Samsung s850, owners opinion?

Hi all,

found this nicely equiped camera, but have few questions, as no review and no photos to look in internet

I understand, that sharpness and resolution of this camera are ok,so the following issue:

1.Color rendition (no PP, direct from camera), is it good? How you would compare to Canon/Nikon?
2.How fast is focus, how would you compare it to other brands?
3.How reliable is focus in low light?
4.Red somewhere, that focus is bad when zoom in, is it true?
5.Noise at high ISO, is it acceptable (regardings to color degradation)?
6.How many pictures using rechargable batteries can be taken?

thanks in advance

Bohdan, CP 3100

Own both Canon A710 and S850

S850 Pro
-better image quality in high iso (from 200 up)
-better video format (mpg4)
-tripod screw is metallic
-closer macro capability
-generally focus speed is adequate

Canon A710 pro
-Better wider and lengthy lens (Canon 35-210) x (S850 38-190)
-less chromatic aberration
-focus quicker in low light.
-In low light sometimes can focus and s850 can't
-a lot better interface

-can see histogram in Play mode, although not in real time (S850 doesn't have any histogram)
-can use acessories (filter , lenses, underwater, etc.)
-faster shot to shot time, although S850 is not bad

S850 worsts
-doesn't have real IS. ASR is unusefull
-doesn't allow to choose flash power in any mode

-flash only works correctly with A or P. With S, A and M always came dark photos.

-annoying large message LOW LIGHT blocks a large part of the screen (if you have a camera with advanced options probably you should know what you are doing)

• 3 dead pixels just out of the box

If Samsung or hackers fix firmware with those point's this will improve a lot the S850 (although still without real IS).

I personally like more the pictures from the S850 and now I am using it more than the A710.

claudio rio said:

If Samsung or hackers fix firmware with those point's this will
improve a lot the S850 (although still without real IS).

Click to expand...

Hackers do their job more better then Samsung

Good news:

• It is possible to enable RAW and histogram over the service menu.

Bad news:

• RAW in Samsung native format is not fully decodable yet

how do I enable the service menu on the Samsung S850. I found nothing on the Google Search

Hello SARS

I also would like to know how to access the service menu and can't find anything on the internet in english.

I guess you found it in another language.

Please tell us how to do it.

Thanks

c1dbr said:

Hello SARS

I also would like to know how to access the service menu and can't
find anything on the internet in english.

I guess you found it in another language.

Please tell us how to do it.

Thanks

Click to expand...

Hello again!

You are right about source of this info.
Solution was find on russian hardware forum iXBT.com
It based on service manual for s850

For numerous requests I place the instructions:

Installation of RAW:

1. Pass into the technological menu acoording to Service of manual of s850 (SD- card is possible not to take out):

• retain buttons “menu ok” and “T/W” in “T”;
• press the button of survey mode.

2. In the of technological menu mode press the button of survey mode.

3. In the opened menu press three times button “right” (delay of shutter release) and two times “down” (macro) - is illuminated the point “histo/Raw”.
4. Press “menu ok” -> press “left” (flash) -> press “menu ok”.
5. Press “right” (delay of shutter release) - is permitted the mode “histo/Raw”.

6. Press two times “down” (macro) - select the point “RAW TYPE”, two times (possible 2 either 3) press “right” (delay of shutter release) - select mode “RAW TYPE " of =00..02 or 00..03, press “menu ok”.
7. Turn off camera - press “Power”.
8. We obtain JPG+RAW.

Hint image: http://forum.ixbt.com/post.cgi?id=attach:20:21728:1349:1

Service manual (4 parts) is avaliable on this fileshare service:

http://upload.com.ua/file/900148829/
http://upload.com.ua/file/900148827/
http://upload.com.ua/file/900148826/
http://upload.com.ua/file/900148828/

Also there is a S850 firmware Upgrade(.elf) and Samsung EEPROM Tool in this archive:

http://upload.com.ua/file/900326262/

EEPROM Tool allows to read, to correct and to write the system tuning of camera. And gives access to the hidden disk. To use this tool is necessary to change USB mode to NG in the service menu of camera. Then Windows detects the new device (drivers at the archive with the the tool). Several pictures about using of samsung EEPROM tool exists into the service manual. At the end of tool using it is necessary to return USB to the old mode.

BIG WARNING!!!

You execute any experiments at your own risk! Some people have problems with thoughtless actions. Do backup first!

P.S. RAW converter will be avaliable soon...

Thanks for postin about the S850 RAW mode...unfortunately I have failed to enable it... and my Russian is poor!

Has anyone here been able to enable this....maybe I cannot follow the instructions properly as I cannot get in to any service menu modes.

