"I can't say enough about this camera. There are at least half a dozen of them amongst my friends, now.
A little nichy given the limited zoom. The digital zoom is awful, as are most.
Higher res video capture would be nice.
All in all, no complaints.
You can't get more for your money. I checked, and rechecked..."

Pros: Bright display, Inexpensive, Durable, Realistic color, easily accessed full manual control

Cons: Not high def

I would recommend this to a friend!

My product recommendations

Samsung Fascinate™ Android Smartphone

(829)

+9points

9of 9voted this as helpful.

Review 2 for TL500 10 Megapixel Rotating LCD Digital Camera

bejersey

from Newbury Park, CA

I have used this product for:less than a month

Expertise:intermediate

# of SAMSUNG products I own:1-2

Features

5 out of 5

Performance

5 out of 5

Design

5 out of 5

Value

5 out of 5

Rating:

5 out of 5

TL500

PostedAugust 20, 2011

I would recommend this to a friend!

PostedAugust 20, 2011

"The camera is sooooooo intuitive. ..The ergonomics and lens quality are incredible. The Menu is so simple to use"

Pros: Built-in speakers, Bright display, Inexpensive, Durable, Realistic color, Lightweight

I would recommend this to a friend!

+6points

6of 6voted this as helpful.

Review 3 for TL500 10 Megapixel Rotating LCD Digital Camera

roshlio

Features

5 out of 5

Performance

5 out of 5

Design

5 out of 5

Value

5 out of 5

Rating:

5 out of 5

PostedAugust 13, 2011

I would recommend this to a friend!

PostedAugust 13, 2011

"Excellent compact camera that gives a handful of manual controls. Next best choice if you do not want to bring a DSLR along."

Pros: Bright display, Durable, Realistic color, Lightweight, high quality lense

I would recommend this to a friend!

+5points

5of 5voted this as helpful.

Review 4 for TL500 10 Megapixel Rotating LCD Digital Camera

Yemm66

from Illinois

I have used this product for:1-3 months

Expertise:intermediate

# of SAMSUNG products I own:3-5

Features

5 out of 5

Performance

5 out of 5

Design

5 out of 5

Value

5 out of 5

Rating:

5 out of 5

Super Sharp, Super build, Super fun

PostedJuly 8, 2011

I would recommend this to a friend!

PostedJuly 8, 2011

"I can review from experience of small sensor cameras. I have had Canon, Nikon, Olympus, Fujifilm. All are good cameras, but this one is very special. Some of the easiest macro shooting I have ever experienced. Love the awesome tilt screen. Focus is quick and very accurate. Build quality is the best I have used. This camera is a joy to hold. It just feels right. Aluminum casing has nice accents. I can hardly wait for Samsung's next TL model. Congratulations for building this wonderful photographic tool."

Pros: Bright display, Durable, Realistic color, macro ability, fun factor

I would recommend this to a friend!

My product recommendations

40" Digital TV LCD Display

26 cu. ft. Side by Side Refrigerator

(10)

+8points

8of 8voted this as helpful.

Review 5 for TL500 10 Megapixel Rotating LCD Digital Camera

filmfan

from California

I have used this product for:3-6 months

Expertise:novice

# of SAMSUNG products I own:1-2

Features

5 out of 5

Performance

5 out of 5

Design

5 out of 5

Value

5 out of 5

Rating:

5 out of 5

My digital camera is a Samsung TL500

PostedJune 29, 2011

I would recommend this to a friend!

PostedJune 29, 2011

"I bought the TL500 because it feels solid, is made of metal, with a heft to it, and I like holding it and looking at it. I could hold it and look at it all day. But I also take pictures with it. The Schneider-Kreuznach lens was a big draw for buying this camera. The ten image size options are well-considered. Mac Raw image processing software is much appreciated (downloaded with assistance from Samsung phone help; identifying camera as model EX1 was clue to locating the download). Graphics in OLED are elegant. The short cable reduces power loss and cable clutter. I am impressed with the images produced by the camera; exposure and color draw admiration both from me and from other people who view the images. You have provided me with a camera that I respect and that I use with respect - and often with a tripod."

Pros: Bright display, Inexpensive, Durable, Realistic color, metal

Cons: none.

I would recommend this to a friend!

