Samsung boosts S-series with two new compacts

Samsung today announced the launch of two budget new digital cameras: the 7-megapixel S760 and the 8-megapixel S860. The cameras herald the arrival of Samsung's advanced image processing technology and Intelligent Face Recognition Technology to the company's S series.

The Intelligent Face Recognition Technology detects a subject's face, automatically adjusting auto focus and auto exposure - technology you'll also find in other cameras such as the Canon Ixus series. This will, Samsung says, help you achieve better composition and a higher image quality when you're taking portraits.

With bog-standard 3x optical zooms and 2.4inch LCD displays, the S760 and S860 house all the usual specs you'd expect to see in entry-level compacts like these. Other features include 11 scene modes and digital image stabilisation technology.

With an RRP of £79.99 for the S760 (S860 pricing still to be confirmed), the new cameras are extremely market-competitive. But can Samsung buck the stigma that old-school photography companies make better digital cameras?

You won't be getting one for Christmas though - the Samsung S760 and S860 will be available in a choice of black, silver, pink or blue from January 2008.