The NX1 is unveiled; Samsung’s flagship compact system camera

With its 28-megapixel resolution, innovative 205-point phase detection autofocus system and 4K UHD video capture, the newly announced NX1 has serious pro-worthy credentials.

Indeed, for the first time with any seriousness, Samsung is using the ‘p’ word a lot, claiming the new addition is “about giving professional photographers choice and an alternative to the DSLR”. Its speedy autofocus, 15fps continuous shooting and advanced focus tracking capabilities should mean it delivers for both still and moving image capture. And its Back Side Illumination sensor design allows a clear lightway from the lens, which will reduce the signal-to-noise ratio significantly.

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The AF system can “instinctively track subjects almost anywhere in the frame, regardless of their location”, claims Samsung. “Photographers can capture even the briefest of moments as there is no need to re-compose a shot – they can simply focus and shoot immediately, allowing for extreme speed and flexibility. This technology will be of particular interest to those who love to shoot video, as the NX1 supports the use of Phase AF during movie recording, so that results are stable and steady.” This is matched by the camera’s newly developed DRIMe V processor and its hardware algorithms, able “to recognise high-speed motion, and equate shutter-lag in real-time.” In addition, the ISO range of 100-25600 can be further extended to 51,200.

The camera’s dust- and splash-resistant magnesium alloy body is further protected with rubber seals and seams, and its electronic viewfinder is a three-inch OLED display with 2.36 million dots, claimed to have a lag time to just 0.005 seconds “so that it reflects the scene being shot in near real time”.

The NX1 supports both 4K and Ultra HD (UHD) video capture, the latter providing providing a four times higher resolution than Full HD. The built-in HEVC Codec allows virtually lossless compression of high quality video to half the size and bit rate of H.264 footage without compromising on quality. All files can be stored on an SD Card, making an external 4K recorder unnecessary. Conversion software for editing the 4K footage is bundled with the camera.

Also announced is the 50-150mm f/2.8 S ED OIS telephoto lens, equivalent to 77-231mm in 35mm format.

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