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Samsung TL220

 
Samsung TL220 front
 
  • 12MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
  • 3" Fixed Display
  • ISO 80 - 3200
  • Optical Image Stabilization
  • 1280 x 720 video
  • 27-124mm (F3.5-5.9) lens
  • 169g - 100 x 60 x 19mm
  • Released August 2009
  • Alternate Name is ST500
  • Read full specs
  • Alternatives
  • Size Comparison
  • FAQ
Portability
95
Imaging
35
Features
27
Overall
31

Samsung TL220 overview

Samsung TL220 is Samsung's Small Sensor Compact camera initially released on August of 2009. The camera uses a 12MP, CCD 1/2.3" size sensor with a maximum resolution of 4000 x 3000. The camera is also known as "ST500" in certain markets.

The TL220 is positioned #162 out of 261 in Small Sensor Compact cameras and all round #1087 out of 1465 for cameras in our collection. Remember to try out our Advanced camera finder to find camera ratings based on your personalized requirements.

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Here is a diagram of different criteria used in the scoring system.

Samsung TL220 family

The Samsung TL220 comes with a history of related cameras. Below, you can discover all previous and brand new models alongside important features.

ModelVisualizeLensResolutionSensor SizeReleased
Samsung-TL350 front thumbnailSamsung TL350
TL220 vs TL350
24-120mm
F2.4-5.8
10MP1/2.3"2010
Samsung-TL220 front thumbnailSamsung TL22027-124mm
F3.5-5.9
12MP1/2.3"2009
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Samsung-TL100 front thumbnailSamsung TL100
TL220 vs TL100
35-105mm
F3.0-5.6
12MP1/2.3"2009

Samsung TL220 Pros and Cons

Here is a shortlist of pluses and minuses of the Samsung TL220 based on things that are oftentimes viewed as essential in a camera.

boasts touch to focus
decently wide (27mm)
flash built-in
good min ISO (80)
good zoom range (27-124mm 4.6 x zoom)
image stabilization (Optical)
screen is touchscreen
screen size is good (3")
cannot use external flash
display is not selfie friendly
fixed lens (fixed lens mount)
lack of aperture priority mode
lack of manual exposure
low MP (12MP)
low resolution screen (230 k dot)
manual focus not available
no HDMI support
no headphone jack
no mic jack
no moving screen
no phase detect auto focus
no RAW format
no shutter priority
no Time Lapse recording
sensor size is small (1/2.3")
slow max aperture (f3.5)
sluggish at long end (f5.9)
video resolution low (1280 x 720 pixels)
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Samsung TL220 Sensor specs

The sensor dimension in the Samsung TL220 is 6.08mm x 4.56mm (1/2.3"). The 28 mm² sensor has the capability to resolve 4000 x 3000 pixels with aspect ratios of 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9. The camera boasts Image Stabilization (Optical). Optical stabilization is preferable than digital stabilization as the latter may cause cropping.

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The CCD sensor boasts 12MP and supports a native ISO range of 80 - 3200. Sadly, RAW format is not saved therefore the user has less room to maneuver in post.

The image below displays the TL220's sensor size when compared to other common sizes. The TL220 sensor comes with a crop factor of 5.9 and is shown in green.

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To get an idea of specific aspect ratios, you should refer to the visual below.

Camera sensor aspect ratios

Samsung TL220 dimensions

Samsung TL220 is 0.37 lb (169g or 5.96 oz) and features outer dimensions of 100mm x 60mm x 19mm (3.9" x 2.4" x 0.7"). The weight of normal Small Sensor Compact camera is 174g so the Samsung TL220 is on par when compared with other competitors.

Photography Glossary

Listed below is a photo of the Samsung TL220 beside a soft drink so you're able to have a sense of its size.

Samsung TL220 dimensions scale

The top view below will highlight the button arrangement on the TL220.

Samsung TL220 topview buttons dials

Samsung TL220 Lens details

The TL220 comes with a built in lens giving a focal range of 27-124mm making it a 4.6 x zoom which won't be outstanding nevertheless it will surely be invaluable in certain circumstances.

