Samsung ST80 WiFi Digicam Packs 14.2MP And 720p HD Video

Samsung has outed its latest digital camera, and the ST80 packs WiFi along with its 14.2-megapixel sensor.  As with other Samsung wireless cameras, the ST80 can offload its photos via email or through direct upload to Facebook, Picasa, YouTube or PhotoBucket, and the company even throws in a Boingo WiFi hotspot account too; alternatively there's DLNA streaming support.

As for the camera itself, that has a 3x optical zoom and a 3-inch touchscreen for the main controls, and can record 720p 30fps HD video.  There are the usual point-and-shoot modes for easier photography, including a nifty sounding Smart Crop which promises to automagically straighten out shots that were taken at an angle.  That should prove handy for pictures of the horizon where you're wondering why are the ships aren't sliding off the edge of the frame.

There's also an address book for storing frequently-used email recipients, and the whole thing measures 92 x 55.4 x 18.5 mm.  Look for it on shelves in September 2010, priced at $249.99.

Press Release:

SAMSUNG INTRODUCES THE Wi-Fi ENABLED ST80 DIGITAL CAMERA

Sharing Images and Video is Simplified for Today's Well-Connected Consumer

Ridgefield Park, NJ (July 28, 2010) – Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., a global leader in digital media and digital convergence technologies, today unveiled the ST80, a 14.2 mega-pixel point and-shoot camera that joins Samsung's growing line of Wi-Fi enabled digital cameras. With wireless technologies such as Wi-Fi and Samsung's AllShare™ (DNLA) connectivity, the ST80 makes it easy to share images on the move and keep friends and family updated from anywhere at any time.

"We want to let people share their favorite pictures quickly while they're on the move, and the ST80 does just that," said Sangjin Park, President of the Digital Imaging Business, Samsung Electronics. "Connectivity is everywhere, and at Samsung we are committed to bringing these wireless capabilities to the digital imaging world by developing innovative cameras that satisfy the distinct needs of our consumers. The innovative and stylish design of the ST80 is also a testament to the strong vision of Samsung's design engineers. It's the perfect digital imaging solution for today's well-connected consumer."

Beauty and Brains

The unique style of the ST80 immediately makes it stand out from the crowd. Consumers will be drawn to the ST80's slim and rounded design, which houses a 3x optical zoom as well as a large, 3.0-inch wide touch screen on the back of the camera. Consumers will also enjoy the smart features found within the camera. The ST80 comes equipped with Samsung's new 'Smart Crop' feature, a unique editing tool which takes place directly on the camera. With 'Smart Crop,' users can crop images taken at any angle or slant, such as banners or signs, and then straighten them as if they were originally taken straight on. The ST80 also makes it easy to capture great images with Samsung's Smart Auto (Still & Movie) scene recognition technology. Smart Auto (Still & Movie) automatically recognizes the user's current shooting environment and selects the appropriate settings to achieve the best results possible.

In addition to the impressive 14.2 mega-pixel resolution for digital still images, the ST80 offers HD video recording. At 30 frames-per-second, the ST80 allows consumers to record high quality, 720p HD video utilizing the H.264 format, which provides up to three times more recording capacity than the MJPEG video format.

Wirelessly Connected

The ST80's wireless connectivity makes it easy for users to upload or share digital images or videos with others directly from the camera without the need to be connected to a computer. By leveraging an available Wi-Fi internet connection, consumers have the option to email their digital images and video to individual email addresses or to those stored in the camera's address book. In addition to email, consumers can also effortlessly upload images and videos directly to social networking sites such as Facebook®, Picasa™, YouTube®, Photo Bucket or even Samsung's own Web site (www.samsungimaging.com). The ST80 range also comes equipped with an account with mobile hotspot provider Boingo, delivering broadband speeds in the palm of your hands at more than 120,000 Wi-Fi hotspots across the world.

The ST80's wireless connectivity is further enhanced by Samsung's AllShare™ technology. Thanks to AllShare, users can effortlessly sync the ST80 to popular DLNA-compliant (Digital Living Network Alliance) electronics found throughout the home, such as HDTVs and digital photo frames, and wirelessly connect and share content between each device.