Samsung NX roadmap & (possibly) discontinued lenses?

Hi all,

Has anyone come across any news items or rumours that Samsung will be replacing some of its prime lenses with updated versions?

The Camera Store (www.thecamerastore.com) is listing a number of Samsung NX lenses as "Clearance" items:

- Samsung NX 12-24mm f4-5.6

- Samsung NX 45mm f1.8

- Samsung NX 85mm F1.4 ED SSA

- Samsung NX 60mm f2.8 Macro ED OIS SSA

Limited quantities available, etc.

I'll admit to freaking out a bit when I saw that. I had an NX10 years ago but after it broke, I moved away from the NX system.

However, I just got an NX1 thinking of getting back into the Samsung NX game, and to see this many lenses discontinued... not sure what to think.

- First thought (the most hopeful) is that these are being replaced. But there's also:

- Camera Store dropping Samsung from the lineup? (Meh, Henry's still has it but still...)

- Samsung abandoning the Canadian market?

(This would make some sense considering most Samsung NX gear is backordered or a special order just about everywhere; Vistek completely removed Samsung NX cameras and lenses from its catalog; no one seems to have any stock of anything NX-related and the NX300/NX30/Galaxy are all on sale; sort what we've seen before when a company decides to call it quits in a given market.)

Any feedback welcome. (Obviously right now I'm sort of wondering if getting back into NX might turn out to be a bad mistake.)

Dinko wrote:

Hi all,

Has anyone come across any news items or rumours that Samsung will be replacing some of its prime lenses with updated versions?

The Camera Store (www.thecamerastore.com) is listing a number of Samsung NX lenses as "Clearance" items:

- Samsung NX 12-24mm f4-5.6

- Samsung NX 45mm f1.8

- Samsung NX 85mm F1.4 ED SSA

- Samsung NX 60mm f2.8 Macro ED OIS SSA

Limited quantities available, etc.

I'll admit to freaking out a bit when I saw that. I had an NX10 years ago but after it broke, I moved away from the NX system.

However, I just got an NX1 thinking of getting back into the Samsung NX game, and to see this many lenses discontinued... not sure what to think.

- First thought (the most hopeful) is that these are being replaced. But there's also:

- Camera Store dropping Samsung from the lineup? (Meh, Henry's still has it but still...)

- Samsung abandoning the Canadian market?

(This would make some sense considering most Samsung NX gear is backordered or a special order just about everywhere; Vistek completely removed Samsung NX cameras and lenses from its catalog; no one seems to have any stock of anything NX-related and the NX300/NX30/Galaxy are all on sale; sort what we've seen before when a company decides to call it quits in a given market.)

Any feedback welcome. (Obviously right now I'm sort of wondering if getting back into NX might turn out to be a bad mistake.)

I just ordered my NX1 +16-50S + 50-150S + 10 Fisheye from The Camera Store, and am still awaiting the arrival of the fisheye. I too am hopeful that these lenses are being replaced/upgraded. The 12-24 seems to have some issues with weak construction and the 85mm could have it's autofocus upgraded to be quicker and quieter given the emphasis Samsung seems to be placing on video. On the other hand, it would seem that the 30mm is more due for an upgrade than the 45mm so that doesn't add up. Also, I think that you'd see some US stores like B&H and Adorama having these items on clearance if they were being upgraded, and so far, that doesn't appear to be the case. For months I tried to get my hands on an NX1 but no stores have them in stock. In the Edmonton area, none of the camera stores, including Vistek which at one time listed Samsung on their website but no longer does, had them. Best Buy has other Samsung cameras but no NX1 and no S lenses. There's even a Samsung store in West Edmonton Mall (across the aisle from the Apple store) but their camera display consists of a paltry NX300, a Galaxy camera and 3 lenses. No NX1 or S lenses there either. Samsung doesn't really seem to care about the Canadian market when it comes to photography. I'm not sure what that is a reflection of but it doesn't make one confident in owning Samsung gear.

