The Samsung NV8 is the younger sibling of the NV10 that we tested in October 2007. This is an 8 MP camera with 3x optical zoom, and looks and feels exactly like the NV10. The interface on the camera is simple to use, and is controlled by the touch sensitive buttons on either side of the screen. They’re easy to use, but take a little getting used to. The camera has a rough matte finish with a 2.5- inch screen.
Image quality is also very similar to the NV10. The clarity and crispness is there, and higher ISO levels give out a little grain in the image. The colours aren’t very vibrant; and have a washed look to them-especially in outdoor lighting. Indoor shooting is a different story altogether, and the NV8 seems to be better indoor then outdoors. You can get macro shots from up 4 cm away with good results. The video quality is good, and the same macro feature works for videos as well. Video resolutions are 640*480 and 320*240, and are saved as AVIs using MPEG4 codecs. The audio birate is 64 kbps, though the quality is nothing special.
Face detection and image stabilization are present as features, but image stabilization only kick in when you turn the mode knob to ASR (Advanced Shake reduction). If you use ASR for videos, a small area of the capture is cropped. This camera is pretty much the the NV10 with a lower MP rating. This average performing camera is priced at $350, and to be frank, there are better cameras available in the same price range.
