Samsung Digimax U-CA 3

A simple to use camera for fun photos.

Price: £250

Manufacturer: Samsung

Ratings

Overall rating:

Rate this product

Verdict

Pros:

Easy to use; 3x optical zoom.

Cons:
Relatively few shooting modes; struggles a little in overcast light conditions.

Verdict:
A simple enough camera but the lack of advanced functions won't suit the amateur photographer.

David Ludlow, Personal Computer World 04 Mar 2004

With the 3.2megapixel U-CA 3, Samsung is trying to get into the 'fun' camera market, rather than professional quality prints. So, turning the camera on displays a 3D avatar and flashes the multicoloured light on the front.

We can't help but feel the fun aspect of the camera overshadows its job of taking pictures. For starters, there aren't many shooting modes to pick from. Most noticeably there is no landscape or sports mode for taking pictures of fast-moving objects. The only mode you can select from the rear-mounted control panel is the 5cm macro.

If you prefer to delve through the menus then there's more control, including manual setting of white balance, ISO shutter speed and picture quality, which lets you choose resolution and jpeg compression.

However, there's no raw mode, so even on super-fine mode pictures suffer from artefacts around sharp edges, and the pictures aren't quite as clear as they could be.

The U-CA 3 struggles slightly in overcast conditions and either needs the exposure compensation setting changed or Photoshop to tweak the pictures. It's good to see a 3x optical zoom lens on the Samsung, as this is one feature that can often be left out on cheaper 'fun' cameras.

Surprisingly for a camera outside the Sony stable, the U-CA 3 uses Memory Stick Duo. There's a 32MB card, which is good for around 32 pictures on the highest quality mode, but it's worth investing in a larger card.

All in all, the U-CA 3 isn't bad and the results are good enough for use on a computer screen or for printing 6 x 5in pictures. But, if you're looking for higher-quality prints it's worth investing in a camera with more options and better quality pictures.

Contact: Samsung 01932 455 300
www.samsungcamera.co.uk

Specifications: