Review of Samsung system cameras

Samsung’s marketing pluck has no limits. Entering into competition with experienced industry players in the segment of Hi-End mirror-less cameras is a risky business with cloudy prospects. But by introducing the NX1 to the market, the Korean manufacturer has made some serious preparations.

Samsung Galaxy NX1

Samsung Galaxy NX1

28 megapixel 4.77″ NEW

The audacity of Samsung’s marketing team knows no limits. Engaging in the competition with experienced industry players in the segment of Hi-End mirrorless cameras is a risky business with vague prospects. But by introducing the NX1 camera to the market, the Korean manufacturer has prepared very seriously.

When designing the body, they forgot the main advantage of mirror-less cameras: compactness. Large size, a solid protrusion of the viewfinder the electronic eyepiece itself has almost caught up with the performance of competitors , an impressive handle – the camera is more like a SLR, although somewhat thinner than them, due to the shorter working distance of the optical system. A comparison like this comes to mind as soon as you see the top panel of the NX1, which has a monochrome information screen for displaying all the information about the shooting parameters. This design element is only used in DSLRs for advanced amateurs and professionals because it requires a lot of manual intervention in the settings.

Following the established concept of designing high-end cameras, engineers have put on the body of the device maximum buttons and wheels, responsible for selecting settings and setting various shooting parameters. There are solutions that can be called both good for example, the multifunction selector on the left side of the upper panel that allows you to choose modes “broach”, focus, exposure metering, color temperature correction and ISO value and not so good – like choosing the location and size of the two wheels for exposure control.

The main component, designed to conquer photographers, was a backlit APS-C format CMOS sensor with 28 megapixels, equipped with 205 phase auto-focus sensors, covering 90% of the frame. The speed of the interaction between the sensor, DRIMe V processor and buffer memory as well as efficient data processing algorithms allowed for continuous shooting at 15 fps with active autofocus. The optimized design of the diode light, which imposes a light pattern on the subject, has increased the effective area of focus in total darkness up to 15 meters. Without an auxiliary beam, autofocus is guaranteed at -4 EV.

Videographers are expected to support professional Cinema 4K and general purpose UHD formats, 8-bit HDMI output at full resolution with 4:2:0 sampling, built-in audio inputs and outputs. Video can be played back on an external recorder at the same time as it is recorded on a memory card. To save space on the SD-format drive, the developers used an optimized data compression algorithm, which reduces the size of video files for a comparable quality by up to two times.

Samsung would not be us if it does not include the latest communication technologies in its photographic novelties. For interaction with mobile devices that can be used to remotely control NX1, processing and instantaneous publication of footage on the Web, uses several interfaces. Wi-Fi latest version 802.11ac takes over the main stream of data and can pass through up to 800 MB s. Bluetooth with reduced power consumption keeps the connection between the camera and the mobile device, saving time and battery life. NFC chip is responsible for faster one-touch connection initialization.

The camera price hasn’t been announced yet, but by all accounts, the NX1 is unlikely to be cheaper than Panasonic and Sony videogrpahy units. And therein lies the main danger for the newcomer.

Samsung Galaxy NX

Samsung Galaxy NX

20.3 megapixel 18-55mm F3.5-5.6 4.77″ 30 500 Dollars.

One of the strangest “system” cameras on the market, the Galaxy NX, continues to rapidly become cheaper. Relative to the launch of sales price has dropped by more than half. So fans of unusual gadgets and those who have long dreamed of a full-fledged mobile computer and an Internet center in the camera, you can probably already recommend this model.

In fact, this device is much more harmonious than all the other representatives of the photographic part of the Galaxy family. The symbiosis of compacts with, roughly speaking, Samsung smartphones suffered first of all from the need to bloat the body of the device in order to accommodate a large touch screen that provides access to control the Google Android operating system, programs and camera interface. In the case of the Galaxy NX pseudo mirror “system” camera body has no problem fit a 4.7-inch AMOLED matrix. Space for traditional hardware controls on the back, though, is not left. However, this is more of a conceptual rather than a design problem.

