Samsung NX1 Test and Review

Dec 10, 2014--The newest Samsung CSC (compact system camera) is the NX1. The camera has a 28MP (megapixel) APS-C sized images sensor and a hybrid AF system with 205 AF sensors (phase detection: 153 cross type sensors) and 209 AF areas (contrast metering). This makes focusing with the NX1 very fast and reliable, especially when using very fast burst modes for sports photography and similar photographic situations. The camera claims a burst mode with up to 15 frames per second, which we achieved during our tests.

The Samsung NX1 is an APS-C compact system camera with very high resolution. It has a 28MP sensor, a 2.36MP electronic viewfinder and a fast AF system. It has a massive metal body and is sealed/protected against humidity and dust. It is able to record videos in full HD and 4K.

In contrast to former NX systems with electronic viewfinders (EVF), which showed a blank or frozen image when shooting in burst mode thus making it near impossible to follow a fast moving object, the new viewfinder of the NX1 is perfectly adept at this function and allows for uninterrupted viewing. Adding to this functionality is the fact that the high resolution EVF has 2.36 million RGB dots. An eye sensor near the ocular automatically toggles between EVF and LCD image or the user can activate an “EVF” switch to change monitor mode manually.

The camera has a built-in pop-up flash system. In addition it offers an accessory shoe for external flash systems or remote trigger systems for studio flash systems. All interfaces are located on the left hand side of the body. The camera offers USB 3.0, HDMI, a microphone jack and an earphone jack.

In manual focusing mode, the camera automatically activates the magnifier function and focus peaking when the photographer moves the focus ring on the lens system. The lens ring can be used for additional settings because the camera supports Samsung's “iFunction” technologies, which allows the user to change image or exposure parameters with the lens ring.

The camera uses a combination of control field and a setup dial for menu navigation. The “Mobile” button near the top indicates the Wi-Fi function of the camera. A smartphone or tablet computer can be used as remote control.

The camera offers four function buttons on the left hand side of the top to set up AF mode, exposure metering, ISO speed and white balance directly. The status LCD on the right can be illuminated.

The camera has three setup dials to change image parameters and for menu navigation. The first dial is located near the shutter release button and on/off switch. The second wheel on the back (near the top) and the third dial is a combination of cursor control field and setup dial. The camera has less function buttons than professional Canon or Nikon cameras, but nevertheless handling is comfortable. The mode dial on the top can be used for user-defined setups (C1, C2). The dial on the left hand side sets up image shooting modes (single shot, burst mode high, burst mode low, self-timer). Also on the left are function buttons for ISO speed, white balance, AF mode and exposure metering mode.

The 3-inch LCD (1,036,000 RGB dots) can be moved upwards by 90 degrees and downwards by 45 degrees. It is helpful, but a fully articulated screen would be better.

Comments on Image Quality:

Color: The NX1 showed excellent results in our color tests. The test chart was reproduced with a little over-saturation, but still on a very good level. Some blue nuances are exaggerated, while the red colors are reproduced very precisely. The mean color error level is very low.

The Samsung NX1 reproduced the test box very clearly and crisply. The colors look natural and the differentiation even of difficult red nuances is very good.

Brighter skin tones have a slightly higher magenta rate. The automatic white balance system did a really good job. In darker color areas, it tends towards cooler nuances and the brighter tones are reproduced with a little yellowish or greenish character.

Sharpness: The camera showed an excellence performance in sharpness and resolution tests. The ISO 12233 test chart was reproduced with 4108 lines per picture height (nominal sensor resolution 4320 lines). It achieves this remarkably high result without any exaggerated sharpness filtering and the over- and undershot results are very low. This helps reproduce fine details like the hair of our model or the metal structures in our standard test box very clearly, with clean and natural results. The high sharpness and crisp look is also a result of the very good color differentiation.

Noise: The Samsung NX1 showed very good results in our noise tests. Even though the camera uses a sensor with extremely high pixel density, the luminance noise results are on the same level as the results of cameras with 20 or 24MP APS-C sensors. Up to ISO 12.800, the luminance noise level is lower than 1.0 percent, which is very good. Color noise is nearly invisible up to ISO 1600. Between ISO 1600 and ISO 6400 it becomes visible, but anti-noise filtering effects are very decent. At higher ISO settings these filtering artifacts get annoying, but are acceptable up to ISO 12,800. The highest ISO modes show a very intense filtering with visible loss of image details.

The dynamic range results are good, but a little lower than the results of some other APS-C cameras. The NX1 achieved a maximum of 11 f-stops and keeps a high 10-11 f-stop level up to ISO 1600; at higher ISO speeds, dynamic range will drop to 7.51  f-stops (ISO 51,200).

The portrait shot shows very nice skin tones. The exposure settings are perfect (P mode, ISO 100) and the differentiation in the red colored t-shirt is excellent.

Comments on Video Quality

The camera showed an excellence performance in full HD mode: The ISO 12233 chart was reproduced with 905 of 1080 lines per picture height. Videos in full HD mode look very crisp--sometimes even a little over-sharpened. Due to this high sharpness you may notice some moiré effects in this mode.

The results in 4K mode are a little disappointing. The camera reproduced the test chart with 1228 of 2160 lines. Videos in 4K mode have a little softer look than in full HD mode. The color reproduction in video mode is very good. Just like in photo mode, all colors have a very natural look and show nearly perfect color differentiation.

The noise results are very good. The camera allows the user to set ISO speed in manual mode but is restricted to ISO 6400 when recording videos. Dynamic range of videos is on a very high level (about 10 f-stops between ISO 100 and ISO 1600).

Scorecard

Pro

very fast camera system; very fast AF system

high resolution sensor, high resolution images

high resolution EVF

very good color reproduction

Wi-Fi and Bluetooth

tilting LCD

4k video

Con

dynamic range results should be a little higher

monitor cannot be turned sideways (can only flip up- and downwards)

The lab test and comments about the Samsung NX1 were done by Betternet, the Technical Image Press Association’s (TIPA) affiliated testing lab. I am a member of the association’s Technical Committee and have edited the report for this posting.