Samsung HZ15W

Resolution (14.62)

Across the three tests we look at for resolution, the HZ15W did very well, mostly due to its very high sharpness and good chromatic aberration. The resolution score is based on three tests: distortion, sharpness and chromatic aberration, which are observed at three focal lengths.

Given the very good sharpness and chromatic aberration results, as well as the decent lens distortion, the HZ15W scores very well overall in this section against the comparison cameras. More on how we test resolution.

Distortion (10.09)

The distortion was the weakest part of the resolution tests for the Samsung, though it’s still pretty decent. At 4.2mm focal length, the distortion was barrelling at 0.68%, at 16.6mm it was 0.8% pincushioning, and at 42mm it was 1% pincushioning. Keeping distortion at 1% or below at every focal length is a significant achievement.

Sharpness (19.66)

Sharpness results for this camera were very high. It did have a tendency towards oversharpening the image, but not too much. Even taking the oversharpening into account, the HZ15W handily outperformed the comparison cameras. As with most cameras, the sharpest image quality was dead center of the lens, and then it dropped off outwards from there, and picked up again at the outer edges. The absolute sharpest was at 4.2mm focal length, dead center, and the worst was the mid area of the lens at 42mm. Regardless of the focal lengths, the center of the lens was very sharp.

Chromatic Aberration (8.83)

The chromatic aberration was also very good, again an improvement over the comparisons. Like with sharpness, the aberration was best at the center, worse moving outwards, before improving at the corners. At the 42mm focal length, we saw the best and the worst chromatic aberration, and at 16.6mm it was overall the most manageable.

The following chart shows same-size crops from our test images, at three focal lengths.

Quality & Size Options (8.25)

The Samsung has a reasonable array of size options, at the standard 4:3 ratio, as well as one each for 3:2 and 16:9. It doesn’t go as small as some other cameras, but to be honest, you probably don’t need to shoot at 640×480. The image quality can be set to Super Fine, Fine and Normal. There’s no option to shoot RAW.

Image Stabilization (6.23)

Under the conditions of our image stabilization test, shooting at 1/30 second with the camera shaking in a computer-controlled rig, the Samsung actually did pretty well. Given the sort of light level and shutter speed you’re likely to hit indoors, there was a marked improvement using optical image stabilization.

The chart below shows same-size crops from our test images, demonstrating the sharpness differences we found with the image stabilization turned off and turned on. More on how we test image stabilization.

Stabilization Comparisons
Samsung HZ15W	Canon SD970 IS	Nikon S630	Panasonic DMC-FX580
Stabilization Off
Stabilization On