The photographic part of the device is represented by a 20 megapixel sensor with a hybrid autofocus system. Experience of integrating smartphones in fact, their own in a camera at Samsung quite a lot, but in compacts there are a number of problems with ergonomics. In a large mirror-like “system” device more harmoniously than in other photographic devices Galaxy, fit a huge touch screen. In doing so, however, still suffered traditional hardware controls, which, as many photographic manufacturers have already seen, in a serious camera can only be complemented, but not replaced by a touch screen interface. For inexperienced amateurs, who don’t feel much discomfort with the lack of hardware controls because they usually aren’t too keen on controlling anything in the camera, the deterrent is again the price.

Redundant functionality – the Android operating system allows for almost unlimited expansion of the device – turns out to be a questionable advantage. You can install anything on your camera: office suites, games, readers, music players, even music creation software. What for?? No photographer wants to watch movies or surf the Internet and then have a dead battery the moment you take a picture. At the same time, there are few really worthwhile graphical applications on this platform. Competitor cameras and Samsung’s own Smart-camera NX system have learned to work quite well with other devices without wires. You can transfer your photos to your phone, process them and then publish them on almost any modern mirrorless camera.

Specifications:

	Manufactured by	Samsung
Model	Galaxy NX
Average price*	2030
Sensor	Type	CMOS
Size, mm	23,5×15,7
Effective pixels, millions	20,3
Lens, focus	Bayonet compatible optics	Samsung NX
Digital zoom, magnification	2x
Image stabilization***	–
Manual	+
Photography	ISO sensitivity**	100-25600
Shutter Speed Range, sec	30-1/6000
Scene programs	–
Mode A	+
Mode S	+
Mode M	+
Manual white balance	+
Guide number of built-in flash, m	11
Connecting an external flash	Hot-shoe
3:2 image format	+
16:9 aspect ratio	+
RAW	+
Capture speed frames per burst	8 fps 8 RAW
Video and sound	Video, pixels	1920×1080@30p
Video sound	+
Audio commentary	+
Voice recorder	+
Camera	LCD monitor, inches	4,77
LCD monitor resolution, thousands of pixels	921
Viewfinder****	je
Memory cards	SD/SDHC/SDXC
Power*****	Li-ion 440
Dimensions, mm	137x101x26
Weight, g	495
Announcement date	20.06.2013

Samsung NX30

Samsung NX30

20.3 megapixel 16-50mm F3.5-5.6 EZ 3″ 30 000.

With the introduction of the NX1, the NX30 automatically moved up from its flagship position to number two, missing out on the year-end top spot. Interestingly, despite the general damping of activity on the market, for some manufacturers, the “landscape” of model ranges is changing rapidly.

The most striking features of the camera are of a constructive nature. Chief among them is the original electronic viewfinder. By pulling the eyepiece barrel toward you, the photographer can pull it out of the body and rotate it up 80 degrees. This makes it possible to shoot like a DSLR camera with a mine viewfinder. In addition, this gives the photographer the ability to compose the frame with the eyepiece when using a lower angle.

This is the first “system” camera Samsung, where the designers have worked well and carefully on the control system, based on the preferences of experienced photographers. A variety of buttons and selectors on the body, some of which can be reconfigured to suit specific user requirements, greatly speed up the process of interaction with the camera during shooting. Extra help with the AMOLED touchscreen. If there were many questions about the interface of NX cameras before, here most of them will be removed.

NX30 has a hybrid autofocus system. Sensors for phase difference detection are placed on the sensor with a wide horizontal stripe overlapping the most frequent trajectory of an object in the frame. It is in the dynamic shooting the hybrid sharpening system reveals all its advantages.

The apparatus can record not only normal photos, but also stereo images by using a special fixed-lens 45 mm. Video mode greatly improved, with support for higher frame rates in progressive scan. The camera has a jack for an external microphone, and through HDMI you can display images in 1080/30p format without compression. The level of incoming audio can be monitored on the screen and adjusted manually, if necessary. Dual stabilization system optical – by shifting the lens, and digital – based on software algorithms to determine the camera shift and the corresponding image processing is now available in video mode.

