Samsung NX100

With a sensor rivalling that of most D-SLRs, could the Samsung NX100, the latest in the NX series, claim the Compact System Camera crown?

A year on from the release of the Samsung NX10 – Samsung’s first mirrorless, interchangeable lens camera – Samsung NX100 has landed, offering a similar set of features in a smaller, more compact body. This new contender follows the already popular Compact System Camera (CSC) format, a design adapted from the traditional D-SLR blueprint in which the pentaprism and mirror have been removed in an attempt to reduce the overall camera size, but the functionality of a large sensor and interchangeable lenses has been kept.
The NX100 includes a bundle of creative features, novice-friendly operation and a sleek appearance, alongside the release of a new range of innovative i-Function lenses. On paper it has a lot to offer, so we gave it a rigorous Digital Photo test to find out if it can deliver on its promises.

Features & Build
At first glance the NX100 is strikingly different in design to its predecessor, the NX10, and it’s clear that a more compact approach has been the driving force this time around. Don’t be fooled by its smaller footprint, though, as despite a body depth of just 34.5mm with the lens detached, it still manages to hold an impressive 14.6Mp APS-C size CMOS sensor – the same size as those found in most D-SLRs – and one that’s also able to record 720p HD video.
The NX100’s ISO range runs from 100 to 3200 but can now be increased to an equivalent of 6400 when shooting in the Low Light setting and a variety of aspect ratios are available, including the native 3:2 and further 16:9 or 1:1. Much like a standard D-SLR, there’s also the option of shooting in either RAW, JPEG or a combination of the two, producing files that can be printed as large as A3.
 On the rear is a 3in AMOLED 614k-dot screen that produces a clear and bright display, covering almost two thirds of the back panel, but unlike the NX10 there’s no viewfinder, so if you prefer to shoot with your eye close to the camera as opposed to using the standard Live View option, you’ll have to purchase an additional Electronic Viewfinder (EVF) at around £129.
The NX100 also lacks a built-in flash function, which means shooting in very low-light situations might be an issue, but if flash lighting is a must for you, there are a range of external flashgun units to choose from, the cheapest of which is priced at £99. Although the EVF and flash add-ons are a good substitute, it should be noted that they both mount via the hotshoe so you can’t use them at the same time.
In an attempt to increase the ease of navigation the NX100 is compatible with Samsung’s new i-Function lens series. These feature an innovative focus-ring that allows you to quickly change settings – such as ISO, shutter speed, aperture, exposure compensation and white balance – by pressing the i-Function button on the lens body and spinning the focus ring.
Being a newly-developed range, the lens choice for the NX series is fairly sparse, however there’s always the option of purchasing a K-mount adapter for around £99, which when attached will allow you to snap on any Pentax K-mount or Samsung GX lens.
The NX100 uses two selection wheels to navigate on-screen settings, one located on the top-plate and another larger one on the back, which doubles up as a D-pad allowing for further setting changes. Anyone who has used a D-SLR before should find this arrangement familiar, using the top wheel to alter shutter speed and the rear wheel to set aperture.
The standard M, A, S, P shooting modes are present alongside a Smart Auto option and with novice photographers in mind, the NX100 features a Lens Priority mode which, when set, automatically detects the lens being used and optimises the camera settings to complement it. In playback mode a Smart Filter can be applied to add a choice of seven picture effects to your snaps, including fish-eye, vignette and soft focus. It also contains a Sound Picture option that lets you record audio while taking your photos.

Performance & Handling
In housing an APS-C size CMOS sensor, offering interchangeable lenses, and being able to change most of the shooting options through independent buttons, the NX100 shares similarities with a D-SLR, but in operation it feels more similar to an advanced compact. This is mainly to do with the construction feeling less high-quality or solid than most D-SLRs, along with shooting modes and options being predominantly geared towards novice users.
The Settings menu is easily navigated by a choice of either the rear wheel, top wheel, or the D-pad – although when scrolling through the on-screen options there’s a noticeable delay that sometimes makes operation feel slightly awkward.
 At first sight the NX100’s smooth curves and slick matte black and silver finish are appealing, and in operation all the dials and buttons feel firm and responsive. It’s comfortable to hold and feels reasonably sturdy in the hand, largely down to its protruding top-plate and grooved thumb rest on the back where your hand fits snugly. But with the outer shell and buttons being made from plastic, it does feel slightly unrefined compared to its closer rivals, which, despite having been constructed from similar materials, still give the impression of being made from more rugged stuff.
  The provided 20-50mm (30.8-77mm film equivalent) kit lens has the capability of neatly folding within itself when not in use to make it easier to fit into a camera bag, but with a combined lens and body depth of around 8cm when retracted, it’s still far from pocket sized. With the lens attached to the body, the NX100 does feel noticeably front-heavy, too, and the addition of a rubberised handgrip would have helped balance this.
The introduction of the i-Function has meant that a manual AF/MF switch has been omitted from the design and AF options – such as Auto, Continuous and Manual Focus - are dialled in via a combination of the D-pad and on-screen settings. It’s a shame that the AF settings haven’t been added to the i-Function options, as this would have felt more natural.
  The NX100 is claimed to offer one of the fastest AF systems currently available, so it’s no surprise that performance is quick and responsive, searching out and locking on to targets with relative ease, even in dim conditions. However, on our sample the AF motor did sound rather gritty which could be considered a turn-off for those seeking a near-silent operation. Switching to MF and altering the focus ring causes the LCD to show a magnified crop of your composition which is a nice touch, and it works well when trying to get a pin-sharp shot.
When switching over to Continuous Shooting mode, the NX100 captures shots at up to 3fps and while this is perfectly adequate for a camera in this class, in our test the shooting speed dropped dramatically after capturing around seven Super Fine JPEGs. The NX100’s processor seemed to struggle with the flood of images and when trying to capture RAWs on Continuous, it ran out of puff at five frames and in RAW+JPEG mode this sank to three.

Value & Verdict
Coming in at just over £400, the NX100 falls into the same price bracket as the Olympus PEN E-PL1, Panasonic Lumix G10, Sony Alpha NEX-3, and its NX cousin the Samsung NX10. The NX100 can stand its ground very well against the Olympus PEN E-PL1 and Panasonic Lumix G10, with its high-resolution AMOLED screen, large APS-C CMOS sensor and great image quality being superior in comparison to those models. Against the Lumix G10 and Samsung NX10 however it’s a slightly tougher ask. Both rivals offer built-in flash and EVF, which the NX100 lacks, along with the G10 having a larger range of lenses. The NX100 does have the slight advantage of being fractionally smaller and lighter than the two, though, and it’s also the only NX model to be compatible with i-Function that’s currently available.
Summing up, although the NX100 is a compact unit, packing in a large sensor and high-quality screen, it falls short of gaining the Compact System Camera crown due to its slightly unrefined feel and occasionally sluggish performance.


AT A GLANCE
Street price: £429 (with 20-50mm f/3.5-5.6 kit lens)
Resolution: 14.6Mp (4592x3056)
Lens mount: Samsung NX
Focusing: Selection, 15 point Multi, Face Detection, Continuous & Manual
Continuous shooting: 3fps
Write times: 4secs (RAW),
2secs (JPEG)
ISO range:  100-6400
Anti-shake: N/A
Shutter range: 60secs-1/4000sec
Monitor: 3in, 614k dots
Live View: Yes
HD video: 720p HD (1280x720)
Storage: SD/SDHC
Weight (body only): 340g
Dimensions: 120.5x71x34.5mm

www.samsung.com/uk