Noise plagues the S1050's photos, and grain shows up in shots taken at settings as low as ISO 80. Almost any noise at that level could be considered unacceptable, but in fairness the noise only becomes apparent on computer monitors; any noise found in prints will remain unnoticed to most eyes. Unfortunately, even prints start to look noisy around ISO 400, and photos shot at ISO 800 and ISO 1600 look like televisions with poor reception--regardless of the format on which they're displayed. Worse still, this noise takes the camera's otherwise good color reproduction and horribly mutes the blues and reds. One of the biggest benefits to any 10-megapixel camera is the ability to produce large prints, yet the S1050's noise renders that nearly impossible. Though the S850 sports a lower, 8-megapixel resolution, its much lower noise means its prints still look good at the sizes where the S1050's prints start to show grain.
On top of its terrible noise, the S1050 also produced a heavy amount of fringing in our photos. High-contrast edges, like a building against a bright sky or a piece of paper against a dark desk, looked pink and fuzzy. These fringes might seem irritating, but compared to the camera's excessive noise, they present only a minor nuisance.
The Samsung S1050 proves to be its little brother's inferior in almost every way. While it offers greater resolution, a large screen, and face-detection features, its downsides are simply far too great compared to the S850. Its photos are noisier, it shoots much slower, and it's almost $70 more than the S850. If you want an inexpensive camera with manual exposure controls, the choice is obvious. Go with the Samsung S850, and leave this one alone.
(Shorter bars indicate better performance)
 |
Typical shot-to-shot time | |
Time to first shot | |
Shutter lag (typical) |
(Longer bars indicate better performance)
What You'll Pay
- Set Price Alert
