Alternatives to the Samsung Galaxy Camera

One of the highlights at the IFA this year was Samsung’s Galaxy Camera running on Google’s Android Jelly Bean. The South Korean company decided to take on its Japanese rival, Nikon (who already launched the S800c running on Android), with its nifty product that makes on-the-spot sharing a breeze. The Galaxy Camera is all about seamless connectivity with options for both 3G and Wi-Fi, combined with the Android 4.1 Jelly Bean. It lets you back up all your photos directly to the cloud so that you don’t have to worry about storage space on the device and also shoot and share in real-time. You can indulge in the 21x long zoom, 16 megapixel sensor and also record slow motion videos. All this can be easily viewed on its large 4.8-inch touchscreen display. One glance at the Galaxy Camera’s spec sheet and you will instantly realise that ‘you don’t need to go back and connect the camera to a computer to share photos.’ Just click and share it instantly, it’s that simple. The Galaxy Camera has been launched in India for a whopping Rs 29,900. Now the question is – is it worth the price? Well, this depends on what you are looking for in a camera. Just so you know your options before making a buying decision, we found some point and shoot cameras bundled with connectivity options.

Nikon Coolpix S800c – Rs 20,000

Android-based camera from Nikon

This Android-based alternative to the Galaxy Camera from Nikon also combines Google’s Android OS with instant connectivity. The Nikon Coolpix S800c features a similar 16 megapixel sensor, 10x optical zoom and support for Wi-Fi. The S800c is fuelled by a Cortex-A9 processor and 4GB RAM, and runs on Android 2.3.3 Gingerbread. The 3.5-inch touchscreen display lets you view photos and allows instant sharing of the photos on social networks like Google+, Facebook and Twitter. All this can be done sans wires using Android apps and Wi-Fi. The GPS functionality lets you tag the exact location of the photo and one can also shoot full HD videos. Click here for the complete specs. The Nikon S800c is available at price points varying between Rs 19,000 and Rs 20,000.

Canon IXUS 240 HS - Rs 15,995

Feature-packed, connectivity at lower price

The next contender is the Canon IXUS 240 HS with Wi-Fi capability for sharing images on-the-go. Using the IXUS 240 HS, you can instantly transfer and share your photographs and videos with your friends. It also supports options like directly uploading to popular social network sites like Facebook. Apart from connectivity, the HS system ensures great low light images with its 16MP CMOS sensor, Digic 5 processing and Intelligent IS for steady shots in every situation. Wi-Fi will also enable you to connect and share photos to your Wi-Fi-enabled phone. Some more specs are support for watching full HD movies, Face ID to recognise faces and a 3.2-inch touchscreen with Touch Shutter. Here’s the complete list. It has an extremely competitive price of Rs 15,995.

Samsung WB150F - Rs. 12,500

Connectivity meets affordability

The next in the list comes from Samsung itself – the WB150F. This 16 megapixel camera featuring 18x optical zoom brings in a plethora of sharing options with its built-in Wi-Fi connectivity. You can directly upload photos to social sites like Facebook, Picasa, Photobucket or email them directly from the camera. It also lets you upload photos to the cloud service and the TV Link feature allows you to wirelessly display pictures on a large TV screen. It comes with an auto-backup option, which allows saving all images to your PC too. It’s a perfect way to bid goodbye to all those messy connecting cables and wires. With its 24mm wide-angle lens, you will instantly cover a whole-horizon field of view and the OIS (Optical Image Stabilisation) function ensures that the pictures are stable. Click here for the complete spec sheet. This feature-packed Samsung camera is affordably priced for just Rs 12,500.

If you don’t want to buy any of these cameras and want to make your existing one into a camera with complete connectivity that will allow you to instantly upload and share photos on social networks, then you can do so using an Eye-Fi card, provided your camera supports Eye-Fi. These cards are available at a starting price of Rs 2185 and will vary depending upon its abilities.

Now, if you look at the above mentioned cameras, they are all available at lucrative price points compared to the high-priced Galaxy Camera. There are umpteen point and shoot cameras and even entry-level DSLRs available at a similar and even lesser price. However, what sets the Galaxy Camera apart from others is its robust connectivity, which includes support for 3G + Wi-Fi. Now, as we know, Wi-Fi may not be available wherever you go, but 3G connectivity ensures that you can share photos instantly anytime, anywhere. So, it clearly depends upon what you are looking for. If you are a photography enthusiast for whom connectivity is of utmost importance then the Galaxy Camera could make a great option. If you are looking for a feature-loaded, value for money device and aren't too keen on instant sharing and uploading then the other Wi-Fi only options seem pretty cool. Which one of these connectivity-imbued cameras would you prefer?