Samsung NX200 at a glance:

  • 20.3-million-pixel APS-C CMOS sensor
  • NX mount
  • i-Function 2.0
  • 3in, 614,000-dot AMOLED screen
  • 7fps continuous shooting
  • 1080p HD video capture
  • Street price around £699

Samsung NX200 review – Introduction

Samsung’s move into the compact system camera (CSC) market seemed a natural step for a company keen to provide more advanced photographic solutions. Without much of a camera heritage to call upon and only a brief stint (from 2005-2009) in DSLRs as a collaboration with Pentax, using the Pentax K mount, this new market had much more potential.

Rather than taking the potentially easy route of joining the micro four thirds system for its compact system cameras, Samsung created its own lens mount and opted for a larger APS-C sized sensor.

This combination of large sensor and slim body has proved popular with more advanced photographers, and was also the route taken by Sony with its NEX range. CSCs are divided into two groupings split by design rather than features or cost. The DSLR-styled model features an electronic viewfinder and a substantial grip, while the more compact-styled version opts for a slimmer design, often without a viewfinder.

Although the DSLR style appeared the most popular initially, as second and third generations are released it is the compact-bodied system taking the lead.

Samsung’s compact-style range was introduced with the NX100 which, although it lacked the viewfinder and the grip of the company’s DSLR-styled NX10, was actually not that much smaller, due to the dew-drop-inspired body design.

The Samsung NX200, which replaces the NX100, is much slimmer than its predecessor, and replaces the 14.6-million-pixel sensor with a brand-new Samsung-made 20.3-million-pixel CMOS unit. Combining such a high-resolution sensor with a small body puts the Samsung NX200 in a very strong position.

After all, with the exception of the new Sony models, users would need to look at semi-professional full-frame models to find a similar resolution. The camera also uses the i-Function lens system – now with customisable functions – and a high ISO 12,800 setting for low-light conditions.

Features

The smaller four thirds sensor used by Panasonic and Olympus in their system cameras benefits from requiring a smaller image circle and shorter focal lengths due to the smaller sensor, resulting in physically smaller lenses. With an APS-C-sized sensor, Samsung didn’t have this luxury, but the NX mount has included designs such as a collapsible zoom and three pancake lenses to keep the optics compact. The new sensor provides a 5472×3648-pixel image, equating to roughly a 12x18in print at 300ppi or an A2 print at 220ppi. Images are saved in a choice of JPEG with normal, fine or super fine compression, or Samsung’s native 12-bit SRW raw format.

Although no information has been given as to whether this is a completely new processor or a tweaked version of the previous model, it now allows a 1-stop increase in sensitivity, giving an ISO range of 100-12,800 along with full 1080p HD video at 30fps compared with the 720p offered by all other NX models. Video is recorded in MP4 format with stereo sound and there are options for manual and speed priority exposure control, as well as the program and aperture priority seen on the NX100.

Super Sonic Drive (SSD) dust reduction is built into the body to dislodge any dust particles in front of the sensor, although stabilisation remains lens based and is only present in the longer lenses and the 18-55mm kit lens. The pancake lenses and the 20-50mm remain non-stabilised to keep the size of the lenses compact, and is not an issue at these focal lengths.

The TTL metering system uses a 211-segment array with a choice of multi, centreweighted and spot options. Exposure compensation is available in 1⁄2 or 1⁄3 stops to just ±3EV, rather than the 5EV that is becoming more common on advanced models. Bracketing can also be applied with 3 frames in 1⁄2 or 1⁄3 stops for exposure and ±1 to 3 steps in both axes for white balance. White balance itself can be fine-tuned in all modes and features seven presets as well as auto, temperature value and custom – set via the shutter button.

The contrast-detect autofocus is now claimed to be faster, with a 100ms focus time, compared to the 170ms of the NX100 and NX11. Alongside the single and continuous options there is face detection, single-point selection (across all but the extremes of the image frame), 15-area focus and 35-area focus (close-up).

The standard array of manual and priority exposure shooting modes is accompanied by a lens priority mode (to pick the best settings dependant on the lens attached), a smart auto mode, the panorama mode (as seen in the NX11) for instant stitched panoramas by holding the shutter and sweeping the camera across the scene (horizontally or vertically), and video. There are also scene and magic modes. There are 15 scene modes, including a new 3D mode, while magic mode houses 10 smart filters for effects such as vignette, old film and halftone dots, and magic frames, which include 13 graphic images to place your image into – such as a newspaper front page or an old film. This may be very entertaining for the family, but not modes photographers are likely to use very often.

