SAMSUNG NX1000 Mirrorless Camera - Hands on Overview

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SAMSUNG NX1000 Mirrorless Camera - Hands on Overview

You wait all day for a wireless interchangeable lens camera and then three arrive at once. The Samsung NX1000 is the entry model in the brand's 'NX' trio that includes the costlier Samsung NX20 and NX210 models.

All three feature the same 20.3 megapixel APS-C sized sensor -- of the same size and resolution as those found in full-blown digital SLRs -- plus, and this is where the uniqueness lies, Wi-Fi connectivity.

Yes, we've been offered wireless transfer on the occasional pocket point-and-shoot, and then on a pro-end DSLR if buying an additional module, but these are the most 'serious' consumer cameras to feature that function built-in. The NX1000 may be the baby of the range, but it has grown up pretensions.

For example the only other compact system camera to feature such a large physical size and resolution is the previously peerless Sony NEX-7, and that tops its enthusiast range at £1,000 body only.

By contrast this Samsung can be picked for a less wince-inducing £599.99 as a kit that includes the modest (in terms of its 3x range) 20-50mm iFunction zoom. The lens is notable in that key camera settings can be controlled by pressing a button on the lens itself, instead of drilling down into menu screens.

The arctic white finish to our review sample of the NX1000 can look attractive in certain lights and a bit plastic-y in others. The body certainly feels very light and insubstantial when held in the palm, and it's not until the lens is attached that it resembles anything approaching a heavyweight proposition.

The narrow flat appearance of the body appears inspired by the Sony NEX series, but the Samsung has a more futuristic feel: if Star Wars' R2-D2 owned a camera it would resemble the NX1000, so you can imagine the manufacturer has 20 to 30-somethings in its sights.
While not something we've ever felt crucially necessary, it's another feature that sets the Samsung range apart, as does the dedicated 'Smart Link' button atop the camera that is designed to sync the NX1000 up with a smartphone.

What's most obviously missing from this 'everything but the kitchen' sink approach to the camera's feature set is a built-in GPS module.
The camera works better then in single shot mode, where the user can take their time; however it is quick to find a subject and determine focus even in smart auto mode, green AF point/s appearing on screen to tell us so with a beep of affirmation.

The supplied zoom whilst useful doesn't offer much versatility in terms of its range and close up portraits worked best for us; luckily there are currently an additional eight lenses to choose from in the NX family.

To our eyes the NX1000's still images and their colour tones didn't quite pop and leap off the screen like those from the Sony NEX-7 at nearly twice the price, but for most wanting to step up from an ordinary point and shoot results will be a distinct improvement in terms of detail and creative scope.

As there is no anti shake built into the camera body, we did notice a few instances of camera shake and image blur that would be avoided in using a heavier bulkier DSLR or sturdier CSC, and also loss of detail in the highlights.

Shooting video is however quick and responsive and in many ways because of the bigger chip if not numerically superior resolution, plus physically bigger lens offered by the NX1000 when compared to your average snapshot model, it is video that feels the real success on this camera. Overall then, the Samsung is better than a point and shoot camera but not quite a match for an actual DSLR.

The 20.3 megapixel sensor incorporating Samsung NX1000 presents itself as the ideal step up camera for someone wanting a more future proofed device capable of taking better pictures than their present point-and-shoot camera or smartphone allows.

As someone with vested interests in the latter market however, this feels like Samsung's attempt in part to bring cameras and phones together via its smart link feature rather than engage them in battle as most other camera manufacturers are doing.

Viewed as a standalone camera, outwardly the NX1000 may feel a bit insubstantial but if you've been waiting to buy a compact system model until the resolution rose above the usual 12 or 16 megapixels, then the NX1000 offers an affordable route to a high pixel count and is one of a handful offering a similar sized chip to a DSLR. Unusual features at this level such as Wi-Fi may prove the icing on the cake that tempts you to 'bite'.

Samsung NX1000 availability: Available now

Samsung NX1000 price: £599.99 with 20-50mm lens