Samsung unveils new NX series camera system

PMA 2009: Samsung has today officially unveiled its new 'hybrid digital camera' system, in the shape of the NX series. Similar in concept to Micro Four Thirds but using a larger APS-C sensor, this new system is designed to combine the performance and quality of an SLR with the convenience and portability of a point and shoot. By replacing the mirror box and optical viewfinder of an SLR with an electronic viewfinder, the NX series is designed to allow smaller and lighter bodies and lenses. The first model of the NX series will be available in the second half of 2009.


Visitors to PMA will be able to view a mockup of the new system on Samsung's stand.


SAMSUNG’S NX SERIES, HYBRID DIGITAL CAMERAS MAKE GLOBAL DEBUT AT PMA 2009

NX Series Offers APS-C Image Sensor, Bridges Gap Between Compact Digital Cameras and DSLRs


SEOUL, KOREA – March 2, 2009 – Samsung Digital Imaging Co., Ltd. used PMA 2009 as the global launching pad for the NX Series, the company’s revolutionary new family of hybrid digital cameras. A new concept digital camera, the NX Series offers the performance and image quality of a DSLR and the portability and convenience of a compact point-and-shoot. With the NX Series, Samsung will become a global leader in the new hybrid market.


For more information, please click:



http://www.dpreview.com/news/0903/09030201samsungnxsystem.asp

Samsung NX concept features compact footprint, APS-C sensor

PMA 2009 doesn't officially open for another day, but Samsung's already trying to steal the show with the announcement of its NX concept camera.


There have been rumors and reports since before last year's Photokina show that Samsung was developing a compact camera with an APS-C sensor to compete with Panasonic/Olympus's Micro Four Thirds technology. While the Korean manufacturer hasn't put information on any actual model on the table today, they have filled in some technical details about the forthcoming camera and provided some nice visuals on what it might look like.

A "hybrid" concept

Samsung refers to the new NX series as a "hybrid" model, combining the performance and image quality of a DSLR with the compactness of a point-and-shoot. Like most current DSLRs, the NX series models will use an APS-C image sensor – significantly larger than sensors commonly found in point-and-shoot cameras. Larger sensors mean smoother images and better low light performance, giving the NX the image quality advantages of other interchangeable-lens cameras.




At the same time, compactness rivaling an advanced compact camera is achieved by eliminating the cumbersome mirror box that has traditionally defined SLR design. The same approach used by Olympus and Panasonic in pioneering the Micro Four Thirds system, removing the mirror box allows Samsung to move the lens closer to the sensor – reducing the flange-back distance by around 60 percent in this case.

Working without a mirror

Without a mirror box to direct a through-the-lens image up to an optical viewfinder, the NX series models will incorporate a high-resolution electronic viewfinder, or EVF, instead. With nothing sitting between lens and sensor in this case, the NX concept is essentially a full-time live view camera, and will be able to provide image preview either through the viewfinder or on the back-panel LCD.




This size-saving decision also mandates the use of contrast-detection auto focus – the technology used for point-and-shoot cameras – rather than the quicker and more reliable phase-detection systems used in DSLRs when shooting through the optical viewfinder.

No word yet on what Samsung is doing on the AF development front, though with Panasonic's G1 showing that "DSLR fast" contrast-detection auto focus is at least a technological possibility, AF performance has fewer questions hanging around it than it did when Micro Four Thirds was first announced.

Lens mount uncertainties

Although it wasn't spelled out in today's announcement, product shots and technical discussions suggest that the NX series will retain interchangeable lenses as well. Given the lack of concrete information on this front, it's also not clear what lens mount Samsung might be planning to use – presumably, a new, proprietary one.

What is known is that Samsung has a long history of building DSLRs around Pentax's K mount. With lots of tiny "pancake" primes in Pentax's DA Limited stable that would fit nicely with the equally compact NX, Pentax is the obvious frontrunner for a compatibility partner in our minds at this point (through an adapter, most likely). Assuming this pans out as expected, it would be a boon for Pentax shooters, providing a compact body option even smaller than the current Pentax K2000.

