Samsung PL90: an easy-to-use compact camera

Pocket camcorders such as the Flip range have introduced built-in USB connectors on flexible ‘arms' avoiding the need for messy cables.

Samsung has applied the idea to its 12-megapixel PL90 which has a 4x optical zoom lens and a USB connector at the base.

This flips out at a right angle so the camera can be connected to a PC for recharging its internal battery and downloading photos and videos. A short extension cable is provided along with a mains plug adapter for charging.

Though the arrangement offers some flexibility, the downside is that even with a spare battery the camera is out of action during charging. Build quality is good, though, with very little plastic on show despite the budget price. A 2.7in rear screen is used for composing and viewing the results. The screen resolution isn't high but it was clear enough.

The PL90 was fast: it started in just over a second, was quick to set the focus and exposure settings and saved the JPEG images in two seconds. It uses smaller memory cards than normal, though: we found the micro SD cards small and fiddly to insert and retrieve, and easily lost if dropped.

In Smart Auto mode it recognises common subjects and automatically chooses appropriate settings. Most of the time the camera chose correctly, so it was easy to use.

We were pleased that the zoom lens could be adjusted during video recording, unlike on many cameras, but there was a low mechanical buzz as it zoomed in and out (the reason most cameras disable the zoom for video), and it was occasionally slow to get moving. Video quality was so-so: it's not high-definition and sound was in mono, not stereo.

When shooting on dull days the PL90's Photo Style Selector, allowing colour adjustment, came in handy. But there is no proper handgrip on the camera so in less-than-perfect lighting without the flash we ended up with slightly blurred images.

But as the PL90 is cheap, convenient and easy to use, we can be overlook these relatively minor flaws – in good or fair light results were fine.