Samsung EX2F vs Samsung NX mini + 9mm

I already have the EX2F but could not pass up on a chance of getting the NX mini + 9mm for £90. However, I will only keep one camera and will have to choose between the two.

Which camera will I keep and why?

I should add both cameras will be used predominantly for street shooting. I zone focus and shoot from the chest so screen considerations are out.

The EX2F should win hands down regarding ergonomics and accessibility for adjusting settings such as exposure comp etc. The NX mini will probably be more responsive in terms of shot to shot times but I will have to get a fast MicroSD card.

NX mini should be better image quality but not by a big margin. I'll be sticking to just the 9mm F3.5 lens so the EX2F can claw back some way by having an F1.4 lens and in low light the EX2F dual IS will help even further.

NX mini will have more scope for cropping which is a big plus when shooting blind.

Dynamic range advantage would/should go to the NX mini but with the EX2F being so fast I can often keep ISO down to ISO 80 and that will offset some advantage the NX mini has because I'll be using far higher ISO to compensate for the much slower lens. Using a slower shutter speed is not an option. I rarely go slower than 1/400s.

Nx mini with 9mm f3.5 is no sense for me.

Always work at high Iso. High iso small sensor and many megapixel = orrible photo

jacwashere wrote:

I wouldn't hesitate getting the mini, i've been using one for 'street' during almost two years now and first one of the great things about it is that you can carry it in any kind of pocket because its so slick so i always have it with me;

I'm not fussed about the size although small does tend to be easier to aim and shoot with one hand. I've actually ordered a case that splits in half. Partly so I can wear the camera round my neck and also to provide protection to the 9mm F3.5 which came with no lens cap.

another great thing is that you can change the main parameters like for ex. exp. comp. with one hand and its really easy to zone focus because at 24mm equivalent you have a huge depth of field, the only downside is everytime you turn the camera off it reverts the focus to infinity, but on the other hand battery life is very long;

I was a bit concerned about the UI and how easy it would be to quickly change settings, especially exp comp but with practice and familiarity it's only a tad slower than the EX2F.

since you mentioned shutter speed i should also mention that you can set a minimum shutter speed, i've mine set to 1/500s

Good to know.

a drawback of this camera is that it only has an electronic shutter so you can sometimes have rolling shutter effect and i dont mean only with fast moving subjects, a slight camera movement can also cause it..here's an example of it:

I'm used to that though I do wonder if that is the only price you pay for using ES? With most it also sacrifices a little on image quality. For example with mechanical shutter you'll get a 12bit RAW but with ES you'll get a 10bit or 8bit RAW. This reduces dynamic range and means the file cannot be pushed as easily in post. In the future I think ES will match mech shutter but for now there are compromises. I believe the Sony RX100 MKIV currently leads the way with ES.

It's not as bad as it may sound though and I think you'd have to be uber critical to tell the difference between swapping from mech to ES shutter..

notice the warped wall behind the subject..

..and the more 'traditional' distorted ball (;

Yes, I've experienced similar with Nikon 1 cameras and a Panasonic GX7. I use a hack to invoke ES with my NX500 but I've not noticed any obvious flaws - it still manages to outresolve my Pentax K-3!

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https://flic.kr/s/aHsjMuaoK5

I have the EX2F also (a real keeper to be sure).  But I've also periodically looked at getting the NX Mini with 9-27 lens (or whatever the focal length is for the zoom).  But every time I look for an NX Mini on eBay, their prices haven't come down much and then I have consider, it is worth it?  Although the Mini has a 1" sensor, it's not competitive by a long shot with the newer 1" versions from Sony.  I love the foam green and brown versions of the Mini, but I can't make up my mind if the IQ improvements would be worth it?

Ben Herrmann wrote:

I have the EX2F also (a real keeper to be sure). But I've also periodically looked at getting the NX Mini with 9-27 lens (or whatever the focal length is for the zoom). But every time I look for an NX Mini on eBay, their prices haven't come down much and then I have consider, it is worth it? Although the Mini has a 1" sensor, it's not competitive by a long shot with the newer 1" versions from Sony. I love the foam green and brown versions of the Mini, but I can't make up my mind if the IQ improvements would be worth it?

