Saturday, October 23, 2010

The Samsung NX100 is out to kill the Olympus PEN camera. Find out how in our full coverage.

Following is a review of Samsung NX100 by InfoSync.

Samsung is committed to ruling the mirrorless digital camera market, and the new Samsung NX100 is the company's proclaimed silver bullet. Following the success of the compact, mirrorless Samsung NX10, which stuffed an APS-C sized sensor into an obscenely compact body, the NX100 is even smaller, and is compatible with i-Function lenses, which allow shooters to access manual controls straight from the lens body. The new NX100 also has an AMOLED screen and will be available in Brown as well as the standard Black.

"Our aim is to dominate the mirrorless camera market in the same way that we do in the DualView category, and the new NX100 is the embodiment of that goal," said Mr. SangJin Park, President of Samsung Digital Imaging Division, Samsung Electronics. "We are the first to create a mirrorless camera with high quality imaging technology which has been designed based on intuitive consumer insights from our in-depth consumer research. This is why we believe that the NX100, alongside the NX10, will cement our leadership in this growing field. Our unique and pioneering i-Function Lens stands out from the competition as an example of our unparalleled innovation, which will appeal to every photographer."


Samsung NX100Samsung NX100Samsung NX100Samsung NX100Samsung NX100



According to Samsung, the Samsung NX100 is "inspired by the simple shape of dew forming on a leaf, which can be seen on the camera's shutter button and curved body." What's better than flowery poetry to describe a digital camera? The fact that the NX100 has a 14.6-megapixel APS-C sized CMOS sensor crammed into its compact frame. When looking at the Samsung NX100 from a side profile view, the lens overshadows the body and makes the camera look disproportionate. It's like taking a decent-sized point-and-shoot compact and throwing an interchangeable lens on it.

In addition to one of the fastest AF speeds on the market, Samsung claims the NX100 will feature an ISO level that has been raised to 6400. But the highlight of the NX100 is its i-Function lens, which allows shooters to control the camera from the body of the lens itself. "The new system means that photographers can naturally use their left hand to change settings through the intuitive i-Function lens without the need to take the cameras off the target. Users can toggle between shutter speed, aperture, EV, WB, and ISO quickly and easily by simply using the i-Function button and ring on the lens, meaning easier and quicker configuration while shooting."

Lenses will also have a Lens Priority mode, using icons to mark the primary usage of a particular lens. This way, beginners will be able to use a wide-angle for close-ups and telephoto for longer depths of field by just looking at a simple icon. We're interested to see how the i-Function lenses perform, and can't wait to put the Samsung NX100 through its official paces.

Just like Olympus PEN Art filters, the Samsung NX100 will offer Smart Filters that allow shooters to apply seven different effects, including Vignette, Soft Focus, Fish-Eye, and Miniature. The camera also shoots 720p HD video and is equipped with a supersonic dust reduction system. For a monitor, the Samsung NX100 has a 3-inch VGA AMOLED screen and records stills and videos to SD/SDHC cards up to 32GB.

A series of lenses will be available for the Samsung NX100 throughout the end of the year and the second half of next year. The first batch will launch with the camera and consist of a compact zoom 20-50mm lens and small and light 20mm wide-angle Pancake lens. The first half of 2011 will see a 60mm Macro lens and 18-200mm Super Zoom lens. Accessories like an Electronic Viewfinder, Flash, and GPS Tracker will be available for the Samsung NX100, but there's no date on availability.

Price and Release Date

The Samsung NX100 will be available in October 2010 for $600. The 20-50mm lens will be included in the sales package.

Samsung NX100 Specifications


  • Image sensor: 14.6 Mega-pixels APS-C size CMOS sensor
  • Useable lens: Samsung Lenses
  • Display: 3.0" VGA AMOLED Display
  • ISO Equivalent: Auto, 100 - 3200, Extension settable : ISO 6400
  • Shooting Modes: SmartAuto, Lens Priority, Program, Shutter Priority, Aperture Priority, Manual, Scene, Movie
  • Movie recording: 720P HD Movie Recording (H.264)
  • Storage Media: SD, SDHC (Up to 32GB)
  • EVF: Optional
  • Dimensions: 120.5 x 71 x 34.5mm (excluding the projection part)
  • Weight: 282g (without battery and Memory card)

  • Read more: http://www.infosyncworld.com/reviews/digital-cameras/samsung-nx100/11352.html


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