Tech Blog

[#1]

The Samsung PL100 2View is like two cameras in one: on the one hand it's a serviceable pocket digital camera that will take great pictures in everyday situations, and on the other hand it's a camera with some special features that make it the right choice when it comes to getting some really cool pictures.

At first glance the PL100 2View seems almost boring; it's got the usual list of features that you'll find in most digital cameras.

• 3x optical zoom
• 12 megapixel sensor
• smart auto-focus
• movie mode
• lithium ion battery

Nothing special right? Don't get me wrong, it takes good pictures, it starts up fast, it records to SD cards. It's a good camera. Where it really comes to life, however, is when you hit the F.LCD button on the top of the camera.

A second LCD will instantly come to life on the front of the camera. If you didn't see if the first time, don't be embarrassed, Samsung has done a great job of integrating the display into the body of the camera so it's virtually stealth when not in use. When you hit that button, however, the display fires up and you can see exactly what your camera is capturing when you hit the button. Take a few moments and think about all the cool possibilities.

• you'll get the "held-out-at-arms-length-friend-shot" right every time, as you can see when you and your friends are in the frame.
• you'll get the perfect MySpace angle when you're taking self-portraits. Not that any of us need such techniques... just sayin'.
• you'll get better portraits of pets and kids by getting their attention. Tap the F.LCD button to get through to a mode that will entertain small children and babies - and hopefully make them smile!

After playing with the PL100 2View for a few weeks I can conclude that the front LCD is more than a gimmick, it absolutely is a reason to buy the camera if you take these kinds of shots. Flip through your Facebook or Flickr photos and see... if you've ever had to take multiple shots to get just the right image in cases like this, the PL100 2View should be your next camera.