Samsung Digimax S500 5.1MP Digital Camera with 3x Optical Zoom (Silver) Reviews

• First Day with My Camera

  
  By A1JGCNJYLR2GKC on 2006-04-18
  My Samsung Digimax S500 camera arrived this morning, and I've been spending the entire day testing it out.
  
  I've never owned a good digital camera before (my previous cameras were all $20-or-less cameras of poor quality), and so far, I'm glad that I chose this camera to be my first. It has an attractive design, is easy to hold, and is easy to use.
  
  This morning, I quickly opened the box and inserted the batteries that came with it, wanting impatiently to test out the camera. I took a few pictures of myself, which came out disappointingly blurry. I realized that my arm was too unsteady when I took the picture, and after switching the camera mode from "auto" to "children," I solved my blurriness problem. (The "children" mode is meant for taking pictures of moving objects.)
  
  I spent a few minutes figuring out the controls, which weren't too difficult to get used to. The user's manual was explanative enough for me to understand any features I wasn't too sure on, such as how the different modes worked and how to get the flash working.
  
  At the highest setting (5MP with Super Fine Quality), I was only able to take about 6 pictures total. After inserting my 128MB SD memory card, however, that count increased to 46. I was tempted to insert my 1GB SD memory card, but my 128MB card is sufficient enough for my needs. Unless I wanted to store hundreds of pictures or capture nearly an hour of video, I don't need to use my 1GB card.
  
  Taking my digital camera out for a walk around the city was a fun experience. After uploading the pictures to my computer and witnessing the great quality of the pictures I had taken, I was convinced that I had bought the right camera.
  
  The LCD screen is much darker in daylight than it is indoors, and so the display fooled me into thinking some of my pictures were too dark when I took them. After viewing them on my computer, I realized that the quality of the pictures was better and brighter than what I had thought when viewing them from the LCD screen.
  
  After about 4-5 hours of usage, I noticed the battery started to get low, which means I'll need to replace the batteries soon. I recommend buying rechargeable batteries, or else you'll most likely be buying AA batteries frequently if you like taking lots of pictures.
  
  I noticed many extra features the camera has, including its special effects and its various scene modes. I haven't experimented with these features yet, because I'm comfortable with just using the "auto," "children," and "manual" modes.
  
  Since I've never owned a decent camera before, I was afraid that the controls might be too confusing, but that thankfully wasn't the case. Pressing the lightning bolt arrow next to the Menu/OK button toggles what type of flash I want, and the top 'W' and 'T' buttons let me zoom in or out to my liking. I click the button next to the "trash can" symbol to delete pictures, and I press the 'E' button if I want to use some extra effects. The controls seem pretty self-explanatory.
  
  In order to upload the camera's pictures onto my computer, I had to install the software on the CD included with the camera. The installation process didn't take very long, and the CD even comes with its own software for viewing photos (Digimax Master 1.0). I haven't used it, though, because all I need to do is plug in the camera using the included USB cable and copy the pictures from the camera onto my computer. The computer recognizes the camera as a "removable drive" (my computer recognizes my camera as the F: drive), and after opening the "DCIM" folder, I can view and upload all the pictures I've taken.
  
  I'm currently satisfied with this camera, although since I've had this camera for only a day, I can't say anything about how this camera will perform in the long run or if there are any problems that might occur after long-term usage. I can definitely say, however, that I'm satisfied with the picture quality and the camera's performance and ease of use. I'd recommend this camera to anyone who wanted to easily take and upload high quality pictures to his/her computer.
  
  It nicely fits in your pocket, has more settings than you need, and has an SD slot for you to expand its memory capabilities. I recommend buying a 128MB SD card if you're a modest photographer, or a 512MB one if you want the extra space. A 1GB might be going a little overboard, but it's nice to think of how many pictures and video you could store on it. Keep in mind, however, that flash memory will wear out over time. I don't know the actual life of an SD memory card, but I would assume that the card would start to wear out after about 60,000 read/write cycles. So flash memory may last for a long time, but don't expect your 1GB memory card to last you a lifetime.
  
  In conclusion, this is a wonderful digital camera, and I am a happy customer.
  
