Samsung NX2000 Review

July 25, 2013 | Mark Goldstein | Rating star Rating star Rating star Rating star Half rating star

Introduction

The Samsung NX2000 is a new entry-level mirrorless compact system camera. The plastic-bodied NX2000 features a 20.3 megapixel APS-C CMOS sensor, 3.7-inch WVGA Full Touch Screen, ISO range of 100-25,600, 1080p HD movie recording, built-in Wi-Fi and Near Field Communication (NFC) connectivity, 8.6fps continuous shooting, 1/4000th second top shutter speed, Sweep Panoramas and Samsung's unique i-Function lens. The i-Function button on compatible lenses allows users to control the NX2000 by scrolling through manual settings (shutter speed, aperture, EV, WB, and ISO) and using the focus ring to change the parameters for each setting. The NX2000 also has a special i-Scene lens priority mode, which allows users to select the scene modes, six different Smart Filters and the intelli-Zoom function. The Samsung NX2000 is available in black, pink or white and costs £599 / $649 in a kit with the 20-50mm II lens and Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 4.

Ease of Use

The NX2000 employs the same 20.3 megapixel APS-C CMOS sensor as all the other NX-series cameras, which is around 1.5x physically larger than the Micro Four Thirds system and promises to rival the image quality of the majority of DSLRs, whilst still maintaining a small camera body that is very similar to the likes of the comparable Sony NEX, Olympus PEN and Panasonic G-series.

The all-plastic NX2000 does at least have a metal lens mount and tripod socket, not bad considering its modest price-tag. First impressions of the NX2000 are positive, with excellent build quality that we've come to expect from recent Samsung cameras. Our NX2000 review sample has a functional look with an attractive all-white colour, subtly rounded edges and a tactile curved handgrip that has a textured area where your fingers rest and a rubberised finish to the rest of the grip and the small rear thumb panel.

At 119 x 64.5 x 35.7 , the NX2000 is very slightly bigger than the NX1000. Once again there's no viewfinder or built-in pop-up flash, and while beginners probably won't notice the lack of an EVF, being more used to holding a camera at arm's length than holding one up to their eye, they will undoubtedly miss having a flash, while the reverse is probably true for more experienced photographers.

Flash is instead provided for by a supplied accessory (SEF-15A) which slots into the Smart Shoe on top of the camera, which adds to the bulk of the camera and isn't as well integrated as some of its main rivals. Another accessory is the EM10 external microphone, which features adjustable levels, a built-in headphone jack and no external cabling and is commendably compatible with all the Samsung NX models, including the NX2000. Note that there is no longer an external EVF option for the NX2000.

We tested the NX2000 with the Samsung 20-50mm II, which has the built-in i-Functionality but only a plastic mount and more crucially no optical stabilisation, important as the NX system doesn't offer in-body stabilisation. On the plus side it is smaller and more compact than the 18-55mm kit lens. Samsung's now standard i-Function button is present and correct, an innocuous looking button on the lens barrel which when pressed activates a sub-menu of key options and allows you to change them simply by turning the focus ring. Consecutive presses of the i-Function button moves through the five available settings - shutter speed and/or aperture, ISO, exposure compensation, white balance and intelligent zoom.

While the i-Function button does provide a quick way of accessing certain key settings, we can't help feeling that the idea is best suited to a camera with an electronic viewfinder where you can hold it up to your eye, press the button and turn the focus ring with your left hand, and grip the camera with your right. Holding the NX2000 at arm's length to view the settings while pressing the i-Function button and rotating the focus ring just seems a little cumbersome, especially when you can also use the touchscreen to perform the same actions, something that we found ourselves doing by default.

Samsung NX2000 Samsung NX2000
Front Rear

Protruding metal neck strap eyelets are located on top of the NX2000 at the sides, with the rear dominated by the massive 3.7 inch LCD screen. On the left side of the body is a lozenge shaped hole for the built-in microphone. On the right is a plastic cover that houses a HDMI port for connecting the NX2000 to a HD television or monitor and a USB port. The latter port can be used as a remote socket for use with the SR2NX02 remote shutter release.

