Samsung NX500 Lab Test and Review

  

The Samsung NX500 is a mirrorless compact camera that uses an APS-C size and high-resolution image sensor with 28MP. It’s a small camera that has a lot of elements found in Samsung's NX1, including the same image sensor and a very fast focusing system. The AF system uses a  “hybrid focus system,” a combination of contrast and phase detection. The phase detection AF sensors are located on the image sensor. There are 209 AF contrast areas and 205 phase detection areas. This fast AF system supports the continuous shot function, yielding, as confirmed in our tests, up to 9 frames per second.

The camera offers a standard 4-way control field for menu navigation. The setup dial in the upper right of the camera's back can also be used for setting up menu parameters and is used to change exposure settings. The video record button is located on the side. We noted that pressing this button adds a higher risk for shake that may create image blur during the first second of video recording.

For manual focusing the camera offers a magnifier function and “focus peaking” to mark contrast lines in focus with a colored outline on the screen. This is helpful for shooting both still photos and video.

The camera has a large LCD screen on the back, which is used as viewfinder, for menu navigation and for image parameter setup. To change image parameters there’s a setup dial on the back and a second dial near the shutter release button, which allows the user to simultaneously change aperture and shutter speed settings.

The camera doesn't use a built-in flash system but is supplied with a very small compact flash. The camera offers only two interfaces on its left hand side: a combination port (USB/TV) and an HDMI port for photo and video presentation on high definition TVs.

The photographer can also use the lens ring as a setup dial: the NX500 supports Samsung's “iFunction”-system, which can be used to change various image parameters by pressing the “iF” button on the left hand side of the lens. By pressing the button, the camera will toggle through different settings such as ISO or white balance. These functions are context sensitive, thus depend on the current camera mode that is set with the large mode dial on the top. The camera also has a 4-way control field on the back for standard menu navigation.

The LCD screen isn't fully articulated and can only be flipped up- and downwards. When using the most upright position it will point to the front and can be used for selfies. 

The camera offers wireless remote control via a Wi-Fi connection. Samsung offers free apps for iPhones or iPads and for mobile phones and tablet computers using Android OS. These apps allow remote control of the camera or image data transfer via Wi-Fi. The NX500 also supports NFC as well as Bluetooth.

The camera offers a large mode dial on the top. A small button labeled with “MOBILE” starts the Wi-Fi function, which can be used for image data transfer or for remote control of the camera by a mobile device.

Image Quality Tests

Color: The color reproduction of the NX500 is very good. Just like all Samsung NX cameras, it creates images with only minor over- saturation of 104.7 percent. The mean color errors are on a low level: colors that are exaggerated and boosted by most other cameras are shown with only light over-saturation. The automatic white balance system showed a shift into the yellow and green direction, and the test box test shot has neutral color rendition with a very little shift into more bluish colors.

The portrait test shot shows light, pastel colored skin tones and a good differentiation in the red colored t-shirt. The same applies to the red, blue and green differentiation in our test box shot, which also shows a neutral colored gray background.

Sharpness: The camera showed an excellent performance in our resolution tests. Even though the product shots show the camera with its kit-lens, all tests were done with the Samsung 16-50mm F2-2.8 S ED OIS. This lens offers the same focal length as the kit lens, but with higher speed and an excellent sharpness. With the help of this lens the NX500 reproduced the ISO12233 chart with 4204 lines per picture height, which is nearly the nominal sensor resolution (4320 lines per picture height). Other tests prove that this high resolution value isn't the result of an exaggerated sharpness filtering. The overshot and undershot effects are on a very low level and there are no noticeable clipping effects.

Noise: The Samsung NX500 showed very good results in our noise test charts when using ISO settings between 100 and 1600. Up to ISO 6400 luminance noise factor stays (far) below 1.0 percent and even at the highest ISO speed it remains on a very good level.

The very good test results for luminance noise are a result of very intense smoothness filtering, which essentially is used by the NX500 to reduce color noise. The smoothing artifacts (in combination with a sharpness filtering to enhance image details) are noticeable when taking images at ISO 1600. Up to ISO 6400 they are on an acceptable level: at the highest ISO speed settings the filter effects will reduce image details drastically. In photos made outside the lab, those taken with ISO 25,600 and the additional “high mode” (an equivalent of ISO 51,200) cause what could be dubbed an “impressionist filter” look.

The dynamic range results of the NX500 are on a good level. The camera achieved a maximum of 11 f-stops, but dynamic range results drop quickly when shooting with ISO speeds higher than ISO 800.