  

• packs a punch for the price...

  
  By A1LBI9EGUW3B5H on 2006-04-20
  I recently purchased the S500 and am a satisfied customer. It has a beautiful LCD screen, the optical zoom is top notch and even the quality of the movie mode is great by most standards. Picture quality is amazing, and it doesn't take a professional to figure it all out. Just point and click. At a price tag of $180, you can't really ask for more... the sound quality while shooting in movie mode is not the prettiest but what would you expect from a digital camera. Also, plan on buying rechargable batteries otherwise your going to make Duracell very rich. (as if thier not rich enough)...
  
  

• I love this camera!

  
  By A2RL7KZ7RHGZ2C on 2006-06-17
  I've never owned a digital camera, so it took a long time reading reviews for various cameras in this price range until I came upon this camera. Even though there were only a few reviews, it sounded like it would be a good camera for my needs. I wanted something at least 4 or 5 MP; big LCD screen; video with sound; optical zoom; lots of features. Needless to say, this fit the bill perfectly! I won a brand new one on eBay for only $125. It just arrived the other day, and I've been testing out all of the features. The night mode feature is really cool. If you use it while taking a picture of something that's moving, it has some weird effects. The different color modes are also fun (b&w, sepia, red, green, blue, negative, etc.), as are the frames. The macro feature is awesome! I don't have a steady hand, so I was afraid that I wouldn't be able to get any clear pictures in this mode. I tried it out on some flowers, and the pictures came out so beautifully! I also used the 'children' mode on my cats, and was able to capture some great pictures. Another thing that I like playing around with is the manual mode. You can do slow flash, and set it up to 8 seconds, I believe. With that setting, if you point the camera on one object (say, a person) for half of the time, and then point it on another (a background) you get a cool ghostly effect!
  
  The only negative thing I'd have to say is that it does eat up batteries really quickly, so you either have to carry a lot of extras on hand, or get rechargeable batteries.
  
  Other than that, this is a fantastic camera...especially for the price! :)
  
  

• First Rate Camera

  
  By A3EK7BBJ0HOWWN on 2006-05-28
  I purchased this camera 2 months ago, and couldn't be happier. It takes beautiful pictures, is very easy to operate, and the videos it takes are great too. Nice zoom-in features. I like the small size, and it fits in your hand quite well. I love how it doesn't eat up battery life. I bought some Energizer rechargeable (2500 mAh)batteries, and I can play with this camera almost all day and still have battery life for the next day without recharging. I took some extreme close ups of some small flowers, and the crystal clear details are amazing. It also is problem free, quick and simple when transfering your pictures to your computer. I can't think of anything negative to say about this camera. A true bargain for it's price, considering it's superb performance and features.
  
  

• Great little snapshot camera for the money

  
  By APLCMS8A6WBN9 on 2006-09-13
  Don't know what the low raters were doing with their cameras or perhaps they just got bad ones.
  
  I've been looking for a small camera that had two things! 1) 640x480 Video at 30fps & sound and 2) cheap!
  
  This camera is used mostly outside but also inside. All small digital cameras have difficulty with flash that won't reach. Outdoor photos are always great (in good sun) and indoor pictures are great as long as you remember that the little flash does not go to the far side of the cathedral! If you need that kind of photograph then buy a camera that has a connection for external flash.
  
  I'm using this camera for field work and Geocaching. I'm delighted with the quality of the photos and movies. It's not built like a Nikon but if you take care of your stuff you will probably be happy with this little camera!
  
  
• Amazing, if you know how to use it!!!
  By A3JC4U1PYHW7AG on 2006-08-21
  I got this camera a couple of weeks ago. I'm a teen, and my mom made me spend my own money for the camera and the rechargeable batteries. So I needed something affordable, but well worth my money!!!! After spending days and days of researching, with absolutely NO help from any siblings or parents, I decided to get this camera. I urge you to see the pictures other members of Amazon have uploaded, to see the great clarity you get with these pictures.
  I bought the camera with rechargeable batteries from the Sam's Club, for an approximate total of $185. Not bad at all!!!
  Of course, as soon as I got home, I (carefully) tore open the box and all of the wrappings, put in the batteries that came with the camera, loaded the memory card, and started snapping away. The pictures were amazingly clear. They were crisp and full of detail. After playing around with it, I realized that with low battery, the pictures got blurry. The flash was necessary to keep the picture from going blurry. This was annoying, but then I decided to try the "Auto" mode, and it was much better! The manual mode is also great. I could take a picture of my fan on "high", and it looks like the fan is stopped!!
  
