I bought this camera in ASDA at the incredible price of £75 in a gorgeous chrome silver colour (pictured). I am probably one of the most indecisive shoppers around, so when it came to buying a digital camera, I was thoroughly confused by the choice and newly released technology, meaning every week a new camera with more mega pixels and better zoom and a toaster built in was released! This certainly does not making chosing easy!

Well, thanks to the advice of the very helpful assistant in ASDA, I was able to finally decide on the Samsung ES55 and have no regrets! Ok, so how do you chose the right camera for you? It's all about accepting there is SO much variety but making sure you know what you want, that way you can really trim down the choice. Also, pick a reliable brand and as I have been informed, Samsung are one of the best. I had originally set my sights on the Sony Cybershot W270 camera, which I tried in Tesco to find it had truely excellent picture quality (a 12MP and a price tag of nearly £200, this might be expected!) However, it's very difficult to get a feel for a camera in the forgiving settings of a store- there is always perfect light conditions and it's easy to get a good picture. So, why didn't I buy this model? Well, I was told that Sony (although I still believe them to be a good make), are not only very expensive, but use a lot of parts from other manufacturers, so whilst you are paying for a Sony product, you may be buying a Fujifilm lense (you get the idea). Not to mention, I couldn't really afford a Sony, although I had been willing to make exceptions. However, I was advised that perhaps, unless I was a professional photographer planning to blow pictures up to A1/A2 size, I would not notice the difference compared to a cheaper model with slightly less megapixels. Thus, I was directed towards the 10MP Samsung ES55.

I had wanted something with excellent picture quality that I could use in low light conditions, taking pictures in clubs and indoors. I would also use the camera to take pictures for my business. But, more poignantly, I needed something cheap! I'm pretty broke and I had expected to fork out quite a lot for a quality camera to meet my requirements. I'm also quite interested in art, so as a hobby, had intended on taking up a bit of photography. When buying a camera, it would be helpful to make a list of your primary needs and budget and see what falls into your category. I was told this would be the Samsung.

Sorry if I am droning on at this stage, but I really do think the performance of a camera is heavily reliant on your requirements for that camera and this is a serious consideration. Whilst this camera greatly suits my needs, it may not suit yours, so please think about this before comitting to buy.

At this point, I was interested in the Samsung and after being wowed by it's low price-tag and the offer to return it should it not meet the performance I had expected, I was sold. My first impressions was only of its appearance (you cannot try cameras out in ASDA). The front is solid metal casing, whilst the back is more plasticy, with a large screen and directional buttons. This was my first and last worry about this camera- I'm clumsy and I didn't want to break the device by dropping it and shattering the apparently fragile back cover. However, I have nothing to worry about. I have had this camera for a few months now and it's a good, solid piece of equipment. However, I invested in a case for all of £3 and it's payed for itself, protecting the LCD screen as well as the camera. Highly recommended! I keep my camera mostly at home, so it doesn't have too hard a life bashing around in my bag or getting wet in the rain, so I couldn't tell you about those conditions, but I can say, take care of this camera and it will last well (so far!).

I'm not a massive tech-head and I have no patience at all, but I was able to use this camera without reading the instructions (which are well laid out, should I have not been so lazy). Just point and shoot, so easy! You will need to buy an sd (memory) card and since this camera has video function, I would recommend (again depending on your planned usage) getting a 4GB memory card for video. I have a 1GB sd card so far and have been able to store well over 100 pictures on it, but I regularly upload them onto my computer, which is no chore as you simply plug it in. Easy peasy.

I know I have rambled on loads by now and you are probably weary of reading my review, so I'll summarise with a few points on performance. This camera has EXCELLENT software, SO easy to use with so many functions. There is a beauty mode where you can retouch pictures (girlies be grateful!) and various other functions which you can find on the website (I'll try to link this in later). Pictures are pefecto nearly every time, just point and shoot! The most helpful feature I have found so far is the zoom. Not before taking a picture, but after. Ever had that flash reflecting off a surface (grr) when taking pics of shiny things? Well, stand a little further away and take the picture (don't worry about getting surroundings in, this can be trimmed later). Then use the zoom (+ button at the top rigth) to zoom into the desired area with surprising definition and trim! Ace.

Oh and another thing, recharging this camera is lemon-squeezy, since you just plug it in via the USB/ mains charger. Battery life is great and apparently outsmarts AAA battery cameras hands down (I have only had to charge my camera a few times since I got it).

Please have a butchers at this website to see the specs I promised: http://www.cameras.co.uk/specs/samsung-es55.cfm

Ok, I think I got everything. I did write a longer review but argh pressed the back button! If I think of anything else, I'll add it on later!

Extras:

Child mode to enable quick pictures (e.g. children/ pets who are always scrambling out of shot!);
Fast shutter speed and flash charge.