Olympus Stylus 7010 Review

Olympus Stylus 7010 Review

Consumers have always loved tiny cameras and Olympus has long been the industry leader when it comes to producing mini-cams. Their "Pen" series half-frame cameras were small before small was cool, and the first Stylus was a tiny clamshell style 35mm point and shoot. It was only a matter of time before somebody produced a tiny digital camera with a very long lens - a mini-megazoom digicam. The Olympus Stylus 7010 is both ultra compact and super thin - a genuine shirt pocket digicam that features a zoom that starts at the equivalent of 28mm and goes all the way to the equivalent of 196mm. That's a lot of juice for a camera that's only marginally larger than an MP3 player.

So how does the Stylus 7010 measure up as one of the first of a new breed of mini-megazoom digicams? Photography has always been about compromises and the Olympus Stylus 7010 is a perfect example. The secret to creating a tiny imaging tool that provides maximum reach is to manufacture a product that doesn't require compromises that are too onerous. The 7010 is currently the smallest digital camera available with a 7x optical zoom - the 7010 also features 12 megapixel resolution, dual image stabilization, an intelligent Auto mode, in-camera panorama stitching, and a nifty Shadow Adjustment tool.

That's a lot of bells and whistles, but there really is no free lunch. What will those who buy the 7010 have to give up? Right off the bat the 7010 does not provide an optical viewfinder and the zoom is a bit slower than comparable zooms on larger cameras. Keep reading to find out how the benefits and drawbacks of the ultra-slim 7010 weigh out.

BUILD AND DESIGN

The Olympus Stylus 7010 is a very conventionally designed lozenge-shaped digicam that looks remarkably similar to just about every other ultra-compact digital camera out there. The 7010 is a tiny (3.8x2.2x1.0 inch) auto exposure only digital camera that weighs a bit less than four and a half ounces. The body seems to be relatively robust with metal alloy sheathing over a polycarbonate shell. The Stylus 7010 is available in three colors - Silver, Dark Gray, or Pink.

The 7010's major claim to fame is its 7x zoom that starts at the equivalent of 28mm - most digital cameras this size provide only 3x to 5x zooms and start at around the equivalent of 35mm. That's pretty impressive specifications for a camera that is only an inch thick.

Ergonomics and Controls
The Olympus Stylus 7010's user interface is uncomplicated and reasonably straightforward. The camera is fairly stable in the hand for such a small unit, but it lacks any sort of handgrip. The 7010's 2.7 inch slightly protuberant LCD screen takes up about four fifths of the camera's back deck.

The 7010's control layout is fairly typical and quite similar to most recent consumer digicams. Dedicated controls are minimal and while all are logically placed and come easily to hand (for right-handed shooters) they are all rather small. The 7010's controls (except the on/off button and the shutter button) are crowded into a small strip along the extreme right side of the camera. The zoom rocker switch and mode dial occupy the exact area where your thumb would naturally rest near the top right corner of the camera's rear deck.

The compass pad (four-way controller) and FUNC button provide direct access to exposure compensation, white balance, ISO, image size options, metering options, flash settings, macro mode, and the self-timer. The compass pad is very close to the display/delete rocker switch below it. This makes deleting images difficult because it is very easy to hit the menu/review rocker switch above the compass pad instead of the north/top (for yes) position on the compass pad. Kudos to Olympus for placing the exposure compensation button at the North (top) position on the compass pad - making minor exposure adjustments (incrementally lightening or darkening images) easy.

Using the camera is really simple - all exposure options are minor variations on the auto mode theme. The 7010 was clearly designed to be usable by just about anyone. Most folks will have no problem using the camera right out of the box.

Menus and Modes
The Stylus 7010 features Olympus' new cartoon-icon menu system. A camera icon appears in the middle of the screen when the menu button is pressed and then the compass pad is used to move a set of brackets through the different menu options available (image quality, magic filters, reset, panorama, scene mode, silent mode, and set-up mode) - to select the menu desired the user presses the OK/FUNC button. The FUNC button provides direct access to the most commonly changed/adjusted functions like White Balance, ISO, drive mode, metering, image size and quality settings.