A significant move

Even in concept form with few technical specs, Samsung's confirmation that the NX series will go forward as anticipated is a significant move for a company that hasn't traditionally been one of the foremost players in the DSLR space. But Samsung – like Panasonic and Olympus – is banking on the viability of this hybrid concept as an important bridge between the compact and SLR markets.

"We estimate that the hybrid digital camera market will be over 20 percent of the global digital still camera market by 2012," said Samsung Digital Imaging's CEO, Sang-jin Park, in a statement in today's press release. This projection makes the NX series arguably the key piece of Samsung's highly aggressive "goal to become the global leader in the digital camera market by 2012."
Of course, whether Samsung will ultimately control a large stake of the compact interchangeable-lens camera space depends both on the final specs that an actual NX camera – the first of which is slated for launch in the second half of 2009 – brings to the table, and on whether powerful rivals like Olympus, Canon, and Nikon choose to respond in kind with similar products of their own.
We'll see what more information about Samsung's plans for the NX series can be gleaned once the show floor opens tomorrow.

For more information, please click:

http://www.digitalcamerareview.com/default.asp?newsID=3920&review=samsung+nx

Two Words Photographers Love: Big Sensor

The new Samsung point-and-shoot has the guts of an SLR

Samsung's NX: Samsung's NX camera will have the sensor and interchangeable lens system of an SLR, but the focus system and viewfinder of a point-and-shoot.

No matter how good your technique, ultimately it's size that matters. I'm talking about cameras, of course.

Regardless of how sophisticated the camera or the photographer is, truly beautiful photos—with fine detail and rich exposure—rarely come from a point-and-shoot with an image sensor the size of the fingernail on your pinky. That's usually too little silicon to soak up enough light for a good picture. For quality, you need the giant slab found in an SLR, which is from about 15 to 30 times larger.

But you don't necessarily need an SLR—with a viewfinder that lets you look directly through the lens. That's what Samsung believes, anyway. Its new NX Series of cameras—announced today and due in the "second half of 2009"—have the big sensor and ability to change lenses but not the namesake single-lens-reflex viewfinder of an SLR.

Why buy this wannabe SLR instead of the real thing? So you can carry it around easily. Looking through the lens of an SLR requires some bulky, complex optics – basically an upside-down periscope in which a mirror in front of the sensor bounces images up to a prism or mirrors at the top of the camera, by the viewfinder. Take all that out, and you can make a notably smaller, and theoretically cheaper, camera.

But will it satisfy anyone or be the worst of both worlds—too big to put in your pocket and too limited for photo enthusiasts. History suggests disappointment.Sony tried the same thing in 2005 with the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-R1 (see a great review here). It also had the big sensor (known as APS), along with a mighty (non-removable) 5X zoom lens—equal to 24-120 millimeters. Sony doesn't sell the R1 anymore, nor any other cameras like it. Instead, Sony jumped into the SLR business and, after a rough start, is now producing pretty competent models under the Alpha brand.

I tried and liked the R1, but I didn't buy one. I missed being able to look right through the lens when I set up my shots (even a nice LCD is a poor substitute). And when you take out the periscope of an SLR, you also remove their hyper-fast focusing system and have to deal instead with point-and-shoot focus speeds (which are getting better, but still don't measure up). Also, despite the great sensor and great lens, the image quality still didn't match up to even my older Canon SLR (the original Digital Rebel).

A quirky camera company called Sigma tried putting an SLR sensor in a compact camera last year with the DP1. I didn’t test the camera, but Imaging Resource gave it a thorough try. The Sigma was great in some ways, according to their review: for example, image detail was fantastic. But it was a mess in so man others, being painfully slow, and having inconsistent autofocus and exposure, to name just a few glitches.

Then came Panasonic with its Lumix G1. This uses the so-called 4/3 sensor found in all their SLRs, which is a little smaller than a regular SLR's but still plenty big. (As with the new Samsung, you can even switch lenses like on an SLR; all that's missing is the periscope.) I had fund testing the G1. I got some great indoor photos with it, and I liked the bright electronic viewfinder (basically a little LCD that you hold your eye up to) because it let me set up photos in a nightclub that was murky-dark until the flash went off. Even the autofocus was pretty good.
But photos I took outside had sickly colors and fuzzy details. And really, it wasn't THAT much smaller than an SLR—not enough for me to take it along in situations when I wouldn't just pack the real thing.

