cheesecakeh wrote:So, Woot users, this is my first time considering purchasing a refurbished item.

What differences should I expect between a refurb'd and a new item?

Nothing, except the fact that it was returned to the manufacturer for some reason and it was reconditioned by either the manufacturer or a certified refurbishing company.

sneezix wrote:Use the TAXSUCKS coupon code and get free shipping.

I was on the fence until another $5 off! Thank you my friend!

Now that is a quality post!

cheesecakeh wrote:So, Woot users, this is my first time considering purchasing a refurbished item.

What differences should I expect between a refurb'd and a new item?

Warranty is the main difference. 90 days instead of a year. Other than that,and the fact it is usually not in the same fancy retail package as a new one there is very little difference.Oh, and sometimes the word refurbished is on the item and/or box, just in case you are thinking of giving it as a gift.

Love the 15x optical zoom!! Photographer friend told me, "optical is optimum"! Digital zoom just crops the picture to make it appear closer whereas optical zoom really zooms in for a real close up view!!

spacemart wrote:those pics should be crisper... I think I'll pass

They're pictures not graham crackers Geez!

Anyway, the images captured by the 30W (from wide all the way to telephoto) are more than satisfactory to anyone short of some obsessive pixel-peeper.

This is a Point-N-Shoot, not a DSLR with a large sensor, so certain characteristics of such a system must be taken into consideration.

MichaelSF wrote:Pardon this long post guys, but to me buying digital cameras is an important decision, so the more information the better to assure you won't be disappointed with your camera shots.

While I have used digital cameras since their debut back in 1998 for consumers, and I have a lot of them, I am a lousy photographer. I have had three beginner DSLR cameras too, but am simply too inept to take good pics.

So point & shoots are my preference and when I shop I heavily rely on other's opinions and reviews.

IMHO the best point & shoots are Canon's Powershot series. Feature for feature, durability and end product (pics), the Canon has always pleased me (starting with a Powershot S10 2.1MP I took to Europe in 1999).

When I saw this Woot I said "why not" since a man can't ever have enough digital cameras (added to my aesenal I would then have about 30 cameras. LOL).

This price point is great, especially for a Samsung (I have always liked Samsung products and am currently loving my T-Mobile Samsung Galaxy S cell phone, the Vibrant).

Alas, this review by a self-declared serious amateur convinced me to pass on it.

Just sayin. Your experience may differ.

I'll edit his review down to his main points.

Hope this helps in your buying decision.

Sidenote: Don't ever buy a camera based on megapixel rating alone.
____________________

After hours of research, I decided that this Samsung HZ30W was the camera to buy after directly comparing specifications between this, the Canon SX210 and the Panasonic ZS5.

I consider myself a serious amateur. I've owned 4 Canons from their SD line and a Canon DSLR.

I decided on the Samsung over Canon and Panasonic, that all have very similar specifications (for the things most important to me.) The Samsung is the smallest of the three and had a better flash reach and macro than the Canon and a better zoom than the Panasonic.

It ultimately came down to the fact that the Samsung was cheaper and smaller. I really like the lens on this camera. The wide angle is amazing; I can get so much more into my pictures.

The screen is large and very clear, and the buttons have a good lay out. I like the way it feels in my hands; it has an intuitive fit.

I like that the final image shows up on the LCD screen- with settings and all. (over/underexposure is immediately evident, can look at the picture in black and white...ect)

All of these features make it easy for a novice but still interesting for more advanced users.

There is only one problem. The picture quality is dismal. After being disappointed I decided to compare side-by-side the Samsung and my Canon SD850 (released in 2007).

I set both cameras up and started test shooting and 2GB [in photos]later there is no comparison.

In every single shot, the Samsung is grainy, definite lines bleed, and there is too much noise.

Sunlight, low light, flash, zoomed and unzoomed- the picture quality is terrible.

As soon as you start to zoom in on the photo these problems are evident.

I would not print anything this camera produces larger than a 4x6 format.

I really like this camera, but it ultimately comes down to image quality. This Samsung was put to shame by technology three years old [my old cameras].

If it were not for the noise, I would suspect the poor image quality is due to a bad JPEG compressor, because quality this poor should not have made it to market.

