Photography News 01

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SPECS

resolution 20.3 megapixel sensor 23.5x15.7mm ISO sensitivity 100-25,600 LCD screen

4.8in touch screen Shutter speed range 30secs-1/6000sec Internal storage 16GB Card type MicroSD Dimensions (WxHxD)

136.5x101.4x56mm Weight (body only) 495g

Out of this world galaxynx Samsung has taken smartphone technology and fused it with a compact system camera to produce a world’s first. Roger Payne boldly gets to grips with the Galaxy NX

From the front, Samsung’s Galaxy NX looks like a conventional camera. It’s got an interchangeable lens, a large handgrip and a pentaprism housing a pop-up flash – no real surprises there. From the rear, however, it’s a very different story. Viewfinder and thumbwheel aside, there’s nothing other than a 4.8in LCD touch screen, which hints at the camera’s technological prowess. But it’s only when you turn the Galaxy NX on that you really appreciate what a step change it represents in camera design. The Galaxy NX is the first compact system camera in the world to work on an Android operating system. This means it fuses camera and smartphone technologies to create a machine that first takes high-quality pictures and then allows you to edit and share them in no time. The Galaxy NX does require a spot of rewiring when it comes to functionality, but if you’ve got a smartphone, this will take amatter of minutes. I was soon pressing, swiping and pinching and zooming like a demon as I navigated my way through the NX’s many features via the touch screen. Like any Android device, you can download apps from Facebook to Fruit Ninja via the Google Play Store, then organise them as you wish for ease of access. Being a social media junkie, I downloaded Twitter and was soon shooting, editing and Tweeting high- quality images. At the same time, the images were backed up to my Dropbox for safe keeping – you get 50GB free for two years when you buy a Galaxy NX. Should I have wanted to, I could have instantly shared my images with a compatible tablet – or even TV! All this connectivity is made possible with the camera’s 3G, 4G and Wi-Fi abilities. If you like to share images on the hoof, you’ll need a SIM card, whereas I was happy to rely on Wi-Fi networks to shoot and share through. If all this is sounding like a technological leap too far, don’t worry, the Galaxy NX harnesses all this power in a very user-friendly manner. Photo- related apps can be organised using the Camera Studio widget, while the more core camera-related functions are accessible by pressing the Home or Camera icons. And there are certainly plenty of

features to choose from. Far from being sparse when it comes to picture-taking options, the Galaxy NX is fully loaded. If it’s point-and-shoot simplicity you’re after, select Smart Mode and choose from a wide selection of preset modes that tackle all the common picture-taking situations – and some more unusual ones. If you’re a more conventional shooter, the PASM modes are on the clickable thumbwheel so you can quickly scroll and change functions with your eye to the electronic viewfinder. There are full movie shooting options as well, right the way up to Full HD at 30fps. Over and above that, there’s everything you’d expect to see on a compact system camera – from Raw shooting to spot metering – and a whole lot in between. But what of the picture quality and general performance? Well, I was impressed, on both counts. The Galaxy NX features a 20.3 megapixel APS-C sized sensor which delivers impressive quality throughout the extensive ISO range. The autofocusing is a snappy performer as well with the Hybrid system combining phase and contrast AF mechanisms for fast and accurate focusing performance. Combine all these attributes with a growing range of compatible lenses and you’ll soon see why the Galaxy NX is a serious contender..

TOP LEFT Pointing, shooting and then sharing your images is simplicity itself thanks to the NX’s Smart Mode and connectivity. MIDDLE Switching to manual mode gives you full control so you can capture a scene perfectly, just

as you want it. LEFT An ever

expanding range of lenses could soon fill the space alongside a Galaxy NX in your kitbag.

To find out more go to www.samsung.com/uk

Photography News | Issue 1