Digital camera buying guide

Digital camera buying guide

For many people, buying a camera isn't an easy thing to do. It's not really a one-model-fits-all kind of product, so there's not just a single camera you can point to and say, "Buy this!"

In fact, it's the opposite; with such a range of types, sizes, features, and prices, unless you know your exact needs, you could very well end up disappointed with your purchase. And that's what this guide is all about: Helping you make the best camera purchase for your needs and budget.

The most important stuff

1. There is no spec that tells you which camera is best. A higher resolution (i.e., more megapixels) or bigger zoom range doesn't make the camera better. I'll repeat: you're never looking for the camera with the most megapixels or longest zoom.
2. Don't get hung up on making sure you've got the "best" in a particular class. The truth is, one camera rarely bests the rest on all four major criteria -- photo quality, performance, features, and design. (You may have noticed how few Editors' Choice Awards we give for cameras. That's partly why.) At least not at a friendly price. You want something best for you. And that may mean, for example, that it doesn't produce stellar photo quality, or at least photos that pixel peepers think are stellar quality.
3. Try before you buy. Make sure it fits comfortably in your hand and that it's not so big or heavy that you'll leave it at home. It should provide quick access to the most commonly used functions, and menus should be simply structured, logical, and easy to learn. Touch-screen models can allow for greater functionality, but can also be frustrating if the controls and menus are poorly organized or the screen can't be calibrated to your touch.

4. Point and shoot (budget) Less than $200.
   Who it's for	Key characteristics	Image quality and performance
   Anyone who wants something that's a step up from a camera phone.	Pocketable; lens fixed to body; zoom range usually less than 15x; small sensor; designed for mostly automatic operation	Good enough for snapshots and social media, short vacation and kids video clips, and fast enough for food and the occasional good shot of kids and pets in action.
   Compact megazoom $200 - $350
   Who it's for	Key characteristics	Image quality and performance
   Those who want a step up from a camera phone but frequently can't get close enough to get the photograph that's wanted.	Pocketable; lens fixed to body; zoom range usually more than 20x; small sensor; designed for automatic and some manual operation	Better quality than a point-and-shoot; fast enough for kids and pets, short vacation, and kids video clips.
   Megazoom $350 - $500
   Who it's for	Key characteristics	Image quality and performance
   People who want one camera that can shoot both close-ups and players' faces from the nosebleed seats.	Big, with a small sensor; lens fixed to body; zoom range usually more than 26x; designed for automatic and some manual operation. The less-expensive models lack an EVF. These are sometimes misleadingly referred to asbridge cameras, as in bridging the gap between a compact and a dSLR. But despite their size and appearance, they have nothing in common with dSLRs; on the inside, they're pure point-and-shoot.	Equivalent photo and video quality to a point-and-shoot, fast enough for the accidental action shot but mostly slow-moving subjects.
   Enthusiast compact $400 - $2,800
   Who it's for	Key characteristics	Image quality and performance
   People who enjoy photography and like to play with settings but want something unobtrusive.	Fits in a jacket pocket; lens fixed to body; small zoom range; medium-to-large sensor; some models have reverse Galilean optical viewfinders; designed for manual with some automatic operation.	Photo quality good enough for those who want to get artsy and/or possibly sell their photos; short video clips; fast enough for shooting food but usually not action.
   Entry-level interchangeable-lens camera (ILC) $400 - $600
   Who it's for	Key characteristics	Image quality and performance
   People who want something better and faster than a compact, but still want it as small as possible.	Small enough to fit into a pocketbook; interchangeable lens; sensor sizes range from compact-camera-equivalent to those you find in dSLRs; designed for automatic and some manual operation. Usually no EVF or EVF optional.	Comparable photo quality to an entry-level dSLR, better video quality than most compacts and point-and-shoots; fast enough for photographing kids and pets in motion.
   Entry-level dSLR $500 - $1,000 (with lens)
   Who it's for	Key characteristics	Image quality and performance
   Anyone who wants better speed and quality than a compact and prefers shooting using an optical viewfinder.	Big, with a relatively large APS-C sensor; interchangeable lenses; TTL optical viewfinder; designed for either manual or automatic operation.	Comparable photo quality to an entry-level ILC; video quality varies significantly across brands; fast enough for photographing active kids and pets.
   Prosumer ILC $700+ (with lens)
   Who it's for	Key characteristics	Image quality and performance
   People who enjoy photography and videography and like to play with settings and lenses but want something unobtrusive.	Small enough to fit into a pocketbook; interchangeable lens; sensor sizes range from compact-camera-equivalent to those you find in dSLRs; designed for manual and some automatic operation; has EVF.	Comparable photo quality to a prosumer dSLR; suitable for people who want to get artsy and/or possibly sell their photos; video quality varies significantly across brands, but can be good enough for indie videographers; fast enough for photographing active kids and pets.
   Prosumer dSLR $1,000+ (body only)
   Who it's for	Key characteristics	Image quality and performance
   Advanced photographers who need speed and quality, as well as professionals with a tight a budget or who need secondary bodies.	Big, with a relatively large APS-C or full-frame sensor; interchangeable lens; designed for manual operation; has TTL optical viewfinder.	Comparable photo quality to a prosumer dSLR; suitable for those who want to get artsy and/or possibly sell their photos; video quality varies but can be good enough for indie videographers; fast enough for photographing sports-fast action.
   Pro dSLR $1,200+ (body only)
   Who it's for	Key characteristics	Image quality and performance
   For people who need a reliable, durable, fully configurable and consistent camera that delivers best- quality images and perhaps fast action-shooting level performance.	Big, with a large APS-C or full-frame (or bigger) sensor; interchangeable lenses; optical viewfinder; designed for fully manual operation.	Photo and video quality that's good enough to sell to a knowledgeable buyer; performance fast enough to shoot sports or a bride fleeing the altar.

