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Samsung MultiView MV800 Digital Compact Camera Review

Daniel Bell reviews the Samsung MultiView MV800 a compact camera with a large touch screen that swivels over the top of the camera.

Features
Handling
Performance
Verdict
Specification

Highres Samsungmv800lensextended 1319191646Samsung MultiView MV800 Lens Extended

The Samsung MultiView MV800 is a new compact camera with a large touch screen that swivels over the top of the camera and has a rear shutter button giving you the ability to take self portraits and other shots from creative angles. The MV800 is available in black, with red and white versions coming soon, for £199.00.

Highres Samsungmv800screenup 1319191776Samsung MultiView MV800 Screen Up

Samsung MultiView MV800 Features

Making the MV800 stand out is the MultiView flip-out 3 inch touch screen which makes it possible to shoot from all angles and take perfectly framed self-portraits. The touch screen is used to operate the camera and it can also be used as a kickstand to prop up the camera. Despite the MultiView screen the MV800 is packed into a very small body. You can even personalise the screen with your own choice of wallpaper.

The camera has a 16.1 megapixel sensor and a 5x optical zoom lens, which is a 35mm equivalent of 26 - 130mm. Videos are recorded in 720p HD with Zoom Noise Reduction and the camera takes MicroSD cards.

The MV800 is packed with some unusual features to take interesting pictures. Picture in Picture Shot does exactly as it says, you take one picture, then take another to fit in that picture. Funny Face feature means you can bend, stretch and warp portrait pictures of your friends and family. Face Tracking will also ensure the distorted face remains the same even if you move the camera.

Other features include Live Panorama, Magic Frame, Pose Guide, 3D Photo, Intelligent Portrait and Smart Filter 3.0 which includes miniature, vignetting, soft focus, old film, half tone dot, sketch, fish-eye, classic, retro, oil painting, ink painting, cartoon, cross filter and zooming shot. Photo Editor lets you rotate images, add effects, and crop out distracting elements in the background — all on the display. The Beauty Shot allows you to edit out facial imperfections.

Highres Samsungmv800top 1319192621Samsung MultiView MV800 Top

Key Features

  • MultiView 3 inch touchscreen
  • Slim design
  • 16 megapixel sensor
  • 5x optical zoom (35mm equiv: 26 - 130mm)
  • Smart Touch 3.0
  • 720p HD movie recording
  • Picture in picture
  • Live Panorama
  • Funny Face mode
  • Magic Frame
  • Smart Filter 3.0
  • 3D photo mode
  • Pose Guide
  • Photo Editor
  • Storyboard Maker
  • HD Movie with Zoom Noise Reduction
  • Intelligent Portrait

Highres Samsungmv800screenangled 1319191737Samsung MultiView MV800 Screen Angled

Samsung MultiView MV800 Handling

With the screen kept in the usual position the camera feels small and easy to grip. The screen moves easily through its 180° range although it would be even better if it could rotate on it's joint as well. When the screen is completely up it hinders access to the power button and shutter release. There is a button on the back of the camera which allows the use of the shutter, but you need to switch the camera on first.

Other buttons on the camera are the home and playback buttons. The rest of the controls are via the 3 inch touch screen. It is bright and colourful with a well laid out, logical menu system. The screen is generally responsive although it is sometimes slow when scrolling through the menus.

The MV800 is ready to take pictures in around 2 - 3 seconds of switching on and is quick at focusing. In continuous shooting mode during testing it managed full sized images at 0.6fps, with Motion Capture mode capture VGA images at 6.5 fps.

Highres Samsungmv800battery 1319190686Samsung MultiView MV800 Battery

Samsung MultiView MV800 Performance

When you view the images at full size you can see that they are sharp with good detail in the centre but they become quite blurred in the corners. Typically with Samsung compacts, colour reproduction is excellent. The lens has a minimum focus distance of 5cm, allowing a decent macro image to be taken.

Samsung MultiView MV800 Lens test images

At ISO 80 and ISO 100 there isn't any noise in the images with only a hint appearing at ISO 200. Noise really kicks in at ISO 400, causing the images to become softer. Noise again worsens at ISO 800 and images produced at ISO 1600 and ISO 3200 have a level of noise where the images are best resized for use on the web.

Samsung MultiView MV800 ISO test images

 

Value For Money

 
The Samsung MultiView MV800 is currently priced at £199.00. Although there are a number of cameras with swivel screens, but it is unknown on a compact as small as the MV800. There are plenty of cameras with a similar specification other than the MultiView screen available at varying prices such as the Olympus VG-130 at £68.00, Pentax Optio S1 at £78.00, Nikon Coolpix S3100 at £79.00, Fujifilm FinePix Z90 at £89.95, Canon Powershot A3200 IS at £109.00, Samsung SH100 at £144.00 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX70 at £148.99.

Samsung MultiView MV800 Verdict

 
We have reviewed a number of Samsung's latest compact digital cameras and where they all score well is performance, the MV800 is no different. Although the images are soft in the corners, they do have plenty of detail and excellent colour reproduction. It is fair to say at £199.00 it is quite expensive but with the unique MultiView screen it stands out from the crowd and is likely to be a popular choice for buyers with a slightly higher budget.
 
