Samsung NX300 ($799.99 with an 18-55mm lens; Amazon: $895.00) is the latest entry in its mirrorless camera range. The 20-megapixel APSC sensor of the Samsung NX300 is comparable in size to consumer D-SLRs.
It also features outstanding image quality and performance. Add in Wi-Fi connectivity and tilting OLED displays, you get a compact interchangeable lens camera that has won our Editors Choice Award ($649.95 Amazon).
Related Reading: Canon EF-M 55-200mm f/4.5-6.3 IS STM Review
Features and Design
Samsung's NX300 is a modern retro design. It features a chrome top plate and bottom plate accented with a black or white leatherette. The included 18-55mm lens for the kit will fit on a white or black body. However, if you opt to go with this kit you can only have a brown lens with a black body.
You can choose to purchase the kit with an optically stabilized 18-55mm NX standard zoom for $300.00. Or, you could opt to have it paired with the non-stabilized 20-50mm f/3.5-55.6 ED II NX at $750.
Without a lens, the NX300 is 2.5x4.8x1.6 inches in size. It weighs 11.5 ounces. The NX300 is similar in shape and size to the APS -C-sensor Sony Alpha NEX-5R (at Amazon). It measures 2.4x4.4x1.6inches, 9.7 ounces. The NEX-5R and NX300 do not have a flash built in, however an external unit is available with them both.
The 5R has one advantage over the Samsung—it works with Sony's excellent OLED FDAEV1S Electronic Viewfinder for eye-level shooting. The rear display is only available for review and image framing by NX300 users.
The OLED large display can be hinged so that it is easy to read what's happening. To alleviate the problem, you can adjust the display's position. In normal conditions, the display works well with a resolution of 768k dots packed into its 3.3 inch widescreen frame.
Touch sensitive and responsive, it allows you access to all the shooting controls. This includes changing your focus point and scrolling through photos when you review them. However, it's not as sharp as the Sony Alpha NEX-6 (921k dots LCD at Amazon).
The NEX-6 includes a flash and a viewfinder. It's more costly than the NX300 but it is an affordable option among compact interchangeable lens camera models. It is the only model that offers an eye-level finder if you aren't content with the NX series.
The NX300 offers a variety of physical controls to change settings, in addition to the touch interface. The shutter release button, the mode dial and control wheel are all located up top. You can adjust exposure compensation, adjust self-timer and drive modes, adjust ISO, or change the autofocus mode. You can also touch-control additional settings such as white balance, metering and autofocus by pressing the Fn button.
You'll also have an additional way to change settings while shooting if you use the kit lens, another lens that has Samsung's IFn button. Pressing that button allows you to adjust aperture, shutter speed, ISO, exposure compensation, and white balance—all using the lens's manual focus ring. This button can be used to manually focus, but you won't have the ability to adjust both settings and focus simultaneously.
Samsung's NX series has focus peaking, which is a great feature for manual focus users and those using it as a platform to collect vintage lenses. Manual focus modes magnify the centre of the frame and highlight in-focus edges in white. This function has been used by Sony since its NEX series. Ricoh also implemented a similar feature in their unique GXR (at Amazon) lens module system.
Samsung is a leader in Wi Fi implementation. They even brought the Android-powered Galaxy Camera ($399.95 Amazon) to market with 4G connectivity. Although the NX300 doesn't have as many features, it supports dual-band 802.11n WiFi. It can be used with the Samsung Smart Camera app on Android and iOS to transfer photos to your smartphone or tablet.
You also have the option to make adjustments to the settings or fire off the shutter using your remote viewfinder. If your smartphone supports NFC, pairing is easier as the camera will create a Wi Fi hotspot for your tablet or phone to connect to to to share your photos.
The NX300 can be connected directly to your Wi-Fi network. You can upload video and photos to Facebook, Picasa and YouTube. Or you can share them through email. It is simple to enter passwords or addresses using the touch screen display. To access the wireless features turn the Mode dial to Wi-Fi, or tap the Direct Link button—it can be customized to take you directly to your most-used method of sharing.
Samsung's Wi-Fi has been traditionally easy to use and configure—you don't have to plug the NX300 into a computer to get cloud sharing setup as you do with the Canon EOS 6D D-SLR($1,699.00 at Amazon). Other mirrorless cameras with Wi-Fi are available: Sony's NEX-5R, NEX-6 and Panasonic have yet to release the Lumix GF6 or G6.
NX300 supports the 45mm F/1.8 2D/3D lens. The fast prime, which is the same as the 45mm F/1.8 lens, adds 3D video and photo support via an internal dual shutter. The NX lens system is fairly well rounded, and includes two optics that have won our Editors Choice award—the compact 30mm NX Pancake and the wide-angle 12-24mm f/4-5.6 ED($754.95 at Amazon) zoom.
