Samsung NX100 at a glance:
- 14.6 million effective pixels
- APS-C CMOS sensor
- i-Function lens
- 3in AMOLED screen
- Compact, 34.5mm deep body
- Street price around £400 with 20-50mm kit lens
Samsung NX100 review – Introduction
At the beginning of this year, Samsung announced the launch of its first interchangeable-lens compact-system camera (CSC) in the form of the NX10. Its APS-C-size sensor could be squeezed into a camera body that is smaller than a typical DSLR because it lacks a moving mirror system and optical viewfinder.
Nine months later and the NX100, Samsung’s second CSC, is smaller still. Although the two cameras share many of the same features inside, such as a 14.6-million-effective-pixel sensor, on the outside they are quite different, as the Samsung NX100 has the style and size of a compact camera.
While the NX100’s specification suggests that image quality should be just as impressive as that of the NX10, the smaller size of the NX100’s body is achieved by removing a couple of key features. There is no viewfinder or built-in flash as standard, although both are available as optional extras.
The decision to remove what some may consider to be key elements suggests that Samsung believes size to be of greater importance in this instance, and wants to build on the NX range rather than replace the NX10. It is an obvious step towards aiming the NX series at the mass market, especially considering that the Samsung NX100 is one of the most inexpensive compact-system cameras around.
To coincide with the release of the Samsung NX100, Samsung has launched i-Function lenses. Two models are available at present, with more to follow.
Once pressed, the i-Function button allows users to scroll through key exposure settings quickly and control them via the focus ring. The aim is to make the most common camera settings easier to access, which should encourage new photographers to use these controls.
With Samsung attempting to please the mass market, while maintaining a DSLR-sized sensor, it will be interesting to see how a balance is struck.
Features
The NX100 maintains many of the features found in the NX10. Images are recorded using the same 14.6-million-effective-pixel APS-C-sized CMOS sensor and are displayed on a bright 3in AMOLED screen.
Images can be saved as raw, JPEG or raw + JPEG files simultaneously. Both Intelli-Studio 2.1 and Samsung Raw Converter software are supplied with the NX100.
Intelli-Studio 2.1 is new to the NX series and can be used to view still and moving images, while raw images can be edited and converted using Samsung Raw Converter.
One of the key features of the NX100 is its size. At 120.5x71x34.5mm it has similar dimensions to many compact-system Four Thirds cameras, such as the Olympus Pen E-P2, and is only slightly bigger than the Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF2. Of the cameras with an APS-C-size sensor, only the Sony NEX3 and NEX5 are smaller. However, when the lenses are compared, the Samsung NX optics are more compact than those on the Sony NEX cameras.
The i-Function button on Samsung’s new lenses works like any function button, and many of the key exposure settings, such as shutter speed, aperture, white balance, ISO and manual exposure control, can be operated through this menu. These settings can also be operated on the camera via dedicated buttons and the control dial.
The two new i-Function lenses released with the NX100 are the 20-50mm f/3.5-5.6 kit lens and a 20mm f/2.8 pancake lens. Samsung NX10 users will be pleased to know that a firmware upgrade is already available to enable them to use the new i-Function lenses.
Other features to note include a continuous burst of ten frames per second for up to 3secs (30 frames), which can be shot in JPEG only, while the beauty scene mode with face retouch options is a handy in-camera option for those interested in taking portraits.
There are several optional extras available for the NX100, not least of which is a GPS module (GPS10). This can be attached via the hotshoe and automatically tags each image with time and location data. Also available is an electronic viewfinder (EVF) and two appropriately sized hotshoe flashes.
Features in use: i-Function lens
Key exposure controls of white balance, ISO, aperture, shutter speed and manual exposure compensation can be operated via the i-Function lens. By pressing the button on the lens, the function can be selected by the control wheel on the top of the body and the settings can be changed by turning the manual-focus ring on the lens. Given the target audience, this is a clever idea as no doubt it will encourage photographers to learn about and use these functions.
The i-Function lens can also be controlled using the navigation buttons on the body, and I found that I instinctively operated the i-Function from the controls on the body rather than via the intended manual-focus ring. After a little practice, I realised that this is due to the fact that I was viewing the scene from the screen rather than from a viewfinder. When I used the lens with the NX10 through its viewfinder, I found that operating exposure controls came more naturally to the intended manual-focus ring on the lens. The i-Function control is a good feature and will speed up operation, especially when used with a viewfinder, so purchasing the extra viewfinder is advisable.