Yes, I'm thinking it's too soon to let my EX2F go - it's a well rounded camera with but a few niggly quirks.

I've heard the NX mini is very competitive with the Sony RX100 series regarding IQ but yes it is certainly not aimed at enthusiasts. If Samsung had pursued development I'm sure they could have competed quite well with the Nikon 1 series.

I was lucky to get mine from CEX - they seem to amass a lot of photography gear and regularly undercut Ebay. The particular model I got was graded 'B'. I expected 'B' to mean some marks/scuffs to body and maybe screen but it's immaculate. It's the white model I got and I now think it was graded 'B' because it wasn't a complete kit in original box. I wanted the 9mm pancake only because I'll treat it like I would a fixed lens camera anyway. The zoom looks good but is bigger and I tend to like around 24-28mm anyway.

I'll probably take both bodies out on a street shoot and see how they compare. It will be tough for me because my plan was to choose between them and sell one off. However they are so different I have a feeling I might regret letting either one go. Maybe I can find some other gear to sell to cover cost. I need to do a carboot and flog a load of film cameras I have amassed but never use!

norman shearer wrote:

Ben Herrmann wrote:

I have the EX2F also (a real keeper to be sure). But I've also periodically looked at getting the NX Mini with 9-27 lens (or whatever the focal length is for the zoom). But every time I look for an NX Mini on eBay, their prices haven't come down much and then I have consider, it is worth it? Although the Mini has a 1" sensor, it's not competitive by a long shot with the newer 1" versions from Sony. I love the foam green and brown versions of the Mini, but I can't make up my mind if the IQ improvements would be worth it?

Yes, I'm thinking it's too soon to let my EX2F go - it's a well rounded camera with but a few niggly quirks.

I've heard the NX mini is very competitive with the Sony RX100 series regarding IQ but yes it is certainly not aimed at enthusiasts. If Samsung had pursued development I'm sure they could have competed quite well with the Nikon 1 series.

I was lucky to get mine from CEX - they seem to amass a lot of photography gear and regularly undercut Ebay. The particular model I got was graded 'B'. I expected 'B' to mean some marks/scuffs to body and maybe screen but it's immaculate. It's the white model I got and I now think it was graded 'B' because it wasn't a complete kit in original box. I wanted the 9mm pancake only because I'll treat it like I would a fixed lens camera anyway. The zoom looks good but is bigger and I tend to like around 24-28mm anyway.

I'll probably take both bodies out on a street shoot and see how they compare. It will be tough for me because my plan was to choose between them and sell one off. However they are so different I have a feeling I might regret letting either one go. Maybe I can find some other gear to sell to cover cost. I need to do a carboot and flog a load of film cameras I have amassed but never use!

I've had the NX mini and now have the RX100. For my use/purpose there is no comparison. The RX100 is better in nearly every way. Faster lens. OIS all the time where the NX mini does not have it on the 9mm. Better build quality. Dials instead of touch screen,

i picked up a M2 version for $400. It is a perfect travel camera.

The menu sucks, but the mini does not work as smoothly as the full size NX.

All this comes from a Samsung fanboy!

Kinger wrote:

I've had the NX mini and now have the RX100. For my use/purpose there is no comparison. The RX100 is better in nearly every way. Faster lens. OIS all the time where the NX mini does not have it on the 9mm. Better build quality. Dials instead of touch screen,

i picked up a M2 version for $400. It is a perfect travel camera.

The menu sucks, but the mini does not work as smoothly as the full size NX.

All this comes from a Samsung fanboy!

Agreed, I understand the RX100 series is undoubtedly a more enthusiast orientated camera and has also been in development for some time. How does the image quality compare though?

When you say the menu sucks are you referring to the M2?

