Samsung proved it’s serious about photography this year by introducing a new camera system. The “NX” series offers an APS-C sensor with inter changeable lenses and no mirror. This camera brides the gap between compact digital cameras and DSLRs.
Sang-jin Park, CEO of Samsung Digital Imaging Company said Samsung was planning to offer the performance and image quality of a DSLR and the portability and convenience of a compact point-and-shoot.
They’re calling this a “hybrid” camera and it appears to be just that. Although not shipping until later this year, Samsung showed me (under glass) a concept model.
Unlike a DSLR, the NX Series does not feature a mirror box and employs an ultra-precise Electronic Viewfinder (EVF). The use of an EVF has allowed Samsung engineers to significantly reduce the size and weight of the new camera system by decreasing the distance between the lens and image sensor (flange back) by approximately 60% compared to traditional DSLRs. In addition to utilizing the EVF, consumers can also take advantage of the camera’s Live View functionality to frame their shots on the NX Series’ high‑resolution screen.
Samsung has recently intensified its focus on the digital imaging market and established a separate company dedicated exclusively to digital imaging in Samsung Digital Imaging Company.
“We estimate that the hybrid digital camera market will be over 20% of the global digital still camera market by 2012,” said Sang-jin Park.
Interesting. When they say this will be big, I believe them. It really is a solid compromise between IQ and portability. The mirror in an SLR is largely obsolete – the main reason being the use of an optical viewfinder. Granted, the optical viewfinder leads to other important advantages, such as battery life, arguably better shooting posture, less eye strain etc.
this reminds me of the micro four-thirds standard that olympus and panasonic announced last summer…
Nice.
As Simon said it is similar in concept to micro four thirds, but with the larger APS-C sensor
As a Pentax dSLR user, I hope they will offer an adapter so current Samsung and Pentax K mount lens can be used. If so I probably buy one
In order to feed the EVF the image sensor must be on. That would mean a fair bit of heat. Heat usually means more noise. It’ll be interesting to see how Samsung deals with this, if at all.
This should also mean some level of video recording with autofocus, but who really knows.
and autofocus.
I don’t want an electronic viewfinder. That’s just something else to fail. I think the electronic viewfinder will fail more often then the old fashioned mirror.
Indeed. I stand corrected. There are a lot of of things you lose by losing the mirror box.
Incidentally, does anyone know if P&S cameras have physical shutters? Or are they electronic? I assume this camera has a physical shutter…
P&Ss don’t have mechanical shutters. However, near as I can tell, there’s really no reason to have a mechanical shutter anymore. Exposure duration can accurately be controlled on chip.
I’m inclined to think that an EVF’s life would be no shorter than that of the camera body as a whole. I have small LCDs (things like cell phones) that have more life on them than any mirror in any of my SLRs.
maybe, but this isn’t targeted at a pro audience, and certainly isn’t out there to replace DSLR cameras. there are plenty of point n shoots that don’t have optical viewfinders anymore, and people seem to have no problem with this. i can’t see it being a real issue with the market, unless samsung’s QA is absolutely terrible
no auto-focus? my point n shoot does auto-focus just fine without a mirror box. why is this different?
Unless there’s a shutter and separate sensor for the EVF and live view….but that’s usually required a mirror and prism….
Hmm…I’ll have to wait to see specs on how they’ve set this up…can’t see them having the main sensor unshuttered…just changing lenses a few times would make it like the floor under my fridge. :D
I sure hope Samsung doesn’t go and make their own competing format to Micro Four Thirds. The G1 from Panasonic isn’t exactly flying off the shelf and its format only has two available lenses. I’d only give this legs if they join with the MFT mount, or used the existing system.
Please, no more lens mount formats!
No mirror most likely means electronic shutter which most likely means some really fast max flash sync speeds. Am I wrong?
Interesting technology but I suspect manufacturer’s estimate of 20% of the market is way over the top. Advanced amateurs and pro’s will stick to the mirror for the reasons Joe (heat/noise) and Stephen (simplicity) mention. Most of the rest of the market is driven by the size: either the snap-shooting where the size will always trump capabilities (hence minimal use of DSLRs) or advanced users who want something small and pocket sized for particular purpose (TWIP hosts). So, I guesstimate 2-4% of the market for these hybrids by 2012.
Ever try following a fast moving subject via an EVF? Maybe they’ve gotten better, but in my experience the electronic viewfinder frame rates can’t keep up with fast panning motion…nor do they have the same level of resolution as an optical viewfinder. Still, cameras like this are very interesting and will be good for certain subject matter and situations.
dSLRs with live view have already been doing this for some time, so what you talk about should be quantifiable. Has it been tested?
I have never understood the DSLR affinity to a reflex mirror and mechanical shutter curtain. These really are 60 year old ideas. It is quite likely that legacy SLR vendors promote these technologies because they know how to build reflex mirror + mechanical shutter cameras – not because these are best technologies available. It looks like we are starting to see some real innovation from the “other” vendors. That will only be good for all of us.
BTW: This type of camera will also be capable of amazing full-autofocus HD video.
I am impressed.
This is good news. Guys like Thom Hogan have been asking for an APS-C sensored camera in a compact body for a long time. This camera looks to be the smallest APS-C sensored camera out there. Fantastic. Consumers called for Nikon and Canon especially to make something like this. I am a Nikon shooter (D300) and I would love something like the P6000 with an APS-C sensor in it. Maybe now there is a BIG reason for Nikon and Canon and others to make smaller cameras with bigger sensors in them.
Hopefully Samsung has figured out issues like lag with electronic viewfinders. I have only played with a couple of cameras with EVFs and it wasn’t fun (mostly Nikon Coolpix cameras; useable but no optical viewfinder, that’s for sure.)
Come on Nikon P6000X with APS-C sensor and NEF files!
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Wow, that is a surprising announcement. Between this Samsung and the Micro 4/3rds, the future of high quality compact has gotten very interesting.
Levent
The autofocus mechanism is different. In an SLR, the image is reflected by a sub-mirror to the autofocus mechanism at the bottom. For P&S, I assume focus is simply detected by contrast on the sensor. Someone correct me if I have this wrong.
The sensor’s too big. You’d most likely end up with vignetting if you used Four Thirds lenses.