Here's a listing of the Stylus 7010's shooting modes:

* Auto: (usually called Program mode) - Auto exposure with limited user input (sensitivity, white balance, etc.)
* iAuto: (usually called Auto mode) The camera makes all exposure decisions - just point the camera at the subject and press the shutter button
* SCN: The camera optimizes all exposure parameters for the specific scene type selected - Portraits, Landscape, Night Scene, Night+Portrait, Sport, Indoor, Candle-light, Self Portrait, Sunset, Fireworks, Cuisine, Documents, Beach & Snow, Pre-Capture Movie, and Pet
* Beauty: Like Portrait Scene Mode but with a smoother and softer look
* Movie: VGA video (640x480) at 15 fps or 30 fps

Display/Viewfinder
Like most recent point and shoots, the Stylus 7010 doesn't provide an optical viewfinder so the "HyperCrystal II" 2.7 inch LCD must manage all framing/composition, captured image review, and menu navigation chores. The 7010's LCD is relatively sharp (230,000 pixels), bright, hue accurate, relatively fluid, and the info display provides all the data the camera's target audience is likely to need. The display gains "up" (automatically increases brightness) in dim lighting.

The LCDs on compact digital cameras are TTL (through the lens) and function as very accurate framing tools, but for shooting in bright outdoor locales I generally prefer an optical viewfinder. The 7010's LCD sticks out a bit from the back deck, making it slightly easier to smudge or scratch the surface, but it doesn't seem to be as subject to glare as some of its competition. The user-enabled LCD grid-line display is a nice (and useful) touch as well.

PERFORMANCE
The Olympus Stylus 7010 comes in about average, in terms of overall performance. It isn't the slowest camera in its class, but it's not the fastest either. Experienced photographers shouldn't have much trouble capturing the decisive moment with kids/pets/events, but rapidly unfolding action/sports may pose a challenge.

Shooting Performance
The 7010 starts up pretty quickly (just a bit over a second), but shutter lag (press-to-capture, pre-focused) is a bit slower than average at 0.03 seconds. AF Acquisition (press-to-capture, no pre-focus) is also a bit slower than average at 0.45 seconds. Continuous shooting is slower than most of the Stylus 7010's competition at 1.7 fps - the 7010 dumps the buffer after only 2 exposures. Shot to shot times are noticeably slower than most of the 7010's competition - averaging about 3.0 - 3.5 seconds between shots.

The Stylus 7010's iESP TTL Contrast Detection AF system utilizes a single (center) AF bracket that glows green when focus is locked and red when the camera is unable to lock focus. AF is pretty quick, very accurate, and features AF tracking and face detection for up to 16 subjects. The 7010's AF system works nicely in decent (outdoor) lighting, but it often has difficulty locking focus in dimmer (indoor) lighting - focusing is also noticeably slower in poor light.

The 7010's built-in multi mode flash provides a barely acceptable selection of artificial lighting options, including Off, On (fill flash), Auto (fires when needed), and Red-eye Reduction. Olympus claims the maximum flash range is about 9 feet at ISO 800. The flash needs between 4.0 and 5.0 seconds to re-cycle (with a fully charged battery) after a full-power discharge.

The Stylus 7010 is powered by an Olympus LI42B 3.7v - 740mAh lithium-ion battery. Olympus claims the battery is good for 300 exposures. It's almost impossible for me to keep track of exposures because I do a lot of shoot, review, delete, and re-shoot so I can't quibble with Olympus' numbers - but I do believe they're a bit optimistic. The battery in my test unit may have been new and lithium-ion rechargeables are supposed to need a few charge cycles to attain maximum output levels, but I never got anything close to 300 shots.

Unlike most of its competition, the Stylus 7010 provides not only the expected ESP evaluative light metering mode, but an unexpected (and welcome) Spot metering mode as well. The Olympus Stylus 7010 can use either xD-Picture Cards or microSD memory media.

