Samsung unveils new ST550 and ST500 digital cameras

Samsung Electronics, the global leader in consumer electronics and advanced technology solutions, unveiled the ST550 and ST500 dual LCD digital cameras at an exclusive launch at Hive Lounge Bar in Souk Al Bahar yesterday.

With one LCD on the front of the camera, and a second one on the back of the camera, Samsung now gives consumers the ability to truly step out from behind the camera and put themselves in the picture.

Twice the fun as any other compact digital camera, Samsung's innovative ST550 and ST500 both feature a 1.5" LCD located on the front of the camera allowing consumers to take first-rate photos whether they are behind the camera or in front of it.

Samsung's new ST550 also features a 3.5" wide touch-screen back LCD. At 1,152K resolution, the ST550's LCD delivers almost four times more resolution than traditional cameras and also comes complete with haptic vibration feedback for ease of use. A 12.2 mega-pixel CCD and 27mm wide-angle Schneider-KREUZNACH lens with 4.6x optical zoom gives a wider shooting range from a shorter distance producing clear, clean images with balanced resolution from the center of the image to the edges.

"We've listened to what consumers want and need, particuarly in the social networking field, and I expect these latest products to surpass even the highest expectations of today's budding photographer, guaranteeing fun and excitement to the user," said Ram Modak, General Manager, Digital Media Business, Samsung Gulf Electronics.

"It has become more common for the photographer to switch roles and become the subject of his or her photo, especially given the rise in popularity of self-portraits or profile pictures for use with today's popular social networking sites. The Dual LCD on the ST550 and ST500 allows consumers to become part of the picture in a way that they simply were unable to do so before. These cameras will be must-haves for those individuals that use popular social networking websites and for families that want to get everyone, including the photographer, in the picture."

Showcasing further innovations, Samsung's Smart Gesture User Interface (UI) with built-in Gravity sensor means that once the camera is on, a simple tap on the front LCD turns it on and the camera is automatically set into self portrait mode with smile detection.

This means if users want to take a self portrait, they only need to tap and smile and the picture will be taken automatically, without pressing the shutter button. Teamed with innovative Samsung technologies such as Smile Shot, Smart Face Recognition and Smart Auto, users are given the ability to take the perfect image with ease.

Samsung's innovative Smart Face Recognition technology will memorise up to 20 faces and adjust the focus and exposure to the most high-ranked faces on the camera. It allows users to sort images by registered faces and scroll through to find images of people in their Smart Album instead of viewing every single photo.

Alongside professional-grade photos, the ST550 and ST500 record 720p HD video at 30 frames-per-second in H.264 format, providing twice as much recording capacity as MPEG4 format, and four times more than using MJPEG format, all in the palm of your hand. HDMI connectivity means that your HD videos can be enjoyed on any HDTV or HD Monitor.