Official Samsung response to EOSHD

[freeAgent85]

I understand if they want to stop development. Would be nice to let everyone know if they are going to stop manufacture as well. If they start selling sensors to Canon, maybe it would justify continuing production of the NX cameras. *here's hoping*

Just purchased an LX100 (I think it will fit my needs better than anything), but I may still pick up an NX500/NX1 depending on the discount. My NX300 won't live forever, and I'm attached to the 30mm since I've taken so many memorable shots with it. Might sell my 85 since I use it so infrequently. We'll see how much I use the NX after I start using the LX100.

I would love it if Canon started using Samsung's sensors. However, I see no reason why I'll buy a DSLR in the future. Mirrorless is superior for my needs, and Canon have been putting out terrible mirrorless cameras. I hope to use my NX1 for many years to come, though, so things will change.

 

[Jude 101]

All this talk of the NX demise has made me really reconsider my views on the NX1. I always assumed that Samsung was targeting Sony, due to Canon's and Nikon's limited mirrorless products. However, now I think that with the NX1, Samsung was actually targeting Canon and Nikon.

Agreed, a top-end APS-c body hits the largest segment of the DSLR market, and CaNikon's bread and butter.

To this, from a performance and quality perspective, the NX1 was a huge success. Coupled with an S lens, the NX1 is unequaled by any APS-C in a package much more portable than any Nikon or Canon combination and at a competitive price.

I can get a 70d with the really good 17-55/2.8 for less than the NX1/16-50s. The T6i is even cheaper. Yes the Canon doesn't do 4k, but for most that's not an issue.

Regarding Sony, perhaps there is an issue from price perspective, as an A6000 with the Ziess-branded 16-70 zoom is $1000 less than an NX1 with a 16-60 S lens. In essence, put the NX1, for many markets, in "no-man's land".

The A6000 at under $500 makes Samsung's offerings look overpriced, judging by the sales rankings on Amazon, many, many buyers agree.

However, in non-Japanese Asian markets, the Samsung brand works not only because of its association with high-quality, but "hipness" as well. Maybe sales are good enough here for Samsung to make necessary enhancements to continue the NX brand.

There are a number of hurdles Samsung faced with the NX1.

• There are only two S lenses, and they're both large/expensive zooms, making the entry point pretty high unless you settle for the other mediocre zooms Samsung offers.
• The visibility in major retail outlets like Target, Wal-Mart and even Best Buy are non-existent compared to Canon, Nikon and Sony. Casual photographers - the people that make up a bulk of camera sales never even get the chance to see a Samsung camera.
• Not a well-known camera brand outside photo forums, most know Canon and Nikon. The rest are virtually anonymous.

Samsung learned a hard lesson, its tough to launch a line of pro-quality cameras without a great lens lineup and a giant marketing campaign in a sharply declining market. Outside of DPR, I've never seen anything about the NX1 - and I owned one.

I agree with all except your comment on the 70D, as that camera was not Samsung's intended target. Rather, it was the 7DII and from the Nikon perspective, the D7200:

With the 7DII with the Canon 17-55mm f/2.8 is about $2600, undiscounted.

With the NIKKOR 17-55mm f/2.8G, the D7200 is about $2700, undiscounted.

The NX1 with the 16-50 S is about $2800, undiscounted.

But still, back to my comment that for many, cameras a status symbol. I was recently at Ground Zero and I saw many tourists with high-end Canikons and all they ever do is shoot with an automatic setting and post out of camera jpegs to Facebook. That is a tough market for Samsung to crack.

 

[Jude 101]

Jude 101 wrote:now I think that with the NX1, Samsung was actually targeting Canon and Nikon.

With poor marketing/advertising, poor visibility, and a brand name that's not associated with cameras, that's an exercise in futility.

They could have done better had they kept the Rollei brand, started the NX line with something as game changing as the NX1 from the very beginning and kept licensing the Schneider-Kreuznach brand for the lenses. Alas, both of those brands were already tarnished when Samsung made cheap P&S cameras under those brands back in the film days. And the NX1/NX500 + S lenses: too little, too late.

I definitely agree about licensing the Schneider-Kreuznach brand. Perhaps "S" lenses hint at this.

 

[Jude 101]

All this talk of the NX demise has made me really reconsider my views on the NX1. I always assumed that Samsung was targeting Sony, due to Canon's and Nikon's limited mirrorless products. However, now I think that with the NX1, Samsung was actually targeting Canon and Nikon.

The first few years of NX they were in completely new territory. Samsung started the mirrorless ILC APS-C camera market. They were in new territory and had little direction where they were going, their first attempts missed where the market was going.

With the NX1 I felt they really set their focus, and by the style of the camera it was Canon/Nikon/traditional SLR market they were aiming for, unfortunately Sony's solution grabbed most of the enthusiasts so maybe they hit their mark, but their mark was on a moving target that was shifting away from DSLR anyway. Nikon and Canon are hardly targets to aim for based on their performance the past year.

