Samsung NX10 review

							Link: http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/technologyfeatures/view/1048918/1/.html




Samsung NX10 gets 10 points for debut effort
By Trevor Tan




SINGAPORE : The mirrorless, interchangeable-lens Micro Four Thirds (MFT) cameras have
been slowly eating into the market previously dominated by single-lens reflex cameras
(DSLRs). The latest to hop onto the bandwagon is Samsung with the NX10.
Like other MFT cameras, the NX10 does away with the reflex mirror and pentaprism,
allowing it to be smaller and lighter.


However, it uses the bigger APS-C-sized CMOS image sensor that is found in DSLRs. This
allows better light reception, and therefore theoretically produces images of better
quality and noise performance.
The "all-Samsung-built" NX10 packs a 14.6-megapixel image sensor, a DRIME II Pro
image processor and a three-inch Active Matrix OLED screen into a compact chassis that
weighs only 353g (without batteries and card), and measures 3.98cm in thickness
(without lenses).


While the chassis is much smaller than conventional DSLRs, it looks almost exactly like
one, minus the optical viewfinder. In its place is a built-in LED electronic viewfinder (EVF).
The resolution is pretty good, but the external EVF of MFT cameras does a better job.
A proximity sensor will automatically switch off the display and activate the EVF when
your eye is near the EVF. However, I would have preferred an option to switch off the
display altogether.


Although the NX10 sports smooth curves, it looks boring compared to the retro looks of
MFT cameras. It also feels rather plastic, but at least it's not flimsy, and offers a fairly
good grip.
The built-in pop-up flash comes in handy when you need some fill-in light. However, it is
not powerful enough if you need to do a group shot indoors.
Entry-level DSLR users will immediately feel at home with this camera as the button and
control layout is similar. Changing of settings is a breeze, and will not tax your fingers
too much.
Like most entry-level DSLRs, the lack of a rear wheel dial means you have to press a
button and turn the front dial to change the aperture when you are in Manual mode.
There is no dedicated video button either.


Nonetheless, the operation of the NX10 is superb as its startup and shutdown is almost
instantaneous. Auto-focusing feels faster on this camera than on MFT cameras, but it still
lags behind DSLRs. Shutter lag is at approximately 0.1 seconds with pre-focus. On the
downside, there is no auto-focusing during video recording.
Still images taken with the 18-55mm (27-82.5mm equivalent of 35mm due to the
sensor's 1.5x crop factor) kit lens look sharp, with warm skin tones and vibrant colour
reproduction. The camera also handles lighting contrasts well by preserving shadow
details without exposing the highlights.
You will hardly notice any noise artifacts until ISO 800, and it is acceptable even at ISO
1,600. Only at ISO 3,200 are noise artifacts clearly visible with loss of details. High-
definition 720p videos shot are generally top-notch, but its audio lacks punch.


While there is a built-in dust reduction system, the image stabiliser (IS) function lies in its
NX-mount lenses. There are only three NX-mount lenses in the market and one of them,
the 30mm lens, doesn't have the IS function.
With the lack of adapters and limited NX-mount lenses, avid photographers might not
bite. Still, priced at only S$1,099 with an 18-55mm kit lens, the NX10 will tempt many.