Samsung Takes The New Compact NX Trio Out To The Ballgame

By Greg Tarr On Jun 4 2012 - 4:01am

NEW YORK – Samsung recently introduced to the market a trio of next-generation NX-family mirrorless interchangeable-lens cameras that significantly step up the megapixel count on new Samsung-developed APS-C CMOS image sensors, enabling impressive quality cropped shots for long-distance shooting, among other things.

What better way to show that off than by bringing a group of the photo press to New York’s Citi Field to try them out on a game between the Reds and Mets?

The new mirrorless interchangeable-lens cameras (a.k.a. compact system cameras) included the high-performance NX20 ($1,100 suggested retail) and midrange NX210 ($900), which hit shelves this week, while the entry-level NX1000 ($700) mirrorless interchangeablelens camera will arrive in June.

Core components are the same in all three models, including Samsung’s SMART camera technology with built-in Wi-Fi connectivity, ISO sensitivity up to 12,800, and a 20.3-megapixel Samsung-designed APS-C image sensor, which proved to do an impressive job with cropped enlargements of the game action taken from a shooting location adjacent to right field.

Reid Sullivan, Samsung mobile entertainment products senior VP, said this year all of Samsung’s advanced cameras, including all NX-series models, will incorporate the SMART technology system.

In addition to Wi-Fi capability, this means the cameras will quickly upload images and videos to social-networking sites, and will offer a remote viewfinder capability that will allow using an app on a smartphone or tablet to monitor what is being captured with the camera in real time. It can also be used to view all images taken with the camera on the connected device.

Video is captured in MP4 (H.264) in up to 1,920 by 1,080/30 fps (default) and 1,920 by 810/24 fps as well as 720p and SD formats for easy sharing.

To help capture the Mets in action, Samsung outfitted the cameras with an 18-200mm ($800) telephoto zoom lens.

The following photos demonstrate the quality of the NX-20’s up to 8 fps burst shooting capability, high-resolution 20.3MP APS-C CMOS sensor and the quality of the 18-200mm lens at 200mm, with a 1/400th-second shutter speed, and f5.6 aperture setting.

All three cameras ship in bundles with a lens and flash. The NX-20 and NX-210 ship with an 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 zoom lens, while the NX-1000 ships with a 20-50mm f/3.5-5.6 lens.

The NX-20 (which replaces the NX-200) includes a 3-inch flip-out AMOLED display and a high-resolution electronic viewfinder.

Other than a somewhat different body style and (more difficult to use) button layout, the NX210 offers most of the same features as the NX20. The NX210 will replace the NX200, and includes a metallic finish and offers a 3-inch AMOLED swivel-screen display for viewing FullHD video.

The new NX-family entry model, the NX-1000, will be available in a choice of white, black or pink body colors, with a lighter and sleeker body design than the other two models. It ships in a kit with a compact 20-50mm lens.