Video Functions

 The Samsung offers two videos modes: it can record in Full HD resolution or in 4K mode. For 4K recording it uses an MP4 container as file format and uses H.265 compression. This HEVC (High Efficiency Video Coding) is the most modern video file format and at this point can only be used by a few video editing software products and video players. We note that Adobe Premiere and Adobe After Effects are unable to work with these files, so they have to be converted. Samsung offers registered users a conversion software called “Samsung Movie Converter.”

The camera offers different video modes and high frame rates. The native 4K resolution of 4096 x 2160 pixels is recorded with 24 frames per second (Blu-ray compatible). The UHD resolution of 3840 x 2160 (exactly 4X Full HD resolution) is recorded with up to 30 frames per second, while Full HD modes can be recorded with up to 50/60 frames per second (PAL or NTSC mode, respectively).

The camera allows for use of manual exposure settings in video mode. The photographer can choose P, S, A and M mode as well as scene modes for video recording. The camera can also use manual ISO speed settings in video mode, but ISO speed settings for recording videos are restricted to ISO 6400. The photographer is able to set up the sound level, but an interface for an external microphone is missing.

The video record button is located on the right hand side of the camera: we found that this can cause the first second of the video to become blurred because the camera is shaken when the photographer hits the record button.

Video Quality

The Samsung NX500 showed excellent results in our video tests. The resolution results are extremely high. The camera reproduced the ISO12233 chart with 1046 lines per picture height in Full HD mode (nominal resolution 1080 pixels per picture height). The 4K video result is also excellent. The chart was reproduced 2022 lines per picture height (nominal resolution 2160 lines).

The color reproduction is comparable to the color reproduction in photo mode. The camera reproduced by the GretagMacbeth test chart shows only light oversaturation. Colors look very natural and there is only a minor shift into the yellow area of the color space. In short, the overall video performance of the NX500 is excellent.

Pro:

compact APS-C mirrorless camera

very high sensor resolution

very high results in resolution test

nice color reproduction

high speed continuous shots with up to 9 frames per second

easy handling

WLAN/Wi-Fi and BlueTooth

4K video recording

Con:

missing viewfinder

missing internal flash (but external compact flash system is supplied with the camera)

Lab tests and comments by Betternet, TIPA's (Technical Image Press Association) camera testing lab. I serve on the Technical Committee of TIPA.

Specs, etc: http://www.samsung.com/us/photography/digital-cameras

Digital Camera Settings: Color Space

There are a number of optional settings in the camera menu that can affect image quality later when you process and make prints. One has to do with the image “profile” in terms of color. In the matter under discussion here profile refers to a certain “color space,” or the type and range of colors that will be captured. 

Your digital camera probably has a number of “default”, or factory settings. One of them is called color space. But like many defaults, there may be optional settings you can make. The two most common color profiles are sRGB and Adobe RGB. The term profile refers to a certain set of characteristics that can be read by the microprocessor and displayed on the monitor.

Simply put, color space defines, in part, how the camera sees and processes a range of colors. The sRGB profile is a bit “tighter” in its color vision, offering rich, saturated colors, yet with a certain clipping of subtle hue differentiation. Adobe RGB is a bit wider in the color gamut it sees and records, and colors tend to be more neutral, and, some would say, more natural in their effect, yet in all Adobe RGB offers more subtle color differentiation.

The general rule is that if you are someone who processes their images in advanced software like Photoshop for prints or reproduction, choose Adobe RGB. This is the color space that simply records more color information, but assumes that you will process the image later. When you load an image into software to process you will have assigned a profile that the program will recognize. It is a pro type of profile and is often the one requested by publications and photo stock agencies for image submission. Some photographers change the default from sRGB to Adobe RGB in their camera menu and leave it there, and then perform any saturation and contrast changes later.

There is nothing inherently wrong with shooting sRGB, and in fact only advanced monitors will show you any difference. But if you want to immerse yourself in advanced shooting techniques and image processing, or your aim is to get images published in books and magazines or offer them for sale, go into the Color Space option in your camera menu and switch to Adobe RGB. If you shoot mainly for the web or sharing of some sort, then sRGB will be fine. Note that most monitors will not show any difference but pro monitors will; in fact, many allow you to split the view with one side being sRGB and the other Adobe RGB, and allow you to easily convert an Adobe RGB to an sRGB profile if you choose the image for web use.

