Samsung outs Tap and Take cameras with front LCDs
updated 10:05 am EDT, Thu August 13, 2009
Samsung Tap and Take cams
Samsung's Tap and Take teaser campaign is finally over and has revealed a pair of point and shoot cameras that add a front-facing LCD screen for helping users compose self-portraits. The 1.5-inch front LCDs adorn both the DualView TL225 and TL200, with both sporting 12.2-megapixel sensors. Instead of pressing the shutter button to capture the image, the front screens can be touched (the tap part of tap and take) to focus the camera and capture the image. Also, Samsung announced the CL65, which sports Wi-Fi connectivity and geo-tagging capabilities.
The front touchscreen on the two DualView cameras also has haptic feedback that emulates a button press with a slight shake and sound from the camera.
Otherwise, the pair of cameras has Schneider-Kreuznach lenses with 4.6x optical zoom and there is digital image stabilization functionality. The cameras can also capture 720p HD video. What seems to be the only difference between the two is the size of the rear touchscreen, with the TL225 sporting a 3-inch display while the TL220 bumps it up to 3.5 inches.
Both also have Samsung's Smart Gesture user interface with a built-in gravity sensor. When the power is on, tapping the front screen will set the camera to Self Portrait mode with smile detection. Current Samsung features that include Smile Shot, Smart Face Recognition, and Smart Auto are also present.
The CL65 has the same 12.2-megapixel image sensor but adds 5x optical zoom. It is also DLNA compatible to make it compatible with home entertainment devices, has Bluetooth 2.0 for sending images to other devices. A Wi-Fi connection allows users to e-mail photos from the camera or upload photos or videos to networking sites such as Facebook, Picasa and YouTube. The CL65 can also geo-tag photos thanks to a built-in GPS sensor.
The three cameras will launch in September, with the TL225 priced at $350, the TL220 at $300 and the CL65 at $400.
Samsung TL225
Samsung CL65
