Samsung NV40 Digital Camera Review

The Samsung NV40 is a solidly-built, compact camera that handles well and impressed us with its test results. Its white balance performance was surprisingly good in automatic mode, and it produced images with high color accuracy, low noise and good dynamic range at high resolution. It wasn't the fastest-shooting compact we've seen, but is relatively quick and the design of the body made it easy to hold, an important factor for a small camera. The major drawback of the NV40 is its difficult-to-use control system, which uses a series of buttons in ways we've never seen before, and hope never to see again.

Overall the NV40 is a reasonably priced compact point-and-shoot that scored very well in our rigorous testing. If you can get used to a user interface with a steep learning curve and inefficient controls, it's a competent little camera with a list price of $280.