Samsung has just announced the NX200 camera at IFA 2011. The Samsung NX200 is a mirror-less camera that is in the same family than the NX100. This model ups the ante with a 20.3 Megapixel APS-C* sensor, which is bigger than the micro four third (micro ¾) sensor found in select competitors like Olympus and Panasonic. For example, my Canon 50D DSLR also uses an APS-C sensor (*APS-C describes the size of the sensor). On the outside, the most remarkable piece of technology is the 3” (640×480) AMOLED display that is one of the best, for a camera.
On the image capture side, the NX200 comes with capabilities like an ISO (light sensitivity) range of 100-12800, 1080p recording at 30fps, and “burst” photo capture at 7 frames per second.
It’s impossible to dissociate the optical performance of the Samsung NX200 camera body from the lens that you will end up choosing (interchangeable lenses are great). There are a large selection of lenses with different sizes, focal lengths and apertures. They go from fixed 16mm to 18-200mm depending on your needs. I like the flat 16mm “pancake” lens because it keeps the overall form-factor very flat. However, being able to use a 18-200mm lens when needed is also a great option.
Additionally, many of the lenses support Samsung’s i-Function system that lets you select one value (aperture, shutter speed, etc…) and tweak it with the physical “ring” on the lens. This allows for very fast tweaks during a photo shoot.
The Samsung NX200 is remarkable, and it will be interesting to see how Samsung will compete with Sony’s NEX7 and NEX5 Series on the pricing front. I’ll dare to guess that it will be more affordable than the NEX7, and I’m not taking any risks here.
The shipping date is still a mystery, but the camera will be ready for the holiday season. For more information, head to www.samsung.com/NX
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