SAMSUNG NX10 GEAR
TEST RESULTS
IMAGE QUALITY
DETAIL AT A3 240PPI
The NX10’s Metering does a solid job and copes well, even in tricky backlit conditions.
METERING
We challenged the Multi segment metering system in a range of lighting conditions. With our back-lit tree the exposure was spot on, retaining colour detail in the shadowy branches and only blowing detail in the very brightest highlight in the sky. With the flower, shot under more balanced lighting, the exposure was bright and punchy with the RAW only needing a tweak to the Recovery slider to restore the highlight detail.
DETAIL
The 14.6Mp APS-C CMOS sensor on the NX10 produces a native file size of just over 40MB when opened in Photoshop. This makes it possible to print large, Super A3 (329x483mm) images at 240ppi without having to interpolate the pixels and enlarge the image. As the close-up detail of our model illustrates, this makes fine details like eyelashes resolve well with a great level of detail.
FULL IMAGE
Up to ISO 400, super smooth Noise-free images are displayed and although it becomes evident at ISO 800, it’s well
ISO 100 @100%
NOISE & ISO PERFORMANCE TESTED
controlled. However, at ISO 1600 image detail begins to fragment and smooth areas become blotchy. At ISO 3200 there’s
a noticeable drop-off in saturation, too. However, all images are free from the build-up of any nasty chromatic Noise.
ISO 800 @100%
ISO 3200 @100%
blue and white colour palette. Framing up shots in Live View
may feel unnatural to many traditionalists, but it will feel perfectly normal if you’re stepping up from a digital compact. If you do choose to switch between the screen and EVF, Samsung has included a handy eye-start activation sensor which automatically turns off the Live View feed as you put your eye up to the ‘finder. Your shooting settings are displayed on both the AMOLED screen and in the EVF. Shooting both RAW and Super
Fine JPEGs, the NX10 took, on average, 7secs to process the files, which is pretty pedestrian by today’s standards. It does have to process large 14.6Mp files though,
WWW.PHOTOANSWERS.CO.UK
and you can take another photo while a number of images are processing. However, take too many and the buffer will clog up. For continuous shooting, the
NX10 features an incredible 30fps burst mode, but it only records files at 1.4Mp, which are no good for printing. In Continuous mode a burst of 10 Super Fine JPEGs can be captured before the buffer slows, but for both RAW and JPEG files it only manages three.
VALUE AND VERDICT
As this is the first interchangeable lens camera to incorporate an APS-C sized sensor, placing the NX10 within a market context is a bit tricky. We’ve made a few
“ It’s a bold move to create a brand new camera system “
comparisons to entry-level D-SLRs as the NX10 handles like one, and at under £500 its natural competitors would be the Nikon D5000 or Canon EOS 500D. In terms of features and image quality, the NX10 can stand up to these guys, but where it falls down is in its slow performance and limited range of accessories. It’s also up against the Micro FourThirds contenders from Panasonic and Olympus, which have proved to be extremely popular, but the inclusion of an APS-C image sensor, AMOLED
screen and built-in flash makes the NX10 an attractive proposition. It’s a bold move to create a
brand new camera system and other manufacturers will be watching closely to see if the NX system is a retail success. We like what it does and the way it does it, so think it has a promising future.
RATINGS
FEATURES & BUILD PERFORMANCE IMAGE QUALITY
VALUE FOR MONEY OVERALL
*****
***** ***** ***** *****
DIGITAL PHOTO 97
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36