PMA 2005: CNET covers the show

Samsung wasn't messing around at this year's PMA show, announcing a whopping nine new digital cameras and topping our 2005 list of Companies Whose Marketing Departments Deserve a Vacation. The company's successful and aggressively priced Digimax A6 served as the template for two new cameras, the 5-megapixel Digimax A5 and the 7-megapixel Digimax A7, both of which inherit the A6's manual features and distinctive, somewhat chunky shape. In the 4-megapixel department, the new Digimax A400 and the zoomless Digimax A402 give Samsung a fresh presence at two different price points, while the U-CA 5 and zoomless U-CA 505 do the same in the 5-megapixel category. Samsung has upgraded its Digimax V60 in the form of the Digimax V70, whose included text-recognition software may appeal to business users. Finally, the Digimax V600 and V700 cameras serve as the high-end flagships of Samsung's aggressively priced spring 2005 armada.

Model	Price & availability	Specifications	Special features
Samsung Digimax A5	US$240 March 2005	5-megapixel (effective) CCD sensor; F2.7-to-F4.9, 38mm-to-114mm (35mm-camera equivalent) 3x zoom lens; SD media	A satisfying array of manual features and a robust VGA (640x480) video mode make the Digimax A5 a compelling option; still, we wish its 38mm-equivalent wide-angle view was less narrow.
Samsung Digimax A7	US$360 March 2005	7-megapixel (effective) CCD sensor; F2.7-to-F4.9, 38mm-to-114mm (35mm-camera equivalent) 3x zoom lens; SD media	With the Digimax A7, Samsung grafted a megapixel and a larger, 2-inch LCD onto the body of its A6 enthusiast camera. Its manual controls and 640x480 movies are nice options.
Samsung Digimax A400	US$200 March 2005	4-megapixel (effective) CCD sensor; F2.9-to-F4.8, 37mm-to-104mm (35mm-camera equivalent) 2.8x zoom lens; SD/MMC media	The 2-inch LCD screen is nice, and the text-shooting mode will appeal to business users. However, its widest angle is a bit narrow, and VGA (640x480) videos top out at 24fps.
Samsung Digimax A402	US$140 April 2005	4-megapixel (effective) CCD sensor; F3.2, 31mm (35mm-camera equivalent) fixed-focal-length lens; SD/MMC media	Sacrificing optical zoom to come in under the US$150 price point, the Digimax A402 manages to squeeze in a decent 1.8-inch LCD screen and VGA (640x480) movie clips.
Samsung Digimax U-CA 5	US$290 March 2005	5-megapixel (effective) CCD sensor; F2.9-to-F4.8, 35mm-to-105mm (35mm-camera equivalent) 3x zoom lens; SD/MMC media	Available in shades of gray, blue, and wine, the uniquely shaped Digimax U-CA 5 shoots VGA (640x480) video clips at 30fps.
Samsung Digimax U-CA 505	US$210 March 2005	5-megapixel (effective) CCD sensor; F3.2, 35mm (35mm-camera equivalent) fixed-focal-length lens; SD/MMC media	As with the Digimax A402, the silver or white U-CA 505 abandons optical zoom to shed dollars from its price tag. You'll still get a 2-inch LCD screen.
Samsung Digimax V70	US$400 March 2005	7-megapixel (effective) CCD sensor; F2.7-to-F4.9, 38mm-to-114mm (35mm-camera equivalent) 3x zoom lens; SD/MMC media	Equipped with a 2-inch swiveling LCD screen, the enthusiast-oriented Digimax V70 looks impressive on paper; its features include 30fps VGA (640x480) video capture and a text-scanning mode.
Samsung Digimax V600	US$360 March 2005	6.1-megapixel (effective) CCD sensor; F2.8-to-F5.1, 38mm-to-114mm (35mm-camera equivalent) 3x zoom lens; SD/MMC media	Available in silver, blue, or wine, the stylish Digimax V600 comes with a 2-inch LCD and a nice array of manual features. We have one gripe: the narrow maximum aperture at long focal lengths.
Samsung Digimax V700	US$410 March 2005	7.1-megapixel (effective) CCD sensor; F2.8-to-F5.1, 38mm-to-114mm (35mm-camera equivalent) 3x zoom lens; SD/MMC media	The sleek Digimax V700, Samsung's silver, blue, or wine-colored flagship model, comes with a 2-inch LCD and some useful manual features. Still, a wider maximum aperture at long focal lengths would have been nice.

PMA 2005: what to expect at the show