Let me state at the outset this is actually a "Three Star" camera. I'm giving it a bonus because of a discovery as yet unmentioned anywhere--the front of the lens is threaded to accept 43mm filters. Seeing and holding the NV7, one gets the impression of W. C. Fields' nose grafted onto Calista Flockhart's face. The lens is much larger than the illustrations make it appear.
The two rows of buttons, arrayed below and to the right of the LCD function a bit like a linear dial, and are touch-sensitive. Too much so, in fact. The sample I tested was very twitchy, so if your thing is crystal meth this may seem quite natural to you.
Performance is reasonably responsive, but setting 2 of the image stabilizer causes the camera to emit a sound suggestive of a mosquito which has got stuck in your ear and is rather annoying. Output (I can't believe I just wrote that) is in line with other 7MP cameras. Pixel-stuffing is here and not likely to go away, so while images are sharp, noise is bountiful above settings of ISO 200. Fortunately, the stabilizer makes slow shutter speed shooting an option for low light shots of stationary subjects without having to resort to flash.
In its defense, the NV7 gets points for zoom lens range, quality feel of the all metal body, ergonomics and a feature set making the under $400 price tag a genuine bargain.
For dinosaurs like me, the operation is too "out there" to ever feel comfortable. I believe this camera is best suited for those who are more tolerant of emerging technology than I, and ideal for someone who has never owned a camera before--nothing to un-learn in order to master the operation.
I've said it elsewhere--the camera business can't rely on brand loyalty to survive, let alone prosper. There are increasing numbers who have no awareness of Pentax, Samsung's "partner" now, and "Konica-Minolta" are both relics of the past.
Samsung didn't meet my expectations with this camera. That doesn't mean they won't meet yours.

This was the perfect camera for me. I required the following:
1. Relatively Compact
2. 5x zoom or greater
3. sleek appearance
4. lots of manual controls
5. less red eye = better

Take points 1. and 2. The problem is, when you go to the compact level of cameras, you already are severely limited if you want a zoom greater than 5x. The Lumix line has a couple of entries and there is an interesting looking Nikon Coolpix S10 coming out. The reason I opted for the NV7 before the S10 ever got reviewed is simple: I looked at the S10 lens and flash and had visions of demon red eyes in many of my pictures. With the samsung, this simply is not so. The flash pops up fairly far away from the lens and in my test shots I had no problems with red eye (although in-camera software supposedly auto adjusts as well). Here are my opinions of the camera:

1.Touch-sensitive buttons - I LOVE this interface. It was intuitive enough that I was adjusting all sorts of settings on the fly after only about an hour of use. I like it FAR more than my Sony DSC-F717 in this area.

2. Appearance - I think this thing looks and feels totally sexy, but hey some people like silver-colored electric razor looking electronics (if canon and sony have their way, our cameras, cell phones, and shavers will all look the same pretty soon).

3. Image Quality - Well, it's worse than my DSC-F717 but that's not surprising. I did notice noise in a lot of my pictures but nothing worse than what I inferred from reviews of cameras like the ultrazoom compact Lumix (model number escapes me). The colors are well saturated and accurate even using auto white balance. I had some problems focusing using autofocus in low light environments. Fortunately you can manually focus in these situations (point 4. of my requirements for a camera)

4. Zoom - yep, it's 7x and works great

5. Picture stablization - The OPS settings worked very well for me. I tried to shake the camera pretty violently while taking pictures of documents and I was still able to read the text very clearly with basically no blur whatsoever.

6. OPS buzzing sound - It was interesting to see that the prior reviewer mentioned a buzzing sound at OPS 2. I noticed this and assumed it was a defect. I called Samsung and to their credit got a tech rep within about 1 minute. However, he told me the buzzing sound was NOT normal and that I should return it. I returned mine to circuit city who was then out of stock, so now I have to wait for a new one that I ordered (grrrr.). So now it's up in the air whether the buzzing sound on OPS 2 is a problem or not. Hopefully other owners will shed some light on this in reviews over time.

Bottom line - I REALLY like this camera

Overall, this is a nice camera. It has a solid build quality and an intuitive interface. It's fairly small so it's easy to take with you. The 7x optical zoom at this price is also pretty nice. What's more, the style is actually pretty sexy: It looks like something futuristic out of a sci-fi movie.

All these things make me want to like this camera... but it also has a serious flaw: NOISE. I mean a lot of noise. I took about 100 photos with this camera when I first got it. The photos look fine on screen, but as soon as you blow them up to 100% size, you see a lot of noise/grain. I would say the noise level is really unacceptable. I spent hours reading the manual and looking online to figure out how to reduce it. Basically, the only thing you can do is manually set the ISO to 100 and take photos in brightly lit areas.

If you're mostly going to be sharing your photos on the Internet, this camera may be just fine for you. But if you primarly want to make prints of your photos, I would caution you against this camera.

Aside from the noise issue, the only other thing I don't like about the camera (and it might just be that I can't find the option for this), is that you can't control the flash output (e.g., dial it down a bit when necessary).

The camera has a lot of potential, but I would hold off buying one until a second version comes along that addresses the noise issue.

here's why i like it:

the user interface allows you to easily adjust all the settings, down to the color tone, on the fly. the interface buttons are touch (not press) activated.

the build is totally solid. all black metal body. only plastic i see is the lens cap and the buttons for the UI.

a tripod mount!

really small, light and thin besides the lens. but, looks good enough that you'll want to keep it out of your pocket.

picture quality is sharp.

the zoom is more then i'd ever need.

seamless integration with iPhoto.

you can adjust the iso/aperture settings like it was a film camera.

accepts 43mm lens filters!

personally, i think this camera is the yashica t-4 of 2007. one of those hidden gems.

Let me start by saying that I did a lot of research on this camera before buying. I got it before I left for a month trip to South Africa in January and I have loved it from the beginning.

There are so many features that after over a month of using it I have still been finding new things I can do. Here is what I like about it:

There are 7 "modes" which can be selected my turning the nob on the top of the camera. Each one can so a little more. Auto is for the general point and shoot, but for a little more customizability to turn it to P which allows you adjust things like the flash and focusing and all that. ASM will allow you to go into full manual mode and work the camera like an SLR. The others go through features and like Advanced Shake reduction and video (which by the way is really great quality). The best thing about these is each one retains the settings that you have changed, so if you have P set up for a quick shooting with flash and all that, ASM can be set up for cool artistic shots like keeping the shutter open or double exposure. It came in really handy in South Africa and gave me great pictures one right aver the other.

OPS: Still needs to be perfected but is a good tool to have on the camera.

The zoom. There is really nothing more that needs to be said. There is a 7x optical zoom and a 5x digital which means combined they give you 35x! Now I would never recommend using digital zoom on any camera, but when you need it its nice that its there.

The pictures. Some people have complained about the noise in the pictures. This is the case, but only in low light situations. Even then if you turn off the flash and use a tri-pod you can get awesome pictures in nearly dark conditions without the noise. Noise is there when you are taking fast pictures in dark conditions, but I have never found a digital that doesn't. Also there are issues on humid days and the pictures seem white washed, but its not that bad. Overall I have 2000 pictures form my trip and I only have to throw out a handful of them.

I also used the camera on New Years in Boston and I was very happy with it them as well.

The interface. There is nothing to be said really. It is the most intuitive and brilliant system that I could have ever designed. After 5 minutes with my NV7 I found other cameras so confusing that I couldn't use them very well. Most digital camera have complex menu systems that offer many of the same features, but if you have to take 5 minutes to set up those features, take the picture and then another 5 minutes to turn the camera back to normal what's the point.

Its Fast: Taking pictures of wildlife can be hard because they disappear so quickly. The NV7 boots up very quickly and after taking a picture is ready to take another very soon. Also there are features that let you take up to 30 shots in rapid succession, the quality is diminished but it's a nice feature to have when you need it.

Battery Life: There were days where I took 250 pictures in an afternoon. And I never had a problem with battery life. I did bring two extra batteries with me but only had to change them once in a while. It was nice not to have to worry about the batteries of my camera the whole month.

