Samsung announces NX300 - 3D-capable 20MP mirrorless camera

I can see from the tread of input from you that you are a fan of Samsung cameras and that is fair enough Timmbits.
But do not let this make you blind to critiques of the products.

I shot promotional imagery for few Japanese camera makers and also been sent cameras to critique.
So while not having experience with Samsung camera I do know what works and what not. Dials for basic control over the exposure seem to still be the best way to go about it.
Correct me if I am wrong. but both NX20 &NX1000 have a multi function dial in the back?
I shot manually all the time even on basic cameras and the for best response I find that two dials for each aperture & Shutter control.
This is why all the top end cameras always have them.
It does not mean that the NX300 is a bad camera. but lets take the NEX7 dials ergonomics (far more expensive I know) as a study in how you can put easy control on a small mirrorless cameras.

NEX ergonomics sucks big time compared to NX. They have iFn button on the lens, where you can control different settings, including aperture via focus ring of a lens.

Gioradan:

Haven't bothered to handle a NX camera with a NX ifunction lens have you?

Thanks for the intelligent answer Zdman.
I will surly try to put my hand on one of those NX and see how they work.

wootpile:

In the US there aren't many shops with NX20s on display. Why even bring up Nex lenses? Compared to Samsung or those Olympus m4/3rd lenses, the native Sony Nex lenses are awful.

wootpile + Kodachrome200:

Shooting raw and extracting in ACR, the image quality of the sensor in the NX20 is excellent through ISO 4000. Of course it helps to have say the excellent Samsung NX F2 30mm lens.

IQ wasn't the problem with the NX200/210/20. It was the awful buffer and then Samsung shot themselves in the foot by shipping those cameras with a Samsung NX only version of the awful Silkypix raw extraction software. (That last is not to be confused with the total image quality capacity of these earlier NX cameras.)

I knew I saw that somewhere: my NX20 does 3D - found it in the menu. And I've seen it in other cameras too.
I think the difference is that the new lens allows you to do 3D full HD video on top of that.

You can shoot 3D Panorama up to 7152 x 1080 pixels size with NEX-F3 and view on a 3D compatible TV connected to the camera using an HDMI cable (sold separately). I haven't tried this and it might not be for "serious 3D photography", though.

timmbits theres a reason for the dissing, you just really dont want to see it...

the other way around timmbits, samsung is copying both sony and panasonic since the begining

More like Sony is copying everyone else.

I view Android and wireless + mobile communication as major trends also for cameras, and Samsung as one of the players than can really leverage upon these trends. But it's just a bit early. Boot time is one of the issues that needs to be resolved.

Most cameras do not need 'silly' apps, but all modern cameras need a lot of software. And future cameras will need a lot of software for communication with other devices and with social media. Building this software on Android and similar standard platforms instead of proprietary ones is just common sense. Even the 'big guys' will figure this out, sooner or later.

@TimmTimmbits: People are social animals who generally love simplicity and convenience. It is that simple! Mobile phones were never preferred over compact cameras for snapshots due to their fantastic image quality. But the user-perceived simplicity of shoot-and-share has been a driving force.

What then about the professionals and enhusiasts? Well, they are social creatures as well. So they will want to share images. Maybe not on Facebook or Instagram, and at least maybe not before post-processing. But what about image exchanges with customers? Colleagues? Print shops? Retouching providers? What about direct communication between camera and smartphone for exchanging GPS info or letting the phone or iPad act as a remote control?

Look at today's lackluster implementation of in-camera wifi implementations (e.g., Nex-6 and S110) and just imagine how this may have been implemented using a well-proven platform like Android...

Does Sony have something to copy? I never heard about such thing.

The Fuji Xs do higher ISOs better than at least the NX20.

And I'd like Sony to ship good native lenses for the Nex system.

And I'd also like more Nikon 1 series lenses.

You can already mount all sorts of lenses to the NX system, I use a Nikon mount Zeiss on my NX100.

Sony gots the entire Minolta line of lenses to use without an adapter.
Samsung gots nothing unless you buy a lens adapter (but any other brand can do the exact same thing)

@Xue Yu

Sony Alpha mount lenses (Minolta/Sony) DO need an adapter with Sony NEX cameras. Only E-Mount lenses work natively with NEX.

Samsung makes great fast primes. If Sony had similar E-mount lenses I would have bought a NEX a long time ago.

You guys don't suppose it has anything to do with the fact that DPR published flawed test photo results onteh NX210 do you?
(see imaging-resource for non-blurry photos taken with the 210).

It doesnt. Samsung marketing is non-existing. Our local Samsung center has NX cams only for Christmas, cause as they say "it wouldnt sell over the year".