The Samsung MultiView MV800 is unique and performs well.
 
View Full Product Details
 
Samsung MultiView MV800 Digital Compact Camera Review
Wide-angle | 1/350 sec | f/3.3 | 4.9 mm | ISO 100 | high res
Samsung MultiView MV800 Digital Compact Camera Review
Full optical zoom | 1/250 sec | f/5.9 | 24.5 mm | ISO 100 | high res
Samsung MultiView MV800 Digital Compact Camera Review
Digital zoom | 1/250 sec | f/5.9 | 24.5 mm | ISO 100 | high res
Samsung MultiView MV800 Digital Compact Camera Review
Macro | 1/125 sec | f/3.3 | 4.9 mm | ISO 100 | high res
Samsung MultiView MV800 Digital Compact Camera Review
ISO 80 | 1/6 sec | f/5.1 | 19.6 mm | high res
Samsung MultiView MV800 Digital Compact Camera Review
ISO 100 | 1/6 sec | f/5.1 | 19.6 mm | high res
Samsung MultiView MV800 Digital Compact Camera Review
ISO 200 | 1/10 sec | f/5.1 | 19.6 mm | high res
Samsung MultiView MV800 Digital Compact Camera Review
ISO 400 | 1/20 sec | f/5.1 | 19.6 mm | high res
Samsung MultiView MV800 Digital Compact Camera Review
ISO 800 | 1/45 sec | f/5.1 | 19.6 mm | high res
Samsung MultiView MV800 Digital Compact Camera Review
ISO 1600 | 1/90 sec | f/5.1 | 19.6 mm | high res
Samsung MultiView MV800 Digital Compact Camera Review
ISO 3200 | 1/180 sec | f/5.1 | 19.6 mm | high res
Samsung MultiView MV800 Digital Compact Camera Review
Landscape | 1/500 sec | f/4.7 | 9.3 mm | ISO 80 | high res
Samsung MultiView MV800 Digital Compact Camera Review
Landscape with building | 1/180 sec | f/9.4 | 4.9 mm | ISO 80 | high res
Samsung MultiView MV800 Digital Compact Camera Review
Portrait | 1/45 sec | f/5.2 | 11.2 mm | ISO 80 | high res
Samsung MultiView MV800 Digital Compact Camera Review
Vignetting | 1/250 sec | f/3.8 | 6.6 mm | ISO 80 | high res
Samsung MultiView MV800 Digital Compact Camera Review
Background defocus | 1/250 sec | f/3.3 | 4.9 mm | ISO 80 | high res
Samsung MultiView MV800 Digital Compact Camera Review
Backlighting | 1/500 sec | f/3.3 | 4.9 mm | ISO 100 | high res
Samsung MultiView MV800 Digital Compact Camera Review
Zooming shot | 1/750 sec | f/4.2 | 7.8 mm | ISO 80 | high res
Samsung MultiView MV800 Digital Compact Camera Review
AWB preset - incandescent lighting | 1/10 sec | f/4.2 | 7.8 mm | ISO 100 | high res
Samsung MultiView MV800 Digital Compact Camera Review
Incandescent preset - incandescent lighting | 1/10 sec | f/4.2 | 7.8 mm | ISO 100 | high res
Samsung MultiView MV800 Digital Compact Camera Review
AWB preset - fluorescent lighting | 0.3 sec | f/4.2 | 7.8 mm | ISO 100 | high res
Samsung MultiView MV800 Digital Compact Camera Review
Fluorescent preset - fluorescent lighting | 0.3 sec | f/4.2 | 7.8 mm | ISO 100 | high res
Samsung MultiView MV800 Digital Compact Camera Review
Smart filter - vignetting | 0.5 sec | f/5.8 | 13.2 mm | ISO 80 | high res
Samsung MultiView MV800 Digital Compact Camera Review
Smart filter - soft focus | 0.3 sec | f/5.8 | 13.2 mm | ISO 80 | high res
Samsung MultiView MV800 Digital Compact Camera Review
Smart filter - old film | 0.5 sec | f/5.8 | 13.2 mm | ISO 80 | high res
Samsung MultiView MV800 Digital Compact Camera Review
Smart filter - half tone dot | 0.3 sec | f/5.8 | 13.2 mm | ISO 80 | high res
Samsung MultiView MV800 Digital Compact Camera Review
Smart filter - sketch | 0.7 sec | f/5.8 | 13.2 mm | ISO 80 | high res
Samsung MultiView MV800 Digital Compact Camera Review
Smart filter - fisheye | 0.3 sec | f/5.8 | 13.2 mm | ISO 80 | high res
Samsung MultiView MV800 Digital Compact Camera Review
Smart filter - classic | 0.3 sec | f/5.8 | 13.2 mm | ISO 80 | high res
Samsung MultiView MV800 Digital Compact Camera Review
Smart filter - retro | 0.3 sec | f/5.8 | 13.2 mm | ISO 80 | high res
Samsung MultiView MV800 Digital Compact Camera Review
Smart filter - oil painting | 0.3 sec | f/5.8 | 13.2 mm | ISO 80 | high res
Samsung MultiView MV800 Digital Compact Camera Review
Smart filter - ink painting | 0.3 sec | f/5.8 | 13.2 mm | ISO 80 | high res
Samsung MultiView MV800 Digital Compact Camera Review
Smart filter - cartoon | 0.3 sec | f/5.8 | 13.2 mm | ISO 80 | high res
Samsung MultiView MV800 Digital Compact Camera Review
Smart filter - cross filter | 0.3 sec | f/5.8 | 13.2 mm | ISO 80 | high res
Samsung MultiView MV800 Digital Compact Camera Review
Samsung MultiView MV800 Digital Compact Camera Review
Samsung MultiView MV800 Digital Compact Camera Review
Samsung MultiView MV800 Digital Compact Camera Review
Samsung MultiView MV800 Digital Compact Camera Review
Samsung MultiView MV800 Digital Compact Camera Review
Samsung MultiView MV800 Digital Compact Camera Review
Samsung MultiView MV800 Digital Compact Camera Review
Samsung MultiView MV800 Digital Compact Camera Review
Samsung MultiView MV800 Digital Compact Camera Review
Samsung MultiView MV800 Digital Compact Camera Review
Samsung MultiView MV800 Digital Compact Camera Review
Samsung MultiView MV800 Digital Compact Camera Review
Samsung MultiView MV800 Digital Compact Camera Review
Samsung MultiView MV800 Digital Compact Camera Review
Samsung MultiView MV800 Digital Compact Camera Review
Samsung MultiView MV800 Digital Compact Camera Review
Samsung MultiView MV800 Digital Compact Camera Review
Samsung MultiView MV800 Digital Compact Camera Review
Samsung MultiView MV800 Digital Compact Camera Review
Samsung MultiView MV800 Digital Compact Camera Review
Samsung MultiView MV800 Digital Compact Camera Review
Samsung MultiView MV800 Digital Compact Camera Review
Samsung MultiView MV800 Digital Compact Camera Review
Samsung MultiView MV800 Digital Compact Camera Review
Samsung MultiView MV800 Digital Compact Camera Review
Samsung MultiView MV800 Digital Compact Camera Review
Samsung MultiView MV800 Digital Compact Camera Review
Samsung MultiView MV800 Digital Compact Camera Review
Samsung MultiView MV800 Digital Compact Camera Review
Samsung MultiView MV800 Digital Compact Camera Review
Samsung MultiView MV800 Digital Compact Camera Review
Samsung MultiView MV800 Digital Compact Camera Review
Samsung MultiView MV800 Digital Compact Camera Review

