Samsung unveils 24x optical zoom RAW shooter

Leonard Goh | Aug 27, 2009

The WB5000. (Credit: Leonard Goh/CNET Asia)

At the launch of the Samsung ST550, ST500 and ST1000 held in Singapore, the company also unveiled a superzoom camera. The 12.5-megapixel WB5000 has a 24x optical zoom lens which is widest at 26mm, and features HD movie recording and full manual exposure control. To satisfy photo enthusiasts, the WB5000 will offer RAW format image capture, too.

We gave this superzoom a quick hands-on at the event and found its handling to be quite good. The dSLR-like grip was comfortable to hold and the scroll wheel at the back enables users to make changes to settings on the fly. There is also a dedicated video-recording button at the back, similar to what Panasonic has implemented in its recent Lumix cameras.

A Samsung representative told CNET Asia that the WB5000 will be available in the fourth quarter of this year, with pricing to be released closer to launch.

The Korean chaebol also shared the prices for the ST550 (S$549 (US$395.31)), ST500 (S$499 (US$359.30)) and ST1000 (S$649 (US$467.31)). In Singapore, the trio will be bundled with an 8GB microSD card. Check with your local retailers for other packages.

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