REVIEW HYBRID
HEAD2HEAD
FEATURES & EASE OF USE
Samsung NX10
£599 (with kit lens)
The newest entry in to the hybrid or system camera market, but it won’t be the last
Olympus E-PL2
£549
Traditional looks and a tested formula from Olympus with the new digital PEN range
Stylish and small, the NX10 is well built and has a sturdy feeling
SAMSUNG NX10
£599 (WITH 18-55MM LENS)
MEGAPIXELS 14.6
RESOLUTION 4592 x 3056
LENS DATA By lens
ZOOM By lens
FOCUS/MACRO By lens
SHUTTER SPEEDS30-1/4000sec (Bulb 8min)
ISO SENSITIVITY 100-3200
EXP. MODES A, P, AP, SP, M, 14 scn METERING A, CW, S, MS
“You have a camera system that presents itself as a viable alternative to a DSLR”
Aimed at step-up users, the
Samsung NX10 does lack a few custom features that more experienced photographers may miss, but the more you use the camera, the less this seems to matter. Handling and ease of use is as much of a joy as the images themselves. The camera is a real pleasure to use, and the lightweight build means it’s a real ‘go- anywhere’ shooter. Whether you’re shooting still life on the kitchen table, portraits in a studio or even on a ten-mile hike, the NX10 fi ts perfectly into your life and shooting style. The on-board editing options, like the picture wizard, are great fun too, and preset styles like black and white are very effective. Hybrid cameras have truly been
one of the greatest successes of recent years within digital camera technology. With three manufacturers already boasting
system cameras, and Sony about to enter the fray, it’s a segment that will only grow stronger. While Olympus and Panasonic
were the pioneers in the hybrid market, Samsung has cleverly watched and waited. Having seen where criticisms were levelled at its competitors – eg, lack of viewfi nder, on-board fl ash, high-def movies – Samsung has developed a system that is more of a miniaturised DSLR than any of its rivals. Add an APS-C-sized sensor into the mix and you have a camera system that not only appeals to step up compact users, but also presents itself as a viable alternative or backup to a DSLR.
DEBBI ALLEN
FLASH MODES A, RE, Fl, 1C, 2C, Fogg CONNECTIVITY USB, NTSC,
PAL, HDMI WEIGHT 353g (excl. batteries)
DIMENSIONS 123 x 87 x 39.8mm
BATTERIES Lithium-ion
STORAGE SD, SDHC LCD 3” AMOLED
FLASH RANGE
11 metres
FOCAL RANGE
By lens
BURST SHOOTING SPEED
■ Continuous (3fps) and Burst (30fps, with a single press of the shutter, 1.4MP)
HOW GOOD IS IT FOR…
PORTRAITS
With great DOF and an on-board Beauty shot mode, impressive results can be achieved
LANDSCAPES
Colours are stunning and noise is minimal, as is distortion
SPORTS
Three frames per second at full resolution produces average results
LOW LIGHT
The focus assist lamp helps, but the camera performs at its best in light
MACRO
Capable of some beautiful DOF, with the kit lens and other optics
NOISE TO ISO RELATIONSHIP
Mean noise rating
4 3
2 1
0 50 100
ISO setting
COLOUR ACCURACY
Colours are vivid and largely faithful with the NX10 favouring the reds, like Nikon’s cameras tend to
■FINAL VERDICT
★★★★★
FEATURES
DESIGN & HANDLING★★★★★ BUILD QUALITY ★★★★★ IMAGE QUALITY ★★★★★ VALUE FOR MONEY ★★★★★
Boasting all the features of a beginner DSLR in a lightweight and friendly body, with great image quality too
Reproduced by kind permission of Digital Camera Essentials Issue 97
OVERALL:★★★★★
200 400 800 1600 3200 6400
Brimming with
features, the NX10 offers an EVF, flash and high-def movies as well
Boasts both a
Flash and Video mode but no viewfinder, although you can buy one
PERFORMANCE & QUALITY
Capable of truly
stunning image quality and a real pleasure to use in the field, too
If its
predecessors are anything to go by, quality should be high on the Olympus
FOR MONEY VALUE
Cheaper than
many of its hybrid competitors and offers more features as well
You’ll need
to invest in a separate viewfinder if you want one, adding cost
A low start with good performance across the range, with even 1600 and 3200 causing few problems
Sample photos, movies and test results online at…
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