   How much zoom?

   A longer focal length lens lets you get closer without moving; for example, at 250mm you can see the observation deck of the Empire State Building, while at 1,000mm you can start to make out tiny people. In order to accommodate both wide-angle shots of an entire scene as well as long-distance close-ups, manufacturers have been making lenses with bigger and bigger zoom ranges. There are tradeoffs for this convenience, though. For one, it's hard to keep a subject in the frame when you're shooting at extreme telephoto. And a lens that has to be a jack-of-all focal lengths is generally a master of none of them. Generally, you probably don't need more than 20x.

   

   10x zoom, 25 to 250mm

   

   42x zoom, 24 to 1,000mm

   
   

   Key specs

   Resolution
   Generally referred to in megapixels. This number tells you how many pixels the camera uses to produce an image. Every modern camera has more than enough for any need. That's why it's not important as a spec. In fact, watch out for cheap cameras with high resolutions -- they usually lack the processing power to deal with the large images, which can slow them down.

   Lens
   There are two important specs related to all lenses: aperture and focal length(s). The lens' focal length, measured in millimeters, conveys the magnification of the image and the amount of scene covered by the lens (called the angle of view). As focal length increases, things look bigger and take up more of the frame. A lens that covers multiple focal lengths is a zoom lens, and the zoom spec is the ratio of the longest to the shortest focal length: a 20-100mm lens, therefore, has a 5x zoom. A lens of a single focal length is called a prime lens, and very flat ones are usually referred to as pancake primes. Note that the focal lengths as imprinted on the lenses of compact cameras will not be the same as the reported focal lengths; they don't reflect a multiplier that normalizes the length based on a frame of 35mm film, a reference point that adjusts for the multitude of sensor sizes in cameras. Sometimes called the crop factor, you really only need to think about it when looking at lenses for interchangeable-lens cameras.

   • Ultra wide angle (less than 18mm) is good for very large scenes where lens distortion adds rather than detracts from the appeal.
   • Wide-angle (around 18mm to 30mm) is good for group shots, landscapes, and street photography
   • Normal (about 30mm to 70mm) is good for portraits and snapshots
   • Telephoto (about 70mm to 300mm) is good for portraits and sports
   • Super telephoto (greater than 300mm) is good for sports, wildlife and stalking

   The aperture is the size of the opening that lets in light, alternatively referred to as an f-stop or f number. The lower the number the larger the aperture. The largest aperture usually varies over the zoom range; lens specs generally list the maximum aperture at the shortest and longest focal lengths. Thus, when the spec is listed as 18-55mm f3.5-5.6, that means the widest aperture is f3.5 at 18mm and f5.6 at 55mm. As aperture size increases, the area of sharpness in front of and behind the subject increases; area of sharpness is called depth of field. Since wider apertures let in more light and give you more control over depth of field, wider is better.

