Samsung WB250F 14.2MP CMOS Smart WiFi Digital Camera with 18x Optical Zoom, 3.0" Touch Screen LCD and 1080p HD Video (White) (OLD MODEL)

Update at 4 months: this camera was the first digital with optic zoom that I'd used and it got me hooked. It has been a very reliable, useful, and fun camera. I dropped it on asphalt a few weeks back from a height of about 4 feet. The top of the case was pushed up out of position and the shutter button and the function select knob stopped working. I was still able to take photos using the touchscreen. When we got home my husband and I looked up disassembly guides online, pulled the case off, exposed the motherboard and--tada!--we were able to reconnect a loose ribbon cable, so everything is working again. That's double-tuff! I so enjoyed using this camera that I got a higher end 50x optical zoom, so my kid and me aren't vying to use the WB250.The smart features on this camera are, to me, quite impressive: isolating a single figure in a video and stopping all other background motion; best face, where you can pick from a number of shots taken before and after the designated shot; and the ability to connect to a smart phone and transfer images or use it as a remote control for shots you are also in.The photos look reasonably crisp and clean and the flash seems adequate for fairly close images. It definitely isn't the blinding Minolta flash I had back in the early 1980s, but I'm not even sure those things are still legal (I joke). It's nice to finally have a digital camera that can accept manual settings and has usable optical zoom. I really wanted something to take decent photos and video that our family could enjoy many years down the road and I think this fills the bill for me.This camera has 2 MP less than the newer version, but the newer camera does not have a rechargeable battery, which I very much preferred. Why they "improved" the rechargeable battery feature away in the newer model is a total mystery to me. That was actually what made me decide to get this camera rather than the newer model.My only complaint is that it is sometimes a bit slow to take a photo after pushing the button. Not sure what's up with that. Otherwise, this camera has met and exceeded our needs and expectations. (Update: the slowdown after taking a photo is probably caused by the slow write speed SD card I used .)

I did a solid 2 weeks of research before deciding on a camera. I read tons of reviews and watched youtube video product reviews and compared specs, etc etc etc. I finally narrowed it down between this guy, and a Sony (can't remember the exact model number at the moment). They both had awesome reviews, and both seemed like really good cameras, but the Sony (another superzoom at 20x optical) was a hundred dollars more. If they had been the same price, I would have probably picked the Sony, but only because of the flash on this camera. The sony had the normal flash that's built into the camera (as opposed to the pop-up flash of this Samsung). That was the only real problem I had in making my decision, but I eventually opted for the samsung, and I LOVE it. I'm really happy with my decision. The flash doesn't bother me at all. I originally thought it would be a hassle, and easy to break off, but it actually seems pretty durable. And truthfully, I have yet to actually need the flash at all. Unless you're taking a picture in a dark room, there's no need for it, because this camera takes excellent low light photos. It's full of awesome features, but the "auto" takes great pictures on its own.The battery life also has exceeded my expectations. I've had this camera for over a month now, and I've only had to charge it once so far. I've taken 374 pictures, plus a few short videos, and one 20 minute long 1080HD video at a show we went to. The 20 minute video took the battery down from 3 bars to 2 bars, but that's it! I bought a replacement battery and a separate charger just in case, because I was used to AA batteries that I could easily swap. This is my first rechargeable battery camera, so I didn't know what to expect. I will never EVER go back to double A's. I could only get my old camera (kodak easyshare) to take about a minute and a half long video before it would automatically shut off and tell me the battery was dead, so this was a very welcome change.I'm also happy with the speed of this camera. My old camera would take about 10 seconds to turn on and load before it was ready to take a picture. This thing is ready in about 2.The menu's are easy to follow, and the hybrid touch screen is pretty cool. The video has it's own separate record button, which is nice, and you can take pictures at the same time as video, which is WAY better than having to decide whether you want a video of your kid blowing out their candles OR a picture. You can do both with this camera.I love that it uses a standard USB charging cable, because I already have car and wall chargers for USB cables (for my ipod), which is convenient. I also love that it uses a full size SD card instead of micro. Micro's get lost too easily, in my opinion.I haven't used the wi-fi feature yet, so I won't comment on that.The ONLY thing that sucks about this camera (for me) is that it's slightly longer than my last camera, so it doesn't fit into my designated camera pocket in my purse. But seriously, who cares? I LOVE this camera.