NX10, the undisliked camera

Hello,

This is going to be long, sorry^^

I am new at DP Review and also at photography.

My name is Gui, and I am a young french man who got strong interest for photography few months ago.

I was always interested in taking photographs, but the price, the weight, and the size of the DSLR cameras always afraid me. I was always afraid of making such a huge investisment for a camera which i'll maybe never know how to handle (photography has a reputation to be really complicated).

I had the chance to stay in Korea for 7 months (I'm still at Seoul now).

I discovered that a lot of Korean people have DSLR's. Everyday, I can see dozen of young people, walking around with their DSLR's.

This entertained my curiosity about cameras and I finally made my mind to buy one.

My decision to buy was made thanks to a new type of cameras that everybody know: the u4/3 format.

These cameras are smaller, and I found out that it fits more to my needs: a light and barerly small camera for a daily use...with the possibilities of learning photography just like a DSLR (I wanted to escape from Auto Mode that I have been using on Compacts...for years).

After reading many news and reviews that I did not understand...I made my mind to buy a Panasonic GF-1.

The problem is that when I went to buy this cameral (at the famous Namdaemun market of Seoul) I found out that the price is incredibly expensive. More expensive that if I buy it in France...(even the product is made in Japan and I'm living in Korea oO). So, regarding to the price, I just gave up and tried to find a cheaper camera.

Finally came the NX10, that I found by chance on the internet. It's not u4/3 but still small and light. After reading some articles on it I decided to make my mind to buy it for some reasons: cheaper, available with viewfinder (optional and so expensive on GF-1), bigger sensor (even I found after few months out it's meaningless comparing to u4/3), and exceptional 30mm pancake.

I bought this camera and I have been using for 5 months now. I've taken 10 000 pics with it. And I have to say that this camera made me to discover photography in a really pleasant and confortable way...it really has my heart...even it's weaknesses that I can see now, since I got more skills (but still have a huge way to go on...). I use my camera alsmot always in Manual Mode...and it just feels so great...I would like to thank you Samsung to have made such a camera which corresponds to me like that.

There is just one thing which I don't understand about this camera...it's just how unpopular it is.

I was talking to you about Namdaemun market...which is a famous place for buying camera stuff...

I was always surprised how difficult it was for me to just be able to buy this NX10...even I'm in Korea...the Samsung Land!

On a full street of shops...only one was able to sell me this camera with something elese than the 18-55mm kit (as I wanted the pancake).

When I was discussing about cameras with clerks, none of them did mentioned about this camera...but only GF-1 or Olympus EP-1. Why?

Now, as I love this camera, I bought 18-55mm, filters, and was recently interrested in the K-mount adapter.

I found out that it's always so complicated to get stuff for this camera...they never have stock and I always have to order and came back one week later to get what I want. Yesterday, as I said, I wanted to buy the K-mount adapter. The clerk (the only one who seems to know a little bit about this camera) told me it doesn't exists...(mm...I saw it on the internet and on the Samsung's website...). He told me he will do some research but after it kept saying he couldn't find any information on it.

My question is...how is it possible that a Korean camera, sold on Korean market by the leader of conducting electronics is totally unknown buy Korean cameras sellers?

If it's so unpopular even in Korea, I can now understand better why it's so hard to find people who have this camera and like the share things on it on the internet.

What is the point of all of this? And why so much critisism on this camera, which frankly does the job? I made a meeting with a photographs club in Seoul recently, and they were surprised by the quality it makes.

I read some reviews on the internet where they were comparing NX10 with GF-1 and EP-1...It seems testers take pleasure in saying that NX10 is sooooo weak comparing these other cameras...though I can't see any difference...what's the point of destructing a camera because it doesn't provide a decent grain at 3200ISO while doing a macro on a ant at night in a cave?
I jsut don't get the point of it...and Hope things will change.

By the way, I would like to know if someone has this camera with K-mount...and how it works.

Thx for reading^^

Wow, that's a great post. I'm somewhat in a similar situation with you. I've never really go into photography because the size of the "good" cameras just turns me off. Recently, I found out how important large image sensor is with respect to the quality of the picture you can take, so I searched around for the smallest camera with large image sensor. Lucky for me, my timing was just right. Samsung had just announced NX10. It was an obvious choice for me. I'm a cheapskate, and Samsung products typically have good value for the price. Plus, it's the only APS-C mirrorless camera -- Well, I discounted Sony NEX since I don't like Sony, plus NEX cams don't handle as well as NX10 according to the reviews.

Long story short, I got NX10, and I've fallen in love with photography, and this camera is just so likeable. I like how it handles. And I'm a beginner, so I'm not really picky about IQ so much. NX10 IQ is great anyway.

Many people / reviewers complain so much about video. I found that NX10 camera is great. You do lose about half a sec or something when you stop recording or whatever. As long as I keep that in mind, it doesn't really bother me. I like the quality of the recording too.