Just had a look at The Camera store and they've got more lenses up for clearance:

• 16mm
• 20mm
• 30mm
• 18-200mm

The only Samsung lenses they don't list as clearance items (yet) are the two S lenses and the 10mm Fisheye.

It is hard to say.

More and more stores are pulling Samsung. They are hard to fine in Henry's now.

Samsung is really bad at transparency when it comes to the NX system. Firmeware and Lens roadmaps would be nice. they don't really do it though

I believe Samsung is doing a terrible marketing job with their NX line. They could easily integrate their advertising with the Galaxy phones, even if it doesn't attract serious photographers. Promote the gimmick features and sprinkle in some of the more serious pro features. Nikon has a commercial out now promoting their WiFi feature which would make the casual consumer believe it's some revolutionary new addition. Reminds me of the way Apple promotes their product.

Dear Samsung,
If you want people to buy your product, promote it.
If you want people to know your product even exists, promote it.
If you want other manufacturers to support the NX line, promote it!

You've done well with the initial launch of the NX1 but it seems you've lost a lot of steam.

end rant

I'm sure it's just a case of a store no longer carrying that line. I tried to buy the NX1 at the local shop and they told, not only do they not carry it, they cannot order it. I'm not sure why; but it looks like Samsung doesn't care to have smaller/local shops as resellers.

I agree Samsung marketing needs a lot of improvement but I'm not sure if appealing to Galaxy users is the best way to do it. Looking at Canon and Nikon, I think the reason they are successful is because they have the support of pros.

The same seems to be true for mirrorless. For example, Sony wasn't a serious contender until they received accolades from pros for their a6000 and A7x series. I think Samsung should follow the same strategy. It should appeal to pros by adding the features that pros want and marketing aggressively to them (this includes lenses). Developing pro lenses such as the 16-50 and 50-150 is a step in the right direction.  If Samsung gains the respect of more pros, the pros will influence hobbyists and casual shooters to move to Samsung.

creaDVty wrote:

I agree Samsung marketing needs a lot of improvement but I'm not sure if appealing to Galaxy users is the best way to do it. Looking at Canon and Nikon, I think the reason they are successful is because they have the support of pros.

The same seems to be true for mirrorless. For example, Sony wasn't a serious contender until they received accolades from pros for their a6000 and A7x series. I think Samsung should follow the same strategy. It should appeal to pros by adding the features that pros want and marketing aggressively to them (this includes lenses). Developing pro lenses such as the 16-50 and 50-150 is a step in the right direction. If Samsung gains the respect of more pros, the pros will influence hobbyists and casual shooters to move to Samsung.

Gonna agree with you on this

creaDVty wrote:

I agree Samsung marketing needs a lot of improvement but I'm not sure if appealing to Galaxy users is the best way to do it. Looking at Canon and Nikon, I think the reason they are successful is because they have the support of pros.

The same seems to be true for mirrorless. For example, Sony wasn't a serious contender until they received accolades from pros for their a6000 and A7x series. I think Samsung should follow the same strategy. It should appeal to pros by adding the features that pros want and marketing aggressively to them (this includes lenses). Developing pro lenses such as the 16-50 and 50-150 is a step in the right direction. If Samsung gains the respect of more pros, the pros will influence hobbyists and casual shooters to move to Samsung.

A lens road map would help.  I thought we'd be hearing more about the 300 f/2.8 by now.  Actually, a 300 f/4 that is lighter weight would be good enough.  Another would be a 55-250 f/4 S lens.  I'm a bit worried that NX1 sales haven't been high enough to green light more lens projects & I'm not that sure about the QA on the S lenses since the mount fit is suspect.  Pros might be hesitating to endorse until more transparency.

To me it seems Samsung knows rather well what they are doing. If one follows their whole product development from start to now, then this seems like a rather nice and coherent strategy. They are just still in the process of building things up, in particular with the NX1 as targeting professionals.