The functionality of the wireless data transmission system, besides basic, well-known features, includes the original baby monitor mode – remote baby monitor. Here, however, the question arises: will the battery be enough for a long nap? The camera does not come with a power adapter from the socket, and video recording in combination with active Wi-Fi is very power-hungry.

Samsung NX3000

Samsung NX3000

20.3 megapixel 20-50mm F3.5-5.6 3.3″ 15,500 Dollars.

The NX3000 is a rather boring camera, but it’s interesting in form. Designers played a major role in its creation. The win-win retro look with high quality materials, attention to details and craftsmanship was applied to an essentially budget-friendly camera. It turned out though not revolutionary, but great. Unlike many inexpensive cameras, the NX3000 looks solid. Equal attention was paid to all parts of the camera without exception. The textured overlay, starting at the front panel, smoothly turns around at the back, whereas usually constructors of inexpensive cameras approach its decoration in an extremely utilitarian way. The shutter button has an elegant metallic outline, the top panel’s metallic overlay has a nice roughened texture, engraved metal buttons and a mode dial are attractive accents – everything is done neatly and tastefully.

The camera’s two-fold edge: built-in Wi-Fi and a 180-degree swivel display for easy self-portraits. It got a very modest performance matrix, made by TFT technology. Touch control is not provided here as well. For the stuffing took the basic platform of the NX system. The standard 20MP CMOS sensor has no phase auto-focus sensors, the minimum shutter speed is limited to 1/4000s, the continuous shooting speed does not exceed 5fps with auto-focus locked and the frame rate when recording Full HD video is limited to thirty. The camera was stripped of support for the stereo lens and 3D software modes. Of course, the entire set of semi-automatic and manual exposure controls are here, but in practice their active use is unlikely. 15 scene programs and smart auto are the NX3000 user’s primary shooting tools. The graphic menu, striking with visual sophistication and plenty of animation, makes it somewhat difficult to operate quickly, but there are pluses to the interface. You can control a lot of settings with the proprietary i-Function system, which uses the focus ring on the lens for setting.

You can find a bunch of different software filters in the menu. Not all of them can satisfy a photographer with exquisite taste, but they give amusing results and will please those who are not yet familiar with graphic editors and are not going to get acquainted.

Samsung NX Mini

Samsung NX Mini

20.5 Megapixel 9-27mm F3.5-5.6 3″ 13 000 Dollars.

NX Mini stands alone in the lineup of Samsung system cameras. An inch-format camera marked the beginning of a new system, currently represented by two miniaturized lenses – a regular zoom and a non-lightweight fix. On the proprietary promotional site, the manufacturer somewhat deceitful, offering a guide to selecting optics to the NX Mini the entire range of lenses NX, while forgetting to point out that to work in this case, they need an adapter for the system NX-M cost 6000 Dollars. Not only is it almost half the price of the device itself, but the camera with it loses its main advantage – diminutiveness.

NX Mini is really miniature. The thickness of its magnesium body does not exceed 22.3 mm, which allows, coupled with an extremely affordable price, to claim the attention of buyers aiming to buy a compact. The hardware interface is also more like an ultra-compact: there is no place even for the traditional exposure control wheels. But the pivoting display – yes, they managed to squeeze the mechanism into the baby’s body – is touch sensitive and the software interface has the appropriate virtual controls. On the top panel of the camera is a connector for an external flash included , but if you do not want to increase the size of the camera, you can use a weaker blitz provided on the front panel.

The developers clearly see women as the primary buyers of their product. Self-portrait mode, wink self-timer, video baby monitor with Wi-Fi connection on your smartphone or tablet – everything is made with the beautiful sex in mind. By the way, the NX Mini is much better suited for the latter mode than the NX30: the camera’s claimed autonomy is astonishing. Can shoot up to 650 frames or 325 minutes of video on a single charge.