Going Beyond

The15x optical zoom, HD video capability makes Samsung’s WB600 special
This is a camera which is built to perform — more like a hummer than a Ferrari — and feels heavy in your hand – it weighs around 210 gram — unlike the many paper-thin point-n-shoots in the market. With a 12 mega pixel sensor and 3.9 ~ 58.5mm Schneider lens that gives a 24mm ultra wide-angle, this camera can capture more than wide smiles. The 15x optical zoom, for instance, lets you do a detailed recce of the craters on the moon sitting in your balcony. On the other side, it can also give an excellent macro shot if the need arises.

The Dual Image Stabilisation reduces the shake — often unavoidable while using the zoom — that can ruin your image. If you think the auto modes, and there are quite a lot of them, don’t let you have the fun of deciding how your photo should turn out, you can always switch to the full manual mode where you get to set all the parameters. If that’s a bit too much for you, choose the aperture or shutter priority modes where you adjust just the aperture or shutter speed while the camera sets up the rest. 
To ensure that you get to see what you have captured there is a 3.0” LCD with improved contrast and colour reproduction. The camera also offers a wide range of scene modes, among them a new text mode for making copies of documents. There is also a separate mode to click portraits, and if you want the camera will remove your moles and warts for you. If that is not enough, the menu offers you access to filters that give the photos the feel of miniatures or vignettes. There is even a fish-eye filter, which, however, I found a bit disappointing.  
Then there is the HD 720p quality video at 30 frames per second, enough to make your clips a hit on YouTube. The Smart Auto 2.0, for both still and movies, instantly analyses elements of your composition and adjusts to capture the perfect shot. Another good thing is the video button which lets you shoot a video with a single click without switching over to the movie mode. The inbuilt microphone complements the camera wonderfully and you won’t miss out the family jokes. There is also a HDMI port so that you can play the hi-definition videos directly on to your TV.
The WB600 costs Rs 19,990, and if you ask me it’s worth every penny.