How could it, if they dont have them?!

Samsung was tied with Pentax for long time, they both learned a lot from each other, its still visible in how NX series operate and work. But problem is, that Pentax since digital is very niché market, so its not really big brand and thanks to that neither is Samsung. Most people doesnt know that Samsung actually made dSLRs. :)

Unlike Sony buying Konica Minolta imagining part, which helped them quite a bit to become famous. Samsung didnt buy anyone and fact that they did dSLRs with Pentax is now forgotten history.

If you say digital camera, most people will say Canon and Nikon, few maybe Sony.. almost no one will say Pentax and Samsung? They made digital camera? :D

Mescalamba:

Quote: "If you say digital camera, most people will say Canon and Nikon, few maybe Sony.. almost no one will say Pentax and Samsung? They made digital camera? :D"

Right because no one would think of saying Panasonic or Olympus, NOT.

Pentax lenses don't resemble Samsung NX lenses, funny that means Samsung did a lot of independent development for those NX lenses--work Sony skipped when they decided which lenses to develop for the Nex system.

(Panasonic, Fuji and Olympus also paid attention when developing lenses for their mirrorless systems. And Pentax took a different approach for it's mirrorless system.)

Very few would think of Canon or Nikon for a mirrorless digi cam.

In short: You be wrong on many points.

NX & NEX kind of similar name isn't it?. They really should have got together the way Olympus and Panasonic did. Despite being fierce competitors, maybe they will, with AF-ing adapters?

the first nx with view finders didnt copy sony, they copied panasonic.

"the first nx with view finders didnt copy sony, they copied panasonic."
Any evidence of this, aside from your own speculations? Just because NX10 were similar to the Panasonic G series, it doesn't mean they copied it.
You're also implying that the NX without EVF are copies of Sony NEX, but when NX100 were announced, the first NEX models had only been out for a few months. Obviously they had been in development simultaneously. You don't develop a new camera in just a few months.

Who makes the Samsung sensors? Perhaps the same company that makes the ones used by Olympus, Panasonic, and NEX cameras?

Samsung has mostly no idea whats important. But to be fair, neither does more manufacturers.

At least most of their cams are quite logical to use. Similar to Pentax, which is probably done by someone who actually shoots. Only Leica is close to that, but thats very different league.

But as I said, most manufacters either dont know whats important or dont want to give customers what they really want..

well....i would say that the first generation nx sensors are definitely worse than the gh3 and omd, and slightly better than first gen. m4/3 sensors. but the new nx sensors are definitely better than the first gen. m4/3 sensors, and perhaps mildly worse than the gh3/omd. who knows about the nx300 sensor though

Cy Cheze:

Samsung makes its own APSC sensors.

Besides sensors the internal firmware and processing chip are kinda of important, and then there's the raw extraction software.

I have no particular problem with image quality of my NX100 when using a good lens like the 30mm F2. Also had no problem with the image quality of the NX20 that I owned briefly.

@chadleychad, you're saying your samsung outperforms a nex? first time i heard that. the nex cameras are, by most accounts, the best you can get. great IQ, great DR, brilliant RAW files, good hangling, fast writes, fast burst, superb low light, great build. the only lacking from the nex lines is sheer lense options (though most of the commonly used focal engths are already covered). even the af is good (and better now). they are fantastic cameras.

i don't think i've come across any reviews saying samsung has done better. quite the opposite really. The NX's are fine cameras however.

The samples are here. Early Samsung sensors were noisy, current looks less noisy, but also less detailed (raw files). I am not going to give every single instance, if people want to argue, they will argue.

@gsum: If you are going to answer your own questions, then why even ask?

@wansai

I speak as a NEX owner (NEX C3 and NEX-6), Nikon D5100 owner and owner of an NX11 so I think I qualify mre than most on here to state a valid opinion. All are great cameras and I have to say the NEX is my favourite as its with me the most; but for IQ, with standard lenses and Canon FD lenses (via adaptor), the NX wins hands down! Sure, it's dog slow but it's a beautiful camera to use (especially for HDR) and the IQ is IMO the best.

I've also owned an EX1 which was reluctantly sold in favour of an S90 (purely down to size), but yet again, it was IMO the best in class P&S ... Better than the canon and pany.

Samsung are like sigma - Awesome underrated cameras, which is a shame and a loss to those that would rather call them than actually buy one and try for themselves. Anyone can state an opinion, but if it ain't based on facts then it's pretty worthless IMO.

Not suprising omission.