+1point

1of 1voted this as helpful.

Review 6 for TL500 10 Megapixel Rotating LCD Digital Camera

TybeeRetired

from Tybee Island, Ga

I have used this product for:less than a month

Expertise:intermediate

# of SAMSUNG products I own:1-2

Features

5 out of 5

Performance

5 out of 5

Design

5 out of 5

Value

5 out of 5

Rating:

5 out of 5

Perfect Fit

PostedMay 30, 2011

I would recommend this to a friend!

PostedMay 30, 2011

"The feel, fit and finish is excellant. Operation is intuitive and promises to be an excellant camera. Already using manual rather than scene, etc. It will not take long to learn this camera. Out of the box it was a joy to hold."

Pros: Bright display, Inexpensive, Durable, Realistic color

I would recommend this to a friend!

+2points

2of 2voted this as helpful.

Review 7 for TL500 10 Megapixel Rotating LCD Digital Camera

gray99

from Atlanta

I have used this product for:1-3 months

Expertise:intermediate

# of SAMSUNG products I own:3-5

Features

5 out of 5

Performance

4 out of 5

Design

4 out of 5

Value

5 out of 5

Rating:

5 out of 5

Great Camera with a few small flaws

PostedApril 10, 2011

I would recommend this to a friend!

PostedApril 10, 2011

"Small, well built and well laid out with a fantastically fast lens.

Here are the small flaws, after a month of use.

1. The Silkypix software is horrible. No big deal to me, as I'm getting Lightroom anyway, but its something to bear in mind. And I'm really not that picky. I've been happily using the software for my SLR (not Samsung) for years now.

2. The camera has a default shutoff after a period of inactivity. When you activate the release the lens comes back out - but always in the wide position, not where you left it.

3. Raw files are flat until processed. My SLR produces RAW files that resemble the image on the back of the LCD, so they need minimal or no processing. Its a big time saver.

4. RAW file processing time after taking a picture is a bit long.

However, a great camera! Its the kind of well designed machine that you want to pick up and use.

I'm looking forward to the next model. If you can fix these things I'll be in line to upgrade."

Pros: Bright display, Durable, Realistic color, Lightweight

Cons: silkypix software

I would recommend this to a friend!

+3points

3of 3voted this as helpful.

Review 8 for TL500 10 Megapixel Rotating LCD Digital Camera

DCinMD

from Washington DC

I have used this product for:less than a month

Expertise:expert

# of SAMSUNG products I own:1-2

Features

5 out of 5

Performance

4 out of 5

Design

5 out of 5

Value

4 out of 5

Rating:

5 out of 5

Well designed, well put together pro-sumer point&shoot

PostedMarch 14, 2011

I would recommend this to a friend!

PostedMarch 14, 2011

"Have had the camera a few weeks. Nice quality, very fllexible controls. Have not had a chance to take many pictures yet but expect that to change as the weather improves. I'll follow-up later."

Pros: Bright display, Durable, Realistic color, well designed, above adv. build quality, external flash mount

Cons: no high-def video (but who cares), no external battery charger included, weak on camera flash, propritary ext. flash

I would recommend this to a friend!

+2points

2of 2voted this as helpful.

Review 9 for TL500 10 Megapixel Rotating LCD Digital Camera

Pickles

from Boston, MA

I have used this product for:less than a month

Expertise:intermediate

# of SAMSUNG products I own:1-2

Features

4 out of 5

Performance

5 out of 5

Design

4 out of 5

Value

4 out of 5

Rating:

5 out of 5

Samsung TL-500

PostedMarch 12, 2011

I would recommend this to a friend!

PostedMarch 12, 2011

"Purchased this for the 1.8 fast lens to accomodate my night time street photography. I love the feel of the camera in my hand, the ease of use, access to controls. Minimal shutter lag. This is more than a point and shoot. It's my mini-professional camera."

Pros: Bright display, Durable

I would recommend this to a friend!

+3points

3of 3voted this as helpful.

Review 10 for TL500 10 Megapixel Rotating LCD Digital Camera

CompositeOne

from Tulsa, Oklahoma

I have used this product for:1-3 months

Expertise:intermediate

# of SAMSUNG products I own:1-2

Features

5 out of 5

Performance

5 out of 5

Design

5 out of 5

Value

5 out of 5

Rating:

5 out of 5

TL500 a giant killer

PostedFebruary 27, 2011

I would recommend this to a friend!

