Popular Photography - February 2015 USA

SPECIFICATIONS
IMAGING: 28.2MP effective, APS-C-sized
BSI CMOS sensor captures images at
6480x4320 pixels with 14 bits/color in
RAW mode
STORAGE: SD, SDHC, SDXC (up to 64GB).
Stores JPEG, SRW RAW, RAW + JPEG
VIDEO: Up to 4096x2160 24fps,
3840x2160 30fps, or 1920x1080 60fps
in HEVC (H.265) format; built-in stereo mic,
stereo minijack mic input; continuous AF;
maximum clip length approximately 29
min 59 sec; clean HDMI output
BURST RATE: Full-sized JPEGs (Fine
mode): 15 fps up to 70 shots; RAW (14-
bit): 15 fps up to 25 shots when using a
UHS-3 memory card
AF SYSTEM: TTL Hybrid with 209
contrast and 205 embedded phase
(153 cross-type) focus points.
Single-shot and continuous with
focus tracking, face detection.
SHUTTER SPEEDS: 1/8000 to 30 sec
(1/3-EV increments); shutter rated to
150,000 cycles
METERING: TTL-metering 221 segment
system using Multi-segment (evaluative),
centerweighted, and spot (size of spot not
specified) metering; –4 through 20 EV (at
ISO 100)
ISO RANGE: ISO 100–25,600
(in 1/3- or 1-EV increments);
expanded ISO 100–51,200
FLASH: Built-in pop-up flash with TTL
autoflash, GN 36 (ISO 100, feet); flash
sync to 1/250 sec
EVF: Fixed eye-level 2.36 million dot OLED;
100% accurate; 1.04X magnification
LCD: Tilting 3-in. Super AMOLED
touchscreen with 1,036,000-dot
resolution; five-step brightness adjustment
OUTPUT: SuperSpeed USB 3.0,
micro-HDMI (type D) video, stereo
headphone minijack
BATTERY: Rechargeable
BP-1900 Li-ion, CIPA rating 500 shots
SIZE/WEIGHT: 5.5x4.0x2.7 in., 1.4 lbs
with card and battery
STREET PRICE: $1,499, body only;
$2,799, with 16–50mm f/2–2.8 S ED OIS
zoom lens
FOR INFO: samsung.com
a big lens. The NX1’s grip is quite
comfortable and positions your
fingers to be close to the command
wheels and shutter release.
The magnesium alloy chassis
feels as if it can stand up to a
decent amount of abuse. A nice
Since the
NX1 uses
the new
HEVC codec
to record
video, be
sure to
update your
video editing
software if
HEVC is
supported;
otherwise,
transcode
the video
before
importing it
to edit.
collection of dedicated buttons
and dials provides access to all the
most important camera settings.
Taking a page from the Nikon playbook,
the NX1 has a dial on the left
side of the camera top for drive
mode and four dedicated function
buttons. A status LCD display gives
the camera more of an SLR feel
while providing a less cluttered
view through the OLED electronic
viewer. This has a super-speedy
5-millisecond refresh rate, making
the EVF experience seem very
natural, closer to an optical finder.
The NX1’s autofocus is the
fastest we’ve seen of any ILC, and
tracking proved reliable with all of
the subjects we shot. This is in part
thanks to the sensor’s read-out
speed of 120 frames per second
coupled with the new DRIMe V
processor that Samsung says is 2.8
times as fast as its previous image
processor. Its AF tracking talent is
quite important, since the camera
can capture bursts at up to 15 fps
when using a UHS Speed Class 3
SD card. Plus, the buffer can hold
an impressive 25 RAW shots, or up
to 70 Large, Fine JPEGs.
The NX1 is the first camera to
take advantage of the new H.265
video codec. Also known as HEVC,
it offers a higher level of compression
than H.264 without compromising
quality, and was developed
with an eye toward 4K. The NX1
will record 4K or standard highdef
video directly to the memory
card, and it also allows output of
uncompressed 8-bit 4K to an external
recorder through the camera’s
HDMI port. Footage we captured
in both 4K and 1920x1080p looked
wonderful. The NX1 can capture
4K at the professional DCI
standard of 4096x2160 at 24 fps
as well as at the UHD standard of
3840x2160 at 30 fps and 24 fps.
For sports shooting (and for
Samsung to show off the camera’s
processing power), the NX1
includes the company’s new Auto
Shot mode. So far limited to tracking
baseball batters, this feature
places a drawing of a batter and
a vertical line on the screen. Place
the drawing over a real batter in
your scene, and the camera will
watch for the ball to enter the
frame, track it, and trip the shutter
just as the bat and ball converge.
We didn’t have much reason to use
it, but it does deliver the goods.
Wi-Fi continues to be one of
Samsung’s strong points. This time
the company included the latest
802.11ac standard, which is said
to be four times the speed of the
more prevalent 802.11n. It can use
Bluetooth 3 to create a constant
connection to your smartphone
without the big power drain of
keeping Wi-Fi active at all times.
Then, when Wi-Fi is needed to
transfer an image to your smartphone
(for instance, if you have the
camera set to transfer all images
as they’re shot), the Wi-Fi turns
on, the image is transferred, and
Wi-Fi once again powers down as
Bluetooth takes over.
The Bottom Line
It’s pretty clear that Samsung is
trying to make a big statement
with the NX1. The camera is outfitted
with the latest standards in all
areas, has the largest BSI sensor
of any consumer model, boasts
an extremely fast burst speed,
captures 4K video even at the
DCI standard typically seen only
on professional camcorders, and
delivers beautiful image quality.
And the company continues
to add premium glass to its
lens lineup (see our test of the
50–150mm lens on page 72) and
shows no signs of stopping. If you
don’t have a collection of lenses for
another system, Samsung’s NX1
offers a compelling option outside
of the Canon and Nikon stalwarts
at a price that’s appealing, especially
given everything the NX1 can
accomplish. —Philip Ryan
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