SAMSUNGNX10
SPECS
£500 STREET PRICE WITH 18-55MM WWW.SAMSUNGCAMERA.CO.UK
• 14.6MP APS-C SIZED CMOS SENSOR • INTERCHANGEABLE SAMSUNG NX LENSES • 18-55MM F/3.5-5.6 KIT LENS • 3IN, 614K-DOT AMOLED SCREEN • INBUILT 921K-DOT EVF • ISO 100-3200
FIVE FACTS ABOUT THE NX10
APS-C SIZED CMOS SENSOR
HIGHLIGHTS
Larger than Micro Four Thirds, this sensor size is common to DSLRs and ideal for high-quality images.
AMOLED SCREEN
Top-quality technology here, Organic Light Emitting Diode is low-power consuming and offers impressive viewing quality.
NEW NX-TYPE LENS FITTING 720P HD MOVIE CAPTURE
The proprietary NX format can also employ a K-mount adaptor for manual use of Pentax or Samsung GX lenses.
It’s not all stills – the NX10 can record HD video and even output them to HD TVs using its HDMI port.
ELECTRONIC VIEWFINDER (EVF)
As well as the screen there’s a built-in auto-activating, 921k-dot high-resolution EVF for multiple ways to take your pictures.
Last year saw a new breed of camera concept storm the market: DSLR-like in form and resulting picture quality, yet without the mirror box and, as a result, smaller-bodied by design. Micro System Cameras, as we here at WDC have come to term them, were initially led by the Micro Four Thirds (MFT) system – a standard conceived by Olympus and Panasonic with both manufacturers producing a variety of interchangeable-lens cameras with the same MFT lens fi tting.
Samsung’s solo-ventured response is the NX-series. The fi rst of these, the NX10, had been seen over a year ago in its initial conception stage but has only just seen the light of day. With a large APS-C CMOS sensor providing 1.5x magnifi cation, the NX10’s sensor is much larger than that of Micro Four Thirds, and also crams in 14.6 megapixels for ultra-large output too. And with many stores retailing the kit option for a penny under £500, this could well be the consumer-accessible delight that expense has otherwise hindered in the past. But just how good is it, is it a true DSLR replacement and, above all else, is it the mirrorless interchangeable system to buy?
FEATURES
The NX10 has some very savvy features. Its 3in, 614k-dot screen isn’t LCD as per most cameras, instead it’s one of a handful of new cameras to employ AMOLED technology (that’s Active-matrix Organic Light Emitting Diode for the full name). Unlike LCD, OLED does not require backlighting, meaning there’s an immediate benefi t of lower power consumption. In addition, a faster refresh rate for smoother picture, higher contrast ratio for better black-white range, and more signifi cant viewing angle make it the current best display technology on the market. As well as the NX10’s rear screen is a built-in 921k-dot
electronic viewfi nder (EVF) which automatically engages as your face nears the eye cup. Unlike the MFT cameras on the market, Samsung’s NX venture has a larger APS-C sized 14.6MP CMOS sensor (the same size as that found in the majority of DSLRs), which in turn requires the unique NX-mount type lens fi tting. An 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 (27-83mm equivalent) is the standard kit lens, but a prime 30mm f/2.0 and 50-200mm f/4-5.6 are already available, and a further fi ve lenses are promised for the near future; three due this year. A K-mount adaptor to facilitate use of Samsung GX or Pentax K-mount lenses will also be available, albeit without autofocus capabilities. Image stabilisation isn’t based inside the
NX10’s body, though a number of lenses feature lens-based stabilisation. The 18-55mm kit lens and 50-200mm tele-zoom lenses have this option, though the 30mm prime doesn’t. Drive mode allows shooting of up to three
frames per second, which is around the same as competitor models, though with such large fi le sizes this is limited to a quoted maximum of 10 JPEG or three Raw fi les before the buffer fi lls and ceases to allow further shooting. The usual PASM controls permit full manual use, plus Smart Auto, HD 720p Movie using H.264 compression, and a variety of scene modes also feature. ISO sensitivity runs through from ISO 100-3200, and in-camera Picture Wizard mode also provides customisable colour options and black & white capture, among other presets. There’s also Smart Range dynamic range optimisation for shadow and highlight exposure and user-defi nable exposure compensation to +/- 3EV. To complement the pop-up fl ash, a standard hotshoe fi tting for fl ashguns or further accessories also features.
DESIGN
Unlike the Olympus and Panasonic Micro Four Thirds efforts which – at least for many models
PICTURE STYLES The Picture Wizard option provides a variety of presets for black & white, retro,
vivid, landscape, and a variety of other styles, including user-defi nable options.
Samsung NX10, 18-55mm OIS @ 25mm, f/9.0, 1/20th, ISO 200, Retro picture mode, evaluative metering
ALTERNATIVES
TO CONSIDER
PANASONIC G2
LCD, Panasonic’s newest MFT offering looks very technically swish indeed
OLYMPUS E-PL1
£540
lenses can be used on Olympus’s latest MFT model
Four Thirds – the GH1 has 1080p HD movie capture for the complete package
PANASONIC GH1
£1050 The ‘boss’ of Micro
WWW.WHATDIGITALCAMERA.COM
59
A wider variety of £600 With a touchscreen
KEY
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