PostedFebruary 27, 2011

"Picked up the TL500/EX1 while searching for a handy and quick point and shoot and found a gem. I have used many film and digital P&S cameras and nothing comes even close with this. Superb ergonomics, fast lens, it is the whole package."

Pros: Bright display, Inexpensive, Durable, Lightweight

I would recommend this to a friend!

+3points

3of 3voted this as helpful.

Review 11 for TL500 10 Megapixel Rotating LCD Digital Camera

Anonymous

from Minnesota

I have used this product for:1-3 months

Expertise:intermediate

# of SAMSUNG products I own:1-2

Features

5 out of 5

Performance

5 out of 5

Design

5 out of 5

Value

5 out of 5

Rating:

5 out of 5

Take it from a 35 year Canon owner....this is a FANTASTIC Camera

PostedDecember 20, 2010

"Ergomically better than the S95 with Image capability that meets or exceeds other compact. I have owned or tried the S90/S95, E-P1, Lx3/Lx5, and the NEX3. All are superior in their own right but the TL500 is the most intuitive design on the market yet affords more advanced photographers the tools to meet their shooting needs. The AMOLED screen is unbelievable, the menus easy to follow, and most of the controls just a button or dial away. The low light capabilities are tremendous and the added weight along with the swivel screen provide great stability that along with the image stabilization can provide some low ISO low shutter speed crystal clear shots.

I have alway been a Canon user but for a small compact camera, this is the finest I have owned."

Pros: Bright display, Durable, Realistic color, sharp images

+6points

6of 6voted this as helpful.

Review 12 for TL500 10 Megapixel Rotating LCD Digital Camera

Chet54

from Cleveland Heights, Ohio

I have used this product for:less than a month

Expertise:expert

# of SAMSUNG products I own:1-2

Features

5 out of 5

Performance

5 out of 5

Design

5 out of 5

Value

5 out of 5

Rating:

5 out of 5

The best camera I have owned!

PostedOctober 18, 2010

I would recommend this to a friend!

PostedOctober 18, 2010

"I am a graphic designer/creative director with a minor in photography. When I began taking photos I loved available light. The nuances and mood that shadows could create. For many years this has been ignored, until now. Samsung has created a camera I even hate to put in the point-and-shoot class because of it's multiple abilities. I was trying several cameras, the Olympus EP-1 and Sony's new mirrorless nex series. Sony has night photography down but the camera was large, no macro and you had to put a flash on top. I happened upon mention of this camera in a review on the Sony series. I checked it out and thought I would try it. I got the camera from B&H Photo in New York and it was delivered Friday. I have not even read the on-line manual. It is nothing short of amazing."

Pros: Bright display, Inexpensive, Durable, Realistic color

I would recommend this to a friend!

+2points

5of 8voted this as helpful.

Review 13 for TL500 10 Megapixel Rotating LCD Digital Camera

Yrag

from Moultrie, GA USA

I have used this product for:less than a month

Expertise:intermediate

# of SAMSUNG products I own:3-5

Features

5 out of 5

Performance

5 out of 5

Design

5 out of 5

Value

5 out of 5

Rating:

5 out of 5

PostedSeptember 30, 2010

I would recommend this to a friend!

PostedSeptember 30, 2010

"I've had this camera for less than a month but so far I have not been disappointed. The jpegs are excellent, in my opinion, and need little to no manipulation to make excellent prints. The screen is bright and can be seen well enough in bright sun to be usable. The articulated screen is a great convenience. The manual controls give you great latitude to manipulate any settings you want or put it in automatic mode to make quick snapshots. The only downside so far is the lack of a printed manual and an external battery charger. Maybe Samsung will offer a manual as an extra accessory. I would buy one as I plan on using this camera for a very long time. I've looked for Samsung chargers and I have not found one yet so I purchased an extra battery. Please, Samsung, make the accessories easier to find."

Pros: Bright display, Durable, Realistic color, all metal construction

Cons: no printed manual, no external battery charger

I would recommend this to a friend!

+6points

6of 6voted this as helpful.

