New Samsung 16mp WB700 18x superzoom at CES 2011 [updated]

Why wait for CES to begin? Let's start the new-camera-announcement party nao! The new Samsung WB700 is an 18X superzoom digital camera with a SIXTEEN (16) megapixel 1/2.33" sensor. If you thought 12 or 14 was too much (given current technology) for a 1/2.33" sensor...

On the plus side, the camera will have PASM and RAW, with an optically stabilized Schneider-branded 24-432mm eq lens and 1080p H.264 video.

On the minus side, Samsung is trying to confuse the average consumer by calling this a 24x zoom, when the actual zoom ratio of the lens is 18X. Where is the extra zoom coming from? The 1.3X "Smart Zoom".

On the curiosity factor side, Samsung promises a new way to remove zoom noise from videos. As some of you camera veterans know, press release promises are more akin to pre-election campaign promises, so we won't really know how effective this might be until it gets actually tested and compared.

The camera will come out in April 2011 with a starting price of $300.

Read more about it
+ Pictures of camera at Samsung's own blog
+ Press release and main specs at Imaging Insider
+ Imaging Resource
+ Pocket Lint
+ DC Resource
+ DCR
+ dpreview