At it's widest 27mm, the lens will have an aperture of f3.5 which will be kind of sluggish and not very good in low light circumstances and you will likely struggle to capture a shallow depth of field. You will probably also have to raise your ISO setting giving you noisy pictures. On the long end, 124mm comes to f5.9 which is quite slow and you will have to apply slow shutter speeds.

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Samsung TL220 Connectivity

The TL220 has the following connectivity:

  • USB Yes

Cameras with NFC and / or Bluetooth connectivity are able to be controlled wirelessly through smartphones. You can easily copy photos and at times adjust camera settings without connecting physically with the camera.

Certain apps also provide a Liveview and click the shutter in case you aren't near the camera. If the camera includes a HDMI out, it can easily be connected to an external monitor. A lot of cameras will allow you to recharge the battery using the USB socket.

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Samsung TL220 Video details

The maximum video quality in the Samsung TL220 is 1280 x 720 and it can save in Motion JPEG format. 720p is low by today's requirements. You should go for at least FUll HD quality for good video. The body doesn't feature a mic and / or headphone jack which means that you have zero control over your sound. It is perhaps a better idea to have a look at an alternative camera should you require good sound in your video clips.

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Samsung TL220 Weather Sealing

There is no weather sealing on the Samsung TL220 so you have to be cautious in rainy or dusty conditions.

Samsung TL220 Display and Viewfinder

The Samsung TL220 houses a 3" fixed display screen with a resolution of 230k dots.

Moreover the display screen is touch friendly which means you will be able to set focus point as well as adjust settings by using your finger.

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The ViewFinder details regarding Samsung TL220 are the following:

  • ViewFinder None

Viewfinders are really useful during bright outdoor conditions which will make the camera display washed out and hard to view.

Samsung TL220 Shutter details

The highest shutter speed is 1/2000s.

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Samsung TL220 Flash and Hot shoe details

Samsung TL220 boasts just built in flash with no external flash ability.

Samsung TL220 Autofocus details

Samsung TL220 boasts only Contrast Based Autofocus and doesn't have Phase Detect Autofocus. Phase Detection focusing is a lot quicker and accurate compared to Contrast Based focusing.

Samsung TL220 has touch to focus. You can easily use your fingers in order to shift focus points. Samsung TL220 does not have manual focusing. Manual focusing option is good during low light occasions or you need to have more accurate control on focusing.

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Samsung TL220 Battery life

The general Small Sensor Compact camera battery life is 241. Fujifilm X30 has got the highest possible (470) battery life within this type of cameras.

Below is a collection of Small Sensor Compact cameras that come with the strongest battery life:

Samsung TL220 for different types of photography

The following graph provides a analysis of the Samsung TL220 for different types of photography. To find out more, browse to the specific section below.

Samsung TL220 Portrait photography details

The Samsung TL220 has a score of 21 which is bad, meaning that it is not acceptable for portraits. Shooting portrait photos leans heavily to sensor dimensions, RAW support and capability to work with external lighting.

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lack of manual focus
manual exposure not possible
no external flash support
megapixel count low (12 megapixels)
tiny sensor (1/2.3")
does not have RAW files

Samsung TL220 Street photography information

With a above average points total of 62, the Samsung TL220 is a fine choice to buy for street photography. A good street photography camera provides a good balance of image quality and portability.

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has image stabilization (Optical)
features focus by touch
screen does not articulate
sensor size is very small (1/2.3")
lack of RAW files

Samsung TL220 Sports photography advice

A bad sports photography rating of 27 means the Samsung TL220 is not acceptable for taking photos of sports. A camera needs very good focusing plus shutter speeds for sports photography.

Photography Glossary
image stabilization (Optical)
no shutter priority
sensor resolution low (12 megapixels)
sensor is small (1/2.3")
no phase detect auto focus

Travel photography with Samsung TL220

Portability is super important in getting a camera for travel. On the whole, the Samsung TL220 gets a nice 62 for a travelling camera which makes it a very decent pick to purchase for your vacations.