I'd love to get an RX100 series but they hold their price too well on the 2nd hand market and for me small sensor means it needs to be cheap. I'd rather commit more money to APS-C cameras/lenses.

norman shearer wrote:

Kinger wrote:

I've had the NX mini and now have the RX100. For my use/purpose there is no comparison. The RX100 is better in nearly every way. Faster lens. OIS all the time where the NX mini does not have it on the 9mm. Better build quality. Dials instead of touch screen,

i picked up a M2 version for $400. It is a perfect travel camera.

The menu sucks, but the mini does not work as smoothly as the full size NX.

All this comes from a Samsung fanboy!

Agreed, I understand the RX100 series is undoubtedly a more enthusiast orientated camera and has also been in development for some time. How does the image quality compare though?

When you say the menu sucks are you referring to the M2?

I'd love to get an RX100 series but they hold their price too well on the 2nd hand market and for me small sensor means it needs to be cheap. I'd rather commit more money to APS-C cameras/lenses.

Image quality is very similar between the two cameras from my real world use. What the rx100 has that is very important to me is a wide aperture on a wide angle lens. This is important for indoor, low light, no flash photos.

yes, I meant the RX100 has a crappy menu system. The mini is better.

The problem with the mini us that it is only "mini" with the 9mm and that is a limiting lens. 9-27 and 17mm make it a thick camera. At that point you can't stuff it in a pocket, so I might as well use my Full size NX with compact zoom or pancake.

in the end the premium paid for the RX100 is stellar image quality that slides into your pocket. Once I can't slide it in my pocket, compactness doesn't matter because I need a sling or bag.

The RX100 is a perfect companion to my NX1. First choice is always the NX1, but there are many times that it is not practical.

Kinger wrote:

yes, I meant the RX100 has a crappy menu system. The mini is better.

The problem with the mini us that it is only "mini" with the 9mm and that is a limiting lens. 9-27 and 17mm make it a thick camera. At that point you can't stuff it in a pocket, so I might as well use my Full size NX with compact zoom or pancake.

I take your point about pocket-ability. It's a moot point for me because I put all my cameras on neck straps. I'll probably only ever use the mini for street photography and perhaps the odd selfie! CEX were/are selling the 9-27mm pretty cheap but I'm happy with a more compact lens and for street 9mm is about where I want to be - though I do wish they had made the prime a stop faster than the zoom.

One last thing, on a neck strap I had to disable the minis touch screen. It constantly was picking up "touches" from my clothing. Only camera that ever caused me this trouble.

it is a great camera, but fot a real niche group.

norman shearer wrote:

Kinger wrote:

yes, I meant the RX100 has a crappy menu system. The mini is better.

The problem with the mini us that it is only "mini" with the 9mm and that is a limiting lens. 9-27 and 17mm make it a thick camera. At that point you can't stuff it in a pocket, so I might as well use my Full size NX with compact zoom or pancake.

I take your point about pocket-ability. It's a moot point for me because I put all my cameras on neck straps. I'll probably only ever use the mini for street photography and perhaps the odd selfie! CEX were/are selling the 9-27mm pretty cheap but I'm happy with a more compact lens and for street 9mm is about where I want to be - though I do wish they had made the prime a stop faster than the zoom.

i have nx mini with 9mm and 17mm primes...for me, its 9mm is to wide for the street and wide lens has its own set of problems with geometrical distortion on top of the ones caused by electronic shutter...i definitely would not recommended 9mm for street photography unless you are doing landscape shots mostly...you have to be really really really close if you are shooting people otherwise every scene will look like shoot through the binoculars...

on the other hand, 17mm is the best kept secret..it is less prone to geometrical distortion, it is tack sharp, and it is not much longer on the mini itself than 9mm ( it is a little bit heavier though)...it is 46.5mm in practice, it could be a little tight sometimes, but it is a good compromise between using zoom and 9mm...

Marconi63 wrote:

i have nx mini with 9mm and 17mm primes...for me, its 9mm is to wide for the street and wide lens has its own set of problems with geometrical distortion on top of the ones caused by electronic shutter...i definitely would not recommended 9mm for street photography unless you are doing landscape shots mostly...you have to be really really really close if you are shooting people otherwise every scene will look like shoot through the binoculars...

