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Buyer's Guide Cameras SLRs Under $1,000 Samsung NX100
Buyer's Guide Cameras SLRs Under $1,000 Samsung NX100
Labels: DSLRs
 
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Samsung NX100LIST PRICE: $599 (with 20-50mm ƒ/3.5-5.6 ED zoom)
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| SMART SHOE: The NX100 includes a “Smart Shoe” hot-shoe for attaching optional Samsung flashes, an available EVF10 electronic viewfinder and other accessories, like the Samsung GPS10 GPS system for tagging and categorizing photos by location. LENS OPTIONS: Interchangeable lenses provide far greater imaging potential than the fixed zooms of compact cameras can provide, and a K-Mount Adapter also is available using K-mount lenses with the NX100, which adds compatibility with nearly 40 years of Pentax glass. HD VIDEO: 720p HD recording is captured at a frame rate of 30 fps in the common MPEG4 (H.264) format for easy viewing and editing. Mono sound is recorded through an internal mic, and a Wind Cut mode reduces ambient noise from the wind when shooting video outside. i-SCENE: The i-Scene Lens Priority mode dial simplifies the best mode for each lens to choose scene presets that are based on the characteristics of the lens. |
Offered at $100 less than the somewhat larger Samsung NX10, the NX100 makes a few small sacrifices in order to retain its efficient design by removing the electronic viewfinder and the onboard flash. Otherwise, both cameras are almost identical in capabilities and feature set.
The advantage of the new breed of mirrorless cameras like the NX100 is that the body is much smaller than that of a DSLR because digital technology allows companies to remove the bulky mirror box and viewfinder setup, resulting in camera bodies that are more or less pocket-sized without a lens attached. With 14.6-megapixel resolution, the 23.4x15.6mm CMOS APS-C-sized sensor of the NX100 is larger than the sensor in competitive mirrorless models from Olympus and Panasonic, which use the Micro Four Thirds system. The sensor is roughly the same size as the Sony NEX mirrorless models, Samsung’s other major competition. Other companies are rumored to be offering mirrorless models soon.
Because of the smaller design, the lens mount is also much closer to the sensor, which means that these new mirrorless mounts require a brand-new set of lenses, like the NX series of lenses in the case of the NX100. The NX10 was the first Samsung camera to offer i-Function capabilities, and the NX100 includes a 20-50mm ƒ/3.5-5.6 i-Function lens. Two new i-Function lenses, the 20mm pancake and the 20-50mm zoom lens, have been released, and Samsung also has announced the details for five more NX lenses that will be i-Function-compatible, including three prime lenses and two movie-optimized zooms that will offer quieter operation. This brings a grand total of 10 NX system lenses, which may not seem like a lot when compared to established lens systems, but the range exceeds other mirrorless systems.
STANDOUT FEATURE: The i-Function mode includes a special ring with an i-Fn button for making manual adjustments quickly and easily to various settings like exposure, ISO, white balance and shutter speed. It’s exceedingly simple to get used to, and it keeps your hands on the lens while shooting, making it much easier to change common settings without having to remove your eye from the scene. Changes are previewed practically immediately as you step through settings.
VERDICT: Combining the advantages of a DSLR with the portability of a compact camera is a win-win situation, and the NX100’s i-Function lens capabilities and APS-C-sized sensor set it apart from other mirrorless models.
 Samsung NX10For only $100 more, the NX10, Samsung’s first camera to feature a mirrorless design, includes an EVF, internal flash and a more DSLR-like design. Otherwise, the NX10 is practically identical to the NX100, with a 14.6-megapixel APS-C CMOS sensor that offers image resolution of 4592x3056 pixels. With a firmware update, the NX10 also is compatible with i-Function lenses; the kit lens is not i-Function, however. List Price: $699 (with an 18-55mm ƒ/3.5-5.6 zoom). |
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