Samsung answered the prayers of teenagers and narcissists everywhere when it unveiled its line of dual-view cameras two years ago. Instead of blindly aiming the lens towards yourself and other subjects next to you, a dual-view Samsung allows you to see a preview on the front panel. [...]

1. Link: http://blogs.wsj.com/digits/2011/10/07/worth-it-a-camera-for-narcissists/?mod=WSJBlog
Worth It? A Camera for Narcissists
October 7, 2011, 2:48 PM ET
By Willa Plank
[URL: http://online.wsj.com/video/worth-it-multi-view-samsung-camera/44D5D78E-F95E-44C1-8A5E-
D381A7225135.html]
Samsung answered the prayers of teenagers and narcissists everywhere when it unveiled its line of
dual-view cameras two years ago. Instead of blindly aiming the lens towards yourself and other
subjects next to you, a dual-view Samsung allows you to see a preview on the front panel.
The company is refining this focus by giving handlers a larger, crisper preview screen in its new
MV800 (MV stands for multi-view). The Samsung MV800 has a three-inch touch screen that can be
either a preview screen behind the camera, or can be flipped upwards for self-portraits. What you get
is an expansive screen above the camera for perfecting poses, eliminating the need for your
bathroom mirror as a medium. The camera was released in September.
According to the company, the screen resolution of the MV800 is four times greater than the front
panel of past dual-view Samsung devices.
The camera is picture perfect and chic with its black magnesium and aluminum metal body weighing
at just about 4.27 ounces without battery or memory card. Its dimensions are about 3.6 by 2.2 by 0.72
inches and offers 16.1 megapixels, 26mm wide angle lens and 5x optical zoom. The number of
buttons on the camera is limited as most of the functions are accessed through apps on the touch
screen, similar to a smart phone. You can even change the background of the screen with a photo of
your own, or rearrange the order of the apps. Also similar to a phone, the camera has a micro USB
slot and uses microSD memory.
There are a variety of photo filters including an “old film” option that I particularly like, with lines and
marks like those in old movies. And similar to the Photo Booth function on Mac computers, the
Samsung offers “funny face” options that distort images. There is also a “background blur” option that
allows you to take artistic close-ups of objects. Although it’s nice to have options, some of them I
thought were useless. The “pose guide” simply showed a silhouette of a person as a guide to
flattering self-portraits. It didn’t move, change or give much instruction.

2. Following again the lead of smartphones, and the popularity of such apps like Instagram and editing
programs, this camera allows users to put final touches on photos. In “photo editor” you can do things
like change brightness and contrast or crop photos.
Taking timed photos was also facilitated by the forward facing screen, although half the time I was
afraid the camera would fall over due to its narrow body.
But my biggest concern was the screen itself. Since it is so wide and doesn’t turn in like hinged
screens of a camcorder, I was really afraid the screen would be scratched up. Also, I was afraid the
hinge would be very flimsy, but it was surprisingly sturdy.
According to the company, the screen is made out of material used in smartphones, and thus is
scratch resistant.
So is the Samsung MV800 worth it? At retail price of $279.99, the camera is a fun, feature rich device
that mimics a smartphone. It is another sign that the two categories overlap when it comes to the
casual photographer. Smartphones are inheriting better lenses, and cameras are adding more apps.
Although the gap in photo quality between the two is narrowing, the zoom, flash and lens of a decent
point-and-shoot is still better, especially in low light or at night. A phone camera suffices for everyday
photos, but I wouldn’t rely on one for a vacation in which I would be taking a lot of timed group photos
or self-portraits of me and my travel buddies. If you take a lot of self portraits while on holiday or at
parties in low-lit rooms, this camera is for you.