Another thing which has been evident so far is that they work on their portfolio continuously, but slowly. Nowadays, the overall lens setup for a "niche" camera manufacturer without a real professional segment (yet) is pretty good and comprehensive. A longer tele is really the only thing which is missing, but all other focal lengths are basically covered.

Of course there is room for improvement, but to me it seems like a pretty well thought-through strategy. I'm pretty sure we'll see more of Samsung - but it will take time (at least on the side of the lenses).

And to be honest, so far it has paid off pretty well for us customers that Samsung was the underdog (at least in Europe/Germany, don't know about US). Prices were extremely low given the performance. This may start to change now, given the pretty stable prices of NX500 and NX1.

Just my 2cents,

Andre

andre95 wrote:

To me it seems Samsung knows rather well what they are doing. If one follows their whole product development from start to now, then this seems like a rather nice and coherent strategy. They are just still in the process of building things up, in particular with the NX1 as targeting professionals.

Another thing which has been evident so far is that they work on their portfolio continuously, but slowly. Nowadays, the overall lens setup for a "niche" camera manufacturer without a real professional segment (yet) is pretty good and comprehensive. A longer tele is really the only thing which is missing, but all other focal lengths are basically covered.

Of course there is room for improvement, but to me it seems like a pretty well thought-through strategy. I'm pretty sure we'll see more of Samsung - but it will take time (at least on the side of the lenses).

And to be honest, so far it has paid off pretty well for us customers that Samsung was the underdog (at least in Europe/Germany, don't know about US). Prices were extremely low given the performance. This may start to change now, given the pretty stable prices of NX500 and NX1.

Just my 2cents,

I agree with you as far as a lens lineup goes, but I'm not so sure I agree with you that Samsung knows rather well what they are doing overall. I have wanted to get my hands on a NX1 for many months now but the NX1 and the S lenses are as rare as unicorns here in Canada. The Camera Store (which the OP was talking about) and Henry's seem to be the only two camera stores in the whole country which carry Samsung photo gear. Best Buy has some of their lower end, older products and even when I go into a Samsung Store (think Apple Store, but Samsung's equivalent) they do not have the NX1 or any S lenses, just a couple older bodies and 4 older lenses. One would think that if anywhere in Canada would have their flagship camera, it would be the Samsung Stores.

Now I realize Canada is not a densely populated country, however we are a fairly affluent country and Canadians like to spend their money. Furthermore, I seem to recall reading that while m43 and smaller sensored cameras are stealing the market in Europe and Asia, in N. America, APSC and full-frame are still going strong. Samsung already has an established brand here. Given the preceeding, one would think they would like to make inroads into the photography market in Canada. Instead, they've only gotten into a couple of camera stores and one of them, as the OP mentioned, looks to be backing out.

Based on this evidence, Samsung seems to me to NOT "know rather well what they are doing", at least from a marketing, distribution and sales accounts perspective here in Canada. Others in other locales have expressed similar concerns with finding product in stores, so I don't think Samsung Canada is the only distributor to be criticized.

bpjod wrote:

andre95 wrote:

To me it seems Samsung knows rather well what they are doing. If one follows their whole product development from start to now, then this seems like a rather nice and coherent strategy. They are just still in the process of building things up, in particular with the NX1 as targeting professionals.

Another thing which has been evident so far is that they work on their portfolio continuously, but slowly. Nowadays, the overall lens setup for a "niche" camera manufacturer without a real professional segment (yet) is pretty good and comprehensive. A longer tele is really the only thing which is missing, but all other focal lengths are basically covered.

Of course there is room for improvement, but to me it seems like a pretty well thought-through strategy. I'm pretty sure we'll see more of Samsung - but it will take time (at least on the side of the lenses).

And to be honest, so far it has paid off pretty well for us customers that Samsung was the underdog (at least in Europe/Germany, don't know about US). Prices were extremely low given the performance. This may start to change now, given the pretty stable prices of NX500 and NX1.