  The frames are so much fun, as are the different colors, such as sepia, black and white, red, green, blue, and negative.
  
  All in all, this is a GREAT camera. Well-worth the money!!! It's extremely simple to use, and gets amazing pictures. The blurriness (with low battery) gets slightly annoying, but with just a few minutes of playing around with the camera, it was fixed.
  
  The one HUGE downside to this camera: I can't figure out how to get the memory chip out!! But I'm fine for now, until I upgrade to a bigger size.
  
  
  Buy this camera! It's awesome.
  
  
• Good camera.
  By A108W7TF1KIUU2 on 2006-11-19
  Good camera for the most part. I had alot of problems with it at first due to the batteries I was using, they were rechargable, but were old. Once I got some new rechargable batteries, though, it worked just fine. Don't buy this if you plan on taking alot of pictures without flash, because they almost always turn out blurry without flash, no matter how steady your hand is. When it's low on batteries, it freezes up, and you have to take the batteries out to get it to turn off. There is no sound while you zoom in while making a video, but after you're done zooming it is fine. I don't recommend using the software that comes with the product; just plug it in and wait for the Camera Wizard to appear. Has decent editing features, such as changing the color of the picture [black and white, sepia, red, green, blue, and negative], allows you to highlight certain areas of the picture you are taking, and has 9 different photo frames you can choose from. You can also resize, rotate, and do slideshows. You can also record audio without video, and also add audio to pictures. Overall, it's a pretty great camera. I recommend it if you have amazing rechargable batteries!
  
  
• Great Camera so far!
  By A1KSOQ8IVE87CQ on 2006-06-13
  I just bought this camera two days ago. I got it for $148. SO far the camera is awesome. There weren't too many reviews for it when I was researching, but I like. I have not owned a digital camera before, so I don't know what to compare it to but it is awesome. The screen is really big and clear.
  
  
• ..very first impressions
  By A6UWVE9LH6TA6 on 2006-12-06
  ..opened the box about 2 hours ago ..ordered (standard shipping, from amazon) on Fri, arrived on Tue ..you guys are great!
  ..I got this as a replacement/upgrade camera and Christmas gift for my 14-year-old godchild but, (of course) I had to check it out ..make sure it works and everything, right?
  ..ten minutes after opening the box I was uploading a picture to my online photo-sharing site ..it's that easy to use!
  ..I won't bother with technical stuff, that's covered in previous reviews and the manufacturer's notes, but here are just a few observations:
  
  1. it looks cool!
  2. it feels good in the hand: solid, with some weight to it (it's a bit small for myself, but should be great for my teen god-daughter)
  3. controls are logically placed, easy to reach and to understand (I didn't get as far as the instruction manual) and the digital display is concise, intelligible and is huge for such a small camera
  4. the zoom is located perfectly and is easy to use (I like the zoom's digital display too)
  5. the photos are large, crisp, colorful ..wonderful, actually
  6. I didn't load the software, but my computer and photo-editing software recognized the camera and I had no difficulties downloading the photos
  
  ..but, it's a gift and I (reluctantly) had to put it back in the box ..maybe if I give it to her early, she'll let me use it ..ya think?
  
  
• Disappointed
  By A1S35Y8BRUDOER on 2006-07-08
  I bought this camera Sunday, and return it Tuesday. If you get lucky, you get 1 good picture out of 10. You get good picture, if you are 4-5 yard away from the object, and zoom in. Is the object in front of you, like flowers, what ever you try, the picture aren't clear. Night shots take 5 or more seconds, in this time you have to hold the camera still. Picture from my cat, with night shot, the eyes looks pretty scary.
  My 6 ½ years old camera "Agfa ePhoto", takes better pictures, as the Samsung Digimax S500.
  
