[jogiba]

Samsung's Android-based, professional-class camera gets leaked ahead of June 20 event

Just hours after Samsung co-CEO JK Shin confirmed that the company will release an Android-powered mirrorless camera, we're already seeing the first leaked promotional shots of the device. Vietnamese tech site Tinh te has published three images of a device bearing the name Galaxy NX -- a product that fuses Samsung's smart device and camera brands.

And it's a big honkin' camera. The Galaxy NX clearly a professional-class product, with interchangeable lenses, a viewfinder, a big grippy body and a large rear display -- a world away from last year's Galaxy Camera. According to Tinh te's post, the NX features a 20.3-megapixel APS-C sensor, 1080p video recording support, max ISO of 25,600 and a dual-core or quad-core Exynos CPU. The touchscreen back is a "high resolution" 4.3-incher, according to the post. No word on connectivity, but there's a signal strength meter on the display, suggesting it'll feature cellular radios of some sort.

If the Galaxy S4 Zoom was Samsung's answer to a consumer-level Android imaging device, then the Galaxy NX is squarely aimed at the professional market, and may attract attention from high-end users who were underwhelmed by the Galaxy Camera's performance. We can only speculate as to the eventual price (we imagine it won't come cheap), but whatever it costs, we're eager to get our hands on the Galaxy NX at Samsung's June 20 "Premiere" event.

Samsung 'Galaxy NX' Android-based mirrorless camera pictured | Android Central

We know Samsung is holding an event in London on June 20, and we know it isn't about the Galaxy S4 Zoom. While we don't know exactly how many products will be unveiled, Samsung is kind enough to confirm at least one.

As reported by The Korea Times, co-CEO of Samsung Electronics and the company's mobile chief, J.K. Shin, has confirmed that the sequel to the Galaxy Camera (announced in IFA last year) will make an appearance. It will be a mirrorless camera that runs on Android.

And now, images of one Samsung Galaxy NX mirrorless camera have been leaked (hat tip to Tinhte and TechTastic).



The Samsung Galaxy NX mirrorless interchangeable lens camera (product name GN100/120) looks to have the following specs:

20.3-megapixel APS-C sensor
Full HD 1080p video recording
ISO up to 25,600
4.3-inch, 960 x 540-pixel touchscreen
Optical viewfinder, popup flash

http://news.asiaone.com/News/Latest%2BNews/Science%2Band%2BTech/Story/A1Stor...14-429679.html

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Last edited by jogiba; 06-15-2013 at 08:23 AM.

[savoche]

One good thing about Samsung is that they aren't afraid of trying new things. I don't think I would want my camera running Android, though.

An Android phone with a good camera, fine, but a system camera with a general OS sounds too power consuming for the (unwanted?) extra functionality it adds.

I wish them the best of luck anyway.

[ofer4]

Isn't it a little hard to perform multi-touch gestures with your nose?

Nice to see someone thinking outside the box, though...

[Na Horuk]

That should have been Pentax! With K mount.
20MP would also make people happy.

Id love to have a high end camera that could make phone calls and use apps.

[Winder]

I like a lot of what Samsung is doing.

Automatic firmware updates for the camera and lenses.
Automatic upload to your cloud service (going to need a hell of a data package).

I don't want a touch screen camera as a primary, but I can think of a lot of uses for a camera like this for traveling and sharing on social media. I'm glad to see companies going outside the "normal" and bringing new features and ideas to products.

[Uluru]

From the picture making point of view, this Android NX is utter rubbish; one needs to hold the hefty camera with a big lens always away from the viewfinder to access the commands on the touch screen.

It's same as handling the tablet with a big lens screwed on, so instead of having best of both the tablet and a DSLR, you get a product that has worst of both.

Samsung simply doesn't "get it" what it means a groundbreaking or innovative — they can either copy others and then increase the size of copies, or glue two extremes together and hope it will stick together. And that's about it. What a boring company!

But for connectivity, this flathead monster is perhaps great. So when you're tired of taking pictures, you can browse the net or sit and play Super Mario on this.

So we got it — this is just a hefty Android hybrid device in the shape of a giant mushroom.

[falconeye]

There are many opinions one can have about this camera. Cf. Winder and Uluru.

Personally, I am mostly curious to see the experiment derole.

I give it to Samsung that they gave the camera an EVF. Hope, it has a near sensor to switch the touch screen off when using it.

