IFA 2011: Hands on: Samsung Multiview MV800 review

Samsung is well versed in offering cameras which come equipped with a quirky screen – this is the company that came up with the 2 View range of cameras, which feature both a screen on the back and on the front of the camera.

So it was little surprise then, that the Samsung Multiview MV800 camera - launched at IFA 2011 - is the first compact of its kind to have a flip-up screen which will allow you to shoot images at the craziest of angles.

The 3.0-inch wide screen on the MV800 can be flipped out to 180 degrees, and in our hands-on with the camera it instantly made a lot of sense.

Having such a durable screen means that you can now shoot crowd shots without having to crane your neck and go on tiptoes to see if you are framing the picture right. It also makes self-shooting a lot easier, something the 2 View camera range also helped you do.

Delving into the features of the MV800 and it's nice to see that Samsung hasn't relied on the gimmick of a malleable screen to sell the camera.

There's a decent array of other specs as well, including a 16.2MP sensor and a 5x optical zoom lens with a 26mm wide-angle.

There's also Live Panorama functionality, which will stitch a wide angle scene together for you – all you have to do is sweep the camera around the vista you are shooting.

The screen is also touch-enabled as well, which makes the controlling of the camera and menu navigating that little bit easier.

Within the menu options are a number of decent editing tools. You can add a picture in a picture, choose an image for a background and muck around with any faces in your images to make them distorted.

One of the more bizarre features we found was a pose mode, where it will show you the best way to pose for shots. Once you have decided on a pose, an outline of your chosen pose will appear and you have to direct your model to get within the template.

It's the sort of feature that those who take photography seriously will baulk at but for the amateur snapper it may well be useful.

And that's one of the great things about this camera, it seems to have the balance of fun and functionality just right.

The Samsung Multiview MV800 UK release date is mid-September and it is set to cost £249.