Review 14 for TL500 10 Megapixel Rotating LCD Digital Camera

geoson218

Features

5 out of 5

Performance

4 out of 5

Design

5 out of 5

Value

5 out of 5

Rating:

5 out of 5

Samsung Did This? Samsung?!

PostedAugust 4, 2010

I would recommend this to a friend!

PostedAugust 4, 2010

"That's the reaction many people may have to this camera. Samsung to many photographers has had some good ideas that were poorly executed. The TL500 totally changes the game. Well built, great screen, full controls. I have no problems making quality A3 photos from superfine files. Until now, I've never had a compact camera that made me leave the D-SLR home in confidence. Great job, Samsung!"

I would recommend this to a friend!

+11points

11of 11voted this as helpful.

Review 15 for TL500 10 Megapixel Rotating LCD Digital Camera

Manzaro

from Las Vegas, NV

I have used this product for:less than a month

Expertise:intermediate

# of SAMSUNG products I own:3-5

Features

4 out of 5

Performance

4 out of 5

Design

5 out of 5

Value

5 out of 5

Rating:

5 out of 5

impressive step to A PRO

PostedJune 17, 2010

I would recommend this to a friend!

PostedJune 17, 2010

"Samsung jumped to the hybrid camera market with NX10 but it is not that impressive to me. On the other hand, TL500 reaches at the hot high-end compact camera market with pretty promising positioning.

One can say that F1.8 would be the strong accent and a crucial characteristic of this camera. It definitely helps shooting photos indoor and intelligently makes beautiful bokeh (blur) on the back if you want to.

Amoled has no comparison with others at this time, it is No.1 Rotating LED on compact cameras. Very useful when you take self-portrait, low and high angle pictures and fantastic when you view your photos.

24mm is wide enough and being honest, image quality does not give any cons with this wide angle.

Various filters and program mode are generally acceptable. Some of them can be regarded as very easy and useful modification of the images inside the camera. You can select before or after the shot.

Overall, TL500 can beat any other cameras at the moment and I expect Samsung to convey honorable update on this series. The position of Samsung brand name on digital camera market can be up with this beauty and professionalism of the camera.

It is very remarkable progress.

I have some complaints not really related to this product, but related to Samsung's marketing strategy. This camera is just available on a few online retailers. Samsung needs to expand it to more retailers and offline professional camera shops. Let people have a chance to see and try this item. Seeing is Believing."

I would recommend this to a friend!

+19points

21of 23voted this as helpful.

Review 16 for TL500 10 Megapixel Rotating LCD Digital Camera

dtowerscarbajal

Features

4 out of 5

Performance

5 out of 5

Design

4 out of 5

Value

4 out of 5

Rating:

4 out of 5

Good buy

PostedMarch 2, 2012

"I normally just do photography as a small hobby. However I cannot deny the high quality and easy to use features of this product. Very good buy"

+1point

1of 1voted this as helpful.

Review 17 for TL500 10 Megapixel Rotating LCD Digital Camera

premiumphoto

I have used this product for:1-2 years

Expertise:expert

# of SAMSUNG products I own:1-2

Features

3 out of 5

Performance

3 out of 5

Design

5 out of 5

Value

5 out of 5

Rating:

4 out of 5

Great lens/sensor

PostedAugust 23, 2011

I would recommend this to a friend!

PostedAugust 23, 2011

"Dear Samsung, please take your excellent tl500 and do the following:

1. Greatly increase buffer size
2. Allow raw shooting at all modes
3. Give it 1080/24p video
4. use DNG Raw for smaller file size

It is the perfect camera otherwise."

Cons: Not high def

I would recommend this to a friend!

+1point

1of 1voted this as helpful.

Review 18 for TL500 10 Megapixel Rotating LCD Digital Camera

CamerasFreak

Features

4 out of 5

Performance

4 out of 5

Design

4 out of 5

Value

4 out of 5

Rating:

4 out of 5

Great Camera

PostedApril 30, 2011

I would recommend this to a friend!

PostedApril 30, 2011

"This camera is better than I thought!!
It takes very good pics and I like the effects as well. Also the screen is pretty, I highly recommend this camera to who loves taking good pics all the time!! :-)"

Pros: Bright display, Durable

I would recommend this to a friend!

+2points

2of 2voted this as helpful.

