Samsung WB150F pictures and hands-on

Samsung’s WB150F is a brand new Wi-Fi-enabled compact camera, adding to the company’s range of connected products. As the likes of cloud computing and inter-connectivity wiles its way into day in day out products across the spectrum of tech, it’s something that has been a slow process in the camera world. Samsung released the SH100, its first Wi-Fi-enabled compact, in the middle of 2011. Has the latest WB150F taken camera connectivity to the at once level?

The WB150F’s latest Smart Wi-Fi promises easy sharing to Facebook, Picasa, Microsoft Sky Drive and other online sites just as YouTube, as so then as hard drive backup on your computer direct from camera without the faff of any hard-wired cables. A Remote Viewfinder app as well allows remote control of picture taking using an Android-enabled mobile device. It’s a great idea, although we’re a little concerned at the impact Wi-Fi will have on the camera’s battery life. It wasn’t possible to test this on the Samsung stand at this year’s CES, however longevity is something to keep in mind.

Step forward in the camera world

As much as Wi-Fi connectivity is a step forward in the camera world, it’s not a patch on what smartphones are capable of. With limited free Wi-Fi hotspots in the UK, the WB150F won’t be able to compete with the mobile phone networks’ 3G/4G research. Nevertheless the Mobile Link option does mean images can be copied directly to your Android phone ready for sharing.

Setting up and using the Wi-Fi is easy enough, however without touchscreen control the WB150F doesn’t compare to the likes of Samsung’s Galaxy series of Smartphones and tablets - both of which feature super-smooth touchscreen operation. Tapping in letter by letter and number by number can become a slow and laborious process, even though the camera will remember networks and addresses for email to save time hereafter. The one-touch share button helps to keep things simple too.

Of course the WB150F is nothing like a Smarphone thanks to its 18x optical zoom lens and larger 14.2-megapixel sensor. As a camera it has plenty to offer and builds on Samsung’s ever growing imaging expertise. The build quality, too, is top drawer: made from part metal and part hardy plastic the WB150F feels solid in the hand.

The rear screen is as well Samsung’s excellent AMOLED research which is bright, sharp and does look top quality. We’ve seen other sites moan about the "low" VGA resolution, however this is a 921K-dot equivalent so is among the higher resolution screens to be found on compact cameras. It’s just a shame there’s no touch panel as per the SH100.