Two things I am most curious to see:

1. Photos of photographers phoning with their camera

2. The Android camera API for this camera. If this API is elegant and complete including the low level features, this camera can become bold. Imagine a competition for Apps for better contrast AF tracking ...

If the API is limited like a tethering API, this camera will soon be forgotten.

[Fogel70]

From the picture making point of view, this Android NX is utter rubbish; one needs to hold the hefty camera with a big lens always away from the viewfinder to access the commands on the touch screen.

It's same as handling the tablet with a big lens screwed on, so instead of having best of both the tablet and a DSLR, you get a product that has worst of both.

Samsung simply doesn't "get it" what it means a groundbreaking or innovative — they can either copy others and then increase the size of copies, or glue two extremes together and hope it will stick together. And that's about it. What a boring company!

But for connectivity, this flathead monster is perhaps great. So when you're tired of taking pictures, you can browse the net or sit and play Super Mario on this.

So we got it — this is just a hefty Android hybrid device in the shape of a giant mushroom.

I agree, I don't look like a" photographers camera" the least.

I guess it will take very long to start (but it's probably not meant to be turned off) and you might even have to start an app before you can use the camera.
Very few buttons, so almost every setting has to be made with the touch screen. And it's probably difficult to use the touch screen when using EVF.

Might be a cool gadget, but probably not a very nice camera.

[Class A]

If the API is limited like a tethering API, this camera will soon be forgotten.

I think one can delete the first part of your sentence (everything before and including the comma).

I don't think this combination of huge lenses and virtually no hardware controls is going to fly.

[RonakG]

Hands-on review -

You Tube

You Tube

[jogiba]

Samsung Galaxy NX Hands-on: Digital Photography Review

Hands-on with the Samsung Galaxy NX: Connect

camera size vs Pentax K-50 :
http://camerasize.com/compare/#465,462

[Na Horuk]

Well it doesn't look that amazing, but I think it has huge potential. Imagine, competing camera apps, like light meter algorithms, CD AF algorithms, post processing software right on the camera, competing panorama and HDR software, the camera allowing you to directly upload photos to cloud, mail or send some to clients, friends.. not to mention, nobody can ever tell you to delete a photo - its can be encrypted and uploaded as soon as you take it.

[Uluru]

Might be a cool gadget, but probably not a very nice camera.

I actually don't get Samsung; if they want to innovate around camera with Android, they have chosen the worst form possible —the DSLR form. DSLR is a pinnacle of evolution of design around grip and tactile switches and knobs needed for very fast operation.

Even with today's DSLR software, which isn't even remotely as complex as Android, things on DSLR are becoming too complex to handle because manufacturers just add stuff in. Now when you add Android, the whole thing becomes ridiculous.

Therefore many are craving for film SLR-like simplicity, as seen in operation of Pentax ME or LX. Because to take a picture, one doesn't need all the capabilities of today's camera software — software simply gets in a way of immersing in a moment and enjoying it. (Perhaps Leica with their uber-simple software is still closest to that goal.)

However, DSLRs looks like DSLRs because they are grippable, and because that design is about balance needed to hold big lenses, and about holding a camera with both hands near your face, at the eye level. Maximum stability and balance. That is why it's been designed for.

If I were to innovate around the touch display that Android works best with, then a totally flat, smartphone-like camera would be better. Something that is small and flat and has small in-built lenses.

Say, what Apple has done in the new iOS7 re photo and video capture makes sense, and is a step in good direction.

[Fogel70]

Therefore many are craving for film SLR-like simplicity, as seen in operation of Pentax ME or LX. Because to take a picture, one doesn't need all the capabilities of today's camera software — software simply gets in a way of immersing in a moment and enjoying it. (Perhaps Leica with their uber-simple software is still closest to that goal.)

Do you really think about the software in the camera when taking pictures? Do you also think about the complex mechanical design of MX when you use it?

I surely don't care of the amount of software in the camera, as long it's not in the way of shooting (which it isn't on the cameras I use). IMO a modern DSLR are much more enjoyable to use than old school SLR, as it's much easier to take control of exposure as you don't have to chnage grip on camera, and see the exposure in the OVF all the time.

Ergonomics are also much better on a modern DSLR, and on a camera like ME you don't even get to set exposure manually, I don't really like the old school interface on the camera. It's just a interface that was easiest to implement on mechanical cameras, but it's not the best on electronic cameras.

[Jon]

I've had a couple Android phones. I don't recall them ever working properly.