On the front of the Samsung NX2000 is a small focus-assist and self-timer indicator lamp, lens release button, and the metal NX lens mount. Located on the bottom of the camera is the shared MicroSD / MicroSDHC / MicroSDXC memory card slot and battery compartment, protected by a plastic lockable cover. The BP1130 (1130mAh) battery provides up to 340 shots under the CIPA testing standard. Also found on the bottom of the camera is a metal tripod mount which is located in-line with the centre of the lens.

The NX2000 uses the same built-in dust-removal system as the original NX100 and NX10 models, which vibrates the sensor 60,000 times per second to remove any unwanted specks from appearing in your images. By default this feature is turned off, something of an oversight by Samsung, so make sure to enable it so that it works every time you start-up the camera (it only takes about one second). You can also perform a manual sensor clean at any point.

The NX2000 has a so-called Smart Shoe that will accept compatible Samsung flashguns and other accessories such as the previously mentioned EVF and the GPS unit (GPS10). Also found on top of the NX2000 are two holes for the stereo sound, a tactile shutter button encircled by the on/off switch, and the new Direct Link button, which can be configured to quickly access one of the six different Wi-fi modes.

Completing the top of the NX2000 is an unmarked dial that is used for, amongst other things, changing the aperture by pressing the dial in with your thumb and then turning from left to right and back again. This dial his is a common feature found on some DSLR cameras, so you'll be right at home if you've used a DSLR before - compact camera users will need to become accustomed to using it. In the Manual mode things are slightly trickier, as there's no second control wheel or dial on hand. Instead you have to again press the dial in with your thumb to alternate between aperture and shutter speed, hardly a major issue but something to become accustomed to.

Instead of a traditional shooting mode dial, you use either the rear touchscreen or the control dial to select the mode. The usual selection of Program, Aperture Priority, Shutter Priority, and Manual are available for the more experienced photographers in the Expert mode, and the more beginner-friendly Smart Auto and Smart Scene modes, plus the Wi-fi menu (more on this later).

Smart Auto is Samsung's equivalent of the intelligent auto modes now found on most competitors models. You simply point the NX2000 at a scene or subject and the camera hopefully recognizes it from commonly used presets and automatically adjusts its settings to deliver optimum results. This means that it's not necessary for the user to manually delve into scene modes to call up the likes of 'landscape' or 'flower', essentially making the NX2000's operation merely a case of point and shoot.

In practice the Smart Auto system works very well, with the NX2000 usually picking the most appropriate combination of settings for the current situation. Obviously not all situations are covered by the scene modes that the system uses, but it does work for the majority of the time. It makes it possible for the less experienced photographer to easily take well-exposed, sharp pictures of people, scenery and close-ups by simply pointing and shooting the camera and is more intuitive than the traditional scene modes (which are still available).

Samsung NX2000 Samsung NX2000
Top Flash

The NX2000 can record high-resolution Full HD 1080p 1920x1080 and 720p 1280x720 movies in the 16:9 aspect ratio and standard VGA 640x480 or 320x260 movies in the 4:3 aspect ratio, all using the H.264 format at 25 frames per second (you can optionally shoot 720p at560fps). There's also a cinematic 1920x810 pixel, 24fps mode.

The Movie mode is accessed via the dedicated one-touch record button on the rear of the camera. Stereo sound is recorded during video capture via the small internal mics on top of of the camera. The HDMI port allows you to connect the NX2000 to a high-def TV set, but unfortunately Samsung have decided to cut costs and not include a HDMI cable as standard in the box, which means that you'll have to purchase one separately to take advantage of this camera's HD connectivity.

