Samsung Maxima Zoom 105XL QD Point and Shoot

Samsung Maxima Zoom 105XL QD Point and Shoot 

DESCRIPTION

Award-winning compact power-zoom camera. Power Zoom Camera. "Intelligent" 38-145mm Schneider Lens that operates in Switchable Panorama, "Fuzzy", Portrait or Step Modes. Packed with features both professionals and beginners can use.

USER REVIEWS

Showing 1-10 of 16  
[May 16, 2007]
Jody
Casual

Strength:

Inexpensive, reasonable zoom capability, takes great pictures!

Weakness:

Use is not intuitive, need the manual to decipher display icons. Manual is no longer available on Samsung's website.

I've had this camera for more than 10 years and I love it. It is an excellent choice for a person who wants good versatility without the expense (and learning curve) associated with "professional quality" cameras. I took it on vacation to England and came home with postcard-quality photos. It is true that you may end up with out-of-focus pictures if you don't use the correct settings; hence my dismay that I've lost my instruction manual. I have never used the Panorama function, so I can't say how well that works. The only mechanical problem I've had with this camera was trouble getting the automatic lens cover to close after dropping the unit on the beach, a repair which I was able to make myself. I would have given this camera 5 stars overall if I didn't have to refer to the instruction manual quite so often.

OVERALL
RATING
4
VALUE
RATING
5
[Jan 10, 2003]
Doug
Intermediate

Strength:

Relatively inexpensive, light, stylish.

Weakness:

Cheaply made. Poor design in film loading mechanism. Poor control of light and focusing in close-ups. Identical premature failures of film advance mechanism in over half owned. Case backs had to be replaced on two units. Failure occurred out-of-warranty. These cameras have a very short half-life(about 20 rolls, by my experiences), about the warranty period.

My family has owned 5 of the older black Maxima Zoom 105QD models, most of which are five or more years old. None was used extensively. One is still working and has run about 20 rolls to date, but has always had a light leak in zoom mode. Three have stopped operation entirely by failure of the film advance and shutter mechanism, unrelated to battery problems. One camera was stolen (we hope the thief gets what's undoubtedly coming). Therefore, I rate the camera at one star, since only one of five purchased works for me now. I will never buy another Samsung camera.

Similar Products Used:

Recently bought a Nikon P&S to replace one of the failed Samsungs.

OVERALL
RATING
1
VALUE
RATING
1
[Oct 26, 2001]
m
Casual

Strength:

nice feel, easy to load the film.

Weakness:

blurry pics from time to time

I have had this camera for @ 6-7 yrs. It has been a pretty decent camera for the most part. When I had it about 2 yrs, I took it on vacation to the beach, and it misted up on me in high tide. Ended up sending for repairs, which cost me @ $65. Worked okay as long as I kept it away from the ocean. Recently in the last 3-4 months, It will only take a picture when the zoom lens is NOT zoomed out. Bummer for me since I like the zoom. I haven''t sent for repair, because it will probably be cheaper for me to replace w/ a new one instead of repairing.

Customer Service

used 1 time. needs to be repaired, but not going to bother. cheaper to get a new camera

Similar Products Used:

None

OVERALL
RATING
3
VALUE
RATING
3
[May 28, 2000]
Edwin
Intermediate
Model Reviewed: Maxima Zoom 105XL QD

Strength:

None, unless you count looks/price.

Weakness:

Everything. Unless you use it in fuzzy mode, all pictures are out of focus. I have had the camera for 10 months, and have yet to take a normal picture. The problem is that all pictures look like they have sand on them. You can see this issue when there is alot of white in the picture. Used it first time on vacation in canada, lesson learned, only take a proven camera on a trip.

Piece of crap.

Customer Service

Sent an e-mail, waiting for response.

Similar Products Used:

Yashica, kicks samsung.

OVERALL
RATING
1
VALUE
RATING
1
[May 22, 2000]
P F
Casual
Model Reviewed: Maxima Zoom 105XL QD

Strength:

its really cute i love all the features it offers and everything goes pretty well.

Weakness:

none so far

it's a good camera and u wont find one so cheap with such a great zoom and all these features.

