Samsung Digimax i6

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By Damian Koh,Edvarcl Heng
Apr 19, 2006

Taking pictures and videos just doesn�t seem to be enough for digital cameras these days as can be seen by Samsung's Digimax i6's portable media player (PMP) capabilities. This 6-megapixel shooter comes with MP3 and MPEG-4 playback features that keep the weary traveler company on those long flights--just don't expect superior performance from this unit.

Design
Except for the slightly bent edge of the i6, there's really nothing much we can rant about this camera. In fact, this holds true for most other compact consumer digicams out there as well. That said, the "wave" design of this Digimax improves on grip and handling of the shooter. If you absolutely need to have a curvy camera that's not from Samsung, Nikon's Coolpix S5 and S6 should also fit the bill.

Overall, the Digimax i6 sports a rather clean design set with most buttons clearly labeled with icons and text. Pressing up on the directional keypad lets you use the camera as a voice recorder; hitting right activates the timer function. Left cycles through the various flash modes and Down turns on the Macro option. There's also a +/- key which lets you change the exposure, white balance, ISO, RGB settings and doubles as a Delete button in playback mode.

It may take a little getting used to if you have been pre-conditioned to the left-right orientation of zoom levers on cameras. On the i6, you press Up to zoom in and increase the volume (in MP3 mode) and Down to zoom out and decrease the volume. We're quite sure you won't be buying a digicam based on how you can use the zoom, but in case you wish to know, Kodak has the same interface for its EasyShare V570.

The earphone slot sits on the right edge of the camera and headphones can get in the way when taking pictures and listening to music. In addition, the flimsy cover seems like it would drop off anytime should we exert slightly more force.

A multipurpose connection sits beneath the i6 which you can use to plug in the power adapter or the USB cable for connecting to your computer. Otherwise, you can purchase the optional cradle, which has external connectors including the DC-in, USB and AV-out terminals. However, this means you will need to bring the docking station on your trips. That's not all. If you intend to use a tripod, you'll have to take along an additional tripod adapter--an unnecessary hassle which we felt could have been done without.

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