Verdict
advantages
AMOLED screen, improved AF, i-Fn concept, integrated EVF
Disadvantages
Small change from NX10, occasional autofocus shake, EVF could be improved (resolution and refresh rate to counteract lag)
Important Specifications
Evaluation price: £480
The Samsung NX11 - the latest offering in Samsung's NX-series compact system cameras - hits shelves almost exactly a year after the original
NX10
's release.When we first saw
NX11 at this year's Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas
We felt this was a slight step up from the original model - so does the Samsung NX11 have enough new points to be worth shouting about?
Samsung NX11 Review - Features
It's difficult not to compare the Samsung NX11 to the previous NX10 just because the two are so similar. This is more of a subtle upgrade than a range of overhauls, although features are strong: a 14.6MP APS-C CMOS Sensor that can record from ISO 100-3200, a 3-inch AMOLED screen and a 920,000-dot electronic viewfinder (EVF) are among the most outstanding points.
New i-Function (i-Fn) lens compatibility is the bigger leap forward. This Samsung-only feature is a function button on the lens itself that lets you control the most immediate settings, even using the lens's focus ring to quickly focus if desired Options to choose from. The Samsung NX11 comes equipped with an 18-55mm i-Fn straight out of the box, conforming to what Samsung sees as a unique feature of the NX series. It seems that the fundamental point of the release the NX11 is to make the i-Fn lens accessible to as many potential users as possible.
There are also some new shooting modes, including Panorama mode for live panoramic shots, a sound and image mode, and Lens Priority, which recognizes the attached i-Fn lens and optimizes settings accordingly.
draft
Samsung NX11 Review - Design
Although it's not a DSLR, the NX11 might fool you as it looks like a mini DSLR in many ways. The layout and positions of the mode dial and button controls are well placed and you won't have to search for settings. Also contributing to this is the i-Fn button, which is very useful for quickly adjusting exposure compensation, ISO, white balance and (depending on the setting) aperture and shutter speed. The fact that the settings can be adjusted both on the screen and via the viewfinder in Being displayed in real-time speeds up your work. Our only small issue is that the i-Fn button of the 18-55mm OIS lens is placed quite far back and doesn't feel natural, and it omits the stabilization button, which was with the standard 18-55mm lens.
Samsung NX11 Test Sample Image - Click to view full size image gallery
The NX11's handle is raised quite noticeably from the body, making it comfortable to use and easy to carry in one hand.
The menus elsewhere and inside are impressive to look at and use, but feel a little different than other cameras and can therefore take a little getting used to - but we like the look.
perfomance
Samsung NX11 Review - Performance
First up is the autofocus system, which has been improved over other Samsung NX models. Instead of completely under-focusing and back-focusing to achieve final focus, Samsung's latest algorithm is able to detect the steepest rise in contrast and focus on that area of the Focusing on contrast curve instead of full contrast range. The result? A real improvement, making autofocus faster than the NX10 could. However, the main problem with the AF system is in low light, which makes even with decent contrast more than a try may be required to achieve focus.
Samsung NX11 Test Sample Image - Click to view full size gallery
There are a number of other pluses to using the NX11 too. This AMOLED screen is vastly superior to an LCD thanks to its fluidity and high contrast. Above that is the 920,000-dot EVF, which while having a reasonable VGA resolution is below potential can still be an issue for buyers. On the plus side, the EVF offers a full 100% field of view that many optical viewfinder equivalents can't match, and the electronic setup means full visual displays. The downside is the obvious lag experienced with bad ones lighting conditions, and the viewfinder doesn't feel quite as bright as an optical equivalent.
Samsung NX11 Test Sample Image - Click to view full size gallery
One area of improvement Samsung hasn't revealed is the movie mode. There's a lot more control than the NX10, thanks to the addition of continuous autofocus (CAF), which can be toggled on or off via the depth-of-field preview button. The CAF is very smooth when transitioning from one subject to another with no over- or under-focusing. It's a shame there's not full manual control, but aperture priority allows for live aperture adjustment, albeit at the expense of ISO sensitivity.
The new Panorama mode puts the Samsung alongside similar competing models, but it's the Lens Priority option that's quite confusing and we suspect won't be a commonly used setting the camera was aimed, faced with an automated landscape format on return.
Other subtle improvements have been made, such as Mac and PC compatibility with the included raw conversion software. The previous NX10 model was PC-only, which left many Mac users cold to the original Samsung.
image quality and value
Samsung NX11 review - picture quality
The NX11 avoids the super-high ISO settings of some competing cameras, opting instead for a reasonable ISO range of 100-3200. Although there is some image noise in this range, image quality is otherwise decent and sharp from ISO 100-400. It doesn't like that Winning prizes for maintaining sharpness above this setting, but the larger sensor size certainly surpasses the capabilities of some similar Panasonic models like the Lumix G2. ISO 800 to ISO 3200 mitigate and increase image noise exponentially, with "blotchy" color noise and noticeable softness throughout the noise reduction, which means that ISO 3200 is close to the goal.
Samsung NX11 review – value
At around £480 the Samsung NX11 is competitively priced. The Sony NEX-5 costs about the same (but doesn't have a viewfinder), the Panasonic Lumix G2 is actually slightly less at £420-460 and offers the benefit of an angle-adjustable touchscreen, while the Olympus £500 The E-PL2 is the most expensive compact system camera of similar specs.
Samsung NX11 Test Sample Image - Click to view full size gallery
The only minor concern is the availability of the product. With only a few online retailers and not many big chain stores stocking the Samsung NX series, it's a wonder how much reach the product will reach in the coming months.
Verdict
Samsung NX11 Review – Conclusion
There's little new to get excited about when comparing the NX11 to the previous NX10, but that's beside the point when looking at the NX11 itself. It's not an upgrade model, but the NX11 successfully delivers
Standard compatibility with i-Fn lenses. This helps provide a "calling card" for the NX series; this unique principle that should help the NX stand out in an increasingly crowded compact system camera market.
Image quality is good, autofocus has been significantly improved over its predecessor, and the body layout feels good in the hand. It feels like a mini DSLR in many ways, although with fierce competition developing even more advanced models, we always do want an even bigger step up for the NX series.
For all its great points, the NX11 just isn't quite the big push we were hoping for. It's still a very good camera worthy of attention and one of the few compact system cameras that offers a viable alternative to a full DSLR system represent.
Trusted Score
score in detail
value
9
draft
9
features
9
picture quality
9
perfomance
9
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