Lens Performance
When the Stylus 7010 is powered up the zoom extends automatically and when the camera is powered down the zoom is fully retracted into the camera body and a built-in iris style lens cover closes to protect the front element. Very thin cameras sometimes utilize internal focus periscope style zooms that fold the light path (via mirrors/prisms) in order to save space, but periscope zooms produce images that are consistently softer than traditional optical zooms. The 7010 features a relatively sharp and super compact traditional f/3.0-5.9, 5-35mm optical zoom that goes all the way from 28mm (equivalent) moderate wide-angle to 196mm (equivalent) medium telephoto - that's a lot of zoom for a camera that is only about an inch thick.

Zooming (10 steps) is fairly smooth and operation is very quiet. The 7010's zoom is surprisingly good, but it does display noticeable corner softness and some minor vignetting (dark corners). Barrel distortion (at the wide-angle end of the zoom range) is minimal, which is impressive since barrel distortion is a common fault with tiny highly complex (especially prevalent with longer or wider) digicam zooms. Pincushion distortion is essentially invisible at the telephoto end of the zoom.

The 7010's Dual Image Stabilization system provides both mechanical sensor shift IS and digital IS. With digital IS the camera boosts sensitivity/ISO and increases shutter speed to counter camera shake and to compensate for minor subject movement.

Video Quality
The Olympus Stylus 7010's fairly standard 30 fps VGA (640x480) AVI Motion JPEG movie mode with monaural sound can't compete with a dedicated video camera, but it is OK for generating e-mail video attachments for friends and family. Video duration is limited only by card capacity.

Image Quality
Unlike most of its competition, the 7010's colors are pretty close to neutral which is actually a god thing, but contrast is a little flat and there's no way to boost either color saturation or to adjust contrast. Olympus did include a selection (pop art, pin hole, sketch, and fish-eye) of "Magic Filters" just for fun, though.

Outdoors, in good light, the Stylus 7010 (like most of its competition) does a very nice job - image quality is dependably very good and exposures are consistently accurate although there is a very slight tendency toward overexposure and highlights are sometimes burned out.

The 7010's Auto White Balance setting did a pretty good job outdoors, but it struggled to get hue right indoors and in dim/low lighting.

Indoor image quality is decent, but as sensitivity automatically rises to overcome lower levels of ambient lighting, noise rises exponentially and color accuracy suffers a bit.

Noise levels are quite reasonable up to ISO 200, but distortion levels rise as sensitivity rises. At ISO 400 and higher, noise is noticeably above average.

CONCLUSIONS
The Olympus Stylus 7010 provides a similar balance of dependably good pictures requiring little user input and dead simple ease of use that distinguishes many of today's more popular consumer digicams, but it's smaller, lighter, thinner, has a longer zoom (that starts at the equivalent of 28mm), and it's also cheaper than many of them.

Performance-wise, the Stylus 7010 ends up near the middle of the 12 megapixel ultra-compact digicams pack and like most of its contemporaries, it is probably not a good choice for those who like to shoot indoors or in low/dim light. The 7010 is true shirt pocket digital camera and it should appeal to casual photographers looking for a nifty little gadget to complement their iPhone and iPod, along with hikers, mountain bikers, backpackers, and space weight conscious travelers looking for a P&S digicam that packs lots of photographic potential into a small super-thin package with a long lens.

Pros:

* Long zoom
* Super thin ultra-compact body

Cons:

* No optical viewfinder
* No manual control over exposure
* Noisy images

(Source: digitalcamerareview.com)

Nikon Coolpix S640

Nikon Coolpix S640

With a low-profile design, the compact Nikon Coolpix S640 seems to lend itself to street photography. In fact, it calls to mind the approach of post World War I photographers like Robert Doisneau. Doisneau embraced the portability and flexibility of the relatively new 35mm still camera medium and shot everything with a handheld Leica rangefinder. He photographed his subjects where he found them - in the streets of Paris.

