L110

Samsung's L110 is a basic entry-level camera. Sporting an 8.2-megapixel sensor and optical image stabilisation, it does little to stand out from the crowd. However it's a reasonable option for users looking for a simple point-and-shoot camera without the bells and whistles.

In our image quality tests the unit was a moderate performer. Its pictures were relatively crisp, although they did have a slightly softer look compared to some competing models. The shots were adequate for small and medium prints but not large ones. There was also a fairly hefty amount of haloing on high-contrast edges and purple fringing outdoors. Fortunately corner softening is relatively minimal, but the haloing did lead to a slight drop in quality.

Noise performance was reasonable. ISO 100 and 200 produced clean, smooth shots and ISO 400 was fine for the most part, although clarity dropped a little. Once you hit ISO 800 the noise takes a sharp jump upwards; we wouldn't recommend using this setting unless absolutely necessary.

The one area of real disappointment in our tests was the L110's colour performance. Colours were pale and under-saturated, particularly warm shades like red and yellow. This gave our test shots a bit of a washed-out look. We managed some minor correction using the onboard saturation controls, but we couldn't completely correct the problem.

In our speed tests this model also disappointed a little. Its shutter lag can be extremely fickle, taking anywhere from 0.11 to 0.2sec to take a shot after half depressing the button to autofocus. The burst mode is also quite sluggish at just under two frames per second. Fortunately, shot-to-shot time is a more manageable 2.1sec and start-up time is roughly the same.

Features wise the unit is quite solid. It offers program and manual shooting modes — somewhat of a rarity on a unit like this. They give users a little more flexibility although they don't compare to the manual modes on some more advanced units. Aside from that there are also two different types of image stabilisation: sensor shift and digital. Digital stabilisation is relatively ineffective, but it does make a small difference and the sensor-based solution here does a pretty reasonable job of minimising hand shake.

The ever-present face detect — practically mandatory on compact cameras these days — makes an appearance, and there are some other basic features such as a bracketing mode and several scene options. We found the interface to be a little slow at times but overall it was relatively intuitive.

Aesthetically the L110 is quite nice. It has a relatively plain shape but the matte black colour scheme helps it stand out from the slew of glossy silver units currently on the market. We were satisfied with the build quality; it is sturdy yet still small enough to slip into a pocket.