Samsung has released an updated MultiView (MV) camera : the Samsung MV900F is a sequel to the MV800F camera that I had previously owned. The MV900F builds on the strengths of its predecessor and retains the 180 degrees swivel screen and a host of apps/effects that are easy to use. Samsung has also kept the WiFi direct feature that makes it possible to beam the photos to a nearby device: smartphone, tablet or computer.
Optically, the MV900F has an f2.5 lens with a 5X optical zoom in front of a 16.3 Megapixel BSI sensor (1/2.33″). While it performs fairly well, this camera addresses a very specific market of folks who want to snap casual photography with the option of sharing. For instance, if you own a smartphone with a good camera, you are unlikely to be attracted by this $349.99 device. However, people who are doing just fine with their regular (“dumb”) phones may like the idea of snapping some photos and sharing them from the device to Facebook or via Email.
The camera also comes with gesture controls which are used while shooting self portrait. It is possible to zoom in and trigger the photo capture by gesturing in front of the camera. It works best when the camera can see enough of your body, so a minimum distance is required. While nice, it requires a bit more work than I would like, so I would tend to keep things simple and just press a button.
Finally if you want to get creative with your photos, there is a rather large array of effects that are easy to use and most of them only require a tap or two on the big 3.31″ touch-screen WVGA AMOLED display. The most intriguing part in my opinion, is the “Specifications above may differ on the LTE version” in the picture below. Is there a 3G/4G version of this camera?
What do you think? Are you in the smartphone crowd, or do you see an actual “self-portrait” market for this product? Drop a comment below.