Photo answers review
Photo answers rating 
Features & handlingThe greatest draw for potential buyers will be the GX-20’s impressive 14.6MP sensor. Along with the near-identical Pentax K20D, this is the highest resolution offered by any camera in the mid-range/enthusiast sector of the market (although the Sony Alpha 350 only slightly lags behind, at 14.2MP).
Like the K20D, the GX-20 is sealed against the elements. It also offers Live View, dual dust reduction technology and a High Dynamic Range facility (to retain more highlight and shadow detail in contrasty exposures). Its camera shake reduction feature is Optical Image Stabilisation (OIS), as opposed to the Digital Image Stabilisation (DIS) you’ll find on many Samsung compacts.
The design is standard Pentax, which isn’t surprising as the camera is based on the trusty Pentax K10D, with a look and feel that seems a little old-fashioned and clunky. The body is littered with buttons, dials and switches, making the prospect of using it quite daunting. Despite button overload, there’s still an additional function menu to access white balance and ISO sensitivity. These two settings are second only to shutter speed and aperture controls in terms of usefulness in the field, so in our view, every D-SLR should make them easy to access.
The comprehensive mode dial is one of the most complicated ever produced. Most pro cameras settle for the big four (PASM); but in this price bracket, more shooting modes only confuse users, especially when some of those modes are more complicated than the task they were designed to simplify. For example, ‘Shutter & Aperture-Priority’ mode is basically manual with auto ISO. It could be useful for sports photography if you’re happy for the camera to select the ISO, but why introduce an extra mode?
PerformanceUnfortunately the camera’s Live View doesn’t offer contrast-detection autofocus, which means you have to press the AF button then wait for the mirror to flap down while the viewing screen goes dead and it’s all too easy to take an out-of-focus shot. And, while the GX-20 offers 11 autofocus points, its AF system lets it down. It’s not that there’s anything wrong with it, it just doesn’t perform as well as rival models.
One of the problems with increasing the pixel count is that the size of the pixels suffers. It’s a simple technical fact; Samsung has done a great job with the GX-20, but sadly, the results are okay, nothing more. While it’s true that you can blow the results much larger than if you get a camera with a lower resolution, files from the 12.1MP Canon EOS 450D or the Sony Alpha 350 both show less noise.
Verdict
Over the last few years we’ve come to expect more from Samsung than this camera offers. Don’t get us wrong, the GX-20 does everything it should, but we’re disappointed Samsung hasn’t pushed the boat out further. It should try to cater less for the traditional enthusiast and focus more on introducing cutting-edge functionality.
With prices for the body only, you can save yourself an easy £120 just by opting for the GX-20 instead of the Pentax K20D. Both can be purchased as kits with a near identical 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6; or look a bit harder and you might find it with the excellent 16-45mm f/4 instead.
Specification
| Effective resolution: |
14.6MP |
| Lens mount: |
Pentax KAF2
|
| Focal length conversion: |
1.5X
|
| Aspect ratio: |
3:2 |
| LCD monitor size: |
2.7in (230k dot) with Live View
|
| File formats: |
JPEG, RAW (PEF & DNG) |
| Card type: |
SD/SDHC |
| Exposure modes: |
Auto, program, shutter-priority, aperture-priority, sensitivity-priority, shutter & aperture-priority, manual, bulb, flash X-sync and wireless mode
|
| Metering modes: |
Multi, centre-weighted and spot
|
| Autofocus: |
11-point |
| ISO range: |
100-6400
|
| Battery type: |
SLB-1674 |
| Shutter speed range: |
1/8000sec to 30 seconds + Bulb |
| Flash sync: |
1/180sec |
| Continuous shooting speed: |
3fps for 38 frames (JPEG), or 16 frames (RAW)
|
| Weight/size (WxHxD): |
806g/142x101x72mm |