I really hope they keep developing high end cameras as the NX1 is superb, best camera I have used for the price. Would be nice to see what they could come out with next.

Eric

The best ASP-C camera by a wide margin and much closer to FF cameras overall and better than some.

 

[Kisaha]

What?! YOU bought that! I was expecting my friend to buy that camera for me, she just missed for a few minutes!
I wish you good picture and video taking. I hope I'll get one in the end!

I was so surprised of foto mundus not having anything at all (they had a couple of days earlier), now they have only a few batteries..

(note: because of capital controls in Greece we can't buy from ebay, in case someone wonders why I needed help from abroad to do an ebay buy).

 

[Jude 101]

The official response to EOSHD from Samsung is here

--
Ted
http://www.flickr.com/photos/tedchang/
C&C is encouraged, I'm always learning

There were some different lenses I had hoped they would produce. I suppose we won't be seeing a FF Samsung sensor for a while, if ever.

The sensor is not the gating issue; rather lenses.

 

[Kisaha]

70D wasn't even close to NX1, not worth mentioning.

Most of the people I know believe that their iPhone's camera is the best that there is (using the led flash 300metres away from the festival stage just to annoy me so much!) and when some of them buy a camera, they want full frame (just, because) using only AUTO and the kit lens, and when were asking for my NX300, the most common comment was "yes, but it doesn't have the eye thingy", they needed the "eye thingy" when they haven't look into a viewfinder, maybe, ever!

 

[Kisaha]

I am pretty content with my cheap NX lenses from 12 to 200 (plus a lot of legacy ones), with zooms, primes, pancakes. The problem is that they will become paperweight when the last NX will die, or become absolutely obsolete.

I wish someone else do something with the mount (Chinese?!) or an active adapter for another system. It is a very sad day when one can not use his lenses. I still use my first Zenith 58/2f, it makes me feel young!

 

[BernardoAdam]

I agree to 100% with you. Even in our photo team I could not convince much people from the advantage of the mirrorless system.

Samsung, please do not blame your failure to me, I bought 5 Samsung cameras, each improved to its predecessor. I hope the 3 cams which stay with me will last long.

I hope imploringly that the repair service will continue for many years.

Tschüss Samsung:-(

PS: Samsung, please don't forget your homework and give the community updates with our suggestions for improvements

 

[Jude 101]

I am pretty content with my cheap NX lenses from 12 to 200 (plus a lot of legacy ones), with zooms, primes, pancakes. The problem is that they will become paperweight when the last NX will die, or become absolutely obsolete.

I wish someone else do something with the mount (Chinese?!) or an active adapter for another system. It is a very sad day when one can not use his lenses. I still use my first Zenith 58/2f, it makes me feel young!

I think everyone agrees that almost all Samsung lenses on a performance level are equal of better than competitor lenses, cheap price aside for most.

The only exceptions seem to be the 50-150 S lens, while very good is pricey and not as good as some rivals, and perhaps the 60 mm micro, which I own and like but some seem to think could be better.

Better cameras, better lenses but bad marketing...

 

[Kinson Wong]

The article makes many salient comments, regarding both diminishing markets and branding/pricing issues. For example:

"Then there’s the branding. In Germany especially, Samsung is not a known ‘premium’ photographic brand in the country that gave us Leica and Zeiss plus many others. As the market has shifted from consumer to premium, they have suffered as a result of being associated with a lot of cheap compacts."

In the USA, throw in Canon and Nikon...

I had a conversion about camera brands with a gallery owner the other day and he agreed that for many, cameras are more a fashion accessory or status symbol, like an expensive watch.

All this talk of the NX demise has made me really reconsider my views on the NX1. I always assumed that Samsung was targeting Sony, due to Canon's and Nikon's limited mirrorless products. However, now I think that with the NX1, Samsung was actually targeting Canon and Nikon.

To this, from a performance and quality perspective, the NX1 was a huge success. Coupled with an S lens, the NX1 is unequaled by any APS-C in a package much more portable than any Nikon or Canon combination and at a competitive price.

Regarding Sony, perhaps there is an issue from price perspective, as an A6000 with the Ziess-branded 16-70 zoom is $1000 less than an NX1 with a 16-60 S lens. In essence, put the NX1, for many markets, in "no-man's land".

However, in non-Japanese Asian markets, the Samsung brand works not only because of its association with high-quality, but "hipness" as well. Maybe sales are good enough here for Samsung to make necessary enhancements to continue the NX brand.

Other then fashion, i think most people think that camera is for memorable moment, i.e. everything no take two. if they want to buy one, they must perfer trustable brand and ask some photo friends for suggestion.

Basically, all premium brand are optical company with long history. But Samsung is electronic company, it is impossible to change people mind within few years.