Maybe the refurbished cameras have fixed the problem mentioned in that review?

Armagedon wrote:Amazon

amazon lists the "Product Dimensions: 6 x 7 x 3 inches ; 2 pounds"; i really hope that's the product box, not the camera

dmeanea wrote:amazon lists the "Product Dimensions: 6 x 7 x 3 inches ; 2 pounds"; i really hope that's the product box, not the camera

That's for the entire shipped package, the camera itself weighs mere ounces.

Hapgood610 wrote:If you ever want to see photos from a particular camera - you can always type the camera model into Flickr and see what comes up. Here are Samsung's promotional shots:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/samsungzone/sets/72157623472578641/with/4772528049/

I'm not terribly impressed with the promotional photos. Lots of vignetting on the zoomed shot (which is common with large zoom cameras). I think the photos are perfectly fine for the price of the camera though.

I was pretty tempted to pick up one of these to go with my Panasonic LX3. It's an amazing camera - but only has a 2.5x zoom. Looking at the test shots, I think I will hold off.

In the market for something just like this! In for one! Thanks woot! Love my samsung cameras!

My husband and I are expecting our first baby in early December. We're amateurs and sick of our Cannon Elph. I'm checking out the site's you guys have posted (thanks for that), but do you think it would be a good 1st baby camera?

Thanks!

MichaelSF wrote:Pardon this long post guys, but to me buying digital cameras is an important decision, so the more information the better to assure you won't be disappointed with your camera shots.

While I have used digital cameras since their debut back in 1998 for consumers, and I have a lot of them, I am a lousy photographer. I have had three beginner DSLR cameras too, but am simply too inept to take good pics.

So point & shoots are my preference and when I shop I heavily rely on other's opinions and reviews.

IMHO the best point & shoots are Canon's Powershot series. Feature for feature, durability and end product (pics), the Canon has always pleased me (starting with a Powershot S10 2.1MP I took to Europe in 1999).

When I saw this Woot I said "why not" since a man can't ever have enough digital cameras (added to my aesenal I would then have about 30 cameras. LOL).

This price point is great, especially for a Samsung (I have always liked Samsung products and am currently loving my T-Mobile Samsung Galaxy S cell phone, the Vibrant).

Alas, this review by a self-declared serious amateur convinced me to pass on it.

Just sayin. Your experience may differ.

I'll edit his review down to his main points.

Hope this helps in your buying decision.

Sidenote: Don't ever buy a camera based on megapixel rating alone.
____________________

After hours of research, I decided that this Samsung HZ30W was the camera to buy after directly comparing specifications between this, the Canon SX210 and the Panasonic ZS5.

I consider myself a serious amateur. I've owned 4 Canons from their SD line and a Canon DSLR.

I decided on the Samsung over Canon and Panasonic, that all have very similar specifications (for the things most important to me.) The Samsung is the smallest of the three and had a better flash reach and macro than the Canon and a better zoom than the Panasonic.

It ultimately came down to the fact that the Samsung was cheaper and smaller. I really like the lens on this camera. The wide angle is amazing; I can get so much more into my pictures.

The screen is large and very clear, and the buttons have a good lay out. I like the way it feels in my hands; it has an intuitive fit.

I like that the final image shows up on the LCD screen- with settings and all. (over/underexposure is immediately evident, can look at the picture in black and white...ect)

All of these features make it easy for a novice but still interesting for more advanced users.

There is only one problem. The picture quality is dismal. After being disappointed I decided to compare side-by-side the Samsung and my Canon SD850 (released in 2007).

I set both cameras up and started test shooting and 2GB [in photos]later there is no comparison.

In every single shot, the Samsung is grainy, definite lines bleed, and there is too much noise.

Sunlight, low light, flash, zoomed and unzoomed- the picture quality is terrible.

As soon as you start to zoom in on the photo these problems are evident.

I would not print anything this camera produces larger than a 4x6 format.

I really like this camera, but it ultimately comes down to image quality. This Samsung was put to shame by technology three years old [my old cameras].

If it were not for the noise, I would suspect the poor image quality is due to a bad JPEG compressor, because quality this poor should not have made it to market.

