Samsung Here is the NX1

If I was going to jump into APS-C today, this camera would get a serious investigation. If I'm honest, I'm very very tempted right now to take the plunge and get another body - that 85mm F1.4 looks fantastic. For video as well, this would be a great option.
I'd just love if Voigtlander took some of their experience with the m43 Voigtlander glass and produced some stills/video hybrid glass for the Samsung NX mount....
 
If I was going to jump into APS-C today, this camera would get a serious investigation. If I'm honest, I'm very very tempted right now to take the plunge and get another body - that 85mm F1.4 looks fantastic. For video as well, this would be a great option.
I'd just love if Voigtlander took some of their experience with the m43 Voigtlander glass and produced some stills/video hybrid glass for the Samsung NX mount....

Samsung isn't big enough in the game to be taken seriously by Voigtlander, Sigma, Tamron, etc yet. The NX1 could help that but it most likely wouldn't be quickly. Samsung's mount is prohibitive to Metabones currently, which hurts them as well.

Samyang makes manual lenses for Samsung, but that's it for 3rd party.

The 85, 45, and 60 are all professional IQ lenses, although none of them are professional build (weather sealed). Samsung has the lenses, at least, good enough to cover some basics. What Samsung really needs is a lens roadmap. It would REALLY help them out with potential new users.
 
Very true.
It's a pity as the technology on offer looks to bridge the theoretical IQ of the best super high res FF currently available with the video horse power chops of the GH4 and a potentially very good AF system for sports shooters. The marketing sounds almost too good to be true.
The current Voigtlanders are lovely videographer lenses as you are able to switch them from click aperture to clickless variable aperture ring.
I notice that their 'S' grade zooms are weather sealed.. but there is an absence of an exotic 85mm portrait similar to the Nocticron or XF56mm or XF56mm APD. Possibly I've missed something in the Samyang range?


Samsung isn't big enough in the game to be taken seriously by Voigtlander, Sigma, Tamron, etc yet. The NX1 could help that but it most likely wouldn't be quickly. Samsung's mount is prohibitive to Metabones currently, which hurts them as well.

Samyang makes manual lenses for Samsung, but that's it for 3rd party.

The 85, 45, and 60 are all professional IQ lenses, although none of them are professional build (weather sealed). Samsung has the lenses, at least, good enough to cover some basics. What Samsung really needs is a lens roadmap. It would REALLY help them out with potential new users.
 
I don't think that there will be any real issues with the resolving power of the smaller and cheaper Samsung primes on the NX1, given how well they fare on the existing 20mp sensor.

The 20mm f2.8 is the least highly regarded of them

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SNX300-10050441-PR Samsung NX300 Melbourne Australia by Nic (Luckypenguin), on Flickr

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The 30mm f2

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SNX300-10050429-PR Samsung NX300 Melbourne Australia by Nic (Luckypenguin), on Flickr

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The crop for this one is from near the corner of the image just for good measure (30mm f2 again)

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SNX300-08090312-PR Samsung NX300 Brisbane Australia by Nic (Luckypenguin), on Flickr

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And finally the 45mm f1.8, which in particular is a lens that would have every Sigma DP Merrill owner crying into their Cornflakes

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SNX300-08110354-PR Samsung NX300 Manly Australia by Nic (Luckypenguin), on Flickr

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SNX300-07120261-PR Samsung NX300 Brisbane Australia by Nic (Luckypenguin), on Flickr

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The lack of an ultra-fast aperture portrait length prime lens is only an issue when comparing lens catalogues. For example, this image below was shot at f/2.2 with the 45mm lens. Even this aperture is probably wider than you would ideally want to be at for portraits with an APS-C sensor since the depth-of-field means that focusing on the eyes leaves the outline of the hair/head indistinct. Opening up the aperture further will blur the background more but will also make the outline of the subject less distinct so you are chasing a moving target. For mine the ideal head-and-shoulders portrait apertures for the three major ILC sensor formats are f/1.8-2 for Micro 4/3, f/2.5-2.8 for APS-C, and f/3.5-4 for the 135 format. For half to full body portraits you can go approx. one stop wider.

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SNX300-06090067-P2R Samsung NX300 Nudgee Beach Australia by Nic (Luckypenguin), on Flickr

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And this is how big the three aforementioned lenses are

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LL first impressions review by Michael Reichmann:
http://www.luminous-landscape.com/reviews/cameras/samsung_nx1_first_impressions.shtml

Summary

I applaud the fact that the NX1 is a big middle finger to the camera industry establishment that says – get off your butts and stop doling out new technology in dribs and drabs, because we've just shown you what's possible, and at a reasonable end-user price.

When Canon and Nikon awaken from their slumbers, they will have to look closely at what Samsung has done. No, they needn't worry about market share just yet, but they should realise that this sleeping Korean giant is going to be a force to be reckoned with in the years ahead.

Sony, who has been the upstart smart-ass of the industry, also should note that Samsung's new sensor technology means that Sony now has some serious competition in sensors. Similarly, Panasonic, Olympus and Fuji are going to have to keep the pedal to the metal, because unless Samsung lacks the staying power to persevere in the camera industry, the NX1 shows that it has both the cojones and the technology to become a major contender.

As for consumers – should you buy an NX1? Unless you really do need a broad selection of speciality lenses, I would say that there is a lot to admire about this camera – and it may well meet your needs. If I wasn't already heavily invested in two other systems, I would give it serious consideration myself, if only for its in-camera 4K video and high frame rates. The NX1 certainly provides excellent value for the money.
 
I'll have my NX1 on Friday.
Never thought I'd be an early adopter (never have up to this point) but I went ahead and bit. Not going to do any scientific testing, shooting bricks, or charts. I will shoot it side by side doing portraits with my 6d and 60d this weekend though. My guess is that the NX1+16-50S will make my 60d+18-35 expendable. Looking forward to face detecting AF and WYSIWYG EVF, those two alone will make everything faster with less chimping or forgetting to change my ISO and blowing a series :(
 
The finish on the NX1 is something I'm not a big fan off. It is a sort of sheen to it that makes it look cheaper to me than the more matte finish Canon uses. It is sort of a Nikon D5200 sheen which looks like cheap plastic, which it isn't.
 
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