Samsung outs point-and-shoot with 10X zoom
updated 02:10 pm EDT, Mon September 22, 2008
Samsung HZ1 Camera
Samsung preceded Photokina with the launch of a new camera that straddles the lines between regular compacts and ultrazoom models. Currently known under the working name of the HZ1, the camera is as small as many point-and-shoots but claims a 10X zoom factor. The Korean company also combines this with a 24-240mm wide-angle lens that should still suit it to close-ups, group portraits and other difficult shots.
The camera also boasts a full-speed 720p video capture mode, optical image stabilization and newer automated photo modes such as blink and smile detection that only capture the final shot under ideal conditions.
Still a prototype, the HZ1 hasn't been given a set launch timeframe or a price. The camera maker will show its example at the Photokina show and typically releases much of its camera line in North America as well as Europe and Korea.