Lens: So many other digital cameras have very small lenses. Right off the bat you are limiting yourself because you are limiting the amount of light that can get to the sensor. On the NV7 there is a large lens that allows for a lot of light to reach the sensor and takes spectacular pictures.


What I don't like:

Focusing can sometimes be a little slow and you really should wait to make sure you have the green light before taking your picture. Now that I am home I have realized that some of my pictures were out of focus because I didn't wait long enough.

It seems weird but I don't like how there is a strap mount on only one side of the camera. It seems like a large enough camera that it could be a good candidate for a neck strap, but there are only mounts on one side and it came with a wrist strap. The body is the size of the camera that would use a wrist strap but the lens makes it large enough to use a neck strap.

Fitting the NV7 in your pocket is hard. The lens is a lot larger than you might think. Unlike the small Sony and Canons that fit into your pocket nicely this camera really needs to be on your wrist or around you neck.

Lack of a view finder is tough. For such a retro camera a view finder would have been nice to conserve battery life and allow me to actually see what I was taking a picture of, especially in bright light situations where the screen is washed out.

Overall I am very happy with my purchase. Everyone else on the trip was very impressed with my camera was always asking to see it you play around with it. I would say for the price you cannot pass up this camera. It is small and has the features of a full digital SLR. Sure there are some things wrong with it but nothing that would make me buy any other camera.

Little bit ok but not to much performance....sony any model better than this...don't go with name.

This camera is great! It has very sharp image quality. Only problem is that the lens are too big. It's better than my last camera Sony W100. My old camera produces very poor image quality. Schnieder lens rule and Carl Ziess lens is rubbish!

I love this camera it takes wonderful pictures, and the different settings make it an amazing camera! The only bad thing about this camera is the flash doesn't always come up right away in bad lighting. Overall this camera is really good and if you are on a budget it is not to expensive. The 7x zoom and 7.2 mp help also to make the camera wonderful!!!

Allow me to start by saying that I purchased NV7 despite being aware of its limitations/flaws. When the price got right, I decided to add it to my toolbox. Indeed, its emotion-inspiring design has a very strong pull that's only slightly diminished since I bought it.

Pros:
If you think there is room/need for camera-driven inspiration in photography, then this is it unless you are prepared to spend 5x as much;
Decent optics;
Outstanding interface system--clever and all on the screen;
Class act look and feel;
Recharges through USB, the coolest/smartest regular power charger (small and functional);
Smart and effective flash;
Text capturing preset--useful for magazines and books.

Cons (or areas for improvement of a future hit):
Sensor that doesn't do justice to the generously cut lens hence noisy images even in daylight--for some this might be the biggest flaw;
No manual control of the zoom function;
Noisy motor (for zoom and image stabilization);
When in shooting mode, the lens comes out of the barrel you see in most pictures--I assumed this would not be the case since the barrel is so protruding anyway;
The lens cap comes out too easily.


Nothing special about image stabilization, video mode, and the software package.

All in all, if its design inspires you too, get it for anything under two_hundred. And, in case the Samsung folks read this too, fix the above issues and you could price a future version of NV7 all the way up to five_hundred.

I shoot professionally; have for over 35 years. Digital has been my platform of choice since 1998, but it really didn't come into it's own, until during the 2003-2004 season.

I've shot a lot of different digital cameras; both P-N-S and DSLR; and several digital back units on medium and large format devices. So, when I say this little camera amazed me, that's no small statement.

I was quite honestly... blown away!

I'll state upfront these things I do NOT like about the camera:

1) BATTERY LIFE is ABYSMAL ... when a digital camera offers the ability to record over 500, 7.2MP images or 1h30min+ of MPEG4 video + audio, the consumer should expect a battery to match this capacity; and this is with only 1GB SD card. How much more frustrating would this be with a 2GB or 4GB card? A lot!

2) AUDIO DISRUPT on ZOOM in VIDEO MODE ... this is disturbing and aggravating. It should not be a problem, but it is.

