Photo Club

The gunmetal grey Samsung L74 Wide (street, $240) is a slim 7.2-megapixel digital camera with a true wide angle 28-101mm f/2.8-5.6 (35 mm equivalent) lens, cool styling, and an easy-to-operate touchscreen interface. Throw in some fun extras and an entertaining (if not always 100% accurate) built-in Tour Guide and you’ve got the ultimate class-trip camera.

Aimed at the youth market, the L74 Wide’s build is solid and stylish. But with a look that’s both modern and retro, the camera should appeal to both old school film shooters and the Web-savvy youths. Throw in a true 28mm equivalent wide angle lens and you’ve got the potential for a serious pocket-sized vacation camera.

About that wide angle lens: it folds back, if not flush, into the body, and it’s a Samsung NV optic, not Schneider-Kreuznach optics like some of its siblings. The circular lens bump is a nice design element that extends from the body about as much as the finger grip’s vertical rubber strip.