Photography News 13

Profile

INTERVIEW

SunHong Lim At last month’s Photokina show, Photography News was the only UK photographic publication that had the chance to sit down with Samsung imaging business’s senior vice president Sun Hong Lim to find out more about his vision not only for the NX1, but also for Samsung as a camera brand

Lenses are an important consideration for anyone buying into a new system. Do you think you have the lens range to satisfy consumer needs? There are currently 16 lenses in our line-up, which many people aren’t aware of. This is a full lens range, which includes two premium lenses, so I believe we currently have enough lenses to satisfy all the different shooting requirements and expectations. We also introduced the 50-150mm lens alongside the NX1 and have plans to expand our lens line-up. The 300mm, for example, which we also showed at Photokina, is handmade and if there is a strong demand we will definitely start to produce it, which is another commitment. Do you have any immediate plans to add to the Premium S lens range given that these are the ones the target audience will be most interested in? We do internally, but nothing I can share. What will we be talking about at the next Photokina in 2016? We will have another exciting product to talk about, that’s in our DNA. We always try and introduce new innovations and technology. Obviously, our R&D people are working very hard to introduce meaningful innovation – not just innovation – for the consumers. We have all the departments working together so we are in the perfect position to develop new products by combining all of them. In order to be successful I believe that usability is very important; even though technology is very complicated it’s vital that we make it easy to use. Connectivity and portability are also key. These are the three key areas I consider whenever we develop new products: usability, connectivity and portability.

sector of the market for a long time, but it is very different from the mass market. Expectations are high, consumers are sensitive to the specs, but they are also looking for good handling and good ergonomics. Consequently, we have spent over three years developing the NX1. What do you think is the current perception of Samsung among the target market? Samsung is not the number one company in imaging, but we have always been the company producing innovative technology for the industry. For example, we were the first to introduce Dual View cameras, Wi-Fi connected cameras and Android smart cameras. The NX1 is another introduction of market-leading technologies and that’s going to improve our perception among target consumers. Since we introduced the NX1, the media response has been overwhelming. Is it all about producing a model with the most pixels or the fastest AF? We try to be the best in these areas. In developing the NX1 we didn’t want to compromise anything so we tried to be the best in each category. The NX1 is quite bulky compared to other compact system cameras. Was this a conscious decision? We didn’t want to limit its size as a compact system camera, we just wanted to create a professional interchangeable lens camera. Pro photographers don’t care whether it has a mirror or is mirrorless, whether it’s a DSLR or a CSC, they are looking for the best technology, which is why the size is not that important a consideration. Our target consumers are used to larger cameras and sometimes this is an advantage as they are more comfortable and more stable. Given that connectivity is a key part of the NX1’s specification, where does that leave models like the Galaxy NX? Everybody loved the first Galaxybecause everyone loved Android, but it was fixed lens. Customers then told us they wanted interchangeable lenses, so we introduced the Galaxy NX. We didn’t sell a huge quantity but the people who used it, loved it because of the excellent usability – being able to download applications, edit images and then share; you could do everything with one device. The NX1 target is somewhat different as there’s no Android, no 3G or 4G. This is purely targeting the professional who is looking for excellent optical performance first; the provision of Wi-Fi, NFC (Near Field Communication) and Bluetooth is enough for them, I think.

BIOGRAPHY

What does the NX1 represent for Samsung? We have a breadth of products in Samsung, including TVs, smartphones, tablets, monitors and, of course, cameras. Cameras are very important because they create the content for the other products, they complete the full system. We have been working in this area for 35 years and during that time we have produced many innovative products, but we believe the NX1 represents the pinnacle of our imaging technology so far. It combines all our capabilities from the sensor, to the image processor, to the lens, the batteries and wireless technologies. Is this a key difference that an electronics manufacturer has over a traditional imaging manufacturer? Yes, absolutely. We are different from conventional imaging companies as we can take our knowledge from other areas and apply it to cameras. Consumers’ needs are drastically changing and that’s driven by smartphones. You may well wake up in the morning with the alarm on your smartphone, after that you may check your schedule or check the weather with your smartphone. This functionality means consumer expectations have changed for cameras. For example, we feel that cameras that don’t have connectivity options make users feel uncomfortable. What doors do you think the NX1 opens for Samsung? It’s our first camera that targets professional and high-end amateur users, so we are very excited by this. We have been planning to enter this Mr Lim has worked for Samsung since 1988, joining the imaging side of the business in 2011. In the past three years he’s been instrumental in shaping the company’s camera business into what it is today. He successfully introduced Samsung’s Smart Camera range at CES in 2012 and, after recognising the growing trend for connectivity, has gone on to oversee the creation of a portfolio of Wi-Fi enabled cameras that allow customers to shoot and share images with ease. Mr Limwas also a key figure in the development of the Galaxy NX, which remains the only interchangeable lens camera with an Android operating system. In 2014, he’s been key in the development of the NX1, which sees the Samsung brand move into a new area of the market, catering for professional photographers and serious enthusiasts.

Our target consumers are used to larger cameras and sometimes this is an advantage as they aremore comfortable andmore stable

π To find out more, go to www.samsung.co.uk.

Photography News | Issue 13