Review 19 for TL500 10 Megapixel Rotating LCD Digital Camera

Micphotog

from San Jose, CA

I have used this product for:less than a month

Expertise:expert

# of SAMSUNG products I own:1-2

Features

4 out of 5

Performance

5 out of 5

Design

5 out of 5

Value

4 out of 5

Rating:

4 out of 5

Nice design

PostedNovember 8, 2010

"Solid built, hi-res LED screen, lens cap can be improved. USB cable too short to use for charging."

Pros: Bright display, Durable

+4points

4of 4voted this as helpful.

Review 20 for TL500 10 Megapixel Rotating LCD Digital Camera

Iam1of2

I have used this product for:1-3 months

Expertise:expert

# of SAMSUNG products I own:3-5

Features

5 out of 5

Performance

4 out of 5

Design

4 out of 5

Value

4 out of 5

Rating:

4 out of 5

Good carryabout sub for DSLR

PostedAugust 10, 2010

I would recommend this to a friend!

PostedAugust 10, 2010

"In use for 4 weeks. It has almost all the features that one could ask of a pretty good DSLR. There are some weaknesses though and these may be important to a perspective buyer. I have found that the dials on top move too easily and have been surprised that I am often in a mode I hadn't intended. Also, the camera automatically changes some of the technical settings when shifting modes, e.g. going to jpg from raw when bracketing. The SRW raw format for this camera is nonexistant across photo software in the marketplace. The included Silkypix converter software is ok, but not easily understood in everyday English. It also has many limitations if you do photo manipulation. Also there is no archiving capability. The Samsung camera manual is also not as detailed as it should be to explain how the camera functions. I did find out that taking pictures in the "Smart" mode which is for camera dummies, has worked very well although only in jpg. I like to be able to take full control of a camera, but I have to say that this little camera does do a commendable job on its own and offers a lot of features that its competitors don't."

I would recommend this to a friend!

+10points

10of 10voted this as helpful.

Review 21 for TL500 10 Megapixel Rotating LCD Digital Camera

Macauley86

from Southern California

I have used this product for:less than a month

Expertise:expert

# of SAMSUNG products I own:1-2

Features

3 out of 5

Performance

3 out of 5

Design

2 out of 5

Value

4 out of 5

Rating:

3 out of 5

Suggested improvements

PostedSeptember 23, 2010

"Good first attempt. Suggested improvements for next-year model:
- increase zoom range to 24-90 (f1.8 to f2.8)
- reduce resolution to 6MP to improve low light performance
- make video 720p with stereo sound
- place a microphone input
- allow optical zoom and autofocus during movie mode
- silence zoom noise in movie mode
- make menu more intuitive (now enabling one feature knocks out other features, you never know which ones)
- put smart control ring like Canon S95
- place a smart lens cap like the Ricoh one
- allow switching to 3:2, 16:9 mode without losing field of view (like Lumix LX5)
- make the camera smaller and sexier (more pocketable)
- allow a nice way to add a filter (like polarizer)
- make sensor bigger (1 1.4 instead of 1 1.7)
- make an easy panorama sweep mode like Sony cameras
- make a fast 7 or 10 fps shooting mode (like Sony cameras)
- make a smart HDR mode using 3 or more frames with automatic adjustments of frames
- make JPEG in-camera corrections of distortion and purple fringing perfect
- automatically adjust exposure like Nikon DSLRs
- place RGB histogram on screen
- make the camera lighter"

Pros: Bright display, Inexpensive

Cons: Not high def, Too big

-7points

6of 19voted this as helpful.

Review 22 for TL500 10 Megapixel Rotating LCD Digital Camera

Eye4pix

from Pittsburgh, PA USA

I have used this product for:3-6 months

Expertise:expert

# of SAMSUNG products I own:3-5

Features

4 out of 5

Performance

1 out of 5

Design

4 out of 5

Value

1 out of 5

Rating:

1 out of 5

Bad luck x2

PostedApril 12, 2012

No, I would not recommend this to a friend.

PostedApril 12, 2012

"I've had two of these - both were defective. Too bad, a beautifully designed camera suffering apparent quality control issues."

Pros: many good reviews, beautiful design

Cons: Poor quality

No, I would not recommend this to a friend.

-1point

0of 1voted this as helpful.