Doisneau's diminutive Leica was the mini-cam of his era and if he were working today, I believe he would be amazed at the immediacy, flexibility, capability, and ease of use of today's ultra-compact digital cameras like the new Nikon Coolpix S640.

BUILD AND DESIGN
The brick-shaped Coolpix S640 looks pretty much like every other ultra-compact shirt-pocket digicam out there, but under the hood this camera conceals some important improvements over its predecessors. Nikon claims the S640 is the quickest Coolpix ever - with the fastest start up time of any currently available Point and Shoot (in its class) and with auto focus as snappy as many entry level DSLRs.

The robustly built metal-alloy/polycarbonate bodied S640 is an auto exposure only digital camera with no manual exposure capability. The S640 is tiny (3.6x2.2x0.8 inches and weighing just 3.9oz) making it close to perfect for capturing candid people shots and a natural choice for street photography - it's responsive, unobtrusive, and eminently pocketable. The S640 is available in black, white, red, or pink.

Ergonomics and Controls
Even though the S640 is thin, tiny, and has smooth surfaces, it is fairly stable in the hands thanks to the nicely placed wrist strap and contoured thumb rest. The S640 is too small for any sort of handgrip, but Nikon could have added a thin finger rail along the right front edge of the camera to improve handling and security.

Dedicated controls are limited, but all buttons/knobs/switches/etc. are logically placed and come easily to hand (for right-handed shooters). In place of the standard compass switch, the S640 features what is essentially a rotary jog dial (which Nikon calls the rotary multi-controller) for super fast menu scrolling and back and forth saved image comparison.

The rotary multi-controller also functions in the familiar compass switch control configuration - up/down (flash/macro), left/right (self timer/exposure compensation), and center "OK" button.

Menus and Modes
The S640's menu system is straightforward - it's consistently simple, user-friendly, logical, and easily navigated. The relatively large 2.7 inch LCD and reasonable font size make reading and using the nominal menus easy. One minor complaint - unlike comparable digicams from several other manufacturers, the S640 doesn't provide direct access (via a "func" or "quick menu" button) to the most commonly changed/adjusted camera settings and functions like white balance, sensitivity, etc.

Here's a breakdown of the S640's shooting modes:

* Auto: Point-and-shoot mode with limited user input - In Auto mode (which is actually closer to Program mode) the camera selects the aperture and shutter speed, but allows users to control sensitivity (ISO), white balance, color/saturation, and exposure compensation.
* Scene mode: Scene Auto Selector (which automatically selects the most appropriate Scene mode for the shooting situation), Portrait, Landscape, Sports, Night Portrait, Party/Indoor, Beach/Snow, Sunset, Dusk/Dawn, Night Landscape, Close-Up, Food, Museum, Fireworks Show, Copy, Backlight, and Panorama Assist.
* Smart Portrait mode: Specialized portrait mode which automatically turns on the Skin Softening function, smoothing out skin texture and minimizing blemishes. The Smart Portrait mode also activates the Smile timer which trips the shutter when the priority subject smiles, Nikon's Blink Proof function which automatically captures two sequential exposures and then saves the one in which the subject's eyes are open, and Subject Tracking in which the camera locks focus on and automatically tracks the movement of the primary subject to assure sharp focus and rapid response when the "decisive moment" occurs. Subject Tracking continues to function even if the subject briefly exits the frame.
* Movie: AVI Motion JPEG video clips at 640x480 at 30 fps or 320x240 at 15 fps with monaural audio. Video clip duration is limited to available memory (up to 25 minutes).

Display/Viewfinder

Like most currently available compact point and shoots, the S640 doesn't provide an optical viewfinder so the LCD must be used for all framing and composition, image review, and menu access. The S640's wide-viewing angle Clear Color LCD is relatively sharp (230,000 pixels), fairly bright, hue accurate, and reasonably fluid. The info display provides all the data the camera's target audience is likely to need, but in review mode this information remains on the screen for approximately five seconds before allowing the image to be seen without the info overlay - defeating the nifty rotary jog dials ability to compare saved images by jogging back and forth between them.

