Critique : Samsung Smart Camera EX2F
As smartphones continue
To hammer the nails into the sub-$500 camera coffin, camera makers have done their best to inject some appeal into the point-and-shoot category. and the superior sensors found in more expensive fixed-lens cameras, point-and-shoot cameras have to be sold on their key strength: software.
The EX2F offers better optics than most point-and-shooters, stronger build quality, and attractive pro-level hand controls. Samsung in particular has seen some success in software gaming with its
Galaxy Camera
, a touchscreen-equipped point-and-shoot that runs Android. This particular Samsung shooter, the
EX2F Smart Camera
, takes a slightly different approach - it has many advanced software features that are making their way into the latest point-and-shoots, including some creative filters and one-touch wireless photo sharing over Wi-Fi. also better optics than most point-and-shoots, stronger build quality, and attractive pro-level hand controls. It feels less like a point-and-shoot trying to please smartphone users, than to a compact option for DSLR enthusiasts looking for a cheaper camera that allows manual shooting.
The list price for the EX2F is $400, and it can be found online for nearly $350. That's at least $200 cheaper than our currently available favorite point-and-shoot, the
Sony Cyber Shot RX100
, but still expensive territory for a camera that doesn't offer any interchangeable lens options. That's why the physical construction of the camera and the quality of the manual controls really have to rock to make the EX2F a good buy. that's especially true for people used to compact system cameras or DSLRs, a group that already quickly relies on mid-priced fixed-lens cameras because they tend to lack manual settings.
The EX2F has at least excellent controls. It offers both manual and shutter/aperture priority modes. I've used dozens of DSLRs and the EX2F's manual dials immediately felt like the comfortable in my hands, index finger and thumb sliding easily on the dials on the front and back of the camera to change aperture and shutter speed. When shooting in priority mode speed, I was pleased to see that the EX2F's optical/digital image stabilization allowed me to hold extremely steady shots at slow shutter speeds.
The 1/1.7-inch CMOS sensor is an obvious upgrade from tiny mobile device sensors and a downgrade from a DSLR, but its 12-megapixel output is enough for most amateur photographers. of battery should also be sufficient for most photographers. I started with a full charge and it lasted me a few days of shooting - maybe active shooting for 30 minutes a day. It has Ended up cracking after a long photo walk in the park. I got maybe a total of three hours of shooting on each charge. Not amazing, but not terribly bad either.
Shooting without a viewfinder can be a pain, but the EX2F's 3-inch screen didn't have much glare, and its rotational ability took the guesswork out of a few otherwise tricky shots. When I'm came across a blue heron on a bike ride in the park, I was able to get a flat, low shot with grass in the foreground without even getting off my bike.
Hardware aside, the EX2F's capture tools are decent, but not exemplary. The EX2F's "scene" modes work as advertised - "beauty" mode smooths out skin tones, "night shot" mode " slows down the shutter and the "backlight" mode increases the exposure in the darkest parts of the image.
But the best part of the EX2F's non-manual capture modes is the "Smart" setting. That notch on the dial will read the scene and try to guess the type of shot you're taking, then adjust the settings accordingly. "Smart" is a fairly common marketing term among camera manufacturers, and its use here made me expect a lot. Using the word "Smart" to describe mobile devices generally means that it runs some sort of advanced operating system, that it can access wifi and post to social media, and that it doubles over sax so the EX2F had to show me a lot of smarts to convince me .