Build and Handling
There are noticeable differences in size and style between the NX100 and the NX10.
While the design of the NX10 feels much more like a mini DSLR camera, the NX100 looks much more like a compact camera. The advantage of these two cameras looking very different is that it broadens the appeal of the NX range over various markets.
Samsung states that the sweeping, elegant curves of the NX100 are inspired by dew forming on a leaf. Whether or not this resemblance is apparent is inconsequential, because there is no doubt that the NX100 is a stylish camera. Its elegance is aided by the simplicity of the layout and smooth black finish.
There are only a few buttons on the body, each logically placed within a finger’s reach. The matt-silver top shows off the camera’s curves and the shooting-mode dial is centrally placed on it, next to where the right thumb rests. Although stylish, the NX100’s plastic body lacks a little substance, feeling hollow and lightweight. That said, it is well made and the plastic is no doubt a contributing factor to the lower price.
The smooth finish of the body means there is no textured grip on the NX100. The finish is a little slippery and, despite its small dimensions, I tended to hold the camera with both hands. I would like to see a textured grip on at least the front or the back for the thumb.
While all the dimensions of the NX100 are smaller than those of the NX10, the most notable difference is in the height, with the NX100 being 16mm shorter.
This is primarily because the NX100 does not have a built-in electronic viewfinder (EVF) or the GN 11m @ ISO 100 built-in flash of the NX10. Instead, there is the option to buy the 201,000-dot EVF (EVF10), which works by attaching to the hotshoe and sub-hotshoe accessory port. Similarly, the additional flashguns available are attached via the hotshoe.
The SEF15A (GN 15m @ ISO 100) flashgun is possibly the most suitable in size to the NX100, although the SEF20A (GN 20m @ ISO 100) would not be out of place attached to the camera body. These flashguns offer greater output and versatility than the built-in flash of the NX10, although having to attach the flash unit adds to the bulk and cost. The drawback with having both the flash and the viewfinder as optional extras is that you can’t use them simultaneously because they both operate through the hotshoe.
Likewise, the additional GPS module is operated through the hotshoe, so the user has to choose between one of three ‘extras’. Given the target audience, I can understand the omission of a viewfinder, but the lack of a built-in flash will be more noticeable and potentially disappointing.
The i-Function button on the kit lens is at the ten o’clock position, which I found just right for my left thumb to activate. A comparatively bulky kit lens often compromises the small body of many interchangeable-lens compact-system cameras, but Samsung’s two lenses are smaller than many competitors’ lenses.
These two lenses sit nicely on the compact body, particularly the pancake lens.
While the 18-55mm kit lens of the NX10 features optical image stabilisation (OIS), this is not included in the NX100’s two new i-Function lenses.
Like all CSCs, the NX100 does not have built-in IS, which means there is no IS when using the supplied camera and lens combination. As a result, it is difficult to achieve sharp images when shooting handheld with shutter speeds slower than 1/30sec. It is not too much of an issue for the NX100’s fairly wide 20-50mm kit lens, and it’s less of an issue in the pancake lens, but this may become a problem in subsequent telephoto lenses. The lack of OIS is obviously a contributing factor to the light weight and small dimensions of the two lenses.
Image: Although 20mm sounds wide, on an APS-C-size sensor it is an effective 30mm
At an effective 30-75mm focal length, I find the 20-50mm kit lens quite restricting. I would like it to be a little wider, at a minimum of 28mm. Likewise, although the 20mm pancake lens (effective 30mm) is a good all-purpose focal length, at f/2.8 it is only 1 stop faster than the f/3.5 found in the kit lens at the same focal length. I would like to see it more like f/2.
What is great about this lens, though, is the fact that its compact size complements the NX100 body wonderfully. The lens lock, as found in the Olympus Pen lenses, does slow down the start-up time, although a reminder prompts the user to unlock the lens.
White balance and Colour
Image: AWB produces pleasing results and, at times, better than the preset WB settings, such as daylight WB. However, the results are a little warm in tungsten light
Given the target audience of first-time buyers, I would expect many photographers to stick primarily to auto white balance (AWB) and the standard colour mode. I found AWB to be generally reliable and in some cases it produces better results than the given white balance preset. In sunny daylight conditions, the AWB produces more accurate results, with the sunny WB producing yellowish images.