All in all, NX10 rocks, and I'm surprise that it hasn't really taken off in the market. I'm sure there are lots of reasons for it, most have been discussed in this forum. I wish it were different though.
Thx for sharing man!

This camera does not come with a K mount. However you can still get the K mount adapter for it. But focusing will be manual using the adapter.

There is a marketing hurdle that Samsung need to jump.

it does appear to be the case that once people actually get gold of an NX1- they love it, so the camera does deserve wider applause than it gets, it presently seems to be the worlds best kept secret !

As for reviews, it is the nature of reviews to be critical in nature and also to diagnose / analyse at the pixel level, in general, most cameras have some elements taht do no please reviews and in any case, no matter how good a reviewer is, nothing can match the experience that comes with owning a camera for several months.

As to availability, I know that here in the UK, some camera specialist shops have had admin problems dealing with Samsung and so for their models to be more widely stocked, I thing samsung need something of a charm offensive with camera stores.

Samsung have a great name in other area of electronics, they have the reputation and power to be able to bring that to the camera market - maybe their release of their next model might coincide with a publicity campaign.

I love my NX, especially with the rather fine 30mm lens, I really hope the brand gets wider recognition in the camera world for the quality of the product and not just for good value.

I thought Korea would be about the only market where the Samsung NX could be found in large amounts... apparently I was wrong! :-/

In Europe, they are present but to a much lesser extent than Sony, Oly or eve Panasonic.

I sincerely hope Samsung will increase their efforts to achieve more popularity worldwide otherwise, I fear the NX line will go the way of the GX one...

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http://lol-photoblog.blogspot.com/

Hello lol101,

Yes, even in korea there are not much NX10. they prefer the mor famous camera you mentioned...maybe because it sounds more pro?^^

Anyway, in september we will have 3 samyang lenses, 5 new samsung lenses, and also schneider kreuznach lenses have been announced. So, I believe we can have a good Hope for this lovely camera

I think as we are just few users of this camera, it's up to us to build a good community around it and say to the world how we like it...hoping it becomes more popular!

starwolfy said:

Hello lol101,

Yes, even in korea there are not much NX10. they prefer the mor famous camera you mentioned...maybe because it sounds more pro?^^

Anyway, in september we will have 3 samyang lenses, 5 new samsung lenses, and also schneider kreuznach lenses have been announced. So, I believe we can have a good Hope for this lovely camera

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My understanding is that the Schneider lenses are more a "rumor" than a real announcement but I'll keep my fingers crossed for them: THAT would really put the NX line on the map of DSLRs users.

starwolfy said:

I think as we are just few users of this camera, it's up to us to build a good community around it and say to the world how we like it...hoping it becomes more popular!

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Sure!

And even if it doesn't become popular, maybe we'll be lucky enough to get a few valuable pictures & memories out of it!

So how's Korea this time of the year?

I have three more days to work here in Paris and then I'm off to Grasse and Croatia: the NX is already in the bag!

--
http://lol-photoblog.blogspot.com/

Korea is really hot and humid now

It's often that we have something like 90% of humidity^^ So you feel like you are a big sauna...but outside haha.

It's the raining season, but it doesn't rain as much as usual (usually we can have like 2-3 days rain without any stop but these days, it's jsut a little bit of rain).

But when it starts rainong, even few amount of water, make sure you have your umbrella near you...cuz rain in korea is so heavy that you get totally wet in 10 seconds^^
It's never like Paris rain

As you are preparing your trip, please post some of your pics in here when you come back ^^

What a great post. Panasonic pricing is ridiculous, even here in the USA. That is why I never bother with m4/3 last year, the pricing premium are outrageous, so much so that I'm better off buying run of the mills canon or nikon dslr.

It is fascinating to hear that Korean people themselves seem to lack the passion for Samsung NX. This could explain very well the seemingly lack of enthusiasm here on DPR and other forum for the NX. Manufacture lacking in enthusiasm in their own product can never inspire enthusiasm nor confidence in that of others . It would seem the ball is in Samsung's court. It is Samsung, not dpr members, who need to be more enthusiast about the NX. Samsung need to advertise more, get the word out to its distributor, as well as lower the price to make it more popular.

As of now, Samsung NX has already lost much of its momentum. It is being squeezed by m4/3 on the one hand, and the increasingly popular NEX-5/-3 on the other. Samsung need to do something, I'm hoping I'll see some kind of major announcement during Photokina this falls. If not, I predict NX will fall by the waste side.

Funny, Samsung is advertising more and care more about its advance compact EX-1 . Already, EX-1 has been superseded NX here in DPR, and the continuing rave reviews is still pouring in.

normsmith said:

I love my NX, especially with the rather fine 30mm lens, I really hope the brand gets wider recognition in the camera world for the quality of the product and not just for good value.

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I'll share the reason I did not buy the NX. It is not compact enough with the zoom, and too expensive with the prime.

