Samsung PL170 review

Never miss a shooting opportunity again with this smart little compact from Samsung

Samsung has brought some interesting and unique ideas to the compact market. The PL170 came from one of them, its big feature being the front-facing screen.

With its clean, curved design and metallic finish on the lens, this compact looks stylish, and the size is just right for putting into a pocket without it feeling light or flimsy. Dominating the rear of the camera is the ample 3-inch screen with the menu dial at the top keeping buttons to a minimum. The front-facing screen is so neat you hardly notice it’s there.

The PL170 is ideal for self-portraits and can be fully controlled from the top plate, which enables you to shoot without touching the back of the camera. It also boasts several self-shot modes, like Face Detection, Burst and a Timer mode with a visual countdown for group shots. You can even play a clown animation to keep kids smiling and looking at the camera.

Starting out couldn’t be easier with the Smart Auto mode, which evaluates the shot and does the rest for you. The menu dial also gives you the option to shoot in a variety of ways starting from full Auto, but when you feel comfortable with the camera there’s a Program mode that offers much more control over your shots.

Full-resolution images look sharp and colours are vivid, even when using the full Auto setting. Creative modes like the Magic Frame will shoot inside varied preset frames, and there are fun filters like fisheye, vignetting and miniature mode present. The PL170 shoots videos at 1280 x 720 and you can watch them on your TV through HDMI.

Battery life runs to about 200 shots with some light video and flash use, but be sure to purchase a Micro SD/SDHC card as the 27MB internal memory will not last beyond a few shots. Overall, the PL170 is a fun and easy-to-use compact available at a reasonable price.