Once I wrote quite lenghty suggestions "what they should add". Well it seems more than me suggested "tilt" LCD. But apart from that they still didnt use single suggestion..

WT21_Blasphemes,_he_should_be_sacrificed_on_the_altar_of____Samsung.

Spacebar_knackered.Soz.

@the_Jacal___dots.might.look.better.jacal ;-p

I counted 8 large sensor Sonys introduced in 2012. But if we include 2011 which NEX7 is a part of, that brings the total to 13 if my tired eyes haven't overlooked anything. Samsung offers 3 large sensor models (4 with NX300 but we all know the 2012 line will be phased out). And to enhance my point, just look at a Nikon D3200 vs. D5200... no stero sound on a 3200? What's up with that? And no bracketing? Nope, have to buy a 5200 for that. That is what I am talking about.

tim, where are you summoning this info from?? the nex line consists of: nex 3,5,6 & 7 with the 7 released in 2011. please don't convolute it by adding in their dslr, which you seem to be doing.

sony (as well as samsung) also make point & shoots, of which the impressive rx1 full frame falls under. that's marketed as a cybershot.

again: nex 3, 5, 6, 7 with the 6 effectively being a replacement to the 7 & by all accounts a better camera than the 7 for a lower price at the cost of the trinav. the 6 overlaps the 7.

they have 3 nex models that are upgraded every year with the 6 being intro in 2012 to replace the 7. which was released in 2011.

also, there's very little you miss out on by buying the nex over their A mount dslr lines. the biggest difference is phase detect & access to larger lense lineup.

it's also quite clear sony is bringing the dslr tech down to the nex lines. you are right about the bigger makers but sony operates quite differently. they aren't afraid to eat into their dslr lines. you also implied sony is a big player and sammy is an underdog. i'd take a look again. sony is alo an inderdog. very few ppl take their dslr's seriously. it wasn't until the nex that they became something in the camera world. sony, samsung, olympus etc, these guys are all underdogs vs nikon & canon. you seem to get very confused about this for some reason.

@wansai
NEX-6 is not the replacement for NEX-7. It sits below it in the line-up, and above NEX-5R, just as A65 sits between A57 and A77 in the SLT line-up. NEX-7 is a high-end "prosumer" model, and those usually aren't replaced every year. It will probably be replaced later this year, though.
So the current line-up (not including earlier models that are still available) of "serious" cameras from Sony is:
SLT: A37, A57, A65, A77, A99
NEX: F3, 5R, 6, 7
Compacts: RX100, RX1

Possible additions to this line-up, besides the usual replacements, are A88 (budget FF model to compete with 6D and D600), NEX-9 (FF mirrorless) and RX10 (APS-C compact).

I would agree with Timmbits that Samsung's line-up is less confusing, but so far it's also less ambitious.

On a side note: am I alone in liking both Sony and Samsung? People seem to defend the one and attacking the other with almost religious fervor, almost worse than Canon vs. Nikon. Strange phenomenon.

unfortunately I had to agree with you even though Samsung had in the NX a decent system / setup. Its a pity but its also true for so many nice system that come up on and off over the years in photographic equipment market. Some are eclipsed by time, and technology, some are just result of less than enough put forth by the Mfr, which is somewhat the case with the NX. both in its implementation of the product, and mostly in its marketing. Samsung had shown that they are no0t too well versed in this market sector. Just having the 3 tier models and the lens is not enough, and there is not enough distinction between the 3 either.

Agree100%. Samsung are showing time and again they can make cameras. At the same time, they are showing they cannot compete. Why bother tagging along?

Merowech:

That top wheel can be problematic on the NX100; it fails sometimes because of dirt, and I really liked the back wheel on the NX100 etc.

The touchscreen implementations of camera interfaces that I have seen so far, outside of cellphones, have been everything but usable.

Let me put it another way.

I don't consider having a touchscreen, by itself, a good feature. It's how good the software is that will determine how useful of a characteristic it will be. If it's closer to the implementations I've seen in cellphones, then it should be ok, but if it's closer to any other camera I've used with touchscreens, then I think you'll find the experience lacking.

But this is mere speculation, we can't make a judgement on this matter without knowing how it actually operates.

@HowaboutRAW
That was along time ago and the warranty repair I had done on my NX100 was fine and I never read of any repaired camera failing again. I am sure they have sorted that out by now. It failed probably because of a design flaw which I am sure is sorted by now.

Because no EVF + touchscreen makes it sort off logical. :(

Touchscreen isn't for enthusiasts, period. You may find a small minority that use it but generally not a good tactic to take when courting that crowd.

I thought the same thing at first but the touchscreen and I function button will work just as well for most things.