Samsung D600 camera review: A place at the top

Beside all its extras, the successor of the famous Samsung D500 can also pride itself on having a 2 megapixel camera. And what are its pros and cons? The answer is to be found in this review. It features many sample photos, 3 sample video records as well as a comparison with two rivals - Nokia N90 and Sony Ericsson W800.

The actual phone used in this review is Samsung D600E - it is the same as Samsung D600, but it supports EDGE and it is tri-band, not quad-band. The cameras in D600 and D600E are absolutely the same.

As you all can see, photo-mobile phones are no longer a fashion craze. Step by step, they have grown into high quality devices, which are slowly, but surely getting into our daily practical life. Currently, the market with mobile devices is offering a lot of 1 megapixel camera phones, which manage to substitute any cheap compact digital camera, made to solely take the so called moment snapshots. Sony Ericsson and Nokia have also released a few mobile phones equipped with a camera of 2 megapixel resolution and auto focus.

Entering the photo mobile hall of fame

Sony Ericsson K750i (W800i, D750i) and Nokia N90 will soon have to share their company with another representative of the top-class photo mobiles equipped with a sensor with 2 megapixels resolution - the new elegant black Samsung D600, which comes to replace the successful D500 model. Just like its forerunner, it will be offered in an "E-version" with EDGE - the one we were given the chance to thoroughly test.

Let us first shortly describe the phone. I dare foretell that this attractive black slider will surely attract the majority of phone fans. It looks extremely elegant and luxurious. Its high quality construction and comfortable keypad make the overall impression even better. Samsung D600E's size is 96 × 47 × 22 mm. It weighs 99 g.

Samsung D600E

The phone is equipped with a brilliant active display of a 240 × 320 pixels resolution able to show 262K colors. It also has an exceptionally high-quality stereophonic speakers, a TransFlash memory card slot, 75 MB built-in memory, Bluetooth and finally, the most significant option for this review - a 2 megapixel camera.

In terms of function possibilities, the phone should satisfy even the most pretentious users. It offers a big phonebook, an organizer with synchronization options, a MP3 player and videos in MP4 format, an email client as well as details like java games or WAP browser. And that is not all; the D600E model supports EDGE data transfers, so you can use it as a fast modem as well.

A few interesting details

Camera's equipment

Camera lens in D600 is situated on the backside of the device. Unlike the one of its forerunner Samsung D500, however, it is not situated on the backside of the front sliding part, and thus does not remain hidden, when the phone is closed. A bulky silver frame partly protects it from scratches. The lens is accompanied by a tiny mirror that facilitates taking self-portraits and the flash diode.

On one of the sides of the phone there is a special button, which opens the camera application and activates the shutter release function. You will have to use your thumb to control it for the phone is not designed to take pictures when held horizontally. The photo application menus are displayed vertically. The same holds true for ready pictures, which do not snap over, but remain as if turned upside down, "in the vertical".

 
Camera with flash diode and mirror • shutter release button is mounted on the right sideway of the phone

Even though a horizontal hold with both hands would have been handy, the vertical way also seems to be fine. The only problem lies in the location of the lens, which is ideal resting place for one's pointing finger, so pay attention not to cover the lens. The shutter release is activated by the confirming central key or by the already mentioned side button.

Unfortunately, the phone is not equipped with auto focus lens. Its focal distance is steadily fixed, just like it is in the common photo mobiles. This results in slightly out of focus photos when shooting from a close distance.