The subtle tonal and color differentiation in this photo requires a color rendering mode that will capture all the various shades and tones it offers. The brighter tones such as the reflective glass and white umbrella should be separate and distinct, and the variations in red hues should be apparent. It is a study in color and tonal values that benefits from choosing Adobe RGB color space.

Settings: Adobe RGB color space: at ISO 200, f/6.3 at 1/200 second, RAW, 16-bit file.

This extreme macro shot relies on subtle differentiation to portray the various tones and shades of color. Since it was shot using RAW format, more saturation can easily be added if desired. Using Adobe RGB helps capture the subtle tones and colors, regardless of how the image might be processed later.

Settings: With a 60mm Macro lens, at ISO 320, f/2 at 1/800 second, Adobe RGB.

Most agencies and publishers will only accept Adobe RGB “profiles” for consideration. This overall view of Heidelberg, Germany, was shot specifically for “stock,” which means it was shot on speculation to be offered through sale through a picture agency. With an Adobe RGB profile the image offers more color differentiation and is the profile “language” that any potential client will seek.

 

Digital Camera Custom User Settings

You may have noticed markings on your mode dial such as C-1, or U-1. These are used to create customized camera menu settings that you can automatically recall and use for specific lighting or scene conditions. These can be as simple or as complex as you might want, and can combine a number of different setting combinations. The dials are best used for scenes and lighting conditions that you often shoot, but they are so easily set up that you can change them from day to day.

For example, you can program a set that would include a specific white balance, metering pattern, exposure compensation and exposure priority. That set might be Cloudy white balance, spot metering, minus 2/3 EV compensation and aperture-priority exposure mode: this might be apt for fall foliage shots.

Or, you could make a set of commands that include autoexposure bracketing with a plus/minus 1 EV spread; this could be used for making exposures for HDR shooting. And you might want to create a set for sports photography in an arena lit by tungsten light, which would include a specific white balance, continuous advance mode and shutter-priority exposure mode.

Each camera has a slightly different route to make these sets. Generally you create the set and then simply turn the dial to, for example, C1. You then confirm this group of settings as a user group on your camera menu using the OK button or similar. This stays in the camera memory and whenever you turn the mode dial to C1 those settings are automatically applied. Some advanced cameras allow you to "name" the group as well.

 Among the mode dial options on this Panasonic DMC-G5 are various exposure modes, Scene modes and Art filters, along with two Custom User setting modes, here indicated as C1 and C2. Once you program these mode settings the camera will automatically set whatever combination of Menu and control options you have assigned to it for the shot.

By programming a combination of settings and assigning them to a Custom User dial you can quickly get all the options you might ordinarily have to set individually for a specific subject or scene. For example, you might want to create a “landscape” User Custom setting that might include aperture-priority exposure mode, Daylight white balance, Center-weighted Averaging metering pattern and Adobe RGB color space. 

Settings: With a 28mm lens, at ISO 100, CWA metering pattern. Daylight white balance, aperture-priority mode at f/11 at 1/125 second.

Nikon D5500 DSLR: Lab Test & Review

The Nikon D5500 is a compact SLR system with an APS-C sized sensor and 24 MP resolution. It has a new and very fast AF system and some enhanced handling options.

The 24MP Nikon D5500 looks familiar: while a bit smaller and lighter than its forerunner, the D5300, the differences are marginal. The D5500 has the same image processor as the D5300 (EXPEED 4), but offers a somewhat higher ISO setting: the D5300 offered ISO 100 to 12,800 with an additional high (push) mode of ISO 25,600, but the D5500 offers ISO 100 to 25,600 as standard. Noise results, however, have improved.

The Nikon D5500 is an entry- or midrange level camera with no status LCD on the top. For image and exposure information the photographer has to use the LCD screen on the back. A mode dial on the right hand side allows for setup of exposure modes and special image effects. The “LV” switch next to the mode wheel activates the live preview on the LCD screen.

The D5500 has an optical SLR viewfinder system with a field of view of 95 percent.  To get a 100 percent field of view you have to use the electronic live preview on the articulating LCD screen. To toggle between optical and electronic view finder the camera has a large “LV” lever next to the mode dial on the top, which can be accessed very easily and comfortably. In addition, the camera has an eye sensor that will deactivate the LCD when the photographer looks through the optical viewfinder.

The Nikon D5500 has a 3.2 inch LCD with a resolution of 1,037,000 RGB dots. An 8-way control field is used for menu navigation.

The smaller body size and the lighter weight might be attributed to a function that was offered with the D5300--an integrated GPS system. Users of the D5500 will have to use Nikon’s optional GPS adapter GP-1/GP-1A in order to access geotagging.