The LCD gains up (automatically increases brightness) in dim lighting and can be adjusted to the individual shooters preferences. Some earlier "S" models featured LCDs that were so shiny that they behaved like mirrors, making them essentially useless in bright outdoor lighting - the S640 shows marked improvement over its predecessors with an excellent anti-glare/anti-reflection coating.

PERFORMANCE
Nikon claims the S640 is the quickest Coolpix ever - with the fastest start up time of any currently available camera in its class and an auto focus system that is as speedy as many entry level DSLRs. The S640's performance is impressive, especially so for an ultra-compact, but it is no speed demon. Here's the problem (granted it isn't much of a problem): the camera starts up almost instantly, but users then must wait 2-4 seconds before the camera can/will do anything - menu access, zooming, review, image capture.

After the camera is fully awake it is pretty quick, but not noticeably quicker than its competition - Shutter lag is 0.04 seconds, and AF Acquisition is a very snappy 0.29 seconds. The S640's continuous shooting mode (which allows users to capture several images in quick succession) is 3 frames in 2.2 seconds. Shot to shot times also seem a bit quicker than average.

Shooting Performance
In addition to being quicker than most of the competition the S640 consistently produces sharply focused and properly exposed images even in lighting that would challenge most point and shoots. The S640 accomplishes this by way of the camera's triple threat Image Stabilization system. It consists firstly of Nikon's standard Vibration Reduction technology, which works by quickly and precisely shifting lens elements in the S640's Nikkor zoom to compensate for camera movement during exposure. Digital Image Stabilization boosts sensitivity (up to ISO 6400) and increases shutter speeds to help further counter shooter instability - especially in low light. Nikon's Motion Detection technology automatically (when needed) manages shutter speed and sensitivity to compensate for minor subject movement during exposure.

The S640's VR system provides only two options - on or off. Finally, Nikon's nifty BSS (Best Shot Selector) mode captures (in rapid sequence) up to 10 shots of the subject and automatically saves the sharpest frame - so even in dismal lighting the S640 produces good images. Not only is the S640 a pretty good "street" camera it also turns out to be a decent indoor/bar/party camera.

Nikon claims the S640's AF is as speedy as many entry-level DSLRs - which is interesting since Contrast Detection type AF systems like the one used by the S640 are generally slower than the phase detection AF systems used in most DSLRs. I didn't have an entry level DSLR on hand to compare with, but the S640's AF is very quick and dependably accurate.

The Coolpix S640's built-in multi-mode flash is a bit on the weak side, but it provides an adequate selection of artificial lighting options, including Auto (fires when needed), On (fill flash), Red-Eye Reduction, Slow Sync, and Off. Nikon claims the maximum flash range (auto ISO) is about 25 feet, but that distance (based on my admittedly very limited flash use) seems wildly optimistic.

The S640 is powered by a 3.7V, 1050mAh Nikon EN-EL12 lithium-ion battery. Nikon claims the S640 (with a fully charged battery) is good for 270 exposures. I do a lot of shoot, review, delete, and re-shoot so I can't really keep track of exposures - but I only charged the battery twice while I had the camera. The supplied Charging AC Adapter (EH-68P/EH-68P) charges the battery in-camera.

The S640 provides 45MB of internal memory and stores images to SD/SDHC memory media up to 16GB.

Lens Performance
Most ultra-compact digicams sport 3x zooms, so one of the nicest features of the S640 is its very good f/2.7-6.6, equivalent 28mm-140mm 5x Nikkor zoom. Starting at a wide angle equivalent of 28mm is impressive, since most ultra-compact digicam zooms start at around 35mm. The S640's lens makes this camera very useful for candid/street shooters because they not only get a little extra width, they also get a little extra reach. This lens has a fairly fast maximum aperture at the wide end but a very slow maximum aperture at the telephoto end of the zoom range.

