Hands-on: Samsung NX300 & 45mm F1.8 2D/3D Lens
Hands-on: Samsung NX300 & 45mm F1.8 2D/3D Lens
Hands-on: Samsung NX300 & 45mm F1.8 2D/3D Lens
Samsung has been building up its portfolio of NX series cameras, and at CES 2013, the company announced the NX300, the successor to the NX210. That's not all of course, along with the camera, the new NX 45mm F1.8 2D/3D lens, the first one-lens 3D system capable of capturing both still images and Full HD movies in perfect 3D quality, has been announced as well. At CES 2013, we joined a closed-door session to learn more about both.
Samsung NX300
Of course, while the exterior hasn't changed too much, there are a couple of upgrades to its performance. First off, the NX300 features a higher ISO range of 100-25600, 1/6000 sec shutter speed and 8.6fps continuous shooting mode as well as incorporates a brand new Hybrid AF (Auto Focus) system. The new hybrid af system comprises of both phase detection (105 points) and contrast detection (247 points); according to Samsung, the combination allows for the best of both worlds, enhanced speeds and accuracy.
The Samsung’s in-house developed DRIMe IV imaging engine enables better color reproduction and greater noise reduction, as well as support for full 1080p HD video capture in both 2D and 3D (when combined with Samsung’s new 45mm 2D/3D lens).
The built-in dual-band Wi-Fi connectivity (2.4G/5G) also allows users to share their photos instantly and securely between their camera and mobile devices. To connect a smartphone to the camera, users simply need to download the Samsung Smart Camera App, available for both Android and iOS devices, onto their smartphone or tablet and follow the steps to create a secure connection with the camera (you can check this video for a demo of some of Samsung's camera smart functions). While the Android version is already available in Google Play, the iOS version will only be available next month.
The Samsung NX300 is expected to sell for US$749.99 with a typical 18-55mm kit lens from March 2013. Unfortunately, nothing has been decided for an Android interchangeable lens camera.
45mm F1.8 2D/3D Lens
The Samsung 45mm 2D/3D lens (sold separately for US$500) opens up an exciting world of 3D imaging possibilities and is the world’s first one-lens 3D system for a consumer camera. The Samsung NX300 and 45mm 2D/3D lens kit combined have become the only compact system camera supporting both 3D (.npo) still and 3D movies (h.264).
As seen from the photo above, the lens has a divider running in the middle dictating that it's using a side-by-side 3D format to store content. This would mean horizontal resolution is halved when storing the required frame per eye. However when shooting in 2D mode, this isn't a concern.
Like the camera, the lens will be available by end of Q1, 2013.