Samsung Galaxy NX Camera: Hands On
by Anand Lal Shimpi on June 20, 2013 7:06 PM EST- Posted in
- Smartphones
- Samsung
- camera
- Mobile
When Samsung launched the Galaxy Camera, I remember Brian telling me that it might not be the best point and shoot, but it's absolutely the directions cameras need to go in. After playing with the Galaxy Camera, I couldn't agree more. Cameras need to be connected, as sharing is such an important part of the whole point of taking photos. At tonight's Premiere 2013 event in London, Samsung unveiled its next flagship connected camera: the Galaxy NX Camera.
The Galaxy NX Camera is the first Android camera to support interchangeable lenses. As its name implies, the Galaxy NX Camera is fully compatible with all currently available Samsung NX lenses. The Galaxy NX Camera features a 20.3MP APS-C sensor (Update: Brian tracked down the exact sensor).
Internally there's a 1.6GHz quad-core SoC with a dedicated ISP. The platform runs Android 4.2.2 and supports LTE as well.
The big thing for me? We finally have an Android device that exposes full manual controls. Shutter speed, aperture and ISO are all adjustable just like on a traditional camera. While the layout took some getting used to, the frustrating lack of control from most camera experiences on Android just wasn't there. The combination of software flexibility and the ability to use good lenses will make this yet another step in the right direction.
Taking photos was just as natural as on any other mirrorless camera. The 4.8" display looks good and there's even a live level indicator to help make sure your shots come out straight. Start-up/shutdown time are impacted by the simple fact that the whole thing runs Android. I can't wait to get one of these in Brian's hands to see what he thinks once review samples are available. Modern smartphones have done a tremendous job of pulling focus away from traditional PCs for mobile computing, it's very clear that the traditional camera market is set to be disrupted by these portable powerhouses even more going forward.
| Camera Emphasized Smartphone Comparison | ||||||||
| Samsung Galaxy Camera (EK-GC100) | Nikon Coolpix S800c | Nokia PureView 808 | Samsung Galaxy S4 Zoom | Samsung Galaxy NX Camera | ||||
| CMOS Resolution | 16.3 MP | 16.0 MP | 41 MP | 16.3 MP | 20.3 MP | |||
| CMOS Format | 1/2.3", 1.34µm pixels | 1/2.3", 1.34µm pixels | 1/1.2", 1.4µm pixels | 1/2.3", 1.34µm pixels | APS-C, 4.25µm pixels | |||
| CMOS Size | 6.17mm x 4.55mm | 6.17mm x 4.55mm | 10.67mm x 8.00mm | 6.17mm x 4.55mm | 23.5mm x 15.7mm | |||
| Lens Details |
4.1 - 86mm (22 - 447 35mm equiv) F/2.8-5.9 OIS |
4.5 - 45.0mm (25-250 35mm equiv) F/3.2-5.8 |
8.02mm (28mm 35mm equiv) F/2.4 |
4.3 - 43mm (24-240 mm 35mm equiv) F/3.1-F/6.3 OIS |
NX Mount ILC, shown with 18-55mm F/3.5-5.6 | |||
| Display | 1280 x 720 (4.8" diagonal) | 854 x 480 (3.5" diagonal) | 640 x 360 (4.0" diagonal) | 960 x 540 (4.3-inch) | 1280 x 720 (4.8-inch) LCD | |||
| SoC | Exynos 4412 (Cortex-A9MP4 at 1.4 GHz with Mali-400 MP4) | ARM Cortex A5(?) | 1.3 GHz ARM11 | 1.5 GHz Exynos 4212 | 1.6 GHz Quad Core (Exynos 4412?) | |||
| Storage | 8 GB + microSDXC | 1.7 GB + microSDHC | 16 GB + microSDHC | 8 GB + microSDHC | 16 GB + microSDXC | |||
| Video Recording | 1080p30, 480p120 | 1080p30 | 1080p30 | 1080p30 | 1080p25 | |||
| OS | Android 4.1 | Android 2.3.6 | Symbian Belle | Android 4.2 | Android 4.2.2 | |||
| Connectivity |
Quad band WCDMA 21.1, 4G, 802.11a/b/g/n with 40 MHz channels, BT 4.0, GNSS |
No cellular, WiFi 802.11b/g/n(?), GPS | Pentaband WCDMA 14.4, 802.11b/g/n, BT 3.0, GPS | Quad band WCDMA 21.1, 4G LTE SKUs, 802.11a/b/g/n with 40 MHz channels, BT 4.0, GNSS |
Quad band WCDMA 42 4G LTE SKUs, 802.11a/b/g/n, BT 4.0, GNSS |
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karasaj - Thursday, June 20, 2013 - link
I can't wait to see when a company makes a "dockable" phone into a serious camera like this. Imagine having the Galaxy NX as your connected camera, but when you aren't actually taking photos, you just "pop" the phone out like a tablet/keyboard convertible and use it like a normal GS4. Whether it's Samsung with Android or Nokia with WP8, that could (imo) be a serious device.You would have to ensure the lenses match up etc so I don't know if it's possible to "magnify" the normal 8MP or whatever camera it is with the lense on a real camera, and ensure that it stays unscratched (possibly add a closed shutter when not in use like normal cameras?) but if that could be pulled off it would be an impressive piece of engineering!
theduckofdeath - Sunday, July 7, 2013 - link
I'm not a fan of dockable phone solutions. It hinders the design of the phone too much. And personally I don't see the point. You're basically paying more for less.Gnarr - Thursday, June 20, 2013 - link
Does it shoot raw? If not, no real photography enthusiast will buy this over a dSLR with raw capabilities.bengildenstein - Thursday, June 20, 2013 - link
Yes it does.SeannyB - Friday, June 21, 2013 - link
Yes, it shoots raw. DPReview even suggested that with the Photo Mate Professional Android app, one could have a raw shooting & processing & publishing workflow all in-camera.Calin - Friday, June 21, 2013 - link
No real photography enthusiast will buy this - but anyway, the market for this type of device could be hugeSpunjji - Friday, June 21, 2013 - link
Why not?JimRamK - Friday, June 21, 2013 - link
Lack of physical controlscmdrdredd - Sunday, June 23, 2013 - link
I see a dial looking thing on it. And a couple of extra buttons.Mayuyu - Thursday, June 20, 2013 - link
What's the start up time?