There is no built-in flash in the NX200 as there was in the NX100, although the standard kit includes a small hotshoe-mounted unit with tilt control and a guide number of 8m @ ISO 100. There is also a noticeable removal of the accessory port, which was used by the electronic viewfinder. However, the hotshoe has two extra contacts that could be used for a forthcoming EVF.

The NX200 boasts a new high-speed continuous shooting mode to allow 7fps and, despite initial reports, this is selectable in the drive mode and at the full 20-million-pixel resolution. The camera uses SD cards for storage and is fully compatible with SDHC and the new SDXC cards. Using a SanDisk 8GB Extreme Pro SDHC card, the NX200 will maintain the 7fps burst shooting for up to 7 raw files, or 11 JPEG files, while using the slower 3fps shooting mode allows greater numbers to be taken. A separate burst mode records 30 images at 7fps with a single press of the button, but this is at a reduced resolution of approx 5 million pixels.

Individual write times appear on the slow side, with files taking around 2secs for a JPEG, around 6secs for raw and around 7secs for a combined raw and super fine JPEG. The menu system is not accessible while files are being written, but shooting can resume without delay.

Features in use: Lenses

Four new lenses have been added to the NX range, making a total of 11 optics available for the NX200. The first and perhaps most suited to this new slim model is the 16mm f/2.4 prime. This is a pancake lens, joining the current 20mm and 30mm versions with a price of £299. Providing a focal equivalent of 24mm on 35mm cameras, it makes a handy wideangle for landscapes and features a 43mm filter thread on the front. Results appear sharp with no sign of barrel distortion. The 60mm f/2.8 Macro OIS is a substantial lens complete with optical image stabilisation, priced £549. This provides full 1:1 magnification and appears exceptionally sharp.

Despite being a prime, it features two adjustment rings – a large rubberised front grip for focus control with direct focus control rather than an electronic link, and a small rear ring for i-Function control. This second ring avoids the focus being adjusted by accident during macro shots and the i-Function button must still be pressed before this is activated. The third lens is the all-encompassing super zoom, an 18-200mm f/3.5-6.3 OIS, which equates to 27-300mm in 35mm terms, costing £649. This is a powerful but fairly large lens for the NX200 and would be better suited to the NX11. However, the quality seems impressive throughout the range and it provides a handy all-round solution.

The lens extends to nearly double its length when at 200mm, but comes with a lock switch to keep it contracted. Focusing is fast and near silent on the 18-200mm thanks to the voice coil motor (VCM), making it suitable for video use. Indeed, the other new lenses are all fairly silent in operation. A final lens – the 85mm f/1.4 costing a hefty £899 – wasn’t available at the time of testing. Due to its wide aperture it features a much larger diameter, which looks at odds with the small frame of the NX200 but should make an impressive close portrait lens.

Build and Handling

The slim body of the NX200 is comparable with the likes of the Sony NEX-5 and the Olympus E-PL3, and is noticeably smaller than the NX100. Measuring just 24mm at its thinnest point, the lens mount actually extends out from the body, to maintain the required flange depth. The casing is now made from magnesium alloy rather than plastic, giving a more solid feel, while the rubber and leatherette grip is comfortable and allows a solid hold combined with the rubber thumb grip on the rear.

It is reassuring that, despite its small frame, the NX200 feels sturdy in the hand and not too fiddly in operation. The main adjustment controls are split between a small top dial and the rear rotating multi-directional control. The Fn button provides access to a quick menu, which you can then scroll between the main features and quickly adjust them, while a custom button can be set for an optical preview, one-touch WB or one-touch raw+. It is a shame that only the one button can be customised as it would be handy to be able to adjust the mode of the Fn button and even the multi-direction button controls.

The lens ring can provide adjustment thanks to the i-Function system. The functions, which range from aperture, white balance and shutter speed to scene modes, can be controlled using the lens and swapped between with a press of the iFn button on the lens barrel. This is a handy method of changing modes that allows a solid grip to be maintained, although with such quick access to functions via the rear Fn button and adjustment dials within a finger’s reach, it is easy to forget about the i-Function options.

Having the flash as a separate unit rather than part of the camera is slightly prohibitive, although without a current viewfinder option to challenge the hotshoe position, there is no reason why it can’t be permanently stationed on the camera. The high ISO settings and creative options also mean the lack of flash is not the issue it once was.

AMOLED screens are known for their high refresh rates, crisp detail and low power consumption, but the 3in, 640,000-dot screen on the NX200 is the same as the version fitted to all the previous NX models. While the quality is still more than acceptable and offers a decent angle of view, this resolution has now been surpassed in quality by the 921,000-dot LED panels in many system cameras, and by the Super and HD Super AMOLED screens featuring in other Samsung products. As the screen resolution has not been raised, it would have been nice to at least see a vari-angle bracket for the screen to allow high and low-level composition.

