Camera review The NX30 has a total ISO sensitivity range of 100- 25,600, providing one stop more than the NX20 at the top. Performance was assessed in Raw files captured in low-light conditions with increasing ISO sensitivity, converted in Lightroom 5.3 with all in- camera and software noise reduction turned off. Noise first becomes noticeable at ISO 400 when images are viewed at full size, particularly in darker areas, and it’s obvious at ISO 800. The effect on image quality at these levels is minimal, but at ISO 1600, the grain starts to impinge on finer detail. You can just about get away with using ISO 3200, but at ISO 6400 and above, noise is very prominent and a lot of detail is lost. Colours remain consistent throughout the range though. ISO performance
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ISO 100
ISO 200
ISO 400
ISO 800
ISO 1600
ISO 3200
ISO 6400
ISO 12,800
ISO 25,600
LEFT Shooting Raw is the best way to make the most of the high-resolution sensor and capture all the detail in scenes like this. different with the NX30. Near Field Communication (NFC) allowed simple connection to a Samsung Galaxy S4 by touching them together, and this should be the same with any NFC-enabled Android device. Connection took about 15 seconds to complete, and from there the options are plentiful. Remote Viewfinder Pro lets you use the camera via the phone, with impressive levels of control – almost all settings can be changed remotely, as well as focusing and shooting. In Playback mode, touching the camera to the phone automatically activates Photo Beam, which transfers the image you’re viewing to the mobile device. Equally simple is Autoshare, which transfers images to your device immediately after shooting them. One thing to watch with this is that Raw files can’t be transferred, so it’s not as good as a second memory card slot for a backup, but it’s a good alternative in an emergency.
I don’t remember once seeing the red square to indicate failed focus – it was very reliable Metering impressed throughout, and multi- metering mode dealt well with some tricky lighting situations. With spot metering, you can choose to link the exposure to the AF point, or leave it metering from the centre of the frame, useful if you’re focusing off-centre. With the metering mode button next to the shutter release, I found switching to spot mode was often an easier option than adding compensation. Auto white-balance also put in a solid performance, although there’s no white- balance preset for shady conditions. If there’s plenty of light around, autofocus is quick. There’s often hunting for a fraction of a second before it settles, but I never felt it held me up, and in the 400 odd pictures I took in daylight, I don’t remember once seeing the red square to indicate failed focusing – it was very reliable. The red square made more appearances in lower light, but even then the AF system was surprisingly tenacious. It almost always locked on, even in very poor lighting – that sometimes meant the lens crept into position over a couple of seconds, but it usually got there. For manual focusing, the NX30 includes focus peaking and on-screen magnification as aids, but making the most of these is tricky. Magnification makes for more accurate focus peaking, but only the centre of the frame can be enlarged. To get round this, you need to activate Direct Manual Focus, which lets you adjust focus manually after autofocusing – in this case, the focus area is magnified instead of the centre. Smart connections With Samsung, you know you’re always going to get a plethora of connectivity options, and it’s no
The verdict
introduced the first lens in its new S premium line – this is sure to make the most of the high-resolution APS-C sensor, and it’s only a matter of time before more premium lenses follow. In terms of price, the NX30 is on a level with the likes of the Olympus E-P5 and Fujifilm X-Pro1, but with an edge in some specifications – for example, a built- in viewfinder rather than the additional accessory version for the Olympus, and an APS-C sensor with higher resolution than even the Fujifilm sensor of the same size. It’s also £350 cheaper than the Galaxy NX, so for pure photography, the NX30 offers great value.
Samsung has so many technological options at its disposal, it would be easy to throw all sorts of unnecessary things at its cameras. But the NX30 is a measured, well-thought out camera designed to appeal to serious photographers. Instead of the Android system and touch-screen controls of the Galaxy NX, it has controls that have been extremely well thought through, making the camera intuitive and quick to use. As long as you shoot Raw, image quality is excellent, and all- round performance is solid. The lens system behind the NX CSCs is currently relatively limited, but alongside the NX30, Samsung
SAMSUNG NX30
24/25
FEATURES
A well-specified connected camera HANDLING Really nice and intuitive to use PERFORMANCE Solid all-round, good Raw images VALUE FOR MONEY 22/25 Reasonable price for its impressive list of features and specification 23/25 22/25
OVERALL
91/100
A very capable CSC
PROS Handling, image quality, connectivity CONS Viewfinder could be improved
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Issue 6 | Photography News
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