The "review" you provided is contradicted by the DP Review, which has been referenced and linked for all to read. Unless you can link us to your "review", I'm going to accept DP Review's high grades on image quality instead of the comments you've summarized.

Full specs on product page list AEB (Auto Exposure Bracketing), making HDR images possible. The specs on the woot page say ARB, which a quick google search says has nothing to do with photography. Maybe a typo?

Anyways, I'm in for one. Now I can stop borrowing my dad's camera every other week!

Just bought a sweet Kodak 10 megapixel with 10x optical zoom for near as makes no difference the same price. This seems like a great deal.

I just wooted one. Why ? because I already own one and at this price, it is a steal.
I took the camera to the World Cup in South Africa and took over a 1000 pictures with it. While I am no pro, I was happy with the wide angle lens, 15 times optical zoom, manual controls and excellent video. It is slightly bulky (as are all mega zooms), and the menus are not intuitive. But spend a few minutes with the manual (reading it) and it is pretty easy to do the fiddeling you want to. Picture quality is decent and battery life reasonable. Samsung seems to have done their homework with this one.

I bought this same camera a couple months ago to take on a trip to Europe.

Pros: Quick startup, almost no shutter lag, great zoom and image stabilization, fairly compact.

Cons: If you take a 12MP picture, then open it up and look at the actual pixels, it's fairly poor quality. The face recognition feature could use some work too.

Overall: I'd definitely buy it at this price.

maeng9981 wrote:Nothing, except the fact that it was returned to the manufacturer for some reason and it was reconditioned by either the manufacturer or a certified refurbishing company.

dliidlii wrote:Warranty is the main difference. 90 days instead of a year. Other than that,and the fact it is usually not in the same fancy retail package as a new one there is very little difference.Oh, and sometimes the word refurbished is on the item and/or box, just in case you are thinking of giving it as a gift.

Alrighty, thanks, you guys. If they're still selling by the time I wake up, I'll be in for one.

I got me a new soul stealer.

I won't pretend to be anything near a camera expert. However, after a little research I bought this camera from Costco a few weeks ago. We have been extremely happy with it so far, I have taken some amazing pictures. We got ours for $160ish, but with a memory card. It really did seem like on of the better sub $200 cameras on the market. Again, I am not an expert, but we have gotten our moneys worth out of it.

dancingnancie wrote:My husband and I are expecting our first baby in early December. We're amateurs and sick of our Cannon Elph. I'm checking out the site's you guys have posted (thanks for that), but do you think it would be a good 1st baby camera?

Thanks!

Absolutely! It's no DSLR, but as point n shoot super-zooms go, it's a very solid choice, and at this price - It's Wooteriffic.

BTW - Congrats on the (pending) new addition.

Just contacted a Samsung agent and I found out that the HDMI tv-out cable is the regular HDMI type A to micro HDMI type D cable.

For those seeking a solid point n shoot camera, at an exceptionally low price, with an extremely versatile zoom range, this Samsung will be all they ever need/want.

dmeanea wrote:amazon lists the "Product Dimensions: 6 x 7 x 3 inches ; 2 pounds"; i really hope that's the product box, not the camera

Haha how could they let something like that slip. Obvious error.

maeng9981 wrote:Would it mute the mic while zooming during recording video? Because my Samsung SL720 does and it is really annoying.

The CNet UK review mentioned that. The HZ30W has a setting for it; you can set it to record video with sound, without sound, or without sound while zooming. (It's in the manual.)

This looks like a pretty decent point and shoot camera for the price. You're killing me, Woot.

csimmon1 wrote:at 15x its hard to get good clear picture without tripod

Monopods, sticks, even a string technique all work really well.

Oh My God, Crap!!!! Before, I couldn't decide between a Leica and Zeiss lens for my point and shoot. Now I have a Schneider option?!!?!? Oragutan Mating Guide!?!?!?!??!