The new battery unit in the NX200 (BP1030) claims a 120-shot increase from the NX100 unit, from 210 up to 330, despite the power reducing from 1300mAh to 1030mAh. In practice, the NX200 does stand up to these claims with roughly a 300-400-shot life, depending on usage, although this still seems on the low side compared to a nearly 800-shot life of the recently tested Sony NEX-7 (AP 19 November).


The compact size of the NX200 makes it ideal for street photography

White Balance and Colour

The auto white balance mode copes well with most situations, from indoor tungsten lighting to bright sunlight, leaving a neutral coloured image. However, in shaded areas colours occasionally appeared slightly cool compared to the shade setting. The range of presets covers most light sources, including three fluorescent settings, and the custom setting is extremely handy for studio or colour-critical work.

JPEG images are processed to what I would class as ‘print ready’ in the standard colour mode, with rich and deep colours, although not overdone. There is a range of eight additional colour settings from vivid to classic (monochrome), as well as three custom settings with adjustment of colour, sharpness, saturation and contrast for each.

Metering

Shooting at -1.6EV allowed me to retain the detail in the sky, while in software there was plenty of detail that could be recovered from the shadows, even from the JPEG

The 221-segment metering system gives an even exposure under most conditions, although highlights are often sacrificed in scenes with a wider tonal range. An exposure compensation of -1EV allows for these to be retained. Despite the often bold images, it seems contrast has been added to the midtones rather than the shadows, as the blacks often have room to be darkened further. This method appears to provide more room for adjustment as a greater portion of the image data is held in the brighter tones. The smart range setting in the quick menu meters for highlights and shadows to avoid losing either.

Autofocus

The large sensor and wide-aperture lenses allow shallow depth of field in the shots

The single-point AF selection provides a choice of four AF point sizes and a potential 165 positions across the frame for accurate positioning. It is a shame this doesn’t extend right to the edges of the frame, but this will not be an issue for most users. The multipoint modes are limited to within a central area with either 15 or 35 points, but are ideal for larger subjects in the frame. Contrast-detect AF systems are no longer the painfully slow experience they once were on the first DSLR live view systems.

The NX200’s advanced AF certainly sees another step forward, but despite its potential 100ms focus speed I found it required a high-contrast edge to find focus. Also, at times it showed a green AF point to confirm focus before it was ready to shoot, causing a perceived shutter lag. In terms of speed, it compares well even against rapid Olympus E-P3 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-G3 models, but suffers equally in lower contrast scenes. Continuous focus mode isn’t particularly fast to react, so is more suited to video use than fast-moving subjects, and there is no AF tracking mode.

Using the camera in manual-focus mode is a surprisingly pleasant experience, thanks to the magnification of the image on the rear screen. However, the magnifier only works on the central area and cannot be moved around the frame (except with the manual override of the 60mm macro), making off-centre focusing on a tripod a little tricky without adjusting the composition. Most of the lenses use an electronic connection between the focus adjustment on the lens and the barrel, but the movement is still very smooth allowing for precise correction.

Noise, Resolution and Sensitivity

The 100% magnification of a section in this floral image shows the impressive detail available using the 60mm Macro lens, even at ISO 800

With the exception of the new 24-million-pixel Sony models, the NX200 has the highest-resolution APS-C-sized sensor to date, so seeing how it displays detail and handles noise is of great interest. Samsung makes this new sensor itself and, if successful, it could be making its way into many future models. The results of our standard resolution chart reveal that the detail is well resolved, reaching an impressive 32 with the raw file and the JPEG. Even at ISO 1600 it retains a 28 value for raw and JPEG, although at ISO 6400 and above values slide more dramatically, reaching just 18 from the JPEG at ISO 12,800.

Colour noise remains suppressed throughout the range from the JPEG files, and only presents itself in the raw files from ISO 1600, although it is easily removed in processing. Luminance noise appears quite early on, showing in the JPEGs from ISO 800 with close inspection at 100% and is perhaps more noticeable due to the larger resolution. However, in print the noise only starts to become noticeable at ISO 3200 and above. With the exception of the highest ISO 12,800 setting all sensitivities are usable, which leaves flash-free shooting a viable option for almost all conditions. However, as with most cameras, an ISO value of 100 or 200 should always be chosen for critical detail.


Resolution charts: These images show 72ppi (100% on a computer screen) sections of images of a resolution chart, captured using the 60mm f/2.8 lens at its sharpest f/8 setting. 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

The NX200’s low-light performance is impressive, with noise levels well controlled

While official measurements of the dynamic range aren’t yet available, the resulting images give a positive indication of some impressive numbers. The detail we extracted from a standard JPEG image bordered on HDR level and could certainly be compared to cameras such as the D7000, putting it in the 13-14EV bracket.

