The number of serious DSLR-style compact cameras has been slowly growing over the past year, but all the models we’ve seen so far have been based on the Micro Four Thirds system. The Samsung NX10 offers a similar approach, trading the mechanical mirror and optical viewfinder of a traditional DSLR for lower weight and a smaller size.
It gets there in a slightly different way, however: the main difference between the NX10 and its fellow compact DSLR hybrids is its sensor. Remove the lens and what you see is a far larger sensor than in Micro Four Thirds cameras. In fact its 14.6-megapixel CMOS sensor is the same size (APS-C) as employed by the majority of consumer DSLRs, promising greater dynamic range and lower noise in low light.
Another advantage the NX10 holds over its competitors is a built-in viewfinder – not optical but digital – a serious advantage when shooting in bright conditions (others charge extra). As you raise the camera to your eye, it switches from screen view to viewfinder, enabling you to focus and frame your shots without having to squint or shade the screen with a hand. It’s sharp too, boasting a resolution of 920kpixels.
Not that the screen is a bad one. In fact, the NX10’s 3in OLED, 614kpixel display is about as bright and clear as you’ll find on any camera, compact or not, and the OLED panel’s self-illuminating pixels aren’t only good news for image quality but should help battery life too.
Even better news is that it manages to squeeze all this in, along with a pop-up integrated flash, without compromising on portability or build quality. The NX10 may look like a full-blooded DSLR but in the metal it’s a lot smaller, measuring 121mm front to back with the 30mm pancake lens, and 77mm with the standard 18-55mm kit lens.
The shaped, rubberised grip to the right of the lens makes it comfortable to handle, the body feels extremely solid, despite its small size, and there’s a good selection of manual controls littering the top edge and rear panel. A four way control offers shortcuts for focus, white balance, metering and ISO, while a wheel at the top allows quick shutter speed and aperture adjustments.
There are downsides to the design. It’s still a little worrying to see the sensor exposed to the air when you change lenses and not tucked away behind the protective barrier of mirror – this isn’t a camera you can change lenses on casually.
The new NX lens mount system means you don’t have access to the same range of lenses that owners of Micro Four Thirds cameras currently do. In addition to the optically stabilized f/3.5-f/5.6 18-55mm (27-83mm equivalent) kit lens mentioned earlier, there’s only an f/2 30mm pancake lens (46.2mm equivalent) and a telephoto zoom 50-200mm model (75-300mm equivalent), again optically stabilised, with an aperture range of f/4-f/5.6. Both are reasonable priced, however, at around £170 exc VAT each and Samsung has announced a further five lenses that will be added to the range soon.
And, as with the Olympus PEN cameras and Panasonic GF1, the NX10 relies on contrast detect autofocus, which is slower than the phase detect system used in DSLRs at this price. But the system here is fast for its type, focusing in under a second in the majority of situations, and that performance is generally reflected elsewhere too.
The NX10 took fewer than two seconds from off to first shot, under two seconds between shots in standard drive mode, and shot at a rate of 2.6fps in continuous mode.
Image quality is excellent too. The standard kit lens is sharp and demonstrated no sign of chromatic aberration or optical distortion in our tests, retaining very good sharpness right out to the corners of shots.
No matter what the lighting, we found the automatic settings did a very good job of getting the colour balance right, and low light performance was exceptional, with shots exhibiting no trace of noise at ISO 400 and, though some crept in at ISO 800, photos were still perfectly usable.
We’d recommend avoiding ISO 1600 and 3200, though, as noise is unacceptably intrusive at these levels. Add great dynamic range and it’s easily the match of the Micro Four Thirds cameras we’ve looked at.
The Samsung also shoots 720p HD video, and although quality is again exceptional, there is a fly in the ointment. The live autofocus tends to hunt around a little too much and its struggles are clearly audible on the soundtrack. The trouble is, it’s also rather difficult to focus manually, as the focus assist zoom view isn’t available in video mode.
But, the price makes up for this. For under £400 exc VAT you get not only a well-made compact camera that’s the equal of its Micro Four Thirds rivals in terms of build and image quality, but also one that’s better equipped, with a viewfinder and pop-up flash. The equivalent Panasonic GF1, purely in terms of features would set you back £621 exc VAT. The focus system still places the NX10 behind the best budget DSLRs in terms of pure performance, but for those who want top image quality from a compact package, this Samsung is a fantastic deal.
Author: Jonathan Bray
PCPRO