  
  
• Not worth it
  By on 2006-07-06
  I got this camera as a gift. The users guide was unclear and required lots of steps to do even the littlest thing.The pictures were blurred and fuzzy and then everytime I tried to take a picture the screen would say "No Pictures" It was crazy. So I called Samsung and this representive made me do like tons of things to it and none of it worked. He labeled it as defecteve. So I took it back to Target with the gift recipt and asked if a lot of these cameras were coming in as defective. He said yes, so then he showed me the awsome hp Photosmart M425 which was the same price and i exchanged it. The hp is great for me with no bulging battery compartment on the front unlike the samsun. The hp was easy to use with only 9 buttons and a takes crystle clear images. Dont waste your money on a horrible camera.
  
  
• Good while it lasted!
  By A2P9NCOYX248LK on 2007-03-29
  I own two of these little cameras. The first was purchased for work and I liked it so much that I purchased another one for the family. The second one I purchased (Christmas 06) has already bit the dust! Not long after that, the 1st one started having issues. I sent the 2nd one in for repair over a month ago and haven't heard a word! Not sure if it's worth sending the 1st one in or not....not mention that the support on their website is a joke and time waster!! If you buy this camera...hope you have better luck than I did! I've had a canon slr for over five years and it's never had any issues or malfunctions!!!
  
  
• Inferior Product
  By A1OOMZSW7PWNDR on 2006-06-17
  This camera is not worth anything. Every picture that I have taken with it so far has been terrible. The photos blur easily. Even with the settings tweaked to have sharp clear images, they still turn out badly. I don't think that the features like sepia tone, red, green, blue, and the other features make up for the fact that this product is inferior.
  
  
• Not perfect, but definately worth the buy.
  By on 2006-12-19
  [For what it's worth, I'm not a child, but I chose to not create an account just for the sake of this review].
  
  First, this camera is not ideal for those who want professional grade pictures. Obviously from the price and features that is implied, but even so some expect more than what they pay for.
  
  This camera is ideal, however, for those who want to take decent pictures of family, friends, and pets.
  
  For that reason this camera is great for teenagers and first-timers.
  
  The Samsung S500 is extremely easy to use, in fact I never once looked at the manual. The buttons are self explanatory, as well as the menus and options.
  
  I hate to use a cliche, but it probably was more difficult getting the camera out of the box than it is using it.
  
  My only complaint is that the nightshot can be just terrible at times. It will perform well about 50% of the time, and the videos come out almost perfect at night time, but it falls short too many times at night. This can be especially frustrating during the holidays when you don't want to miss a moment but sometimes do because your nightshot wasn't working well.
  
  Also, not so much of a complaint as much as a concern, but whenever I hook up my camera to view pictures on my TV, audio does not work. I have the video and audio cables plugged in correctly, i know it's not an issue with that. I don't know if this is an issue with everyone, but it was slightly dissapointing;however, i would not discourage anyone from buying this camera on account of that.
  
  Pros:
  -Pretty small and thin.
  -Big, bright screen. [2.4 inch]
  -Software is a breeze to install and use.
  -Very easy to manage and understand.
  -Video turns out well.
  
  Cons:
  -Some think the battery space makes the front of the camera a little bulky. This does not bother me at all, but I thought I'd put that out there.
  -Pictures sometimes come out extremely blurry without the flash on. This can be frustrating when you need a clear picture without washing the foreground out.
  -It's practically impossible to use this camera without the purchase of rechargeable batteries. Invest a good $30 or so and you'll be satisfied.
  -Something I've noticed more and more lately is the lagged playback time after you take a picture. Sure, it may be only about 5-7 extra seconds, but that can be a alot when you're in a rush.
  
  
  
• Froze 7 Times on Christmas Day
  By A3110NQDCRQEI7 on 2006-12-26
  If possible, this rating would be No Stars for unsatisfactory operation. (4.5 Stars when it did function properly) Going to exchange it at Radio Shack this morning.
  
