my opinion that video/image quality is the same I need to correct what I think are misleading statements I've read elsewhere about the comparable sizes of the two cameras. I've added some photos of the cameras side-by-side so you can not only see them 'in the flesh' and see some of the appearance/design aspects I've mentioned, BUT most importantly observe that they are, give or take a millimetre or 2, the overall same size ! Yes, the body of the WB600 is a tiny bit thicker but the lens, when closed, of the TZ10 sticks out more so they have the same dimensions as far as I'm concerned - the camera doesn't lie ! In terms of weight, with strap/battery the WB600 is 220g and the TZ10 210g.

Remember that the TZ10 has GPS and if you prefer aspects of the WB600, that the GPS-equipped WB650 utilizes it in a VERY different which, if you read reviews, apparently makes it cumbersome, awkward to install (eg the database is not built-in like on the TZ10) and overall far less integrated and easy to use as the TZ10.

Also, it's pertinent to note that I can't say whether the newer models from both Panasonic and Samsung which replace these ones correct/improve on the comparison points I've raised - I'm happy with what I've got !

I hope all the above is of use for either making a decision or helping with choosing any similar-equipped compact digital camera in general.

My last camera was a samsung but this one has knocked spots off it.I find this a very impressive camera, one of the features is that when you view your photo's in slide show mode, you can have music and diferent ways to view them which is cool.Also you can get very close to a object and the results are sharp and clear.There are still alot for me to do with the camera,so all I can say is it's a nice camera to purchase.

I got this camera for a family holiday and i can say i made a great choice. It has a great zoom range and the picture quality is excellent and it also does HD video as well. All in all a great camera.

Overall I'm very pleased with this camera & it was delivered 'amazon style', sooner than I expected.My only gripe is that I would have liked a paper manual,not just a disc.

I spent many hours looking for a camera with all the features this one has.
Mainly a long zoom, 12 mps, 3" display, stabaliser etc. in a compact size.
Plus- I must mention, dealing with Amazon, the service you get, is second to none.
I ordered it late on a Friday night, expecting delivery the next Wednesday or maybe Tuesday
but the Postman was at the door at 8am on the Monday morning. Fantastic as I was going on holiday later that week, tried it out and I am very pleased with it.
I would certainly recommend this camera.

i already have a fuji f10 and panasonic fz7 and wanted a compact camera with wide angle and big zoom.

the wb600 seemed to fit the bill and i chose it over its competitors the panasonic tz8 and canon sx210.

i dont like the panasonic videos and the canon flash always pops up regardless.

the wb600 almost immediately developed a fault but i had seen enough to like it.

on friday afternoon i reported the problem on the amazon website and requested replacement.

on sataurday morning it arrived!! the faulty one will be collected on wednesday, i chose the date on the website.

amazing amazon service, no problems, didnt have to speak to anyone.

if i'd gone to currys or comet for example, they would almost certainly have fobbed me off with the usual manufacturers guarantee story.

i took some test shots comparing with my panasonic fz7.

the samsung is good on movie clips, the panasonic has dreadful shimmering on panning shots. used microsoft media player classic home cinema for both - quicktime is poor.

on stills both cameras about equal on normal shots, on full zoom the panasonic is clearly better , possibly because its a bigger and heavier camera (13oz against 8oz - gross) and may therefore have room for a better lens.

whether the panasonic tz8 is better on full zoom i dont know but it still uses motion jpeg for movies against mp4/h.264 with the samsung.

so far this camera will do for me, the ultimate will be the same compact big zoom range but with an electronic viewfinder also , the fz7's is excellent.

UPDATE 18 aug 2010
------------------

which? magazine now have a review of the wb650 - the same camera with GPS and an
AMOLED screen.

the review is good - score is 69% . this compares with the panasonic tz8 score of 74% - its not clear why its better.

i have also compared the wb600 with a panasonic tz5 - which still has very poor movies , the stills are very similar.

I spent ages looking at the reviews for this camera and was torn as there is a great deal of mixed reviews out there. However i decided to listen to the good ones, and im so glad I did.

The camera is extremely easy to use and takes very little time to get used to all of the features the w600 has to offer. The zoom is incredible, i was not expecting it to be this good. the images remain crisp even when zoom is at its max.

the camera produces extremely clear and detailed photos. Im not a professional but this camera gives you shots that are of a high standard that you will want to show off.

I did read some reviews that the sound cut out when zooming, but this is fixed in a click, well four to be exact. All you have to do is select menu whilst on video then scroll to sound then along to un mute. Problem Solved :)

Image Quality 5
Zoom Quality 5
Build 5
Ease of use 4
Battery Life 5