It depends on the way you shoot street. I nearly always shoot on the move so getting up close is no problem because you naturally get close as you walk by. If pedestrian traffic is busy you also find yourself having to give way and you can use this to your advantage. As you turn to the side you are panning your camera and can shoot and get a nice angle to your composition. I subtly zig-zag to also get good angles. I have my camera on a neck strap and my right thumb is resting on the shutter button while my right hand makes small adjustments to the camera position. It's not the most discrete way of shooting and I often capture people staring out the camera. However, a silent shutter is a must and any doubt the subject has probably passes quicker than I do! I'm okay with my subjects wondering if I'm taking pictures of them but if the shutter was so loud as to confirm their suspicions I would not have the bottle to take the shot. With my NX500 I initially struggled with my 16mm pancake because the shutter sound made me nervous. I ended up shooting too early and having to crop or settle for a more environmental street view. Now I have a hack installed that invokes the electronic shutter I can now shoot up closer.

on the other hand, 17mm is the best kept secret..it is less prone to geometrical distortion, it is tack sharp, and it is not much longer on the mini itself than 9mm ( it is a little bit heavier though)...it is 46.5mm in practice, it could be a little tight sometimes, but it is a good compromise between using zoom and 9mm...

I wish I could switch styles and shoot more standing still using the touch screen and AF. I sometimes bring along lenses specifically for that but rarely do I find somewhere where I can do that and feel comfortable. I'm a quick shoot and be gone kinda shooter. So as much as I'd like the 17mm lens I know it would rarely be used by me for street work.

norman shearer wrote:

Marconi63 wrote:

i have nx mini with 9mm and 17mm primes...for me, its 9mm is to wide for the street and wide lens has its own set of problems with geometrical distortion on top of the ones caused by electronic shutter...i definitely would not recommended 9mm for street photography unless you are doing landscape shots mostly...you have to be really really really close if you are shooting people otherwise every scene will look like shoot through the binoculars...

It depends on the way you shoot street. I nearly always shoot on the move so getting up close is no problem because you naturally get close as you walk by. If pedestrian traffic is busy you also find yourself having to give way and you can use this to your advantage. As you turn to the side you are panning your camera and can shoot and get a nice angle to your composition. I subtly zig-zag to also get good angles. I have my camera on a neck strap and my right thumb is resting on the shutter button while my right hand makes small adjustments to the camera position. It's not the most discrete way of shooting and I often capture people staring out the camera. However, a silent shutter is a must and any doubt the subject has probably passes quicker than I do! I'm okay with my subjects wondering if I'm taking pictures of them but if the shutter was so loud as to confirm their suspicions I would not have the bottle to take the shot. With my NX500 I initially struggled with my 16mm pancake because the shutter sound made me nervous. I ended up shooting too early and having to crop or settle for a more environmental street view. Now I have a hack installed that invokes the electronic shutter I can now shoot up closer.

on the other hand, 17mm is the best kept secret..it is less prone to geometrical distortion, it is tack sharp, and it is not much longer on the mini itself than 9mm ( it is a little bit heavier though)...it is 46.5mm in practice, it could be a little tight sometimes, but it is a good compromise between using zoom and 9mm...

I wish I could switch styles and shoot more standing still using the touch screen and AF. I sometimes bring along lenses specifically for that but rarely do I find somewhere where I can do that and feel comfortable. I'm a quick shoot and be gone kinda shooter. So as much as I'd like the 17mm lens I know it would rarely be used by me for street work.

if you are a quick/on the move/while moving shooter i think rolling shutter effect will drive you crazy with nx mini! sometimes i think i would like to smash it against the wall...but, i think i do understand what you are going for...for me, silent/electronic shutter is a must as well...and i am still looking for a silent camera who is free of rolling shutter and which is fast enough for the street photography...as much as i like nx mini i think it is not the best solution for street...it looks like on paper, but i am still searching for something else...

btw, i have no problems communicating with people, and i am sometimes using dslr on the street with its clackety clack sound, but more than anything this chit chat with my subjects eats a lot of time, sometimes i spent almost an hour per person talking about nothing to avoid to be rude, and i decided that i'd rather be noiseless on the street

norman shearer wrote:

I already have the EX2F but could not pass up on a chance of getting the NX mini + 9mm for £90. However, I will only keep one camera and will have to choose between the two.