   A lens with a wide aperture is referred to as fast or bright and one with a narrow aperture isslow. Fast lenses are considered better than slow lenses; confusingly "fast" and "slow" have nothing to do with focusing performance. Also, watch out for lenses that start wide but get narrow very quickly. For instance, with a 24-120mm f2-5.9 lens you don't want the maximum aperture to jump from f2 at 24mm to f5.9 at 28mm.

   Sensor size and type
   Sensor size is the dimensions of the array of photoreceptors that create the pixels that become an image. Bigger sensors generally produce better photo quality, but the bigger the sensor the bigger the camera -- a larger sensor also requires a larger lens, more space for supporting electronics, and if the camera uses sensor-shift image stabilization, has an even larger footprint. Larger sensors are also more expensive to make, so the cameras are pricier.

   

   Sensor sizes are usually indicated in one of two ways: actual dimensions in millimeters or with labels such as "1/1.7-inch." The latter is an old convention from the early days of digital video, and don't represent actual sizes; 1/1.7 inch isn't equal to 0.59 inch, for example. However, they are accurate in a relative sense -- i.e., 1/1.7 inch is smaller than 2/3 inch. The sensors in point-and-shoot cameras are small at 1/2.3-inch, and those in camera phones even smaller, typically 1/3- or 1/3.2-inch.

   

   The most commonly used CFA, the Bayer pattern.

   There are a few primary sensor technologies. CMOS is the most popular. A variant, BSI CMOS (backside illuminated) is popular for compact cameras because it allows for greater low-light sensitivity on a relatively small sensor. However, the image quality in good light usually doesn't quite match that of traditional CMOS sensors. There are some manufacturer-specific variations of these as well, usually with different arrangements of the on-chip color filter array (CFA), which separates the incoming light into red, green and blue primaries that later get recombined to form the colors in the image. The most common CFA is the Bayer array; some CFAs have extra green-capturing sites, because green carries the most detail information (it's a human eye thing), such as Fujifilm's X-Trans, and Sigma's Foveon-based technology stacks the filters so that each pixel processes each color primary.

   Cheaper point-and-shoots still use CCD (charge-coupled device) sensor technology. Inexpensive CCDs don't deliver photo quality as nice as pricier CMOS sensors, but conversely, expensive CCDs like those used in medium-format cameras produce better photos. In general, CCDs are slow and poor for video.

   Light sensitivity
   A camera's sensitivity to light is specified as ISO sensitivity; the higher the number, the better the camera's ability to shoot in low light. However, as sensitivity rises so does the amount of noise -- those colored speckles you see in night shots. Cameras perform noise suppression to try to eliminate it, but that can result in smeary-looking artifacts. As a result, few cameras perform usably at the top of their rated ISO sensitivity ranges, making an unreliable spec. If you take it with a big grain of salt you can usually guess at the maximum usable sensitivity; for instance, a camera rated up to ISO 6400 will probably produce decent images up to ISO 800.

   Viewfinder
   While most consumer cameras these days have eliminated a viewfinder altogether, more-advanced models still have them. They're useful when it's hard to read an LCD in sunlight, and holding the camera up to your eye forces you into a more stable body position for shooting. There are basically three types of viewfinders: the type that used to be found on film point-and-shoots which gives you a direct view of the scene rather than a through-the-lens (TTL) view called a reverse Galilean; an electronic viewfinder or EVF; and the TTL optical viewfinder found on dSLRs. EVFs have an advantage when shooting video, as you can't simultaneously view and record video using a TTL viewfinder, plus they can simulate what the photo will look like. On the other hand, optical viewfinders are better for shooting action, though they have a tiny blackout period between shots, an EVF can only show you the action once it's already happened, not while it's in progress. Some EVFs are better than others for this, however. Important viewfinder specs are percentage coverage, or how much of the scene they can display -- 100 percent is best, obviously -- and effective magnification, which tells you how big the image looks in the viewfinder. A good viewfinder will also have a diopter adjustment, to fine tune the viewfinder focus for your vision or for glasses wearers.