However, AWB in tungsten light is a little too warm, with the tungsten WB producing slightly cooler and more pleasing results. AWB can be fine-tuned easily via the white balance menu.
There are the usual white balance presets for a variety of lighting conditions, together with Kelvin WB, which I find particularly useful. In this setting, the colour temperature is controlled manually by scrolling around the white balance wheel and any adjustments are indicated through Live View on the screen. Custom WB can be easily and speedily achieved.
There are numerous colour presets and image effects that can be accessed through the function button on the body and then by selecting the Picture Wizard. These include portrait, landscape and some more specific ones such as forest. In the Picture Wizard, black & white is named classic. All such presets can be fine-tuned manually for colour, saturation, sharpness and contrast. I tended to apply most of these effects post-capture, although some presets, such as landscape, are not available.
Post-capture adjustments are made by pressing the function button when viewing an image, and any changes made are saved to a new file. There is a good balance between pleasing and reliable colour rendition in standard mode AWB and creative options in the colour presets.
Metering
Image: In this tricky high-contrast scene, the evaluative metering produces pleasing results similar to those of spot metering
I found the evaluative metering to be an intelligent system. There is a gradual change in metering to suit sky and land priority in landscapes, and it was only when I was facing more tricky lighting scenes, or when I wanted to ensure the mood of a scene was captured, that I opted for spot metering. Metering is accessed through the function menu on the camera body or via the main menu, which is quite a slow way to access it, but exposure compensation is placed next to the thumb to the right of the AMOLED screen, which can act as a quicker option to spot metering.
Spot metering is of the fixed centre type, although the exposure lock (AEL) is conveniently next to the right thumb so the scene can be composed again by depressing the AEL button. I find fixed centre spot metering a little restrictive, particularly when shooting a landscape on a tripod, as the tripod and camera have to be moved and the scene composed again. Generally, the metering works well and is reliable in a variety of settings.
Autofocus
The NX100 employs a 15-point contrast-detection AF system. This newly developed system is faster than that found in the NX10. There are four modes, comprising single, multi, face detection and self-portrait. Having used the self-portrait mode, I am not sure whether it is any more effective than using the single-point AF for such a photograph. Face detection recognises up to 35 faces. The AF system can be used in either single or continuous focus modes, with the further option of manual focus.
The AF is responsive and accurate in good light but, despite the green assist lamp, it struggles in low contrast, with the contrast detection hunting back and forth as it searches for the focus point. This is not surprising for a camera of this level, and in these instances I used the manual focus, which has the usual useful enlarge function to aid accurate focusing. This enlarge tool is not available in video mode, and the contrast-detection AF can be distracting for videos as it moves back and forth.
Noise, Resolution and Sensitivity
Image: Noise is well controlled up to ISO 1600, but at ISO 3200 luminance noise is more apparent
As there is no optical image stabilisation with the supplied kit lens, shooting sharp images in low light can be a bit tricky, placing an even greater emphasis on good performance as higher sensitivities will be more frequently employed.
By today’s standards, a maximum ISO of 3200 is fairly standard, but noise levels are well controlled up to ISO 800 and images are usable at ISO 1600. ISO settings beyond this should be used only as an emergency back up, especially the extended ISO 6400, as luminance noise begins to show. In this respect, the NX100 does not quite match the performance of the Sony NEX5. Chroma noise is very well controlled and even in the higher sensitivities there is little sign of it.
Image: Fine levels of detail can be recorded using the 14.6-million-effective-pixel APS-C sensor, as this cropped image shows
Our resolution charts show that the 14.6-million-pixel APS-C sensor is capable of resolving detail up to the 26 marker at ISO 100 and only really drops at the higher sensitivities, reaching the 22 marker at ISO 3200 in raw format and the 18 marker in JPEG format. This is a respectable performance for a camera of this level.
Resolution charts: These images show 72ppi (100% on a computer screen) sections of images of a resolution chart, captured using the 20-50mm f/3.5-5.6 kit lens. We show the section of the resolution chart where the camera starts to fail to reproduce the lines separately. The higher the number visible in these images, the better the camera’s detail resolution is at the specified sensitivity setting.
