By Claire Reilly
Samsung has showed off its new mid-range connected camera for the first time in Australia today, unveiling the Wi-Fi enabled WB250F compact camera, which forms part of the brand's new Smart Camera 2.0 range.
The Smart Camera 2.0 line-up includes seven newly released devices — originally launched at the 2013 International CES in Las Vegas — each offering Wi-Fi connectivity and features such as Samsung's proprietary AllShare Play technology, quick photo sharing and the ability to use a smartphone as a remote viewfinder, thanks to Samsung's Smart Camera App.
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These features were demonstrated today in the new WB250F, which also includes features such as in-camera photo editing, photo and video filters, a "Best Face" shooting mode that allows users to capture the best shot of individual photo subjects and Smart shooting modes such as Light Trace, Silhouette shooting and Action Freeze.
According to Craig Gillespie, Samsung Electronics Australia's business unit manager for digital imaging, these connected features have previously been seen on higher end cameras but are now trickling down to more affordable devices, turning Samsung's range into "a real family of cameras".
"Everything we're releasing, from the $149 price point up, is going to be connected," he said.
"The whole point of a Smart camera is not just that it's wireless, it allows you to share, it allows you to save and it allows you to control the camera. They're basically the three points and advantages of a wireless camera."
Gillespie also emphasised that these three key points — share, save and control — also make for an easy message for retailers to share with consumers on the shop floor when they're selling Samsung digital cameras.
To drive these messages home, Gillespie emphasised that the WB250F Smart Camera, as well as all the new cameras in Samsung's line-up, will be supported by an extensive marketing campaign that will kick off in April. The campaign will be emphasising not only the traditional touchpoints of image quality and ease of use, but also the range's connectivity features.
The WB250F will be available from mid-April for RRP $279.
Samsung's new Smart camera range brings connectivity to the point and shoot market.