   Image stabilization (IS)
   This is what keeps your photos from displaying camera shake. There are two physical types: in-camera sensor shift and in-lens optical. While they perform similarly, optical IS seems to work a little better while shooting video, but sensor-shift means that for interchangeable-lens models you don't have to wait for the manufacturer to put IS in the lens and the lenses will likely cost less and be a little smaller. Cheaper cameras may have electronic IS, which uses a combination of fast shutter speed and higher ISO sensitivities to help with motion blur. Unfortunately, this increases image noise and is less effective in low lighting.

   Battery life and type
   Most cameras use lithium ion rechargeable battery packs. While they offer greater battery life than readily available AA -- size batteries, they are generally designed for a specific make or model of camera. There are models using AA batteries, but they're usually lower-end compacts and larger megazoom cameras. When buying a camera, check out how many shots its battery has been rated for, a specification that has been standardized by CIPA.

   Burst/continuous shooting rate
   A measure of the number of frames per second a camera can capture, this spec can get quite confusing. Optimally, you want a high frame rate, at full resolution, with autofocus and autoexposure, for a reasonable number of frames. In order to report a high frame rate, the most common spec, companies play fast and loose with the other variables; so, for example, they'll say the camera does 10 frames per second (fps) -- but that's for 10 frames (i.e., 1 second), with exposure and autofocus fixed at the first frame, while the usable burst rate will be closer to 5fps.

   Video
   For typical vacation videos or videos of the kids, you want 1080/30p -- "1080" refers to 1,920x1,080-pixel resolution, also referred to as Full HD, whereas "30p" stands for 30fps progressive video. These days, you should stay away from 60i -- 60fps interlaced -- as it has more visible artifacts than even 24p. If a camera offers a frame rate greater than 60fps, that lets you create slow-motion videos. As for codecs, the algorithms that compress and decompress the video, look for a real codec like H.264 or AVCHD, which are subsets of MPEG-4, rather than Motion JPEG. The actual video files have formats like MOV (QuickTime), AVI (Microsoft Audio/Video Interleave), MP4, and MTS (AVCHD). Video recording also has a bit rate, the amount of data it encodes per second of video; for this, higher is generally better. Because AVCHD is really a playback specification, it's a lot less flexible with respect to available bit rates than H.264 MPEG-4. 

   Other features

   GPS
   If you love knowing exactly where you were when you took a photo, you'll want a camera with a built-in GPS (global positioning system) receiver. Typically found in rugged or higher-end cameras (add-on receivers are also available for some ILC and dSLR cameras), the GPS receiver uses satellite positioning to tag your pictures with location data. This location data can be read by software such as Google Earth or Picasa as well as photo-sharing sites to map where the photos were taken.

   Depending on the camera's capabilities, the GPS may also be used to tag photos with landmark information, set the camera's clock to local time, track your path on a map as you shoot, or even help with basic navigation on foot.

   The biggest downside is that it will drain your battery faster as it has to be left on so it can continue to update your location. It also won't work indoors or, in rugged cameras, underwater. It will add to the cost of the camera, too.

   One last note: Though some models state that they tag video with location information, the data is attached to the video as a separate file instead of being embedded as it is with photos. Generally this means the location information can only be viewed if the videos are played directly from the camera or with bundled software.

   Wi-Fi
   A few years ago, digital cameras with built-in Wi-Fi didn't make much sense. It was basically no better than using a USB cable, and a really slow one at that. Now, with more people using smartphones and mobile hot spots, a camera with Wi-Fi offers more than just slow wireless backup.

