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Image quality from the Samsung PL120 is good , considering the price point of the camera. Colours are recorded realistically in most situations and the only time we had a problem with discolouration was when going over ISO800. At that point dark and mid range tones take on a green tone to them.
In good, even light we found that noise isn't a problem on many occasions, even at ISO400 which is generally a benchmark for losing image quality from a digital compact cameras. However in normal shooting circumstances, we found that the noise reduction system often has to work overtime even at ISO80. That's not to say that the camera always struggled, in fact it was sporadic. There didn't seem to be a routine occasion that it happened.
Pressing the down arrow on the navigation pad enables macro focusing as close as 5cm. That's quite standard for a camera at this level and price range, but the pictures that it produces are great. We got consistently sharp and well exposed pictures in all, but low light conditions.
All the pictures we took have balanced and generally accurate exposures. The camera even turned up a few surprises by exposing really well in tricky conditions such as with backlit subjects or with reflections in the frame.
We tested the digital filters in a variety of scenarios and we like the more creative ones such as sketch and half tone. We also liked the subtle blurring of the frame in the miniature mode unlike the extreme (by comparison) blurring on the WB700. A word of caution when using these modes, some of them will reduce the resolution and there's no warning that it's happening.
We really like the pictures that we got from the PL120. They're sharp, punchy and well exposed. We did find that we preferred to under expose by a third of a stop but it was only to darken blue skies a bit and you may find that this isn't your own preference.
