Tim Barribeau’s comprehensive review of the Samsung HZ15W has the following conclusion:
The major selling point of this camera is its 10x zoom, starting at an impressively wide-angle 24mm setting. The 12-megapixel resolution and 720p video capture are also impressive.
In our testing, the HZ15W generally performed very well. It had excellent image sharpness, good color accuracy, fast burst modes, and an image stabilization system that really seemed to help. The one area it did struggle with (and this is a significant issue) was with image noise levels. Above ISO 400, pictures rapidly devolved into a speckled mess. However, shots at ISO 400 and below were perfectly decent for image noise.