Let's talk about AF for a while...

I have an _NX1100 and i think that AF is the weakest point of this camera.

My question is: how do the old EFV models perform in this department?

My guess is that NX5-10-11 are worst than NX1000, NX20 is on par and NX30 is far better.

Am i wrong? Is there someone that can give me good info about it?

Thank you!

My personal experience: most nx cameras, as to af, are snappy sometimes, very laggy other times.

NX100 and 200 are mostly laggy (and I assume nx5/10/11/20 are similar). NX300 is a bit better, but definitely nothing great. I was NEVER able to take an "in focus" picture of a subject moving towards me, even moving slowly. NX30 is same as NX300.

NX1 is good to very good with S lenses and 45mm, but sometimes totally misfocuses. Suboptimal with most other lenses, as older models were.

Maybe I need to get my hands on some S lenses then, because my 18-55 gives the 45 a run for its money and the 50-200 is no slouch (though not up there with the others). The 30 was really a slow one though.

For single af, they are as you described. Mind you, 45mm is much much faster than 30mm even on NX1000, not just faster but more "sure" about focus, not hunting like 30mm and 20-50. 50-200mm is middle ground. 16-50 pz is fast.

From my limited testing, NX300 is very fast in AF-S. Continuous auto focus is not worth it as the camera refocuses before every shot. In low light, same story just slower.

NX500 (didn't try NX1) is much faster and actually works in continuous af and while tracking the subject. Video af if also the best I have seen - first time I think I could just let camera focus and not worry about it. Honestly, for shooting action it might be better than stills as there is no blackout, af works IMHO better. Just the rolling shutter...

Thank you tw and tt.

My need is not for fast af or moving subject. My main concern is about missing focus. In certain situation the nx1100 focus on background and leave the subject totally blurred (...and the background is sharp and well detailed! ).

Since i want another nx-efv body i would like to buy one that reduce this behavior. I guess that nx30 Will fit but i would like to use as less Money as i can.
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http://samsungnxtips.blogspot.com

Sure = better hitting percentage?
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http://samsungnxtips.blogspot.com

30mm slows down and hesitates before acquiring focus (just missing the shot of anything is moving), 45mm just goes straight to focus (in at least decent light). Yup, higher keeper rate. They are also very different in character of the photos they produce, 45mm is much closer to Nikon look IMHO. Although they are very close in focal length andaperture, they are not substitute for one another and with current prices it's easy to own both.

Edit, It does focus on the contrasty close by background sometimes, does that with all lenses I have.

The size of the AF box is a major player for that. I have indeed found that with too large of an AF box or using the whole thing, then with a small subject the camera loves putting the AF on the background. This is improved on the NX1 (and I assume NX500) over previous models, but not entirely a non-issue. I think the NX300 might have been better than models before it as well, since it got some phase detection, but I feel like the software wasn't using the phase detect information much on the NX300.

Moving from NX300 to NX1 I feel like it went from almost all the time to sometimes. With my NX300 BIF shots were basically required to have empty skies in the background for AF to get the bird. The NX1, while not perfect, is much improved. I do not notice a large change in this moving between lenses, but rather between shooting conditions, so I of course encounter it most with my 50-200. If the shots are not fast action, then a smallish AF box can be used, this didn't work well for me for BIF shooting because if the bird leaves the AF box for even a tiny time the focus would go off hunting to the end of the range, for other shooting small AF box is my tendency.

I think we are on track to gather the information i need.

I decided to post a sample and i was lucky to find easily a "stress" situation.

Lens 18-55

Actually there are 3 focus planes:

1) front border of the salt lamp

2) back border of the salt lamp

3) the box in the background

I can easily focus on plane 1 with the multipoint focus and this is good

I can focus on the plane 2 only if the target is small enough to be filled only with the back border of the salt lamp. If the focus box contain an amount of the background box i will get the image above.

How will permorm in the same situation NX1,NX30 and NX20?