Back in November 2009 I was doing my usual evening routine of surfing the Internet and working on some client sites when my wife suddenly called me over with much excitement in her voice. “I want that camera” she told me.

She was obviously talking about the first digital camera in the world with dual LCD screens, a large 3.5″ touch sensitive LCD at the back and a smaller 1.5″ LCD perfect for that self portraits. That next weekend we set out to the stores to try and get hold of one of these good looking cameras, but after driving around for almost the whole day and several phone calls it was obvious that nobody either stocked it or knew about it.

After a few weeks I got hold of Samsung JoinTheClique via twitter and they got hold of one for me at the Samsung Store in Canal Walk. BTW you can stand a chance to win one of these ST550 cameras by joining their Facebook page or following them on twitter.

Right after buying the ST550 camera we headed to the closest store to go buy some AA batteries, but upon opening the box I soon discovered that the ST550 does not make use of disposable batteries but has its own battery. Another thing I instantly noticed is that the ST550 made use of a microSD card so all the normal SD cards I had was pretty useless, lucky for me the ST550 came with a 2GB microSD card included.

Features

As well as the dual LCD screens, the ST550 also boasts a 12 mega pixel sensor with 4.6x optical zoom that is also optical stabilised to avoid camera shake. The large 3.5″ LCD screen on the back of the ST550 is touch sensitive, which enabled Samsung to remove all physical buttons ensuring for a larger than normal LCD screen. The front LCD screen is almost invisible to the eye until you turn it on, it also has a child mode that displays pictures to ensure your child’s attention is where is should be to take that beautiful picture. The ST550 also boasts smile detection and face detection capabilities which enables you to let the camera take photos automatically when it picks up smiles or enabled it to focus on recognised faces.

Design

When it comes to looks the Samsung ST550 is a real stunner. Dressed in glossy black with a vibrant coloured lip in various colours it looks really sexy, the wife decided on the purple one.

With the missing buttons on the back it makes it a little bit more difficult figuring out where all the settings is located on the touch screen. But once you actually sat down and read the instruction manual navigating the touch screen menus is a real breeze. As with any touch screen greasy finger marks are always visible on the screen and you will find yourself time and again wiping it clean, same goes for the glossy black finish on the front. The screen is really huge using 95% of the available space on the back of the ST550 and that makes it worth dealing with the clean wiping now and again.

The front LCD as mentioned is invisible to the eye until turned on, turning the screen on however can be bit of struggle if you have bigger fingers with the small menu buttons on the touch screen. Here Samsung could have opted for a double tap on the front screen functionality rather than going through the menus on the back.

Performance and Image Quality

The ST550 has with its 12 mega pixel lens offers produces good quality images but not the best for a 12 mega pixel camera, and the the lens could have been made a little wider as taking self portraits you often struggle to get all the faces in.

When it comes to battery life I really did expect a bit more, because of the special battery included with the ST550 you must ensure that your camera is on charge every time you are not using it as the battery life can’t keep up with a full days shooting. Charging can also be a bit of a hassle as the charge cable is really short, however you can charge the camera not only via the wall but also via USB.

When it comes to video the ST550 is capable of capturing 720p, HD Ready, videos at 30 frames per second with mono sound. Unfortunately you cant use the front LCD to capture self portrait videos.

Value for money

When it comes to price, the ST550  is certainly not the cheapest camera out there. Going for around R3,500.00 you would think that you are paying for both LCD screens and not two screens for the price of one. Good news is that there is a lower end model available, the ST500, retailing for about a R1000 cheaper and the only difference according to Samsung JoinTheClique on twitter is a smaller LCD screen, 0.5″ to be exact.

Regardless of the high price I would still say that the ST550 has a kind of fair price for the features is boasts.

Conclusion

There is a few things Samsung could have done better on the ST550, however the ST550 is a true showcase of innovation from Samsung thanks to its dual LCD screens.

With smile detection, blink detection, face recognition as well as a image editing mode where you can modify the photos you already took, the ST550 is a real 21st century camera and the first in its class. I would highly recommend the ST550 just because of its front LCD screen and the fact that it has smile recognition. This camera is really a ladies camera and its showing as my wife is really enjoying the ST550 and taking pictures with it.

The ST550 gets two thumbs up from me.

You can get more info on the features and specifications of the ST550 here

Everybody must have by now seen the advertisements on TV about the great new digital camera from Samsung called the ST550.

