Japan Exclusive real review!

The Feature of Mirror-less DSLR by the Samsung NX10

The NX10 from Samsung which was an outstanding model in PMA and CES has finally been
released in Korea. This lens interchangeable type camera without a mirror box called ‘mirror-less
DSLR’ has an APS-C sensor. As a DSLR in the future, I’ve checked this camera.

APS-C mirror-less, whole world is watching

When hearing Samsung in a Japanese market, I reminded cell phones or digital frame, but Samsung
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is the world’s 1 LCD TV and 3 digital camera company which outdo Sony and Panasonic in the
market share. This Samsung has launched the mirror-less DSLR ‘NX10’ which has an APS-C size
CMOS in International CES in January, 2010.

The NX10 is a type of ‘mirror-less DSLR’ which Panasonic and Olympus has already released before
and has a small and light weight body almost similar to Micro Four Thirds with the APS-C size CMOS.
And on the back, it has AMOLED (Active Matrix Organic LED) screen. The AF speed is almost the
same as phase based AF.

This camera is a model of the future mirror-less DSLR market which keeps heating up. Let’s take a
look at the size, response, and quality.
Future of the NX10 1

Mirror-less super slim body

The feature of the NX10 is the surprisingly slim body. When holding this camera in hands, you will be
surprised at this small size. Here, let me introduce the technology and feeling of the small body.

Surprisingly slim body which doesn’t look like an APS-C camera

Orthodox type of body with good grip

Actually holding the NX10, it’s incomparably smaller than Pentax K-7 which has a similar CMOS.
Compared to Panasonic Lumix-DMC GF1 which is one of the smallest mirror-less DSLR cameras, the
NX10 has a similar thickness and width and little higher height. For your information, the flange back
of the NX10 25.5mm is a little longer than 20mm of Micro Four Thirds.

Looking at the CMOS from the mount, it’s located on deeper side in the NX10 than the GF1. By
looking at this, it’s assumed that the size of the NX10 has been reduced by rearranging the back of
the CMOS. Generally, Mainboard and display are located here. The NX10 has adopted AMOLED and
unlike normal LCD, it doesn’t need backlight, because it’s self illuminating. This is another reason of
the slim as well, I think. I took pictures with this under the daylight, and the visibility of the AMOLED
was very good.

The whole body design is a small and user convenient. Its minute design including the mount is so
good that I could feel higher quality than the price. On the whole, it doesn’t seem like the first mirror-
less DSLR from Samsung.
Future of the NX10 2

High speed Contrast AF which allows cool live view shooting

As a mirror-less DSLR, the contrast AF speed is one of the most important features, because live
view shot is the main function. People say the contrast AF speed of the NX10 is high, so I tested it
with the NX10 which has been released in Korea.

High Speed AF without feeling any stress

Face recognition AF mode

I heard the speed of the contrast AF is high. The actual AF with 18-55mm F3.5-5.6 OIS and 50-
200mm F4-5.6 ED OIS lenses was really cool and fast. Looking at the operation of the lens, because
they are inner focus types, there’s no movement looking and it seems the part of the lens components
moves quickly and set the focus to me. I could see the great focusing algorithm without needless
operation.

In the initial setting Multi AF, the AF area is concentrated on the center (About 1/4 of the screen) and
this simple composition might be related to the fast AF. Among 15 AF areas, it might set the focus on
the closest thing to the camera.

It has Face Recognition AF as well. It can recognize up to 10 faces. But Face Recognition AF keeps
recognizing faces once it recognizes them, but when re-focusing, there was some time delay. For
your reference, when recording a move, AF can be used by half shutter before shooting, and while
recording, it’s possible by preview button. IS(Image Stabilization) is a lens shift type with 3 levels. It
has 2 lenses 18-55mm and 50-200mm which have been released together with the NX10.

In conclusion, the speed is surprisingly fast and very practical as a APS-C CMOS camera.

Future of the NX10 3

High Quality as a APS-C camera

The NX10 has an APS-C size CMOS like DSLRs. Moreover, Samsung is a company producing
CMOS. For the image quality of the NX10, I’ve checked images taken.

Unique white balance

Active color reproduction
Let’s take a look at the tendency of the NX10 by looking at the results. When it comes to White
Balance, I took shots in Auto and Daylight under daylight. The results were like brown tone. Japanese
cameras tend to be away from brown tone color balance, because Japanese don’t like their skin gets
darker. On the other hand, western people tend to like brown tone colors. I think the NX10 is made for
western people.

When it comes to color reproduction, it was so natural that it reminded me of color negative films and
high saturation subjects became more dynamic and I like the vividness. In this part, I could see the
freshness that Japanese cameras don’t have.