When the camera is powered up, the lens automatically telescopes out of the camera body. When the camera is powered down, the lens is fully retracted into the camera body and a built-in iris style lens cover protects the front element. Center sharpness is pretty good overall, but at the wide-angle end of the zoom corners are slightly soft. I didn't notice any vignetting (dark corners) and both barrel distortion (straight lines bow out from the center) and pincushion distortion (straight lines bow in toward the center) seem well corrected. Contrast is balanced and colors are hue accurate. Minimum focusing distance (in Macro mode) is 0.8 inches. Zooming is smooth, silent, and quick.

Video Quality
The Nikon Coolpix S640's movie mode is competent, but unexciting and pedestrian - it allows users to capture video clips with monaural sound at resolutions of either 640x480 at 30fps or 320x240 at 15fps. There is no HD mode - with HDTVs proliferating like proverbial bunnies, an HD video mode is becoming something of an expected feature on newer digicams. Shooters can't use the optical zoom (although the optical zoom can be set to whatever length is desired prior to recording) during video capture, but the digital zoom can be used.

Image Quality
Like most point and shoots, the S640's images are optimized for the bold, bright colors, and balanced contrast that many veteran shooters refer to as consumer color - overall color is accurate but noticeably over-saturated. Reds are very warm, blues are bold and bright, and greens/yellows are overly vibrant. Unlike the vast majority of compact cameras, the S640 does a very good job of accurately rendering purples.

Outdoors, the S640 does a great job - image quality is dependably excellent. Exposures are consistently accurate, but lots of sky in the picture often results in slightly overexposed images.

The S640's Auto White Balance is dependably accurate over a wide range of lighting conditions. In fact, it's the best auto WB I've seen in a camera in this price class - easily equal to Canon's "G" series cameras. The S640's Auto WB mode handled indoor color with aplomb - I had color accuracy problems under mixed indoor lighting with the Nikon Coolpix S620, so clearly Nikon has tweaked their white balance color interpolation a bit for the S640.

In addition to the auto setting there are Manual, Daylight, Incandescent, Fluorescent, Cloudy, and Flash settings.
Indoor image quality is excellent, on par with much more expensive digicams, but as sensitivity automatically rises to overcome lower levels of ambient lighting, noise rises exponentially and color accuracy suffers a bit. Noise levels are quite reasonable up to ISO 400, but they increase substantially after ISO 800.

CONCLUSIONS
Compact cameras have always been popular (at least in part) because they're unobtrusive and not intimidating to subjects. The inconspicuous little Nikon Coolpix S640 should fit right in - it does a remarkably good job across the board and it's tough enough to go just about anywhere. Auto focus speed is on par with many entry-level DSLRs and the S640 is as fast or faster than any camera in its class. Image quality is dependably very good to excellent with balanced contrast, bold bright colors, and acceptable noise levels up to ISO 800. Chromatic aberration (purple fringing) is very well controlled, and the 0.8 inch macro shooting capability is very useful. The S640's triple threat VR system is also a welcome feature.


The Nikon Coolpix S640 provides users with an impressive mixture of versatility, ease of use, and operational speed to efficiently and effectively meet the needs of a surprisingly diverse group of shooters. The S640 is an excellent general-use digicam that is so simple to operate that even absolute beginners can capture stunning images. The S640 is tiny, it's fast, and it consistently delivers first-rate images of both static and active subjects - making it a great choice for family photographers and casual shooters looking a stylish ultra-compact digicam capable of capturing great images outdoors and indoors.

Unlike most of its competition, the Coolpix S640 will also appeal to candid/street/documentary shooters looking for a low-profile picture machine with a little extra reach that's quick enough to capture the decisive moment. The S640 also offers hikers, backpackers, off-trail bikers, extreme sports fans, and adventure travelers lots of photographic potential in a small, light-weight package.