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comes with focus by touch
flash built-in
pretty wide (27mm)
no Timelapse mode
MP count low (12 megapixels)
screen is not selfie friendly
somewhat slow maximum aperture (f3.5)

Samsung TL220 Landscape photography info

For those who are planning to buy a camera for landscape photographs, the most important aspect will no doubt be image quality. The Samsung TL220 with it's bad grade of 37 for a landscape camera is not acceptable amongst its competition.

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fairly wide (27mm)
good sized screen (3 inch)
image stabilization (Optical)
no manual focus
lens is fixed (fixed lens mount)
sluggish max aperture (f3.5)
no manual control
resolution not great (12 megapixels)
very small sensor size (1/2.3")
no RAW support
no Time Lapse function

Vlogging with Samsung TL220

A camera for vlogging should really come with a moving screen, microphone port and ideally IBIS. Taking everything into account, the Samsung TL220 is not acceptable as a vlog camera as it comes to a bad rating of 31.

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pretty wide (27mm)
touchscreen enabled
image stabilization (Optical)
somewhat slow maximum aperture (f3.5)
screen isn't selfie friendly
video resolution low (1280 x 720 resolution)
does not have external mic jack

Samsung TL220 Alternatives

If you are interested in replacements to the TL220, here is a number of the top rated cameras which fall under the category of Small Sensor Compact.

The graph listed below offers you a bird's eye view of the TL220 versus it's top rated competitors shown previously.

Here are a few more cameras you might look into as alternate options. To see a detailed comparison, simply click on the "compare" link.

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Specifications

General Information
Brand
Samsung
Model type
Samsung TL220
Also called as
ST500
Type
Small Sensor Compact
Released
2009-08-13
Body design
Compact
Sensor Information
Sensor type
CCD
Sensor size
1/2.3"
Sensor dimensions
6.08 x 4.56mm
Sensor area
27.7mm²
Sensor resolution
12MP
Anti alias filter
Aspect ratio
4:3, 3:2 and 16:9
Full resolution
4000 x 3000
RAW data
Max native ISO
3200
Minimum native ISO
80
Autofocusing
Manual focusing
Touch to focus
Autofocus continuous
Single autofocus
Tracking autofocus
Selective autofocus
Autofocus center weighted
Multi area autofocus
Autofocus live view
Face detect autofocus
Contract detect autofocus
Phase detect autofocus
Lens
Lens mount type
fixed lens
Lens zoom range
27-124mm (4.6x)
Largest aperture
f/3.5-5.9
Macro focusing distance
5cm
Focal length multiplier
5.9
Screen
Range of display
Fixed Type
Display size
3"
Display resolution
230k dot
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch operation
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder type
None
DXO scores
DXO All around rating
not tested
DXO Color Depth rating
not tested
DXO Dynamic range rating
not tested
DXO Low light rating
not tested
Features
Slowest shutter speed
8 seconds
Maximum shutter speed
1/2000 seconds
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Expose Manually
Custom white balance
Image stabilization
Inbuilt flash
Flash distance
3.40 m
Flash settings
Auto, On, Off, Red-eye, Fill-in, Slow sync, Manual
External flash
Auto exposure bracketing
WB bracketing
Exposure
Multisegment
Average
Spot
Partial
AF area
Center weighted
Video features
Supported video resolutions
1280 x 720 (30, 15 fps), 640 x 480 (30, 15 fps), 320 x 240 (60, 30, 15 fps)
Max video resolution
1280x720
Video data format
Motion JPEG
Mic input
Headphone input
Connectivity
Wireless
None
Bluetooth
NFC
HDMI
USB
USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec)
GPS
None
Physical
Environmental seal
Water proofing
Dust proofing
Shock proofing
Crush proofing
Freeze proofing
Weight
169g (0.37 pounds)
Dimensions
100 x 60 x 19mm (3.9" x 2.4" x 0.7")
Other
Battery ID
SLB-07A
Self timer
Yes (10 sec, 2 sec, Double, Motion Timer)
Time lapse recording
Storage media
MicroSD/ MicroSDHC, internal
Storage slots
1
Retail price
$90