   The main function is still to wirelessly transfer photos and videos off the camera, but new models can back up straight to cloud services or networked computers as well as connect directly to a mobile device, so you can view, transfer, and edit shots, and then upload to sharing sites over your devices mobile broadband. Some models use Wi-Fi to remotely control the camera, too, using your mobile device's display as a viewfinder. It can also be used to piggyback on your smartphone's GPS receiver for tagging photos with location data.

   

   Samsung's WB850F is one of several Wi-Fi-enabled cameras available from the manufacturer.

   What this means is you can get things your smartphone's camera can't offer (e.g. better photo and video quality, a zoom lens, and more control) and still share on the go. Unfortunately, manufacturers currently use Wi-Fi as an upsell or add-on, so you many not be able to find the model you want with an option for Wi-Fi. In these cases, consider an Eye-Fi wireless SD card. These work like regular SD memory cards for storage, but also have a built-in Wi-Fi radio for wireless backups and transfers to Web sites, mobile devices, and computers.

   
   

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Six Android apps you'll thank me for (you're welcome)

Six Android apps you'll thank me for (you're welcome)

As a reviewer of Android apps, it's my role to sniff out what's hot and interesting on Google Play. I make it a point to try out apps old and new, as well as big-name apps, apps from startup shops, and everything in between.

Among these, it's not uncommon for me to find a few apps that are just so attention-grabbing that I feel compelled to share them with the masses. They may not necessarily be the best apps of all time -- or even the best apps available right now -- but they are fresh and interesting titles that I just can't keep my hands off of.

This is a roundup of those apps. As I encounter new ones, I will continue to update this post with my recommendations, so be sure to check back regularly. And of course, feel free to chime in with your own hot apps if you have any.

Kingdom Rush ($1.99)

Long considered one of the best tower defense games on iOS, Kingdom Rush has finally made its way to the Android platform. In it, your job is to fight off waves of soldiers, orcs, trolls, and other medieval fantasy monsters by plopping a variety of towers down along their path. To start, there are four basic towers available. But once you get to the later levels, you'll unlock eight specialized upgrades so you can truly have a well-rounded arsenal. But perhaps my favorite part of Kingdom Rush is the Hero character. There are nine available, and you get to pick one to bring with you on your missions.

Songza (Free)

Songza is not your typical streaming-music app. It offers a different take on radio, as it tries to match the perfect playlist with your mood or whatever activity you happen to currently be engaged.

While other music apps start you off with a search bar, Songza gives you a Concierge screen, where it presents you with choices of different activities (e.g. working out, doing housework, or taking the day off). Here, you can either pick the one you're currently engaged in, or bypass the choices to look for more. In the end, Songza will serve you up a playlist that the company's curators deem appropriate for the given activity.

Vevo (Free)

 Whether you're a die-hard music buff or a casual listener, Vevo should be on your radar. It's an app (and Web site) that is completely dedicated to music videos and live performances, and because the company has struck all the requisite deals with record labels and publishers, you can be confident that its entire catalog is legit. The app is free to download, but because it is ad-supported, you will see the occasional commercial play before your video. To sum it up, I would say that Vevo is an even better destination than YouTube for music videos and music-related content.

Feedly (Free)

With Google Reader now officially gone, Feedly might be your best bet as an app that lets you access your RSS feeds while on the go. It looks great, works well, and in many ways even surpasses the functionality of the late Google Reader.

Compared with other RSS readers out there, Feedly is exceptionally visual. It makes use of large images and incorporates magazine-style layouts. But if a more visual experience isn't for you, it also offers a List view and a Title-only view, both of which are more economical with the space.

If you do decide to try Feedly, you can expect a wealth of features that enhance your reading experience. The app comes with themes and other customization options, integration with bookmarking tool Pocket, and more. The app even offers suggestions for interesting sites that you can subscribe to with a single tap.

Showyou (Free)

 With its curated lists and connections with your social networks, Showyou offers a unique take on streaming video. It aggregates content from a number of sources around the Web, and serves up videos that you otherwise might have missed.

What makes Showyou a valuable tool is its connections to your Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Tumblr, and Vimeo accounts. Once you sign in to them, it aggregates just the videos that are shared by your friends and cuts out all the boring status updates and snarky tweets.