Which camera will I keep and why?

I should add both cameras will be used predominantly for street shooting. I zone focus and shoot from the chest so screen considerations are out.

The EX2F should win hands down regarding ergonomics and accessibility for adjusting settings such as exposure comp etc. The NX mini will probably be more responsive in terms of shot to shot times but I will have to get a fast MicroSD card.

NX mini should be better image quality but not by a big margin. I'll be sticking to just the 9mm F3.5 lens so the EX2F can claw back some way by having an F1.4 lens and in low light the EX2F dual IS will help even further.

NX mini will have more scope for cropping which is a big plus when shooting blind.

Dynamic range advantage would/should go to the NX mini but with the EX2F being so fast I can often keep ISO down to ISO 80 and that will offset some advantage the NX mini has because I'll be using far higher ISO to compensate for the much slower lens. Using a slower shutter speed is not an option. I rarely go slower than 1/400s.

what's the verdict at the end? did you get mini? if so, i would like to hear some impressions...cheers...

Wow! Where at that price???

tecnoworld wrote:

Wow! Where at that price???

CeX (UK). They also have Samsung NX300 body only for £115..

Marconi63 wrote:

norman shearer wrote:

I already have the EX2F but could not pass up on a chance of getting the NX mini + 9mm for £90. However, I will only keep one camera and will have to choose between the two.

Which camera will I keep and why?

I should add both cameras will be used predominantly for street shooting. I zone focus and shoot from the chest so screen considerations are out.

The EX2F should win hands down regarding ergonomics and accessibility for adjusting settings such as exposure comp etc. The NX mini will probably be more responsive in terms of shot to shot times but I will have to get a fast MicroSD card.

NX mini should be better image quality but not by a big margin. I'll be sticking to just the 9mm F3.5 lens so the EX2F can claw back some way by having an F1.4 lens and in low light the EX2F dual IS will help even further.

NX mini will have more scope for cropping which is a big plus when shooting blind.

Dynamic range advantage would/should go to the NX mini but with the EX2F being so fast I can often keep ISO down to ISO 80 and that will offset some advantage the NX mini has because I'll be using far higher ISO to compensate for the much slower lens. Using a slower shutter speed is not an option. I rarely go slower than 1/400s.

what's the verdict at the end? did you get mini? if so, i would like to hear some impressions...cheers...

Still waiting for a half case to arrive. I could've used it to shoot street from the hip but it's been a long time since I've shot that way and it takes some practice to do it well. I'd sooner get the camera in a half case and shoot from the chest. I could of course shoot other stuff and compare but its their street performance I care about.

I did take the EX2F to a carboot the other day. I was trying to avoid spending money so I thought if I brought my camera along it would distract me. It was a warm day and the sun's glare made the screen very hard to see so I struggled a little setting the camera up. I was quite impressed with the results though. Oh and I did spend only £2 (not counting cheeseburger and a tea)!

I don't think I'll be able to let the EX2F go. In good weather it can provide image quality that rivals my NX500 and K-3. So I'm thinking the mini will probably not differentiate itself by image quality alone. It'll have to better the EX2F in other ways.

I'll add my findings to the thread soon after the half case arrives..

for that price, I could even think about the mini, just to use the big lenses on it and get high magnification. But it's a very slow operation camera, unfortunately.

tecnoworld wrote:

for that price, I could even think about the mini, just to use the big lenses on it and get high magnification. But it's a very slow operation camera, unfortunately.

Also the adapter is not common and costs around £150. That ruled out the adapter for me!