Just my 2cents,

I agree with you as far as a lens lineup goes, but I'm not so sure I agree with you that Samsung knows rather well what they are doing overall. I have wanted to get my hands on a NX1 for many months now but the NX1 and the S lenses are as rare as unicorns here in Canada. The Camera Store (which the OP was talking about) and Henry's seem to be the only two camera stores in the whole country which carry Samsung photo gear. Best Buy has some of their lower end, older products and even when I go into a Samsung Store (think Apple Store, but Samsung's equivalent) they do not have the NX1 or any S lenses, just a couple older bodies and 4 older lenses. One would think that if anywhere in Canada would have their flagship camera, it would be the Samsung Stores.

Now I realize Canada is not a densely populated country, however we are a fairly affluent country and Canadians like to spend their money. Furthermore, I seem to recall reading that while m43 and smaller sensored cameras are stealing the market in Europe and Asia, in N. America, APSC and full-frame are still going strong. Samsung already has an established brand here. Given the preceeding, one would think they would like to make inroads into the photography market in Canada. Instead, they've only gotten into a couple of camera stores and one of them, as the OP mentioned, looks to be backing out.

Based on this evidence, Samsung seems to me to NOT "know rather well what they are doing", at least from a marketing, distribution and sales accounts perspective here in Canada. Others in other locales have expressed similar concerns with finding product in stores, so I don't think Samsung Canada is the only distributor to be criticized.

My Samsung contact assures me that Samsung Canada is currently working on "driving distribution and increasing our partner base".  I guess these things don't happen overnight but obviously they they have not abandoned the Canadian Market.

I also have found it frustrating to buy NX products in Canada.  It is difficult to be a consumer and you really want to support the product and make a purchase but then can't find a retail store to sell it to you.  I waited so long to get the 50-150S lens....but I am a dedicated NX user.  New purchasers may not feel the same way.

bpjod wrote:

Based on this evidence, Samsung seems to me to NOT "know rather well what they are doing", at least from a marketing, distribution and sales accounts perspective here in Canada. Others in other locales have expressed similar concerns with finding product in stores, so I don't think Samsung Canada is the only distributor to be criticized.

I can fully understand your frustration, but I still think that they are aware of that. My assumption is that Canada (and the other poorly cared for markets) are not profitable / high volume enough. I don't know how Samsung works, but I guess there will be marketing and distribution teams for certain areas, and if there are only few sales, than these teams will either be small or there will be no dedicated team but e.g. Canada may be covered by the US team. And these teams will naturally have a certain personnel, time and budget. If that budget is not sufficient to do all they want to, they will neglect the smaller markets first. Having good representation of a product costs money and time.

Take another example: In France, the third largest mobile phone seller is a company called "Wiko". Third largest, just behind Apple and Samsung. I.e., big volume! You can get them in Germany as well, but e.g. not in the UK at all. They are a rather young company, and I presume they will enter one market after the other, slowly.

Kind Regards,

Andre

I have seen reports of new lenses and they looked like pro and well thought out like 16-80 F4 from memory but when i dont know. No problems getting Samsung in EU, but some stores been having big sales i guess making way for new gear or to meet targets.

NX1 is super camera though needs more fast lenses.
I read an interview where they said they had 300 people working on lens design, so they must be doing something!

I'm not so sure it's all Samsung's fault. Stores are reluctant to stock items that won't sell quickly. Thanks to Internet shopping, the "brick and mortar" retail system has changed considerably with fewer and fewer people actually buying things in stores. The local camera shops that have survived can't afford to stock an item that might sit for awhile. The shelf space would be better served hosting a Canon/Nikon/Sony/Fuji product. Having said that, Samsung does need to make it easier for stores to order their products. But that presents an issue with the store as well: what if they order it for you and you decide you don't want it? I think the only thing that will help is increased market share.