When it comes to resolution, it’s similar to Pentax K-7 which has almost the same CMOS. APS-C with
14.6 Mega pixels requires higher standards for lenses, but the lenses of the NX10 fully satisfy them
as well. On the whole, the advantage is the freshness which makes things Japanese camera couldn’t
make, rather than its functions.

First appearance in the Japanese media!

From Samsung employees about the weight, speed, and design of the NX10
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Samsung is a world’s 3 digital camera maker in the number of cameras. What’s the concept of the
NX10? How is the surprisingly small body possible? They happily agreed on the interview.

Convenience of compact cameras with image quality of DSLR

--At first, could you tell the concept of the NX10?

Kim Young Bae: Customers’ requirement and environment of digital cameras keep changing every
day. For example, compact digital camera users are not satisfied with the image quality, while a lot of
DSLR users think their cameras are too heavy and difficult to use.

--Same as Japanese users

Kim Young Bae: That was why we thought this concept having the same CMOS as DSLRs for high
quality and taking out mirror-box for small and light body. The development team has tried to get all
[Light, Fast, and Beautiful]. The NX10 is the first model of the NX series and on the whole series, we
set the catch phrase [Why capture? Create!]. That means it’s not only a tool to take a shot, but also a
tool for creation.

--Is there any connection for the development of this camera with Pentax?
Kim Young Bae: Because the NX series has totally different style from previous cameras, the
development has started on Samsung’s own. When it comes to previous DSLR models, the relation
with Pentax will continue.

--How much is the market share of the Samsung digital camera in the world?
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Kim Young Bae: According to the survey, it’s the world’s 3 with 11.7% of market share in 2009. I
hope it will increase with the NX10.

High AF with New mount Optimized system for the APS-C

--The NX10 is amazingly small. Please tell us the technology making it possible.
Kim Hong Joo: Reduced Flange back is the biggest reason, but as a device, the AMOLED is the first.
By adopting this as a display, backlight of the TFT LCD could be taken out and it could be smaller. I
think it was also very important that every device needed such as CMOS, video engine could be
taken from Samsung group.

--Please tell us the feature of the new mount called [NX mount]
Kim Hong Joo: The NX mount is an optimized mount for the APS-C size CMOS. It’s the most
important point for the small body and response is also very important here. For example, even
though the NX10 has adopted contrast AF, by updating signal process, information exchange, and
speed, it could have the satisfactory speed. I think it was possible, because it has the new mount.

--I see. What was the hardest point while speeding up the AF?
Kim Hong Joo: Because there’s trade-off relationship between AF speed and accuracy, it was the
most difficult to set the balance. A lot of other makers look for the focus by loosening whole lenses
one by one, but the new developed algorithm taking less time has been applied to the NX10.

Natural and elegant color reproduction Samsung’s own colors

--It’s the same in the image processing. It has strong and high contrast colors. How could you make
them?
Kim Young Bae: Considering the users of Samsung digital cameras who want to upgrade their
cameras, we've tried to create natural and elegant color reproduction.
Kim Hong Joo: In Samsung, as a corporation called ‘Quality committee’ to determine the quality of
digital cameras and digital photo frames, they decide their polity based on the huge datebase.
--You mean Samsung’s own colors. As I know, it has already been launched in Korea. How is it in the
market?
Kim Young Bae: I think users like the concept and pancake lens kit is 80%.

--It seems interesting. I like it very much. Will it be launched in Japan as well?
Kim Young Bae: Unfortunately, not yet. However, we are confident for the quality, so I hope you
purchase it if you happen to come to Korea.

--Thank you.

Conclusion: Future Competition of Mirror-less

Milestone of the new market

I used to ask people in a camera company [Why don’t you make a compact camera having an APS-C
sensor?], because I wanted to have a high quality small sub camera. However, they always told me
there’s uncertainty in the market.

After that, when Sigma DP1 was released, it became an issue as the first compact camera having a
large CMOS. And now the market share of Micro Four Thirds cameras has increased. I don’t think my
previous suggestion was meaningless.

I was very impressed on the high completion. It will be released in a oversea market on March, but I
think it will be a strong competitor of the Micro Four Thirds and the market will be upgraded.

Other camera makers have to continue the competition of mirror-less cameras or make small and light
DSLR cameras. After judgment of the market, they will decide their position. Moreover, by the mirror-
less cameras, previous small light DSLR cameras will be sold less. Mirror-less is a double edged
sword.

Like Samsung defined this camera as a completely new category following compact and DSLR
cameras, there will certainly be more camera makers coming into this market. I hope to watch the
evaluation of the NX10 by the market as a milestone of the new competition.