You can shoot movies using any of the creative modes, giving you lots of control over exposure, and you can also change the aperture and shutter speed during recording, albeit at the expense of recording the mechanism on the soundtrack. The NX2000 offers the ability to set the white balance, metering and use any of the Picture Wizard settings during video recording as well as still images, which instantly lends an interesting art-house effect to your home movies. You can set a video to be played back at various slower or faster speeds (x0.25, x0.5, x1, x5, x10 and x20), the self-timer and image stabilizer can be used, a fade-in or out can be set, and a voice clip can be added.

You can also use a zoom lens during recording with the focusing set as for still images by half-pressing the shutter button. On the negative side, you'll find that if you choose continuous auto-focus, areas of the video will be blurred before becoming sharp again as the camera tries to refocus and the noise of the AF system is a little intrusive. Using manual focus is trickier but will ultimately produce better looking and sounding movies. On a more positive note, having the AF system is better than not being able to auto-focus at all, as with some DSLR cameras that offer video recording.

Completing the NX2000's shooting modes is the Wi-Fi mode. The NX2000 offers built-in Wi-Fi, with an array of options available. Users can email their images, upload them directly to Facebook, Picasa, Photobucket and YouTube, or instantly copy them to a home PC via Auto Backup. Samsung’s AllShare Play and Microsoft's SkyDrive cloud services provide free storage space that's accessible by anyone with an account. MobileLink allows you to directly send images to a compatible smartphone or tablet, while Remote Viewfinder utilises a smartphone as a live image previewer. Finally TV Link takes the place of a physical HDMI connection by playing back photos on any device that's connected to the same wireless access point as the camera.

On the left of the body are is the NFC logo. The NX2000 is one of the very first compact system cameras to feature NFC (Near Field Communication) technology (the same technology that's used for mobile payments), which allows you to connect the camera to a compatible internet enabled device or another NFC enabled camera by simply tapping them together.

Turning to the rear of the NX2000, we find a 3.7-inch, WVGA ( 800x480 ) 1152k dotrear LCD screen, one of the main differences between the NX2000 and the NX1000. The massive screen on the NX2000 is very impressive and perfectly usable in all but the brightest of sunlight conditions. It makes it really easy to use the intuitive touchscreen interface for both shooting and image playback, a good thing given the lack of physical controls on the NX2000.

The NX2000 has very few controls on the rear - in addition to the one-touch movie record button, there's a Home button which also calls up the shooting mode menu, and underneath that a Playback button. And that's it. The NX1000's physical Menu and Function buttons have been replaced by virtual versions on the bottom corners of the rear screen.

Samsung NX2000 Samsung NX2000
Memory Card Slot Battery Compartment

The main menu system on the NX2000 is very straight-forward to use. There are four main menus - Camera, Movie, Custom, Settings - presented as a row of horizontal icons, and due to the large LCD screen and restricting the number of on-screen choices to six, the various options and icons are clear and legible. If you have never used a digital camera before, or you're upgrading from a more basic model, reading the easy-to-follow manual before you start is a good idea. Unfortunately Samsung have chosen not to supply it in printed format, so you can't carry it with you for easy reference.

The Fn menu provides quick and easy access to virtually all of the most important camera settings (16 in total) via the very useful Smart Panel. This is an intuitive graphical interface that allows you to move around and choose the main camera settings via a combination of the LCD screen and the thumb-operated control dial.

Unlike a conventional DSLR camera which uses a phase detection auto-focus system, the NX2000 employs the same Contrast AF system that is commonly used by compact cameras. Experienced photographers will now be tutting loudly at the thought of having to use a traditionally slower system, but thankfully this decision hasn't resulted in a slow and unpredictable AF - quite the contrary in fact. The Samsung NX2000's focusing speed is on a par with most DSLRs, with an autofocus algorithm that delivers precise autofocusing in as little as 100ms. As well as the out-and-out speed, there were also very few occasions when the NX2000 failed to lock onto the subject, especially when using the centre AF point, which can be usefully set to one of four different sizes.

