A MOVE IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION
Samsung NX 30
CONCLUSION The NX 30 is a capable camera with many features, but if image quality is a concern, there are more affordable options.
The NX30 is Samsung’s latest flagship Compact System Camera and features a 20.3MP APS-C CMOS sensor; tiltable (up to 80 degrees) electronic viewfinder, a generous handgrip, and a gorgeous pull-out Super AMOLED Swivel and Touch Display. Measuring just 12.7cm x 9.55cm x 4.17 cm, and weighing just 375g (without battery), the NX30 is definitely a camera that you’ll find easy to take along with you daily. The other bonus is that a copy of Adobe Lightroom 5.0 (worth $193) is included with the NX 30 – so that gives you a highly capable image processing suite to start with. NFC and Wi-Fi support is built in, so tapping your NFC-enabled phone to the left side of the NX 30 starts Tag & Go sharing. Wi-Fi options allow you to use your phone as a remote viewfinder, email selected images to yourself, or connect to Samsung’s cloud services. Performance-wise, the camera turns in images with good detail, albeit with a slight magenta cast. However, noise seems to be controlled in quite an aggressive fashion, as details start to get smudged from ISO 3200 onwards. Autofocus is fast and nippy thanks to the NX AF System II, and continuous shooting goes to nine frames per second for both full-res JPEGs and raw, up slightly from the NX 20’s eight frames per second. The strongest points for the NX 30 are its size and handling. It is sturdy and wellbuilt, and despite its weight (or lack thereof), feels wellbalanced and comfortable to hold. We didn’t have the more expensive 16-50mm F2-2.8 ED OIS for testing, but the kit lens seemed a capable performer in terms of focusing speed and resolution. For $1,369, it is rather pricey compared to the latest offerings from Canon and Nikon – the EOS 1200D retails for only $759 with kit lens and the D3300 retails for $919, also with kit lens – but they don’t come with Wi-Fi or NFC capabilities, nor do they bundle Lightroom.