The camera uses Nikon's Multi-CAM 4800DX AF system with 39 focus areas, including 9 cross-type sensors. It worked very quickly in our tests and keeps up with the continuous shooting mode that can deliver a maximum of 5 frames per second. Camera startup time is a little longer than the startup times of professional SLRs, but overall performance of the D5500 is very good.

Comments on Image Quality

Color: The color test chart was reproduced with a saturation of 100.6 percent, which is nearly perfect. The white balance system did a very good job: nearly all gray pattern of the test chart are located in the center although we noted a minor shift into the bluish, cooler color area. Only the brightest test pattern showed a shift into the green direction. As is typical for Nikon cameras, the blue nuances are boosted and over exaggerated (even though the mean saturation is on a lower level). Skin tones are reproduced very realistically and naturally. The differentiation of red colors is very good.

Sharpness: The D5500 showed an excellent performance in our resolution test with 3864 lines per picture height within the nominal resolution of 6000 x 4000. Images look crisp and clear without the artificial look of over sharpening effects. The camera showed some sharpness enhancement effects on contrast lines, but over- and undershot effects are on a very low level. The reproduction of fine details is very clean and crisp without Moiré or aliasing effects.

Noise: The Nikon D5500 showed a very good performance in our noise tests. The luminance noise level keeps way below 1.0 percent in images taken within the ISO 100 to 1600 range. The 1.0 percent line is crossed at ISO 6400, yet even at this speed it still creates very clean looking images. The highest ISO—25600--shows noticeable color noise artifacts and slightly reduced image details that have been reduced and smoothened by the filtering.

The dynamic range results are very good. The camera achieved a maximum of 11.6 f-stops and keeps this very high dynamic range level between ISO 100 and ISO 1600. Beginning at ISO 3200 the dynamic range drops significantly with higher ISO settings. Yet, with 9.62 f-stops at ISO 25,600 it achieves a high level for a camera with an APS-C sized sensor.

Comments on Video Functions

The D5500 is able to record Full HD videos and uses Apple QuickTime as the “container format” for its H.264 videos. It offers high frame rates up to 60 frames per second (50 frames in PAL mode). It also allows the user to shoot in cinema style in 24p mode (23.976 frames per second) and in reduced resolution modes with 1280 x 720 pixels or even VGA-resolution (640 x 424 pixels).

To start recording video, the photographer has to use the “LV” lever on the top to activate the live preview mode and press the additional video recording button. This recording button is located directly behind the photo shutter release button and is easily accessible.

The swivel monitor is very helpful when recording videos: the swivel joint on the left hand side allows rotating the screen even if the camera is mounted on a tripod. 

The camera offers manual exposure setup when recording video, including ISO settings. The camera records stereo sound with its built-in microphones on the top (near the built-in pop-up flash). An additional microphone can be mounted on the accessory shoe.

The D5500 offers a standard 3.5 mm microphone jack; sound level can be controlled by the photographer. The camera offers a special video recording information scheme on its LCD, which marks the 16:9 crop of the image when recording videos and also shows sound level bars. Using manual sound level control and these bars will avoid clipping effects due to over-modulated sound levels.

Comments on Video Quality

The Nikon D5500 showed very good video results. The ISO 12233 chart was reproduced with 797 lines per picture height when recording Full HD video (1080 lines per picture height) which is a good result for an SLR system with a video recording function. Aliasing or Moiré effects are missing, and combined with the AF-S Micro-NIKKOR 60 mm 1:2.8G ED lens, used for this test, the camera created very crisp and clear videos.

The color results are similar to our still photographic reproduction tests. Brighter nuances had a slight shift into the yellowish/greenish area, but most colors are reproduced very naturally. In contrast to photo mode, dark blue nuances show only a little over-saturation and the bright cyan is under-saturated.

Noise results in video mode are very good. At ISO 1600, dark gray areas begin to “flicker” due to image noise, but these effects are acceptable up to ISO 6400 mode (and can be reduced with anti- noise plug-ins in editing software like “Neat Video,” for example). Only the highest ISO speed settings of ISO 12,800 and 25,600 will create very noisy artifacts with unacceptable results. The dynamic range results in video mode are excellent: The Nikon D5500 achieved a maximum of 11.2 f-stops at ISO 400, which is a really high result.

Tests are conducted by Betternet, the TIPA (Technical Image Press Association) testing lab. I serve on the Technical Committee of the association.