There are four AF Area modes on offer, including Selection AF with a selectable focus area, Multi AF, Face Detection, and Self-Portrait Tracking, with Single, Continuous and Manual AF Modes available. Manual focusing is assisted by the 'enlarged display' function. Once you have selected manual focus mode on the lens barrel, turning the manual focus ring automatically increases the magnification on the LCD display, which is a big help in getting the focus spot on. This is real, non-interpolated magnification, very useful for accurate manual focusing - provided you find a way to steady the camera. The screen cleverly returns to normal magnification when you stop using the manual focus ring for a few seconds. Metering options include Multi, Center-weighted and Spot, while the ISO range runs from 100-25,600. There are 7 white balance presets plus Auto and Custom settings and the ability to set a precise Kelvin value, and if you can't make up your mind the white balance, exposure and even the Picture Wizard settings can all be bracketed.

The start-up time from turning the NX2000 on to being ready to take a photo is impressively quick at less than a second. The NX2000 successfully achieves focus virtually all of the time with the 20-50mm kit lens, helped by the AF assist lamp - the NX2000 also doesn't have any notable problems locking onto the subject in low-light situations. The 20-50mm lens is slightly slower to focus in all situations than the 18-55mm lens, though. It takes about 1 second to store a single full-resolution JPEG image, allowing you to keep shooting as they are being recorded onto the memory card, with a brief blackout between each image. Storing a single RAW image takes around 3 seconds, and it no longer lock up the camera while the file is being written to memory either, a massive improvement on the previous NX1000 model.

The Samsung NX2000 has a very good Burst mode which enables you to take 8 frames per second for up to 11 JPEG images at the highest image quality, or 8 RAW images, but again be prepared to wait for a long time for the camera to process all the images - it's so slow for RAW images that an on-screen progress bar appears! You can also choose a slower 5fps rate for 15 JPEGs. There's also a special Burst mode that records 30 frames per second, albeit only at 5 megapixel JPEG resolution, with slower 15 and 10fps options also available.

Once you have captured a photo the Samsung NX2000 has a fairly good range of options when it comes to playing, reviewing and managing your images. You can instantly scroll through the images that you have taken, view thumbnails (up to 40 onscreen at the same time), zoom in and out up to 14.2x magnification, view slideshows, delete and protect an image and set the print order. The Image Edit option offers a number of different ways to alter the look of an already-captured photo, including redeye fix, backlight, changing the photo style, resizing, rotating, face retouch and apply smart filters. The DISP button toggles detailed settings information about each picture on and off, such as the ISO rating and aperture / shutter speed, and there are small RGBY histograms available.

Image Quality

All of the sample images in this review were taken using the 20.3 megapixel SuperFine JPEG setting, which gives an average image size of around 6.5Mb.

The Samsung NX2000 produced images of excellent quality during the review period. The 20.3 megapixel APS-C CMOS megapixel sensor used in the NX2000 produces noise-free JPEG images at ISO 100-800, with ISO 1600 also looking very good. ISO 3200 only shows a little noise, while the fastest settings of ISO 6400 and 12800 are quite a lot noisier and suffer from softening of fine detail and a loss of saturation, but the images are still perfectly usable for small prints and resizing for web use. The NX2000 does apply quite a lot of noise reduction to the JPEGs, as demonstrated by the RAW files which have more noise at the comparable high ISO settings.

The images were a little soft straight out of the NX2000 at the default sharpening setting and ideally require some further sharpening in an application like Adobe Photoshop, or you can change the in-camera setting for JPEG files. The night photograph was excellent, with the maximum shutter speed of 30 seconds and bulb mode of 8 minutes allowing you to capture plenty of light.

Colours were vibrant without being over-saturated in the default Standard Picture Wizard mode, and you can always choose Vivid if you want even more punch or one of the other seven presets to change the mood of your JPEG images, with three customisable settings also available. The Panorama shooting mode and extensive range of Smart Filters are welcome inclusions, as is the new Dynamic Range expansion mode.