The Samsung ST550 is the first digital camera to offer users dual LCD screens. One at the back like conventional cameras and a smaller one in front useful for self portraits.

Now this is all great and with it being advertised on TV you would have thought that it would be easy to get your hands on one, wrong.

The first time my wife saw the advert of the Samsung ST550 she wanted to get one ASAP, so we decided to go out one Saturday morning and scout the local mall for the beauty just to return empty handed.

We visited Game, Makro, Dion Wired, Hifi Corporation, several camera dealers and even Incredible Corruption just to find that they do not stock the ST550 or they have never even heard of it. Upon arrival at home I set out to phone several stores to hear if maybe one of their other branches stock the Samsung ST550, but no, the answer being we don’t stock it and there is no plans to get it in aswell.

After phoning every possible store that sells electronics in the greater Cape Town area I decided to phone Samsung electronics as they are the manufacturer of the ST550 and should at least have an idea who sells their product. But no, the person on the other end could not give me a clear indication of who sells the ST550 digital camera but gave me some names of stores that do sell Samsung cameras. These stores where mainly the ones I mentioned above that either had no clue of the ST550 or just did not have any plans to sell it.

Now my question to Samsung is how can you advertise a product, even with a free 2GB memory card, but nobody has the bloody thing in stock? I would appreciate I someone from Samsung can get into contact with me regarding the ST550 and where I can get one. Even if you are a online supplier and can get your hands on one I would also really appreciate it, as I did search the web and could only find a few overseas sites selling the ST550 but I would rather avoid importing one myself.

Features

Now let me share some features of the Samsung ST550 with you.

• Surefire portraits with Dual LCD – The ST550′s breakthrough 1.5″ Front LCDSelf Portrait of you and your friends without leaving anyone left out to hold the camera. The Front LCD also features Children Mode for fun, engaging, and simple animation that captures those special expressions only kids can make. Ensure your timing is always perfect with the built-in Self Timer, improve your chances for great results with Shutter and Function Information, and you’ll be ready to shoot in any situation.
• A Touch screen with clear feedback – What could be more useful than seeing every detail in brilliant 1,152K High Resolution before you take your first shot? How about the ST550′s vibration and audio feedback technology that reacts to your touch? After all, you don’t want any of life’s special moments to pass you by. And with the ST550′s super clear 800 x 480 display and innovative Haptic sensor technology, your camera will let you know what you’re doing with every click, swish and hum of the controls.
• See deeper, go wider, get closer with the ST550 – Have it all, literally, with the ST550. From its all inclusive 27mm Schneider-KREUZNACH wide angle lens to its up close and personal 4.6X optical zoom, you’ll capture more fun out of every moment and relive each detail with artistic depth and perspective, and with absolute ease. Plus, with a healthy 12.2 mega pixels of superb clarity, the ST550 delivers sharper detail from every birthday cake, natural wonder, or front row seat view than you ever thought possible. Get the most out of life with the ST550.
• Tilt it, gesture it, and you’ll control it – Tilt it to one side, and the ST550′s Smart Gesture UI will start the perfect slide show without a single touch! With the ST550′s built-in Acceleration Sensor, your gestures work as your commands. Manage camera functions, rotate or delete photos, create special slide shows and more…all without lifting a finger.
• Just what you had in mind – You see the image you want in your head. You point the ST550. And Smart Auto sees it too. This scene recognition technology actually chooses from 16 different settings ranging from landscape to portrait automatically. 
  Then adjusts for the perfect shot. Whether it’s catching your friends on a night on the town or a waterfall off a mountain. What you get is exactly what you had in mind. Plus all the credit.
• It knows you, and gets your best side – The ST550 isn’t just smart in design. With its Smart Face recognition technology, the ST550 creates brilliance with every snap. And keeps it that way. By knowing up to 20 of your friends and family, it automatically focuses on them first, making sure the most important subjects are always in crystal clarity. And since the ST550 never forgets a face, you can also browse more efficiently by the people you’ve registered.
• HD quality video – If you prefer still shots to movies but want to leave your options open (and leave your camcorder at home) the ST550 is right for you. You’ll get 720p HD quality video at 30 frames per second. And a recording time that’s 4X longer than MJPEG video. You even can use the 4.6X Zoom to get up close and vividly personal. And when things get dicey, you can even pause your recording. You’ll give up nothing, except carrying around that extra camera.

This is just a few nice features the Samsung ST550 posseses, for a more detailed look at all the ST550′s features head on over to the official Samsung Page.