Samsung NX30 review

The NX30 is the latest flagship model in Samsung’s NX series. Whereas other NX models look like compact cameras, this one is distinctly SLR-shaped. Its viewfinder and pop-up flash are housed in a hump above the lens, and there’s a substantial handgrip. It also uses the same APS-C sensor size as consumer SLRs. The net result is a camera that’s not significantly smaller than entry-level SLRs such as the Canon EOS 100D. It’s actually a few grams heavier than the 100D.

This might seem to be at odds with the CSC concept, where one of the main advantages is smaller, lighter designs than SLRs. That’s not the only thing CSCs have to offer, though. The NX30’s more traditional design means it can bring together the best of SLR and CSC technology.

This is without doubt our favourite CSC for ergonomics. The handgrip and thumb rest are superbly contoured for a snug fit, even in large hands. It’s a world away from the slim protrusions on other premium CSCs such as the Panasonic GX7 and Fujifilm X-E2. It’s also more comfortable than the Panasonic GH3, which is probably the NX30’s closest rival with its similar SLR-inspired design. It’s disappointing that the large handgrip hasn’t provided room for a side-mounted card slot; instead, it’s located in the battery compartment. Still, there’s a fair amount distance from the compartment door to the tripod thread, so it might still be possible to remove a card while the camera is mounted on a tripod.

The electronic viewfinder (EVF) extends to give 36mm clearance from the back of the camera. It also tilts upwards, which is handy when shooting from a low camera position. There’s an eye-level sensor to detect when the EVF is being used, but it’s a little slow to respond when switching between the LCD and EVF. When the EVF wasn’t extended and we quickly raised the camera to eye level, we managed to move the autofocus point with a nose prod to the touchscreen. The EVF image is pin sharp with its 1,024×768 resolution, but sadly it’s quite a bit smaller than the EVFs on rival CSCs.

The controls are up to the same high standards as the ergonomics. The command dial and rear wheel provide direct access to shutter speed and aperture in manual exposure mode. Pressing the iFn button on the lens temporarily reassigns the focus ring to ISO speed, exposure compensation, white balance and a range of other functions. The 3in touchscreen makes it quick to move the autofocus area or enable the tracking focus mode. That’s not so practical when using the EVF, but it’s pretty quick to move the autofocus area using the navigation pad, too. There’s also an option to adjust the size of the area using the command dial. With a drive mode dial and various other single-function buttons, there’s very little reason to visit the menus. There’s even a depth-of-field preview button on the front – a common feature among higher-end SLRs but rare for a CSC.

There is room for improvement in the controls, though. The quick-access menu (via the Fn button) brings up a largely duplicated set of controls – exposure compensation, ISO speed, white balance and so on – leaving various other functions such as JPEG/RAW settings, HDR mode and Auto ISO customisation buried in the main menu. Because the menu uses scrolling lists rather than discrete pages, we found it hard to remember where specific functions were located. Another concern is that the AF/MF switch on the lens is quite loose. On a few occasions we found that we’d inadvertently switched to manual focus and taken a string of blurry shots before realising.

Wi-Fi is elegantly implemented. Touching the camera to an NFC-equipped Android phone took us into remote viewfinder mode in just a few seconds, whereupon we had comprehensive control over photo and video settings from the app. Photo and video transfers were straightforward, with the ability to browse on the camera or connected device. There’s also an Auto Share mode, whereby photos are automatically sent to the connected device as soon as they’re captured – a useful feature that’s surprisingly rare among Wi-Fi-enabled cameras.

The app is excellently designed and fully featured

Samsung claims a burst speed of 9fps, and although we couldn’t quite achieve that in our tests, 8.4fps is still impressively fast. It lasted for 27 JPEGs before slowing to 2.7fps. Continuous RAW shooting started at 7.7fps and slowed after 12 shots to an erratic pace that averaged 0.6fps. Enabling continuous autofocus saw burst performance drop to 1.9fps – quite a bit slower than the Panasonic GH3’s 4fps. Autofocus was responsive in normal use, though. 0.7 seconds between shots is a solid result.

VIDEO QUALITY

The video mode is well specified, with 1080p recording at 25 or 50fps, full control over exposure settings and responsive, touchscreen-controlled autofocus. Details were sharp, but videos were susceptible to aliasing artefacts such as pixelated diagonal lines and moiré interference on repeating patterns. We noticed some compression artefacts on grass textures, and noise at ISO 3200 was higher than from the Panasonic G6 that we tested it against. The soundtrack was clear and detailed, but background hiss came and went in sync with other noises on the soundtrack. This suggests some fairly crude digital noise reduction is being used. None of these issues would deter us from using the NX30 for casual video clips, but we’d rule it out for more ambitious video projects.

IMAGE QUALITY

We have fewer concerns about photo quality. As with previous NX cameras, the 18-55mm kit lens, 20-megapixel sensor, autofocus system and JPEG processing engine all excelled for capturing sharp details. We were able to extract a little more fine detail from RAW files via Lightroom, but there wasn’t much in it. Colours were rich and punchy, and automatic exposures were well judged.

The subtle textures in the skin, eye and fabric are all faithfully reproduced in this shot

Focus is pretty good at the edge of this wide-angle shot at f/3.5 – this is one of the best kit lenses around

There’s a small boost to the fidelity of details after processing the RAW shot in Lightroom

The Samsung NX system uses the same sensor size as consumer SLRs, which bodes well for noise levels. However, the relatively high 20-megapixel resolution arguably pushes noise up a little. Overall, we found that noise was broadly equivalent to the current generation of 16-megapixel Panasonic G-series cameras, and a little higher than from Sony and Fujifilm’s CSCs and APS-C SLRs. Processing RAW images in Lightroom 5 gave a small improvement to the quality of high-ISO images, but not by as much as we’re used to seeing. It’s somewhat ironic, then, that there’s a copy of Lightroom 5 included in the box. We’ll gladly take it anyway – Lightroom is a superb bit of software that every serious photographer should own.

Details are a bit scruffy at ISO 800 and the strands of hair have a slightly pixelated appearance. Ultimately, though, this photo is good enough for anything except perhaps A4 and larger prints

There’s a fair amount of noise reduction at ISO 1600, but it’s a perfectly respectable snapshot

Still holding it together for snapshot quality at ISO 6400. Processing the RAW file in Lightroom gives a small improvement

TOUGH CHOICES

The NX30 has lots of strengths, but there’s some stiff competition around this price from both CSCs and SLRs. Compared to the Nikon D7100 and Canon EOS 70D, it’s significantly smaller, it broadly matches them for ergonomics and delivers faster continuous shooting. It’s not as quick for continuous autofocus, though, its high-ISO output is a little noisier and some people will prefer an SLR’s optical viewfinder. The Samsung NX lens range is steadily growing but it can’t begin to compete with the choice available for Canon and Nikon SLRs.

Compared to other CSCs, its closest rival is the Panasonic GH3. The two cameras are closely matched for controls, features and image quality. However, the GH3 benefits from a weather-sealed magnesium alloy body, it has a bigger viewfinder, it’s faster to focus and it takes a clear lead for video capture. Since the Panasonic GH4 was announced, the GH3’s price has fallen to around £750 body only. The Panasonic G6 is a worthy rival, too, and it costs just £500 with its kit lens.

Overall, then, the NX30 isn’t a runaway success. However, there’s a long list of accomplished features and very little to criticise. We can imagine it finding favour with people who are tempted by a CSC but don’t want to forego the sublime ergonomics associated with SLRs. If the tilting viewfinder, and great app, appeal to you then it’s a sound purchase.