This camera is very similar to the Samsung HZ35W, which did very well in DPReview's Compact Travel Zoom shootout. The only two differences are that this one doesn't have GPS (which the review said was dysfunctional anyway) or an AMOLED screen (which is too bad, since AMOLED offers reduced power consumption and much better visibility in bright sunlight compared to standard TFT LCD screens). I've been debating between the Samsung HZ35W and the Casio FH100, either of which would set me back nearly $300 new - and while I would really like the AMOLED screen, this is just too good a deal to pass up. In for one.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mOKQg80I-r4

i noticed while watching his zooming video

if someone were to try, this digital camera could peer into other people's condo's from a few blocks away to uh, see what they are watching on tv


not a bad lens, gotta admit
but yea this is a refirb? i dunno, depends how you personally feel about refirbs..

thats why its sooo damn cheap here versus other online sites

just keep that in mind

dancingnancie wrote:My husband and I are expecting our first baby in early December. We're amateurs and sick of our Cannon Elph. I'm checking out the site's you guys have posted (thanks for that), but do you think it would be a good 1st baby camera?

Thanks!

oh SO many things to say...
Not recommended you feed it to baby, first or otherwise..
however if you plan to stay really Really Far from the baby, that 15X zoom is going to be important!

zzax wrote:I won't pretend to be anything near a camera expert. However, after a little research I bought this camera from Costco a few weeks ago. We have been extremely happy with it so far, I have taken some amazing pictures. We got ours for $160ish, but with a memory card. It really did seem like on of the better sub $200 cameras on the market. Again, I am not an expert, but we have gotten our moneys worth out of it.

Costco will take stuff back .. just sayin'
$25 (or $30 with the TaxSucks coupon) will buy some pretty good memory cards on New Egg)

dliidlii wrote:It is being shipped to Washington and I believe Woot now charges tax on orders to TX,NY and WA.

Yep. Now that Amazon owns woot you will pay tax. Amazon is located in Seattle Wa. Off Rainer Blvd. In the hood of Seattle. Woot Woot!

It also records HD video. Here's a video of three different clips recorded on this model camera, stitched together via iMovie. Audio quality is decent - the three clips were recorded in very different acoustical environments, so you can get a pretty good idea of what it can do.

MOD: Fixed links. Don't use quotes around URL.

Blacksunshine420 wrote:Yep. Now that Amazon owns woot you will pay tax. Amazon is located in Seattle Wa. Off Rainer Blvd. In the hood of Seattle. Woot Woot!

yup now theres the tax added
yay for WA giving their residents some jobs
but boo to taxing us for it right back

stupid seattle
but i love this stupid place

DaHarder wrote:Absolutely! It's no DSLR, but as point n shoot super-zooms go, it's a very solid choice, and at this price - It's Wooteriffic.

BTW - Congrats on the (pending) new addition.

Thanks for the advice and congrats! Off to tell the hubby to get it on my way to bed. I've been waiting for something like this to pop up. Glad I didn't go nuts during the woot-off like I was tempted to.

Wyatt8 wrote:oh SO many things to say...
Not recommended you feed it to baby, first or otherwise..
however if you plan to stay really Really Far from the baby, that 15X zoom is going to be important!

Haha, I'll try to remember that it's not drool proof. I think we're in for one!

In for one.

Uhm... When did Woot start charging tax?! Is this Amazon's evil doing?!

What's so special about a lens made by a janitor?

dancingnancie wrote:Haha, I'll try to remember that it's not drool proof. I think we're in for one!

Yeah, seriously, this camera might be a little bit big for your soon to be newborn's tiny baby hands. Consider getting this for yourselves, and giving the smaller Canon Elph you no longer like to the baby. (Btw, I think it's wonderful that you're encouraging self-expression through photography in your children before they've even been born! If more parents did this, their babies wouldn't take up smoking and hanging out in pool halls in the terrible twos.)

MarcosElMalo wrote:Yeah, seriously, this camera might be a little bit big for your soon to be newborn's tiny baby hands. Consider getting this for yourselves, and giving the smaller Canon Elph you no longer like to the baby. (Btw, I think it's wonderful that you're encouraging self-expression through photography in your children before they've even been born! If more parents did this, their babies wouldn't take up smoking and hanging out in pool halls in the terrible twos.)

And don't name the kid Nathan Detroit! Would give a Whole New Meaning to, "The Oldest Established, Permanent Floating CRAP Game in New York!"

Is there any way to turn off the GPS? An option in the menu perhaps? Or are you stuck with it, for good or evil?