Auralux (Free)

Right now, Auralux is one of my favorite strategy games on Android. While on the surface, it appears to have a dead-simple concept, there's no question it takes plenty of practice to master. When you start the game, you get a single blue sun that produces armies of blue stars every second. With your armies, you need to conquer neighboring suns and eventually destroy enemy armies in the process. If you do decide to try Auralux, I suggest downloading the Speed Mode upgrade for 99 cents. It speeds up the pace of the game, and you will probably never want to disable it once it's on.

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Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini: No midrange slouch (hands-on)

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If Samsung's Galaxy S4 is more phone than you think you need, the electronics giant has just offered up the smaller, more midrange -- and surely cheaper -- Galaxy S4 Mini.

Like a decaffeinated beverage, Samsung is hoping to give its lighter smartphone much of the same S4 taste with just a little less oomph. Although the Mini has stepped-down specs compared with its flagship family, like a lower-resolution screen and an 8-megapixel camera instead of a 13-megapixel shooter, it's no slouch when it comes to the Galaxy S4's core features, like a built-in TV remote control.

As with the Galaxy S3 Mini that came before, this version is aimed more toward the mass market than the high-end sector. Here in the middle, the Mini plays the role of the lower price option compared with the marquee Galaxy S4, without sacrificing too many of the superphone's more-defining features.

 hands-on time with the smaller smartphone in London at the June 20 launch event, and at Samsung's simultaneous shindig in New York. Here's how it stacks up against the original Galaxy S4.

Design and build

Samsung's modest Mini is a wee bit shorter, thicker, and wider than the svelte Galaxy S4 but clearly cut from the same cloth. Like the round-shouldered original, the Mini retains its curved perimeter, metallic rim, and rectangular Home button, and also comes in black and white versions.

Specifically, the global S4 Mini stands 124.6 millimeters tall (4.9 inches) by 61.3 millimeters wide (2.4 inches) by 8.9 millimeters thick (0.35 inch) and weighs a lighter 107 grams (3.7 ounces, compared with the S4's 4.6-ounce weight). A 3G-only, dual-SIM version will weigh a hair more at 108 grams.

In our hands we can definitely say that the Mini feels much more compact than the S4. Indeed it's something we couldn't really appreciate until physically in the presence of the tiny device. Compared with the Galaxy Note 2, the Galaxy S4 Mini looks almost as small as a BlackBerry Q10. In fact it's dwarfed by the larger handset to the point of being comical.

The S4 Mini has an 8-megapixel main camera.

The phone's screen quality is perhaps the first place you'll really notice the hardware differences between the Galaxy S4 and its little cousin. Don't expect the S4 Mini's 4.3-inch qHD Super AMOLED display to look as sharp at 960x540 pixels as does the Galaxy S4's 1,920x1,080-pixel resolution on its 5-inch screen. For all you pixel-hounds, that's a 441 pixel density on the Galaxy S4 compared with 256ppi for the S4 Mini. Indeed the Mini's screen had noticeably less impact than the Galaxy S4's when we viewed it in person.

Both Galaxy screens support the same color gamut and OLED display technology, though the Mini won't have the Galaxy S4's ultrasensitive, glove-friendly capabilities.

From the looks of it, the S4 Mini shares most of the S4 family's other physical attributes, including the location and shape of the camera, flash, sensors, buttons, and ports. It seems that the Mini sports the same subtle patterning as the S4's finish.

OS and features

Importantly, the Galaxy S4 Mini runs Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean underneath its TouchWiz layer. Custom interfaces like TouchWiz are notorious for stalling Android update efforts, so starting at such a current OS build is crucial for keeping a phone like the S4 Mini from falling behind the times.

Samsung hasn't told us exactly which extras will take root in the Mini, but it's safe to assume that it's an almost identical software build as the Galaxy S4's. Transporting its signature Galaxy-only abilities across devices is absolutely Samsung's style.With TouchWiz comes a mountain of software embellishments, like more one-touch system settings in the notifications pull-down and options like Air View, which produces an onscreen cursor when you wag your finger close to the screen.