Phil Loughran said:

Thanks for postin about the S850 RAW mode...unfortunately I have
failed to enable it... and my Russian is poor!

Has anyone here been able to enable this....maybe I cannot follow the
instructions properly as I cannot get in to any service menu modes.

Click to expand...

Hm, may be this happens because my English is poorer than your Russian

So retain = keep in previous message. Try again or read service manual if your Chinese more better than two other languages

For happy men who already unlock RAW service menu - S850 RAW converter:
http://files.mail.ru/6F1EUR
With Russian GUI

Hello SARS

Thank you for posting the instructions. I often visit the digit-life website which, I think, is an english translation of iXBT

I did succeed in getting into the service menu, by following your instructions, so I will explain in different words in case it helps those who failed.

Hold the ZOOM paddle in the T position, at the same time press and hold the MENU OK button. While holding both of them, press the PLAY MODE button.

Then the camera shows the firmware version 00.7300A plus various status OK records.

I haven't tried anything else yet.

It wasn't my poor Russian, or a problem with any translation...it was me being stupid!

I thought I had to press menu and telephoto...then turn the camera on and then...after that I tried to press the playback review button...THIS IS WRONG....

You dont have to press power, because if you hold menu+up zoom (T) and after that press the playback button the camera powers up into the technical diagnostic screens.

THANK YOU for posting this. I note it also works with the S85 as well...but no Histogram is displayed when enabling it.

Hi,

During DNG format description search, author of s850 raw convertor found another software which can convert s850 RAW to DNG:

(If you want you can donate this man, thanking for his work by several WMZ - Z423493650852)
Download link:
http://e2500.narod.ru/raw2dng/raw2dng_v0.16.6.2.7z .
For s850 you need to add in raw2nef.ini this string:
16098048, 0, 3254, 2448, 7, 6576, 16, 2, S850

After conversion you can open DNG with Adobe Photoshop with plugin Adobe DNG Converter( C:\Program Files\Adobe\Adobe Photoshop CS3\Plug-Ins\File Formats must be present file - Camera Raw.8bi).

This is sample photos from RAW:
http://fotki.yandex.ru/users/dmitrybykoff/album/48748/

Good Luck!

Hello SARS

Thank you for posting the raw2dng information. Since you posted the instructions on enabling raw on the S850, I have been looking for a tool that would do this, but my searches didn't find it.

The DNG files, that raw2dng produces, are opened correctly by several programs that I have on my PC: Silkypix, FDRtools and ImageMagick. So they really are useful.

There is an english guide on http://e2500.narod.ru/raw2dng_e.htm

The only disadvantage with having raw enabled on the camera is that it adds about 2 seconds to the shot-to-shot time.

The camera seems to write the raw file to the memory card first, then process the JPEG image. But it is easy enough to turn on and off, when this would be a problem.

I don't yet know whether having raw enabled would interfere with any of the camera's other functions.

This really is interesting - enabling RAW-Mode on my S85 worked flawlessly, although histogram can't be seen anywhere despite being enabled, too. Now I really would love to have the chance to enable RAW on my NV7, because this is the model which probably could benefit most of this feature. So who is the first to hack the NV7? ;-)

Flans said:

This really is interesting - enabling RAW-Mode on my S85 worked
flawlessly, although histogram can't be seen anywhere despite being
enabled, too. Now I really would love to have the chance to enable
RAW on my NV7, because this is the model which probably could benefit
most of this feature. So who is the first to hack the NV7? ;-)

Click to expand...

NV7 may not have a traditional service menu like S1050, which very similar to S850 in functionality, but quite different in tuning process. S1050 uses some type of batch scripts for changing system settings. It has not deep investigation for now.

SARS said:

Flans said:

This really is interesting - enabling RAW-Mode on my S85 worked
flawlessly, although histogram can't be seen anywhere despite being
enabled, too. Now I really would love to have the chance to enable
RAW on my NV7, because this is the model which probably could benefit
most of this feature. So who is the first to hack the NV7? ;-)

Click to expand...

NV7 may not have a traditional service menu like S1050, which very
similar to S850 in functionality, but quite different in tuning
process. S1050 uses some type of batch scripts for changing system
settings. It has not deep investigation for now.

Click to expand...

Thanks for your reply! So you already took a look at the S1050? The NV7 has some kind of service menu, where you could update the firmware etc., if only there would be an enhanced one. But unfortunately that's all I discovered until now. Do you have the chance to play around with a NV7 (or some other NV-model)?

Hi-

Does anyone know if / where the files linked in the original post are still available?
Thanks!

Rafael