I'm not sure why all these cameras disappointed. In theory, they should have taken photos as nice as those from a real SLR. Maybe it's because the companies that made them didn't have a lot of experience with great SLRs. (Sony hadn't made any at the time, Panasonic is pretty new to the business, and Sigma's had a spotty record.)

That doesn't bode well for Samsung, either. Up till now, their SLRs have literally just been rebranded Pentax models. Samsung does make the sensors for some of those Pentax cameras. But Sony, Panasonic and Sigma are also sensor manufacturers. A good sensor is necessary for good photos, but it's not enough on its own.

Maybe Samsung will break the curse of quasi-SLRs and produce a winner with the NX when it comes out later this year. Either way, we'll let you know.

For more information, please click:

http://www.popsci.com/gear-amp-gadgets/article/2009-03/two-words-photographers-love-big-sensor#comment-31572

Digital Photography Review: Samsung HZ10W

The Digital Photography Review posted the specificaiton of Samsung HZ10W digital camera.
You may click the following link to get more information.
http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/specs/Samsung/samsung_hz10w.asp

Best electronic gadgets: Samsung 10.2 MP HZ10W

Yesterday Samsung has announced that Samsung 10.2 MP HZ10W compact ultrazoom concept will be coming to market later this month. The new Samsung model takes on stalwarts from Canon and Panasonic in one of the most in-demand segments of the market – pocket-sized long-zoom cameras.


Samsung 10.2 MP has a large set of great features that aren’t common to point-and-shoots, such as a 10.2MP ultrawide 24mm Schneider lens, and a 10x optical zoom. With the ability to fit more of a desired scene into the shot, users no longer have to worry about asking a group of people to stand closer together to make sure everyone is in the photo.





With telephoto capabilities up to 240mm, you can get photos from greater distances with equal levels of clarity, that’s equivalent to the 35mm film camera according to the Samsung. It’s also able of capturing 720PHD video at 30FPS, much like other cameras in it’s range. Users can also capture even more impressive landscape images, communicating the full beauty of a mountain range or even cityscape, as they see it, without having to decide what to exclude when pressing the shutter button. Price: only $300.



For more information, please click:

http://www.pricy-spicy.com/best-electronic-gadgets-samsung-102-mp-hz10w/

Samsung pumps out another compact "YouTube" camcorder

Samsung continues its line of soda-can-shaped, standard-def camcorders with the SMX-F34. It's based around the company's 2008 flash-based model--the SC-MX20--but adds the ability to capture 800x600-resolution photos to its 16GB of internal memory or SD/SDHC cards.



The F34 records video in H.264 format up to a resolution of 720x480 and out front is a 34x zoom lens. If you like to share your videos online, the F34 is designed to do so with minimal effort on your part.

For more information, please click:

http://ces.cnet.com/8301-19167_1-10134691-100.html

Samsung digital camera HZ10W

Samsung Electronics showcased its compact, 10.2M digital camera at 2009 CES, which takes wide-angle to a new level.

Featuring an ultra-wide angle 24mm Schneider lens, the HZ10W goes beyond the 28mm wide angle focal length offered by other manufacturers while adding a powerful 10x optical zoom with telephoto capabilities of 240mm (35mm film equivalent).

Users can manually configure shutter speed, from 16 ~ 1/1,500 seconds, as well as adjust focus and aperture settings. Users can also dial in exposure in 1/3EV steps at a maximum of ±2EV and select a desired ISO value with options of 80, 100, 200, 400, 800, 1600, and even 3200 at a reduced resolution of three mega-pixels.

For more information, please click:

http://blog.persimpangan.com/blog/2009/01/09/samsung-digital-camera-hz10w/

Samsung's HZ10W arrives early with ultra-wide 24mm lens

Ooops. Samsung's 10.2 megapixel HZ10W camera has leaked onto the Internets a bit early. The wide-angle lens goes extra-wide with its 24mm (not 28mm) Schneider with 10x optical zoom stabilized with both optical and digital anti-shake tech.

It also captures 720p video at 30fps in H.264 format to SDHC cards if that's your thing. In addition to a presumably useful array of automatic face detection, Smile Shot (shoots a photo when the subject smiles) and Blink Detection (triggers 3x shots if a blink is detected), the camera also features manual control over shutter speed, focus, aperture, and ISO settings. Happy, pappy?