If software enhancements are your thing, the presence of these bonus features is one reason to pick the Mini over any other midtier device: you won't have the most powerful hardware, but you'll still hold onto features like Group Play, and Samsung's built-in apps. (For more on all these, check out this full Samsung Galaxy S4 review.)

We're most gratified to see the S4's IR blaster make its way onto the Mini. This little hardware bauble turns your phone into a TV remote control when paired with the WatchOn app. Top phones like the HTC One and LG Optimus G Pro share this soon-to-be living room staple, but the Galaxy S4 Mini will be the first of its class to also bail you out when your TV remote falls behind the couch.

As for connections and communications, Bluetooth 4.0 keeps the Mini current. NFC, which makes content-sharing possible with a tap, will make it onto LTE-enabled versions of the Mini. We're not sure why Samsung isn't including NFC in non-LTE Mini handsets, but it likely has something to do with cost control for different markets worldwide.

Cameras and video

Although the Galaxy S4 Mini may not deliver quite the rich detail of the S4's 13-megapixel camera, Samsung is still gifting the "decaf" device with an 8-megapixel shooter, which is no resolution to sneeze at, especially the way Samsung typically outfits its camera modules. Expect high-fidelity images and smooth 1080p HD video.

The Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini's ports and fixtures show up in the same place as on the original S4.

The 1.9-megapixel front-facing camera should also pull its weight for casual self-portraits and video chats.

Shutterbugs will get a nice, large helping of Samsung's photo software, including Panorama and HDR modes (that's high-dynamic range), Night mode, burst shot, and several others that help pick the best of the bunch.

While the new Sound & Shot mode makes an appearance (that records an audio clip to narrate the still, but plays back only on S4 phones,) the new dual-shot mode -- which uses both front and rear camera captures in a single picture -- does not.

Performance

While it's tough to guess how well the Galaxy S4 Mini will perform all around the world, the specs do tell a promising story. First up, there are up to six bands for global LTE support, plus HSPA+ 42 speeds, and 3G and 2G fail-safes.

LTE-ready builds of the Mini won't come to every market, but if you've got LTE phones where you live, that's the version you should expect to see when and if the handset lands in a store near you. Otherwise, you'll get a 3G version of the phone, and, in some markets, even a dual-SIM device. The double-barrel configuration has its benefits, but don't hold your breath for a dual-SIM Mini to hit every country (sorry, U.S.).

Now what about raw computing power? Unlike the superpowered quad-core or octa-core Galaxy S4, the S4 Mini will pack a 1.7GHz dual-core processor under its hood. That's completely respectable, depending on the chipset's make and model, and I'll guess that most people won't miss the Galaxy S4's high-octane gaming speeds.

Smaller than the original Galaxy S4, the Mini crops the screen from 5 inches down to 4.3.

The phone's smaller screen size is one explanation for the Mini's 1,900mAh battery, which should still keep the phone charged during the peak hours of the day. Unsurprisingly, there's a smaller bank of storage on this lighter device -- 8GB, with closer to 5GB for the phone owner's content. However, a microSD slot holds up to 64GB extra.

In terms of RAM, the Galaxy S4 Mini splits the difference between the S4's 2GB quotient and midrange device's 1GB capacity with 1.5GB RAM.

Which to buy: Galaxy S4 or Galaxy S4 Mini?

Without pricing or availability details from Samsung and its global partners, it's hard to make a value judgment about which is the better deal. (We'll update this Galaxy S4 Mini First Take with that information as soon as Samsung loosens its lips.)

From the looks of it, the Galaxy S4 Mini has the ingredients to deliver a very solid smartphone experience at a more affordable price, though the screen quality and battery life could flag compared with the real S4 deal. More-serious mobile gamers and camera snobs should stick with the fully loaded Galaxy S4.

That advice also goes for anyone who consumes a large amount of reading and viewing material from the phone screen. The S4's, while fairly reflective, will still trump the Mini's lower-res display.

Still, if you like the sound of a surely less expensive device that keeps most of its key features, and you don't mind some toned-down specs, hold off for the moment until more information about the Mini pours in.

This handy chart lines up the S4 and S4 Mini specs to help you decide whether to wait.

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