Samsung ST80

If you really need to e-mail or upload photos to Facebook right from your camera, the compact Samsung ST80 might be a good fit for you. But at $250, and despite sharp images, the lack of image stabilization is a big negative.

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One of the smaller compact cameras you can buy, the ST80 is comparable to the tiny Canon PowerShot HS 300 ($249.99, 4 stars). Measuring 2.2 by 3.6 by 0.7 inches (HWD) and weighing only 4.3 ounces, this camera fits easily in your pocket, but its all-plastic construction makes it feels flimsy.

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Most of the camera's functions are controlled by the touch screen on the back, and you'll have no problem figuring out what each physical control does; there are only three: Power and Playback buttons, and a zoom trigger. 

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The ST80 doesn't use any mechanical image stabiliation, and without it, you'll have to use a faster shutter or higher ISO setting to get good results when shooting in low-light settings. 

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The ST80 offers 3x optical zoom via a f/3-f/5.6, 35-105mm (35mm equivalent) lens. It's not a particularly wide-angled, long-reaching, or fast lens for any class of camera. 

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In our tests, the ST80's photos were very sharp; the camera offered an excellent center-weighted average of 2,053 lines per picture height. 

Port

The ST80 has one port. Using the included proprietary cable you can plug the camera into the included wall charger or a USB port on a computer to transfer your images. Many other compact cameras offer distinct mini-USB and mini-HDMI ports. 

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If you really need a way to send or upload photos to Facebook right from your camera, the Samsung ST80 might be a good fit for you. But the lack of image stabilization is a big negative in a $250 camera.

One of the features that truly sets this camera apart is its ability to e-mail and upload photos wirelessly.

The camera has an address book so you can enter and store contacts. The feature is simple to use, but you can only send one photo at a time, and you can't send files in their full resolution; instead they're sent as 1.9-megapixel files (1600 by 1200 resolution).  

You can also upload images to Picasa, Facebook, PhotoBucket, and Samsung Imaging  

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The Facebook experience works well with photos—you can login, create an album and upload multiple images to that album, and you can even browse all of your Facebook albums (not just the ones uploaded from the ST80). 

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The ST80 can also be used as a DLNA media server; when connected to a Wi-Fi network, devices that can act as DLNA clients (Sony's PlayStation 3, and some HDTVs and Blu-ray players)can view pictures and videos from ST80 wirelessly, or even download the files directly to local storage. 

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If you don't want to wait and want a simpler wireless solution, consider an Eye-Fi card, an SD card with built-in Wi-Fi that can automatically backup your pictures when on your home Wi-Fi network.
Price Range $165.29 - $199.99

Spec Data

Type Compact

Megapixels 14.2 MP

Media Format Secure Digital, microSD

Battery Type Supported Lithium Ion

35-mm Equivalent (Wide) 35

35-mm Equivalent (Telephoto) 105

Optical Zoom 3 x

LCD size 3 inches

LCD dots 240000

Wireless Connectivity Yes

LCD Aspect Ratio 4:3

HD Video Capture Yes

USB Port Proprietary

HDMI Port Proprietary

Boot time 3.1 seconds

Recycle time 3.8 seconds

Shutter Lag 0.5 seconds

Lines Per Picture Height 2053

Benchmarks

Shutter Lag	0.5
Recycle time	3.8

Boot time	3.1
Lines Per Picture Height	2053

Posted in: Camera