That's why I think APS-C is a bad choice for a compact camera, and so is Micro Four Thirds. The zooms are not small, (the Sony NEX zooms are ridiculously unbalanced!), and to make them smaller you'd have to make them slower, which you can't do because it kills low light and action abilities.

Canon, Pentax and Nikon still have a chance to do it right. Choose something smaller than 4/3 that will make all the lenses smaller and make the system actually be compact.

The other thing is to provide entry-level lenses with entry-level prices - a 50mm f/2.4 equiv. prime, a 28-105mm/3.5-5.6 equiv zoom, and a 20-35mm equiv. zoom, each about the same size as a Leica M-system prime. Make the sensor just small enough to achieve that, and you have the perfect sensor size, I don't care what the DOF is.

In fact, you could say that I picked my camera (Canon G11) purely based on a maximum size and price, a preferred range of focal lengths, and a preference for image quality.

Thus ends my reverse marketing spiel.

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"We give advice by the bucket, but take it by the grain." -- Tom Stoppard

Michael Barkowski said:

The other thing is to provide entry-level lenses with entry-level prices - a 50mm f/2.4 equiv. prime, a 28-105mm/3.5-5.6 equiv zoom, and a 20-35mm equiv. zoom, each about the same size as a Leica M-system prime.

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i.e. http://www.l-camera-forum.com/leica-forum/leica-m8-forum/99103-fast-small-not-contrasty-35mm.html#post1044800

P.S. the reason I feel so strongly about this is that if a smaller system is not made, I think it's a missed opportunity on the scale of Apple not marketing the iPod scroll wheel. There are some things that are just crying out to exist.

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"We give advice by the bucket, but take it by the grain." -- Tom Stoppard

Here in Canada you cannot buy the NX10 with just the 30mm. You need to either purchase the dual lens kit or buy the 30mm separately. I feel the 30mm is the best lens for the NX10 but unfortunately in Canada the NX10 and 30mm will end up costing a lot more than the GF1 with 20mm. Even the NEX3/5 with 16mm kit can be purchased at the local BB for much less than I can get the NX10 and 30mm. Hopefully this will be corrected with the NX100 otherwise the NX10/100 will continue to languish.

SHood said:

Here in Canada you cannot buy the NX10 with just the 30mm. You need to either purchase the dual lens kit or buy the 30mm separately. I feel the 30mm is the best lens for the NX10 but unfortunately in Canada the NX10 and 30mm will end up costing a lot more than the GF1 with 20mm. Even the NEX3/5 with 16mm kit can be purchased at the local BB for much less than I can get the NX10 and 30mm. Hopefully this will be corrected with the NX100 otherwise the NX10/100 will continue to languish.

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I found the same thing here in Victoria BC. It was a deal breaker for me and I walked away from the NX10. Hopefully Samsung will rectify this in the future or at least when and if they bring out the next generation of NX10's. I also hope they improve the sensor and back off the rather agressive N/R. But perhaps this is to much to ask. I wonder if they have an office in Canada that we can contact with our concerns?
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Quote: Experience is simply the name we give our mistakes
Oscar Wilde

Are any of you using a Mac? I have tried and really like the NX10 but the lack of Mac software is really affecting my buying decision. Can a Mac work with the NX10??

batchelor22 said:

Are any of you using a Mac? I have tried and really like the NX10 but the lack of Mac software is really affecting my buying decision. Can a Mac work with the NX10??

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Am using a Mac - there is a Mac RAW converter hidden away amongst the downloads on the Samsung Imaging site. It works OK - but I'm normally happy shooting JPEGS and opening them with Aperture. I like the Velvia-like colours of the NX10 JPEGs - that's my main reason for using this camera!

Are u Serious i got mine 30mm kit in my local store in SINGAPORE... NX10 RoX

You can download a mac-compatible raw processor from samsung website. But also Aperture 3 -which is a nice programme- has just been updated and can process the NX10 raw files (see dpreview news)
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http://www.flickr.com/photos/keithernesto/

For me the NX10 has also an other advantage: it's the cheap price of the lenses!

I think if you compare with the price of lenses for Panasonic, Sony or Olympus, once you try to get more stuff for your camera the prices are incredibly high;

Here in Korea I got my NX10 with 3 lenses:

30mm pancake, 18-55mm and 50-200mm + body for something around 1 350 000 Korean Won (something like mmm 950-1000$ ?).

It's just almost the price of the GF-1 with only the 20mm pancake in Korea!

And frankly, I have to see that I got the NEX and GF1 in my hands;;; Surely their built quality is higher, there is no doubt (especially for Sony NEX); but while shooting and when comparing the results, there no doupt also that the image quality is really similar.

I agree, on Mac I use Aperture 3 and I can manage my JPEGS and RAW files really easily.

Thanks Everyone! You have cemented my decision, I will pick up my NX10 tomorrow. I was going to settle on the NEX 5 but it did not feel as good in the hand as the NX10 and as someone pointed out I can pick up the lenses much cheaper for the Samsung. I appreciate the feedback from everyone and look forward to sharing some pics soon.