Samsung turned a lot of heads when they announced the NX1 back in September. Virtually all agree that the specs are impressive, but what it would come down to is if the camera could live up to the expectations that those specs commanded.
I’ve spent the last 4 days in NYC for the Photo Plus Expo and was able to have the opportunity to sit down with Samsung and have a few minutes with the NX1. The unit that we were able to sit down with was a pre-production model, so there may be slight changes on the final version that will be shipping at the middle-end of this month. I can tell you though, that the camera was very impressive in person.
Samsung NX1 Initial Impressions
The body, which is all magnesium-alloy and fully weather sealed, is still light and feels very good in the hands. The dials and buttons all feel solid and well built.
One of the areas that I was very much looking forward to testing, given my background with sports and wildlife photography, was the auto-focus performance. I have to say that I was thoroughly impressed, in virtually every respect in regards to how the AF performed. The AF locked quickly, and more importantly to me, tracked subjects very easily. Now there is obviously a huge difference between a dimly lit show room floor and a packed stadium, so I am excited to get my review unit here in a week or two, so that I can really give the AF a good run through.
[REWIND: Samsung Partners With Joseph Gordon-Levitt To Promote NX1]
I did not have much time to play around in the camera’s menu, or many of the special functions, but from what I was able to see, they seemed easy enough to figure out. That is always a concern when moving to a new camera system, and it seems – with some initial testing – that Samsung has done well with making the menu system both robust, and easy to use.
Unfortunately, I was unable to actually take any test shots with the camera. But when I get my copy in to review I will make sure to have an ample supply of sample images for you all to take a look at. Also, a special thank you and shout out to B&H Photo for their sponsorship of SLR Lounge’s coverage of Photo Plus, as without their support, it would not have been possible.
Stay tuned in the coming weeks for more coverage of the NX1, and some more in depth thoughts on the camera once I have had a chance to really use it in some real world settings. If you are interested in getting your hands on the NX1 you can order your copy now from B&H for $1499, and if you want to learn more about the camera you can find our other coverage here.
Get Connected!