Pros:

* Fast
* Moderate wide-angle to short telephoto 5x zoom
* Tough and versatile
* Easy to use

Cons:

* No optical viewfinder
* No manual exposure options
* Weak flash

(Source: digitalcamerareview.com)

Samsung NX10 launched and previewed

Samsung NX10 launched and previewed

Samsung has announced the NX10, the first of its NX series of mirrorless interchangeable lens cameras. The NX10 wraps a 14.6 megapixel APS-C-sized CMOS sensor up in a comparatively compact, DSLR-style body including an eye-level VGA resolution electronic viewfinder.

It also features a 3.0" OLED screen, promising lower power consumption, a wider range of viewing angles and better contrast than LCD technology. It can also shoot 720p HD video with H.264 compression.

The company has also launched an 18-55mm F3.5-5.6 kit lens, a 55-200mm telezoom and a 30mm F2 pancake lens for the camera, which uses a completely new lens mount.

We've had a pre-production camera for a little while, so have produced a full preview (with sample images to follow later today) to give you an idea of what to expect from the little Korean camera.

Las Vegas, NV, January 4th, 2009: Samsung Digital Imaging Company Inc., today announced the Samsung NX10 at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas – an innovative digital camera that provides users with an interchangeable lens system and optimum image quality in a sleek, compact body. Delivering creativity without compromise, users can now be as creative as they want on the move, without having to compromise perfect images.

The NX10 incorporates a fast and decisive auto focus (AF), 14.6 MP APS-C size CMOS sensor and unique, large 3.0” AMOLED screen, allowing users to easily view their images, even in bright sunlight. Users can also record in HD movie to create the full story. Available in two colors, Noble Black and Titan Silver, the Samsung NX10 is small, light and ergonomically designed to ensure maximum portability for everyday use.

The Samsung NX10 ensures users never miss a moment, with one of the fastest AF in its class on the market. The company’s latest innovation, the new DRIMe II Pro engine and advanced AF algorithm, also provide ultra fast AF speed with the higher precision of contrast AF.

The Samsung NX10 has the heart of a DSLR embedded inside the compact frame of a digital camera, successfully integrating the APS-C size CMOS sensor with a mirrorless interchangeable lens, for a sleek, lightweight camera that users can easily take with them everywhere they go.

Consumers are not just limited to taking shots but can also tell their own stories in video format with HD movie recording (H.264 codec).

Samsung continues to extend the usage of AMOLED screens across many products, using a large 3.0” AMOLED screen in Samsung NX10. AMOLED provides easier viewing even in bright sunshine and at acute viewing angles, meaning users no longer need to shield their screen with their hand. The category leading screen also provides 10,000 times faster response rate than conventional LCDs, has a far lower power consumption and higher contrast ratio – 10,000:1 vs. 500:1.

“The new Samsung NX10 marks the start of the next generation of cameras,” said Mr. S J Park, CEO of Samsung Digital Imaging Company. “We know from our detailed research over several years that what consumers want from their cameras is evolving, which we’ve reflected in the development of the Samsung NX10. With specialist equipment open to everyone and no longer restricted solely to the professional, more and more people want to capture something creative and tell a story through their camera – but they also want something compact that they can carry round with them all day. The large sensor and the ultra fast auto focus give consumers the quality they demand as well as the compactness they want in one exceptional package.”

Mr. Park continued: “Samsung has always been quick to implement cutting edge technology and no more so when it comes to quality of images. For the first time in the market, Samsung has successfully integrated an APS-C size sensor into a compact body by eliminating the mirror box, meaning that our users can now be as creative as they want to be on the move without having to compromise on image quality.”

The Samsung NX10 also contains a range of intelligent features to put professional quality images within reach of the amateur photographer. The Samsung NX10 includes in-depth manual controls and also a Smart Auto function which automatically detects the surrounding environment of the shot and selects the right shoot mode. Its Smart Range feature also enables the user to vividly express both bright areas and dark areas in the same frame, and the Supersonic Dust Reduction system keeps those dust particles clear of the image sensor that can often impair an image. It even senses when the user brings the camera close to their face to look through the viewfinder, and puts the AMOLED screen on standby to conserve power.

(Source: www.dpreview.com)