  Camera froze up seven times during indoor shooting Christmas Day. Gift to my wife, opened at 0900. Took four pictures which looked great. Went to grandkids house at 1300. In the course of taking 48 images (no video, no sound attempted) the camera froze (locked-up) four times with the display window ON and frozen. It froze three times with the display blank. Each time the lens remained in the extended 'on' position. Pressing Power Button had no effect. Pressing any/all buttons had no effect. Opening battery door and remove/replace batteries seemed to 'reset' the camera circuits. If display had been on, but frozen, the lens would remain extended and the camera would reset in 'ON' mode. If display were blank when freeze occurred, it would 'reset' in the 'OFF' mode and lens would retract. After second seizure, fresh batteries were installed. In the course of the day, 48 images in 1.19 MB file size were taken. We are pleased with the image quality, and if the exchange camera operates properly we will be satisfaied, other-wise that one will go back for refund or exchange for another model/brand.
  
  
• excellent for the price
  By on 2007-04-03
  I'm not 13 I'm 15 but I do not have an account to comment.
  I bought this camera through amazon for my Graduation present. I have it for already a few months and its a good camera. Its easy to use, lots of different settings, a large nice screen, even makes long movies.
  Its not as small as the other more expensive cameras, but its not huge and bulky. There is a few negetive things to it:
  It uses batteries, and charging it mean you have to buy new ones. I solved this problem by buying rechargeble batteries, they last longer and you can reuse them. The battery life on this camera is not that great too. Well that might be the fault of my duracel batteries. If this camera would have better battery life then it would be five stars.
  Overall this is a great camera, with a great price. Good for teens and beginners to cameras plus is budget friendly. I got it under $120!
  
  
• Great Little Camera
  By A1E0HR126YGNIG on 2007-04-22
  I bought this camera for my 9yr old son because of the price (less than $100)and it turned out to be better than any of the canon digitals I have owned. I learned log ago to use rechargeable batteries, so I wouldn't let any posts regarding battery drain sway you from a purchase. My son has autism and gives this camera a workout. It's taken plenty of abuse and up to 500 pictures per week for the past six months. The video and lighting modes are incredible too, I get a lot more "keepers" out of this inexpensive camera than any I digital I have owned to date.
  
  
• Not bad for a cheap camera
  By A2L59HHXLD0H3C on 2006-08-05
  This is my first digital camera. All in all I would have to say it doesn't take that bad of pictures for a point and click. It has a few effects that are fun to play with but I haven't had the opportunity to play with them all. The camera does have two down sides that I've noticed so far... it eats up batteries quickly and the closeup feature does not work well enough. For photos on the go it's fine.. stock up on batteries. For me it serves my purpose for the time being, but don't even try to get artsy.
  
  
• small, but sophisticated
  By A2NPUBVUQ99K93 on 2006-11-06
  This camera may be small, but it has many nice features. It's easy to carry and is the 3rd camera that I've owned.
  
  
• good features, poor quality
  By A38XW6HBAF6ZBX on 2006-12-23
  Bought one from Amazon, which was defective upon receipt. Amazon replaced with a new unit immediately, great service. Replacement unit worked for a few weeks and then was freezing up without warning, and now does not want to restart most times. Will be returning to Amazon. Too bad, as camera is good value, large screen, easy to use, but I got stuck with 2 lemons.
  
  
• I love it
  By A3FCG5L1OQOFR6 on 2007-01-24
  I bought my camera during the Black Friday sale after Thanksgiving and I just love it--I haven't had any problems out it--It's a great little camera especially for first time users like me--Make sure to have plenty of batteries--I bought the lithium and have taken over 100 pics and the battery is still good--I would recommend this camera to anyone--
  
  
• Great little Camera
  By A13LBM70F0G8E3 on 2007-05-14
  I bought one of these for my son (black model)last Christmas. He LOVES it. Takes short video and nice pictures. Then my mother in law was taking about getting a digital camera. We suprised her by getting one (silver model) She just came back from a trip around the USA and she LOVES it! It is easy to use and takes very nice pictures. We also got her a 512mb memory card, large enough to store hundreds of pictures.
  We paid about $100 them, you can find cheap shipping on some if you look around.
  
