Samsung NX-10 review

Can this camera revolutionise the market?

Samsung’s NX10 is the first offering from the manufacturer within the new ‘system camera’ or hybrid category. These cameras offer the creativity of interchangeable lens systems, but in a more compact and

easy-to-use body.

Following on from the success of the micro four thirds cameras launched by Olympus and Panasonic (totalling eight bodies plus a host of lenses so far), the NX10 does away with the mirror box and optical viewfinders of traditional DSLRs but boasts the APS-C- sized sensor, originally seen in Samsung’s GX DSLRs. Alongside the larger sensor than its MFT rivals, the NX10 also has a built-in electronic viewfinder, on-board flash and three lenses available from launch: the 18-55mm kit lens, a 50-200mm telephoto optic and a super-slim 30mm f2 pancake lens. This is enough for most photographers’ needs in terms of focal length and versatility.

Out of the box, the NX10 and 18-55mm kit lens (which you get for your £599) feel anything but cheap. They have a reassuring weight and metal finish, and the body offers users a small but comfortable battery grip to get hold of. Attach the lens and the unit feels well balanced and remains lightweight enough to shoot comfortably one handed, although be careful when switching lenses as the sensor, like other cameras of this type, is extremely close to the front of the body.

Samsung has counted this well though, adding an in-camera sensor-cleaning feature. Once you spot some dust on your compositions, run the cleaning system or set it to cycle every time the camera is switched on.

Round the back of the NX10, you’ll find a large 3” AMOLED screen, which offers certain benefits over other types of LCD. For instance, less battery is needed, it is brighter in use and frame coverage is 100%. Its

614k-dot resolution provides a clear, bright image and wide viewing angle.

There’s also an electronic viewfinder, for those who prefer to compose in this way. Put your

eye to it and the sensors switch off the screen and the EVF bursts to life. Although not as good as optical viewfinders found on DSLRs, the NX10’s EVF is good. It offers 100% coverage and is clear and bright, and is something many of its competitors only offer as an add-on.

Elsewhere on the rear you’ll find all the buttons familiar to digital cameras including a d-pad, exposure compensation, display settings and editing options. There’s also shortcut buttons for some of the most frequently altered settings like ISO, metering and white balance. On top Samsung has placed a Mode dial, Control dial, Shutter button and the pop-up flash, again something many of its rivals have been criticised for lacking.

Considering the layout and features on board, the Samsung NX10 is very much similar to a conventional DSLR. Sure, the Control dial is on top rather than at the front below the shutter release, but you soon get used to this and it is very comfortable to use when changing apertures, etc.

The menu system is accessed via the dedicated button on the rear of the camera, and is clear and easy to navigate. However, with shortcut buttons on the rear of the camera to access ISO, white balance, metering and focusing options, you shouldn’t need to delve into the menu too often. Photographers can customise the shortcuts to an extent too: for example, the Preview button on the front can be assigned to either an optical preview or a one-touch white balance, which sets a custom WB quickly and easily.

Competing with the likes of Olympus’s E-P cameras and Panasonic G-series, the NX seems to have combined all the best bits into one package. There’s the aforementioned on-board flash and viewfinder, as well as an HD Movie mode (1020 x 720p), which has become a must-have on digital cameras. Although not full high-def, the movies produced by the NX are very good. Sound is recorded in mono, which lets it down a little, but there are some in-camera editing options. The battery life is stated at 200 minutes before running low, which will give most amateur moviemakers plenty to play with, especially as each clip is limited to 25 minutes.

In terms of the stills performance, colours straight out of the camera were very faithful. The camera metered well even in difficult conditions with lots of dark shadow and bright highlights, even when left to meter automatically. White balance also performed well when left on automatic settings, producing neutral tones.

The autofocus was very effective for the most part, although on occasions the Samsung did struggle a little in lower light situations and on faster-moving subjects. However, manual focus is also on offer, and we found this to work extremely well. Noise proved to be unproblematic for the NX10, with only the higher settings showing up problems on JPEG images. There is in-camera noise reduction, which can be switched on or off, and did a fairly good job for the most part. ISO can be pushed up to 3200, which is less than some ranges we’ve seen on recent launches, but enough to enable handheld shooting in low-light conditions. RAW files show slightly more noise, but the bundled Samsung RAW convertor can easily sort this out.

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 fits 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 viewfinder, on-board flash, 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.