Samsung MultiView MV800 Specifications

Manufacturer
Samsung
Lens
Max Aperture
f/3.3 - f/5.9
35mm equivalent
26mm - 130mm
Optical Zoom
5x
Image Sensor
Pixels
16.2Mp (Megapixels)
Pixels (W)
4608
Pixels (H)
3456
Sensor Type
CCD
Sensor Size
1/2.3 inch
Sensor Size (width)
6.16mm
Sensor Size (height)
4.62mm
Aspect Ratio
4:3
16:9
LCD Monitor
LCD Monitor
3in
Screen resolution
288,000 dots
Touch Screen
Yes
Focusing
Min Focus
5cm
Focusing modes
Autofocus
Face Detection
AF Tracking
Multi
Centre
Touch AF
Exposure Control
Shutter speeds shortest
1/2000sec
Shutter speeds longest
8sec
Bulb mode
No Data
Exp modes
Program
Metering
Centre-weighted - Average
Multi Pattern
Spot
ISO sensitivity
80 - 3200
White balance
Auto
Manual
Outdoors/Daylight
Cloudy
Incandescent
Fluorescent
Exposure Comp
+/-2
Shooting Options
Continuous shooting
No Data
Video
Movie mode
Yes
Video Resolution
1280x720 HD 720p
640x480 VGA
320x240 QVGA
Video FPS
30, 15
Stereo Sound
No
Optical Zoom with Video
Yes
Other Features
Image Stabilisation
Yes
Interface
HDMI
Yes
USB
USB 2
Wi-Fi
No
Storage
Card Type
Micro SD
Micro SDHC
File Type
JPG
Power Source
Battery Type
Rechargeable battery : BP70
Battery Life (CIPA rating)
No Data
Box Contents
Box Contents
Camera, AC adapter/ USB cable, Rechargeable battery, Strap, User Manual, Quick Start Guide
Dimensions
Weight
121g
Width
92mm
Height
56.2mm
Depth
18.3mm

Samsung MultiView MV800 Verdict

Features
Handling
Performance
Value for money
Verdict
Pros
  • MultiView screen is unique
  • Interesting range of filters
  • Excellent colour reproduction
Cons
  • Images lack detail in the corners