Samsung WB750

Reviewers agree that the Samsung WB750 ultrazoom camera offers lots of perks at a great price, but it comes with trade-offs in features and performance. The WB750 packs a huge 18x zoom lens (24-432 mm equivalent) into an ultra-compact body (about 6.7 ounces), whereas the 18x zoom Nikon Coolpix S9100 weighs nearly an ounce more and is about half an inch thicker. Experts like the large 3-inch LCD, creative manual controls and rubberized coating that makes the camera easy to grip. There's also a trove of special features: 3D photos and panoramas, an exceptional 10-frames-per-second burst mode and full HD video (1080p) with the ability to capture still photos while shooting video.    

The impressive specs, however, fall short of the competition. Reviewers say the LCD isn't as sharp as the high-resolution displays on other cameras, photo quality is mixed and the HD video is dull. Using the manual controls is also a challenge, as Samsung has buried these settings in the software menu interface. While most experts still consider the WB750 a great value for the money, editors at PCMag.com give the nod to their current Editors' Choice -- the Nikon Coolpix S9100 -- with its 18x zoom lens and superior LCD display (920,000 dots), EV compensation and image noise control. Another favorite is the Canon PowerShot SX230 IS , which has a 14x zoom, sharper photos and a built-in GPS.

Reviews from PCMag.com and CNET provide detailed evaluations along with test results that show how the Samsung WB750 compares next to market contenders. PhotographyBlog.com and DigitalCameraInfo.com also provide plenty of product comparison along with extensive hands-on testing. Not enough user reviews have surfaced to establish a clear consensus about long-term performance and reliability.