Samsung has been making some great value for money models. Like the S6 the lowest priced model in this comparison (its previous iteration, the S850 was the winner in our previous compact camera comparison). But that does not mean it is low on features.
Features:
- It is the only camera that has the ability to use optical zoom during video recording.
- The self timer’s ‘double’ mode, in which two images are shot instead of one, is another example of a usable feature included at a budget price point.
- The 8.1MP image resolution is standard these days and so is the modest 3x optical zoom.
But the lens’ 38mm equivalent focal length at wide angle can make indoor shooting difficult.
The ISO range is from 80 — 1000, which might seem lesser than other models.
When you consider that ISO 1600 is hardly used, the ISO I000 capability on the S860 ceases to appear like a serious constriction.
The Samsung S860 fared well in indoor shots. But the disappointment was in the resolution chart where it was not able to distinguish clearly between individual fine lines. Outdoor shots were better though, with the scene looking very vivid. A little too vivid, in fact. One trait we noticed with the S860 is the higher color saturation. Purists won’t like this as it deviates from how the actual scene looks, but it makes for a more ‘contrasty’ photo. Like we observed with other Sam- sung cameras, the company has gone for aggressive noise reduction, which takes details away along with noise. Images at 800 ISO look very washed out — almost as if some effects filter has been applied to the image with editing software. We wish Samsung had gone a bit easy on noise reduction.
Subscribe form