Viewfinder, LCD, Live View and Video

As a compact-styled system camera, the NX200 relies on the rear screen for composition. The electronic viewfinder available for the NX100 is not even compatible, due to the removal of the accessory port. The smaller body, however, means that the camera feels more natural held away from your face and the LCD is good enough to view in bright conditions.

With this increased reliance on the rear screen you would expect it to be of premium design. The AMOLED was praised when released and it still delivers great results. However, having used more recent designs, the NX200’s screen looks a little ordinary. When compared with its competitors, the resolution is lower, there is no touchscreen control and no vari-angle bracket, which, despite a decent viewing angle, restricts low-level shots.

The benefit of an electronic composition is that rather than just aiding composition it can also simulate exposure. This means that you can see straightaway if the exposure settings will potentially leave the subject over or underexposed. There is a depth of field preview as an option for the rear custom button and a histogram display, but it would also be handy to provide a relative brightness option, at least for the manual modes.

The upgraded video functionality of the NX200 keeps it in line with the competition, and while this may have little bearing for many photographers its abilities are nonetheless impressive. The camera records in full 1920×1080 HD resolution at 30fps with stereo sound. The maximum clip length of 25mins is more than adequate, if not ground-breaking, although the ability to control both shutter and aperture manually or in priority modes allows greater creativity.

The camera also features 60fps shooting for smoother motion at 720p, and multi motion modes that speed up the action by up to 20x in full resolution, or slow it down to 0.5x at 720p or 0.25x at 640×480. Of these, the half-speed 720p version is perhaps the most useful and the full-resolution video appears punchy and smooth. The only facet missing here is a microphone input to allow external devices to be used.

Our Verdict

The samsung NX200 is proof that compact system cameras should be taken seriously as alternatives to DSLRs because images from this camera outresolve even the likes of the Nikon D7000 and Canon EOS 7D. The NX200 feels solid and operation is speedy for a camera of its size. However, it only has one custom button and lacks the quick function buttons of a DSLR. Autofocus may have been improved from the NX100, but in low-contrast scenes it still struggles to lock on, which precludes fast-moving subjects. Landscape, portrait and macro photographers will have no issues, though.

Apart from the three pancakes and the kit lens, optics can seem oversized on the camera, leaving the weight uneven in the hand. In practice, most photographers will opt for the smaller units while having the larger lenses available, means, should the subject demand it, the system can still deliver. It is a shame Samsung hasn’t updated the slightly outdated rear screen. Equally, the lack of even a hotshoe EVF may be a sticking point for some, especially at this price. If you’re looking for a reliable second camera that is able to match your DSLR’s quality, the NX200 is very tempting.

Samsung NX200: Focal points

AMOLED screen
The 640,000-dot screen is more than sufficient for viewing, but lacks the vari-angle mount, extra-high resolution or touchscreen technology of other cameras

Rotating dial
This can be used to quickly adjust the aperture, shutter speed or a range of other functions, including menu navigation

Hotshoe
The hotshoe allows the attachment of the included flashgun or more powerful external flashgun devices, although not an electronic viewfinder

Thumb grip
Along with the front grip, the thumb grip helps to provide a sturdy hold of the camera despite its slim dimensions

i-Function 2.0
The i-Function button allows the focus ring of the lens to be used to adjust a range of additional functions, including aperture, white balance and ISO

Function guide
When an exposure mode is selected, the monitor screen displays some basic information regarding its use for new users to get to know the camera better

Magic frames
Magic frames provides a series of scenes into which your new image can be placed, including a newspaper front page, a TV set and a billboard advert

Smart panel
Accessed by pressing the Fn button, this quick menu provides access to all the main shooting functions in one go with a graphic display

The Competition

With an initial suggested price of £699 with kit lens, the Samsung NX200 competes against some of the more advanced compact system models. The only CSC to match its resolution, however, is Sony’s 24.3-million-pixel NEX-7, priced £1,150 with lens, but for the extra money it includes a 921,000-dot touchscreen display and built-in high-resolution electronic viewfinder. Below this, resolutions are topped at 16 million pixels, with the less expensive Sony NEX-5N offering a 16.1-million-pixel sensor and 10fps in a slightly slimmer body for £599 with lens.

Olympus’s top model, the E-P3, also costs a little more than the NX200, despite having just a 12-million-pixel four thirds sensor. To its benefit, though, the E-P3 does feature a higher resolution touchscreen display and somewhat basic AF tracking. With these factors considered, the NX200 appears well priced for its specification.