Dynamic range
Image: Bringing back the Levels of this image shows there is plenty of detail present in shadow areas
Shooting in a variety of daylight and low-light conditions, and even scenes of high contrast, there were no noticeable issues with the NX100’s dynamic range. The camera produces images with a good dynamic range and strong midtones. At its lowest sensitivity setting, the NX100 has a range of around 11EV, which is very good for its class.
Smart range is the name for Samsung’s dynamic range optimiser, which is particularly useful in scenes of high contrast. When activated, lost details in the shadow areas and more limited highlight detail in the image are recovered. I have found that dynamic range optimisers tend to leave images a little flat.
Generally, I opted not to use the smart range, because when editing some of my images I found that I could bring back a lot of detail from dark shadow areas during post-processing. This demonstrates that the NX100 is capable of retaining a lot of detail and only in the case of severely burnt-out highlights is the information not recoverable.
LCD, Viewfinder and Video
As with all compact-style CSCs, the most significant issue here is the fact that the NX100 lacks a viewfinder. A 201,000-dot EVF is available as an additional extra, which has 98% coverage and 0.83x magnification, as well as -4 to +1 dioptre adjustment.
Samsung has kept the same 3in, 610,000-dot, AMOLED screen in the NX100 that is found in the NX10, and I found it to be bright and it feels durable. I used the NX100 in a variety of settings, including bright sunlight, for Live View composition. I also found that the LCD was clear when reviewing images. The screen gets dirty quite quickly, but it is still bright enough to be viewed in strong light through fingermarks.
Video users will find that the NX100’s video mode ticks all the right boxes, but without offering anything to place it a cut above the competition. The 720p HD video produces crisp images, although audio is restricted to built-in mono with no external microphone port. Some basic movie edits are available, such as being able to trim clips and the option to select a visual fade in and out for any scene.
Our Verdict
The ergonomic differences between the NX100 and the NX10 are vast, and as such the NX100 is not a replacement but a more compact addition to the NX system. As far as style is concerned, the NX100 is a unique and elegant camera. However, the it lacks a good grip and its stylish curves hinder just how compact the camera could have been.
While the included 20-50mm i-Function lens excited me at first, the NX100’s lack of a built-in viewfinder restricts its benefit. However, it should encourage those photographers new to such controls to actually use them. What is perhaps more significant is the exclusion of IS in the 20-50mm lens, which would have been far more helpful and will need to be addressed with any future i-Function telephoto lenses.
The exclusion of a viewfinder is almost expected on this size and type of camera these days, but the exclusion of a built-in flash is perhaps a little more puzzling, especially considering the intended market.
However, the NX100 enters the compact-system camera market as one of the cheapest options and excels where it matters – in image quality. It looks great and its APS-C-size sensor with 14.6 million effective pixels ensures very good DSLR-quality images. It’s a great option for those on a budget looking for a compact camera with good image quality.
Samsung NX100: Focal points
Hotshoe
There is no built-in flash or viewfinder, but the optional extra flash and EVF can be attached via the hotshoe. This is also the case for the GPS module
Hotshoe accessory port
The 201,000-dot EVF syncs to the camera through this port
Exposure compensation
Key controls such as exposure compensation, auto exposure lock and the shooting mode dial are conveniently placed right next to the thumb
Movie record
The movie button doubles as the delete image button
Post-capture editing
While specific settings such as colour can be selected, many of these effects can be added post-capture.
High-speed burst
High-speed burst-drive mode captures images at 10fps, up to 3secs (a maximum of 30 frames) in JPEG mode only.
Lenses
The two new i-Function lenses available are the 20-50mm f/3.5-5.6, which comes with the NX100 as a kit lens, and the 20mm f/2.8 pancake lens. More lenses are being developed.
Dust-removal system
The NX100 has a built-in dust-removal system, which can be activated manually at any point. It can also be activated every time the camera is turned on, although it is switched off as a default.
The Competition
The size and style of Samsung’s NX100 means it resembles a compact camera rather than the DSLR styling of the NX10.
The NX100 maintains the APS-C-size sensor in its svelte body, so its most direct competition is the Sony NEX5.
The Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF2 is slightly smaller and the Olympus Pen E-P2.
It is very similar in size to the NX100, but both these cameras have a Four Thirds sensor.
While the NX100 has a bigger body than the NEX5, the NX100’s i-Function lenses are slightly more compact.
The NEX5 has 1080p HD video and perhaps a few more features than the NX100, but as far as image quality is concerned the NX100 just has the edge.