3) NO RAW FORMAT ... why the people at Samsung did not provide this camera with RAW shooting capability is a mystery to me. If it did, I would be shooting this camera at least 40% of the time over my DSLR's. I shoot 100% of my images - on the DSLR's - in RAW. I would shoot more w/ the Samsung if it were capable of shooting in RAW.

That's it. Yes. That's it.

The Samsung NV7 is not going to win the 'eyecatcher' camera award. It's not 'cute'. And the lens does not retract into the body providing the slick, credit card in the pocket fit most of today's budding digital consumers have been led to believe is good. It may look nice, but not if you're looking for quality photography.

The glass lens - yes, real glass - used is a very high quality lens. This is a full 90% of the quality of any image: digital or analog. So, if I can have glass over plastic - I take glass. It's heavier and bulkier, true. But the images are also worth the effort in capturing them.

I initially recommended this camera to my son. He purchased one and gave it a glowing report. Within a week we were vacationing together and I had opportunity to 'test drive it'; and I did. I was even more impressed. I ordered one for myself that evening. Within 3 days I was in full experimentation mode. I recorded over 1000 images, in nearly every conceivable condition: bright beach light to pitch black. Outside, inside, action, still. Static and dynamic backgrounds and subjects. In the full range of focus options, ISO and camera settings.

I was most impressed with it's ability to capture crisp images in low-light, hand-held conditions. Even when the subjects (little kids and animals!) were less than static! With a full range of WB, Fstop, Shutter, Focus and ISO ... many of these even in the auto-modes! ... capturing quality images was not difficult at all! And being able to read, clearly!, the large 2.5" (6.35cm) LCD screen was real joy; especially if you're like me and need a 'skosh more size' in reading the data!

Because it does not allow interchangeable lens use, I will not be going to this camera all the time. But I have found a very useful niche for it. With this one camera + a digital audio recorder, I can record an hour long interview, post produce and have it online in less than 20 minutes. All from a tool chest that cost less than $500! And I can still get publication grade JPEG stills, too.

I've read the other comments mentioning the image noise and the motor noise. Well, I've seen as much image noise in cameras costing 10X this one and as for motor noise.. those cameras (from 4 different manufacturers, BTW) make this camera's 'motor noise' sound like a gnat squeak! So, it's not really an issue. In all the variations in which I captured images in those 1000 shots, there would have been plenty of opportunity to see and hear - key word here - UNACCEPTABLE ... noise.

When you shoot at 400 ISO there is noise; that is to be expected. When you shoot with a camera that weighs in at less than 6 oz., it won't have the 'stability' of a larger camera. But most of them don't have image stabilization either. I did not find any unexpected or more than usual - or again - key word here - UNACCEPTABLE ... problems.

I would recommend this camera for anyone serious about taking excellent photos. I will also say, it's a very good teaching tool for anyone wanting to learn to take professional photos. If this camera recorded in RAW file format, I'd recommend it as a professional camera. However, in the hands of an experienced photographer, this camera will do a very fine job of fulfilling professional needs within its boundaries.

I do not list the CCD sensor as a problem, for the CCD is superior in quality capture to the CMOS sensor; when capturing static to limited dynamics subjects: still life, scenics, limited motion. But the CCD will not capture action shots as well as the CMOS sensor.

A common problem that plagues many in the 'family fun shots' category; missed batting swings, balls hit or caught, kicks made or passes caught, hoops made or great plays, facial expressions ... you name the action wanted in photographs ... that is simply missed by most photographers using the Point-N-Shoot CCD sensor cameras. The Samsung NV7 is a CCD, Point-N-Shoot camera. It has this weakness. But, knowing this and with a bit of practice, many of those lost images can be captured; and captured very well.

So, for $160 this is more camera than anyone on earth could have had 3 years ago ... at any price! This only serves to excite me about what we will have in the next 5 years. And I already know a lot of what is coming!

Enjoy. This camera is not only good, It's fun, too! At this price ... it's a LOT OF FUN!!


Samsung NV7 7.2MP Digital Camera with 7x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom

I am not a photographer or a tech geek. This is my second digital camera and compared to my 1st digital cam this is the best ever. The tech geeks at work all loved it as well.