If Samsung want to growth rapidly. They must develop a system independent Camera (i.e. just add different adaptors for every lens with full funtions, something like metabone for Sony to EF). And set up a seperate company in China to produce adaptors. Target is get more Canikon user to buy one as 2nd camera. If dun need to consider lens selection and invest whole system, i think much more people will try Samsung camera.

 

[Kisaha]

Bad marketing and sales management. Almost like these people sabotaged the engineers and software developers of the company. It is one of the sadest storys in the history of products, except maybe the Betamax!

 

[Jude 101]

The article makes many salient comments, regarding both diminishing markets and branding/pricing issues. For example:

"Then there’s the branding. In Germany especially, Samsung is not a known ‘premium’ photographic brand in the country that gave us Leica and Zeiss plus many others. As the market has shifted from consumer to premium, they have suffered as a result of being associated with a lot of cheap compacts."

In the USA, throw in Canon and Nikon...

I had a conversion about camera brands with a gallery owner the other day and he agreed that for many, cameras are more a fashion accessory or status symbol, like an expensive watch.

All this talk of the NX demise has made me really reconsider my views on the NX1. I always assumed that Samsung was targeting Sony, due to Canon's and Nikon's limited mirrorless products. However, now I think that with the NX1, Samsung was actually targeting Canon and Nikon.

To this, from a performance and quality perspective, the NX1 was a huge success. Coupled with an S lens, the NX1 is unequaled by any APS-C in a package much more portable than any Nikon or Canon combination and at a competitive price.

Regarding Sony, perhaps there is an issue from price perspective, as an A6000 with the Ziess-branded 16-70 zoom is $1000 less than an NX1 with a 16-60 S lens. In essence, put the NX1, for many markets, in "no-man's land".

However, in non-Japanese Asian markets, the Samsung brand works not only because of its association with high-quality, but "hipness" as well. Maybe sales are good enough here for Samsung to make necessary enhancements to continue the NX brand.

Other then fashion, i think most people think that camera is for memorable moment, i.e. everything no take two. if they want to buy one, they must perfer trustable brand and ask some photo friends for suggestion.

Basically, all premium brand are optical company with long history. But Samsung is electronic company, it is impossible to change people mind within few years.

If Samsung want to growth rapidly. They must develop a system independent Camera (i.e. just add different adaptors for every lens with full funtions, something like metabone for Sony to EF). And set up a seperate company in China to produce adaptors. Target is get more Canikon user to buy one as 2nd camera. If dun need to consider lens selection and invest whole system, i think much more people will try Samsung camera.

You are right about the adapter. Samsung offers one for K-Mount lenses, of course manual focus only.

The NX1/NX500 with IBIS, more adapters, and an optional EVF for the NX500 would have made the cameras much more sellable.

 

[Jude 101]

Bad marketing and sales management. Almost like these people sabotaged the engineers and software developers of the company. It is one of the sadest storys in the history of products, except maybe the Betamax!

Absolutely right on. I am not sure if Samsung Senior management was ever "all-in" the camera market.

 

[BernardoAdam]

I was last week very happy to check their prices and bought also a white NX500 for 349. Some minutes before they reduced from 399. Cam works well, no complains. No my daughter can make much better selfies as with her iphone

 

[teddoman]

If Samsung want to growth rapidly. They must develop a system independent Camera (i.e. just add different adaptors for every lens with full funtions, something like metabone for Sony to EF). And set up a seperate company in China to produce adaptors. Target is get more Canikon user to buy one as 2nd camera. If dun need to consider lens selection and invest whole system, i think much more people will try Samsung camera.

You are right about the adapter. Samsung offers one for K-Mount lenses, of course manual focus only.

The NX1/NX500 with IBIS, more adapters, and an optional EVF for the NX500 would have made the cameras much more sellable.

Aren't there tons of other mount to NX adapters already? All MF adapters though. AF would require reverse engineering the firmware.

 

[Jude 101]

If Samsung want to growth rapidly. They must develop a system independent Camera (i.e. just add different adaptors for every lens with full funtions, something like metabone for Sony to EF). And set up a seperate company in China to produce adaptors. Target is get more Canikon user to buy one as 2nd camera. If dun need to consider lens selection and invest whole system, i think much more people will try Samsung camera.

You are right about the adapter. Samsung offers one for K-Mount lenses, of course manual focus only.

The NX1/NX500 with IBIS, more adapters, and an optional EVF for the NX500 would have made the cameras much more sellable.

Aren't there tons of other mount to NX adapters already? All MF adapters though. AF would require reverse engineering the firmware.

--
Ted
http://www.flickr.com/photos/tedchang/
C&C is encouraged, I'm always learning

True, I meant native. But as you said, no are AF and outs side the NX to K-Mount adapter, all are fully manual.

 

[Kisaha]

Too ne honest, maybe I sabotaged myself, because I have a knack for the brown ones! I am sure she will post the best selfies on FB!