  
• Good when it works
  By A3VFZ1QRKGCIWS on 2006-11-09
  Bought this item from [...] Very happy to see it, its finish looked good. FUnctionality looks just fine.
  However it wouldnt take my sd card. i tried other SD cards , didnt work. Says Card LOCKED. i tried same cards in other cameras, worked fine. tried same card in same model camera in target, worked fine. so defective piece.
  Returning it, but will buy the same one again. probably from amazon
  
  
• Great Camera for good price
  By on 2007-01-16
  I got this camera for christmas and it is great. I have had 3 cameras and this has been the best. The screen is big and the camera runs good. I would say that if your buying a camera and want to buy a cheep one that is great buy this one. The functions have loud sound and the camera takes great photos inside and out. Dont listen to the bad rewiews because there just lying, and they do it to all of them. Listen to this rewiew if your getting a camera.
  
  Thanks
  
  
• A great little camera!!
  By A3JO5RUQE0C4F8 on 2007-01-18
  After reading the reviews before I bought this camera, I was skeptical because there was some very negative feedback as well as mostly positive. This camera functions very well and I am very pleased with every aspect of it's performance -- especially for the price. Rechargable batteries are a must!!
  
  
• BEST CAMERA EVER!!!!!!!
  By A3F24KHP0DIX3P on 2007-02-21
  i absolutely love this camera. i got it about 3 months ago and i cnt imagine life w/o it. im 13 nd mega clumsy nd it still has not one single scratch on it. it eats up batteries but so wat? I LOVE IT BUY IT!
  
  
• Great camera
  By A38IVJK61L1GZ1 on 2007-05-13
  This is a great little point-and-shoot camera and video camera with sound!, but for the same price I could get the 630 at wal-mart, so I sold it for $100 and went and got the 630. The 630 is exactly the same size and usability but it's 6 megapixel and supports 4GB SD card so you can record lots of movies without having to exchange the card. A 256 MB SD card will hold a 3.5 minute video, so if you do the math..potentially you can take almost an hour long video at 30fps, 640X480! That's awesome and NO TAPES..you got to love that! On auto mode, it takes great pictures! Also, if you get 2700 NimH rechargeable batteries, the battery life will last for an hour long video recording as well. This camera is so small I can stick it in my front pants pocket and I've got a great still shot and movie camera wherever I go! No more lugging around a camcorder with the case and everything...very convenient!
  [...].
  
  
• Okay camera...when it works!!
  By A1N2QPX2S0D5KB on 2008-05-17
  My teenage daughter bought this camera with money she had saved. It worked well for a few months and then quit. Every time you turn it on, it will stay on for a few seconds and then beep that the batteries are dead then turn itself off. This happens every time, even when the batteries are fresh out of the package. This camera was a waste of money.
  
  
• Good camera for the money.
  By A2AYJKS3FXW2XB on 2006-12-10
  So far I am impressed. We bought this for our 10 year old grandson. he takes great pictures with it.
  Pros: very easy to use,nice features. Most cameras this price range dont have optical zoom.
  
  Cons: shutter speed a little slow and flash a little slow on recovery, but no worse than any other camera I have seen yet in this price range.
  
  
• Great little digi camera!
  By A2ISTDL79ZW7O5 on 2006-12-19
  This is my 2nd digital camera and I just got it on Saturday, today is Monday, and I love it! My 1st digi didn't have all of these cool things you can do to your pics like this one does... so I'm real impressed and for the money you spend, which is little, its well worth it! Plus the movie mode with voice recording action is way cool... having lots of fun with this camera! I'd even give as a gift. A+!
  
  

• Adobe Photoshop CS4
• Adobe Photoshop Elements 7
• Corel Photo Album 7 Deluxe
• PhotoPlus X2 Digital Studio
• Adobe Photoshop CS4 Upgrade

• SanDisk SDSDB-512-A10/A11-512 MB Secure Digital Card (Retail Package)
• Kingston 1 GB Secure Digital Flash Card ( SD/1GB ) (Retail Package)
• SanDisk SDSDB-1024-A10/11 1 GB Secure Digital Card (Retail Package)
• SanDisk 2GB SD Memory Card (SDSDB-2048, Bulk Package)
• Sony Quick Battery Charger with 4 AA Ni-MH Rechargeable Batteries