At high ISOs, the HZ15W was definitely on the noisy side, but below ISO 400, it was perfectly reasonable. This test looks at how much image noise appears at the different full resolution ISOs that the camera offers, taking into account both bright and low light situations. Click here for more on how we test noise.
Light Level Noise Comparison
Under 60 lux illumination, as compared to 3000 lux, the noise is a bit worse at low ISOs, but this difference narrows at the higher sensitivities.
Noise Comparisons
The graph above shows that at low ISOs, the Samsung manages to keep noise levels about what you'd expect. But after ISO 400, it drives off a cliff, and things get pretty bad.
The following chart shows same-size samples from test shots taken at both light levels.
ISO 80
ISO 400
ISO 800
ISO 1600
60 Lux
3000 Lux
Because of the high noise levels, especially at ISO 800 and 1600, the HZ15W trails behind the other cameras here.
Noise Score Comparison
ISO(7.50)
The HZ15W has a full size ISO range of 80-1600, and can also shoot ISO 3200 at three megapixels. However, as you'll see in the same-size crops below, shots taken at ISO 3200 have nearly as much noise as image.
NOTE: The images above are not used in our testing or scoring, but are included here to show real-world examples of the differences between cameras at the various ISO settings.
