Photokina 2012: Samsung Stand Report
Big, blue and very very connected. That's Samsung in 2012, and the Korean electronics giant has a large stand at this year's photokina, the better to showcase its range of compact and interchangeable lens cameras, all of which feature Wi-Fi connectivity. Samsung refreshed its entire NX lineup in 2012, and the new generation of APS-C format interchangeable lens cameras are pretty competitive, offering 20MP CMOS sensors and fast shooting rates, in bodies that offer some considerable refinements compared to earlier NX models.
But the real star of Samsung's show is the brand new Galaxy Camera - a compact camera running the Android mobile operating system, which offers Wi-Fi and full-time connectivity over 3G/4G. Pricing and availability is still TBC, but until such time as it ships, plenty of attendees were eager to get their hands on this unique hybrid device.
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| Samsung's booth is massive, and the Korean manufacturer has provided plenty of 'touch and try' demonstration tables to show off its wares. |
And the award for biggest Lego ship at the show goes to Samsung. And we didn't even know anyone was competing. But it's not the Titanic. It's definitely not the Titanic... |
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| Two prototype lenses are on show. The first, a 45mm F1.8, is an inexpensive-feeling, short portrait lens... |
...it's near enough to production that examples are available to be shot with on the stand, though you can't keep the images. |
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| The 12-24mm F4-5.6 wide angle zoom, by contrast, is only visible through glass cases. |
It's very similar in size to the existing 18-55mm OIS lens. |
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| The unique Samsung Galaxy Camera is a full-strength Android device, with full-on camera functionality. Both elements appear to mesh reasonably well (we've only handled pre-production units) but it's bigger than you might think. |
Here you can see the Android home screen. From the back, the Galaxy Camera looks extremely similar to the Galaxy SIII smartphone. |
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| The Galaxy Camera has all sorts of automatic modes, including one that takes five photos and lets you choose which version of each recognised face appears in the final image... |
...alternatively there are PASM modes, with a very pretty touch-screen interface. |
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| Samsung's entry-level NX camera, the NX1000, also comes in pink. |
It's still pretty pink, even from behind. |
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| The NX210, sucessor to the NX200, is perhaps our favourite NX yet. 20MP resolution, a great feature set, and more refined handling than its predecessor |
And built-in WiFi! Lest we forget... |
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| The NX20 is Samsung's flagship NX, and features a built-in electronic viewfinder, for the full 'tiny DSLR' experience. |
A flip-out screen is useful for shooting movies, and when taking pictures from awkward high and low angles. |
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![DxOMark investigates Samsung NX cameras and lenses]()
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![Samsung announces Wi-Fi-only version of Galaxy Camera]()
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![Samsung and Time Out announce contest for Londoners and New Yorkers]()
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Samsung US has announced the Wi-Fi version of its Galaxy Camera will be available from the end of this month at a retail price $449.99 - $50 less than the version with both 3G/4G and Wi-Fi. Announced in February 2013, the Wi-Fi model shares the same feature-set as the 3G and 4G versions, including a 21x, 23-481mmm equivalent zoom lens on the front with a 4.8" touchscreen on the back. It runs Android 4.1 (known as Jelly Bean), the latest version of the operating system. Click through to read more at connect.dpreview.com
Noted smartphone photographer Oliver Lang explores Samsung's Android-powered connected camera.
US cellphone network AT&T will sell Samsung's Galaxy Camera from November 16th at a price of $499. The Android 4.1 connected camera, which essentially adds a 21x zoom compact camera to a Galaxy SIII smartphone (with the omission of phone function), will cost the same amount with or without a data contract - rather than being subsidized by the carrier, as smartphones usually are. Anyone buying a Samsung smartphone at the same time can receive up to a $100 discount. The AT&T version of the camera will offer a HSPA+ connection, not the faster LTE system.
For £399, customers in the UK can buy a Galaxy Camera on November 8th.
It's a question that's been on Michael Zhang's mind, over at PetaPixel, and ours too. If Photokina 2012 had a theme it was definitely connectivity, and recent months have seen several moves by manufacturers to introduce smartphone-type functionality into cameras. As camera manufacturers continue to respond to the rise of the smartphone camera with their own solutions, journalists in the industry are faced with an interesting conundrum: what do we call these things?
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