It was not too long ago when we thoroughly enjoyed testing
the Samsung NX20, so it was our pleasure to get the chance to experience the
NX30 recently. Like its predecessor back then, the NX30 is currently the top
dog of Samsung's mirrorless interchangeable-lens camera line, harnessing all
the advanced features the Korean company could come up with.
Samsung NX30
Review
The NX30 has a solid build that matches the feel of a small
DSLR. It has all the necessary features to emulate a professional camera, such as
the two manual control dials, the PASM mode dial with two user-customizable
setups, and a drive mode switch. At the back, there's an articulating 3-inch
AMOLED touchscreen, which boasts strong colors and an accurate response to
touch gestures. Even more impressive is the tiltable electronic viewfinder; you
can pull it out and point it upwards for a clearer view of what you're
shooting. This comes in handy when taking a shot under direct sunlight when
it's difficult to compose on the Amoled display. Don�t worry, the EVF emulates
the scene perfectly and has little lag.
What Samsung has really focused on is the Wi-Fi capabilities
of the NX30. With this, you can wirelessly transfer photos to a nearby mobile
device or social media site, utilize a smartphone as a remote viewfinder, use
the camera as a baby monitor, and even automatically back up files to a cloud
server. There�s NFC connectivity as well, so pairing with a compatible device
is significantly faster.
Samsung NX30 Front
The combination of a hybrid autofocus system and Samsung�s
latest image processor delivers astonishing speeds in both focusing and
processing images. This also allows the NX30 to burst shots at up to nine
frames per second at full resolution, which is just enough for capturing high-speed
sports scenes or hyper kids. The same can be said about video recording, where
your movies will rarely skip a beat or show signs of major slowdown.
Despite the flood of features, what the NX30 truly excels at
is image quality. The 20.3-megapixel sensor creates gorgeous colors, amazing
contrast during daytime, and incredibly sharp imagery even with the bundled kit
lens. Noise stays relatively quiet until about ISO 6400, so you won�t have to
worry about nighttime shoots.
An issue we had with previous NX cameras was the lack of
available glass. That isn�t the case with the NX30 anymore, now that Samsung
has released several lenses for its mirrorless stable since then, making this
NX flagship the most formidable one yet.
Alongside the NX30
come two new lenses, including a flagship 16-50mm F2.0-28 S ED OIS lens
At a
glance �
Sensor: APS-C CMOS (20.3MP) �
Mount: Samsung NX �
Shutter speed: 1/8000 to 30 seconds �
Sensitivity: Auto, ISO 100 - 25600 �
Price: US$ 999.99 (w/ kit lens) Specifications �
Processor: DRIMe IV �
Display: 3" Articulating AMOLED touchscreen, 1036k dots �
Continuous shooting: 9fps �
Wireless Connectivity: Dual-channel Wi-Fi b/g/n, NFC �
Storage: SD, SDHC, SDXC �
Dimensions: 127 x 96 x 58mm �
Weight: 375g (with battery) Verdict:
9.0 �
Physique: 8.5 �
Features: 9.5 �
User-friendliness: 9.0 �
Performance: 9.0 �
Value: 8.0
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