Customer Service

none

Similar Products Used:

kodak 110

OVERALL
RATING
5
VALUE
RATING
5
[Mar 25, 2000]
Linda Lummis
Intermediate
Model Reviewed: Maxima Zoom 105XL QD

Strength:

This camera was nice and light to carry around.

Weakness:

The zoom stopped working right in the middle of a trip. A lot of the features it has were too complicated to figure out even with the manual.

Never ever buy this camera. Very disappointing and no service seems to be available

Customer Service

Can not seem to find anyone that can work on it sooo after owning it for about 6 months it is completely useless.

Similar Products Used:

Pentax K-1000, Nikon F3HP, Nikon ZXM

OVERALL
RATING
1
VALUE
RATING
1
[Oct 18, 2000]
Randie Taylor
Intermediate

Strength:

This camera is loaded with features that I have not found available in combination on any other camera that is in this size or price range. I have owned this camera since 1997 and I have had NO problems with dependability or performance. I have taken in excess of 3000 photos in every lighting condition imaginable and have achieved great results when using the proper settings as described in the user's manual. GREAT price,versatility, and dependability has made this camera my favorite.

Weakness:

Some of the instructions in the user's guide should be more specific and purpose detailed. Though not impossible to comprehend, this camera should not be purchased by anyone who is not willing to experiment with all of the features. The instruction manual will be mandatory for the first few months of use. A quality tripod is also mandatory for using many of the features that this is capable of.

I would recommend this camera to anyone who has a good basic understanding of photography a the features which will best suit their needs. This is not a camera for a first-time user and will prove to be more aggravation than enjoyment if it is purchased by a user looking for a "point and shoot" camera. Clean photos in a variety of conditions and almost endless possibilities of feature applications make this a great camera at a great price and one you will enjoy for years to come.

Customer Service

I can happily say that I have had no reason to contact anyone in this department in the soon-to-be 4 years I have owned this camera.

Similar Products Used:

Canon,Pentax,Kodak

OVERALL
RATING
4
VALUE
RATING
4
[Dec 11, 2000]
Piers Hendrie
Intermediate

Strength:

Used for 5 years, one of the few P&S cameras with a ton of features for those that want them. Bulb, bulb w/flash, EV adjustments, multiple exposures on a frame, etc. This is a robust camera -- I've broken two ribs on it! One skiing (don't carry it in your pocket!), and one mountain biking. I've crashed a lot with this camera and it's never jammed, never leaked light, never messed up, etc.

Weakness:

Ok, on the last crash on my mountain bike, I did crack the display, so now it's hard to read (see customer service) and tell what mode it's in.

Creat for those that want more control. Like I said, mine (the 1995 model) is robust -- so I'm pretty confident the zoom mechanics are well designed. And it's never taken an out-of-focus picture for me. And that infinity lock button positioned just right for your left hand is great for shooting through windows! I love my Maxima Zoon 105. Too bad I broke the display.

Customer Service

Great -- free replacement manual, so now I know how many button pushes to get it in the right mode! They can't send me a new LCD panel, though...

Similar Products Used:

Olympus Stylus Epic

OVERALL
RATING
5
VALUE
RATING
5
[Jan 08, 2001]
Ron Kaercher
Casual

Strength:

None

Weakness:

Most photographs were out of focus, even when using Fuzzy mode. Shots using zoom were not crisp in the loosest sense of the word!

Don't waste your money. While I'm not a pro, from this type of camera I expect to be able to point and shoot and end up with decent pictures. Not with this camera!

Similar Products Used:

Olympus Stylus Epic

OVERALL
RATING
1
VALUE
RATING
1
[Jun 06, 2001]
Kay Hutchinson
Casual

Strength:

Easy to use and great lightweight camera. I'm only 15 and its a great little camera for parties and hanging out with friends. I use it skiing and mountain biking and it's a very durable camera.

Weakness:

None that I have come across. I have gotten a few blurry pictures back, but usually only one or two a roll, and that's just the user.

Very good camera for everyday use and trips. Dependable, a monkey could use this camera and get good results.

Customer Service

I haven't had any problems so I haven't tried.

Similar Products Used:

Minolta

OVERALL
RATING
5
VALUE
RATING
5
Showing 1-10 of 16  

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