For more information, please click:

http://www.crazyengineers.com/forum/ce-infocus/11465-samsungs-hz10w-arrives-early-ultra-wide-24mm-lens.html

Samsung Introduces HZ10W Digital Camera with 24mm Ultra-Wide Angle 10x Zoom

New HZ10W Offers HD Video and Addresses Need for Wider Focal Length and Longer Zoom LAS VEGAS, N.V., January 7, 2009 - Samsung's new HZ10W is a compact, 10.2 mega‑pixel digital camera that takes wide-angle to a new level.

Featuring an ultra-wide angle 24mm Schneider lens, the HZ10W goes beyond the 28mm wide‑angle focal length offered by other manufacturers while adding a powerful 10x optical zoom with telephoto capabilities of 240mm (35mm film equivalent).

Opportunities to enhance one's creativity thrive thanks to the wider focal length offered by the HZ10W's ultra-wide angle, 24mm lens. With the ability to fit more of a desired scene into the shot, users no longer have to worry about asking a group of people to stand closer together to make sure everyone is in the photo. Users can also capture even more impressive landscape images, communicating the full beauty of a mountain range or even cityscape, as they see it, without having to decide what to exclude when pressing the shutter button.

For more information, please click

http://www.cameratown.com/news/news.cfm?id=6966

Samsung Introduces HZ10W Wide Angle 10X Zoom Camera

Samsung has rolled out its HZ10W compact camera, offering an ample 24mm wide angle Schneider lens that zooms to 240mm. This 10x zoom camera features a 10-megapixel CCD image sensor, a 2.7-inch LCD screen and ISO range of from 80 to 1600.



“The mega-zoom HZ10W is one of the most feature-rich digital cameras in Samsung’s wide ranging family of digital imaging products,” said Tony Sorice, vice president of Sales and Marketing for Digital Imaging, at Samsung Electronics America.

The HZ10W also gives shooters the ability to capture video in 720p high-definition at 30 frames-per-second (fps), thanks to H.264 compression. The Samsung HZ10W will be available this month for $300.


For more information, please click

http://www.studiolighting.net/samsung-introduces-hz10w-wide-angle-10x-zoom-camera/

Samsung Extends Full-HD Camcorder Family with Introduction of New H-Series

New HMX-H106 is the World’s First Camcorder to Feature a 64GB Internal SSD
LAS VEGAS, N.V., January 5, 2009 –



Samsung Electronics America, Inc. today extended its family of full-HD digital camcorders with four new models - the HMX-H106, HMX-H105, HMX-H104, and HMX-H100. Samsung’s new H-Series offer users high-performance, full HD video, a renowned Schneider Kreuznach Varioplan HD lens with Optical Image Stabilization, and industry leading design; however, most notable is the use of internal Solid State Drives to provide onboard

The HMX-H106, Samsung’s new flagship full-HD digital camcorder, is the world’s first to feature an internal 64GB Solid State Drive (SSD)*. Samsung’s renowned SSD technology offers a substantial advantage over the use of Hard Disk Drives (HDD) in a digital camcorder, providing consumers with higher performing and more durable internal memory. In comparison to HDD, Samsung’s SSD technology is more lightweight and compact, operates silently with very low heat emission, and features no moving parts, which significantly reduces overall power consumption and enhances reliability. No moving parts also make SSD technology more durable and resistant to shock and vibrations, which pose a considerable threat to the performance of HDD based digital camcorders. Additionally, Samsung’s SSD technology is faster than HDD, including quicker boot-up and read/write speeds which is required for the amount of data recorded in full-HD resolution. When actively reading and writing data, Samsung’s SSD technology consumes approximately 1/8th of the power of a comparable HDD**.

For more information, please click:

http://www.cameratown.com/news/news.cfm?id=6924

Samsung rolls out 24mm zoom digital camera

TechShout.com reviewed Samsungs 24mm zoom digital camera, HZ10W.

Please click here to review HZ10W.

http://www.techshout.com/cameras/2009/10/samsung-rolls-out-hz10w-24-mm-zoom-digital-camera/