Related Reading: Canon PowerShot G7 X Review
Performance and conclusions
It is an extremely fast camera. The NX300 starts up in 1.1 seconds and records only 0.1 second shutter lag. It can also produce 16 JPG images at 7.2 frames per sec. The Panasonic G5 can focus in dim lighting in approximately 1.4 seconds. If you are shooting Raw or Raw+JPG, the bursts of 7fps shots will be limited to five shots.
The Panasonic G5 is a bit slower to start and shoot—it takes about 1.8 seconds and notches a 0.2-second shutter lag, but focuses in about 0.8-second in dim light. Although it shoots at a slower burst rate of 5 frames per second (or 9 raw shots), the pace can be maintained for 33 JPG and 9 Raw images.
Imatest was used to test the sharpness and quality of the kit 18-55mm lens. It's one of the better included lenses I've tested. It records 295 lines per picture at 18mm f/3.5 using the center-weighted test method. This is better than 1,800 required to create sharp images.
The edges at that setting aren't terrible—1,536 lines. You can achieve sharp images from the edge by stopping down to f/8. This gives you an average score 2,360 lines and edges that are more than 1,900 lines.
Although the lens introduces barrel distortion at 18mm (if you are shooting JPG photos), it will correct this automatically with NX300. Raw photos show that there is only 2.7 percent distortion. This will make it obvious in the field. It causes straight lines to bend outwards. This can be corrected by Raw photographers using the Photoshop Lightroom slider, which is a $150 package.
The maximum aperture is reduced to f/4.5 by zooming in at 35mm. Overall sharpness drops to 1,857 lines. At that setting the edges look a little more like the rest of your frame, with 1,648 lines. Increasing the aperture to 35mm reduces sharpness to f/4.5 and increases overall sharpness to 2,306 line.
Bringing the aperture down to f/8 raises overall sharpness up to 2,305 lines. The edges increase to 1,916. This setting has a lower level of distortion, with only 1.5 percent for the pincushion type.
It makes lines look like they are curved in instead of out. The maximum focal length of 55mm is f/5.6, and the lens maintains sharpness at 1,971 lines. Edges are a respectable 1,775 line. The score is increased to 2,241 lines by reducing the aperture to f/8. This score includes a remarkable score of 2,000 lines around the edges. Here, pincushion distortion at 2 percent is more apparent.
Through ISO 3200, the NX300 maintains noise control. It only barely exceeds the 1.5 percent noise threshold at ISO 6400, capturing photos with 1.7 percent noise. Although it isn't the most powerful camera we have seen, it does a good job. I compared its photos side-by-side with those from the Sony Alpha NEX-6, which controls noise through ISO 6400—one f-stop better than the NX300.
The NEX-6 has a slightly better image detail through 6400, while the NEX-6 is quite close. The included Lightroom software will allow you to adjust the noise level to suit your needs if you are shooting Raw. The NEX-6 still has a slight edge. Its Raw files are more detailed at ISO 6400.
This makes it a toss-up as to which camera produces more noise. The NX300 Raw files exhibit a little more noise at ISO 12800, an absurdly high setting. However, the NEX-6 still shows grainy luminance noise.
If you're shooting at 6400 or below don't fret—any real-world advantage that the NEX-6 enjoys is negated by its 16-megapixel resolution, but be prepared to work with images shot at ISO 12800 or 25600 in Lightroom if you're concerned about getting the most quality you can out of the camera prior to printing.
This issue can be solved by bumping up the default Color Noise Reduction settings of 25 to 45 (out 100), without affecting the quality of the image. You can increase the ISO setting on the NX300 as needed to get results comparable to the NEX-6.
You can record video in MP4 at 1080p60 resolution. Also, you can capture video at up to 1080p30 and 810p24. The video is sharp and accurate with precise colors. Also, the NX300 can quickly refocus during recording. It captures action at 60 frames per second, which keeps the motion fluid. Although the camera does not pick up noise from the lens focusing, you can use the $130 Samsung EM10NX microphone to achieve better sound quality.
A third-party microphone is not an option as there is no analog input. The camera comes with a micro HDMI cable to attach to an HDTV, and a USB charging port. However, the NX300 battery charger is not included. You will need to charge the battery by plugging it into the wall. SDHC and SDXC cards can be used.
The Samsung NX300 mirrorless camera is a great choice. This is the most impressive NX camera we have tested. It also features a stunning lens system that produces sharp images. Wi-Fi built-in allows you to upload your photos to the Internet immediately after they're shot.
Serious shutterbugs have the option to tweak Raw files with the Adobe Lightroom software included to make sure every shot is perfect. The NX300 is the only NX compatible camera with the 45mm 2D/3D lenses.
This will let you create memories that can be viewed on 3D HDTVs. It can shoot in burst mode, focuses fast, and is comparable to the Sony NEX-6, which we consider one of our best mirrorless high-ISO cameras. If you feel lost without the ability to put the camera up to your eye to take a shot, the NX300 is simply not the right camera for you—there's no EVF and no way to add an external one. The NX300 works well as long as you are happy to use the rear display for photo composition.