Noise

There are 9 ISO settings available on the Samsung NX2000. Here are some 100% crops which show the noise levels for each ISO setting, with JPEG on the left and RAW on the right.

JPEG RAW

ISO 100 (100% Crop)

ISO 100 (100% Crop)

iso100.jpg iso100raw.jpg
   

ISO 200 (100% Crop)

ISO 200 (100% Crop)

iso200.jpg iso200raw.jpg
   

ISO 400 (100% Crop)

ISO 400 (100% Crop)

iso400.jpg iso400raw.jpg
   

ISO 800 (100% Crop)

ISO 800 (100% Crop)

iso800.jpg iso800raw.jpg
   

ISO 1600 (100% Crop)

ISO 1600 (100% Crop)

iso1600.jpg iso1600raw.jpg
   

ISO 3200 (100% Crop)

ISO 3200 (100% Crop)

iso3200.jpg iso3200raw.jpg
   

ISO 6400 (100% Crop)

ISO 6400 (100% Crop)

iso6400.jpg iso6400raw.jpg
   

ISO 12800 (100% Crop)

ISO 12800 (100% Crop)

iso12800.jpg iso12800raw.jpg
   

ISO 25600 (100% Crop)

ISO 25600 (100% Crop)

iso25600.jpg iso25600raw.jpg

File Quality

The Samsung NX2000 has 3 different JPEG image quality settings available, with SuperFine being the highest quality option, and you can also shoot in RAW format. Here are some 100% crops which show the quality of the various options, with the file size shown in brackets.

20M SuperFine (6.31Mb) (100% Crop) 20M Fine (4.65Mb) (100% Crop)
quality_superfine.jpg quality_fine.jpg
   
20M Normal (2.87Mb) (100% Crop) 20M RAW (19.6Mb) (100% Crop)
quality_normal.jpg quality_raw.jpg

Sharpening

Here are two 100% crops which have been Saved as Web - Quality 50 in Photoshop. The right-hand image has had some sharpening applied in Photoshop. The out-of-the camera images are a little soft at the default sharpening setting and benefit from some further sharpening in a program like Adobe Photoshop. You can also change the in-camera sharpening level.

Original (100% Crop)

Sharpened (100% Crop)

sharpen1.jpg sharpen1a.jpg
   
sharpen2.jpg sharpen2a.jpg

Flash

The flash settings on the Samsung NX2000 are Smart Flash, Auto, Auto+Red-eye reduction, Fill-in, Fill-in+Red-eye reduction, 1st Curtain, 2nd Curtain and Off . These shots of a white coloured wall were taken at a distance of 1.5m.

Flash Off - Wide Angle (20mm)

Flash On - Wide Angle (20mm)

ISO 64 ISO 64
   

Flash Off - Telephoto (50mm)

Flash On - Telephoto (50mm)

ISO 64 ISO 64

And here are a couple of portrait shots. Neither the Auto setting or the Red-eye reduction mode caused any amount of red-eye.

Flash On

Flash On (100% Crop)
flash_on.jpg flash_on1.jpg
   

Red-eye reduction

Red-eye reduction (100% Crop)

flash_redeye.jpg flash_redeye1.jpg

Night

The Samsung NX2000's maximum shutter speed is 30 seconds and there's also a Bulb setting of up to 8 minutes, which is great news if you're seriously interested in night photography. The shot below was taken using a shutter speed of 15 seconds at ISO 100. The camera takes the same amount of time again to apply noise reduction, so for example at the 15 second setting the actual exposure takes 30 seconds.

Night

Night (100% Crop)

night1.jpg night1a.jpg

Dynamic Range

The NX2000 has a Dynamic Range expansion mode with three settings - off, Smart Range and HDR, with the latter setting providing the biggest difference.

Off

Smart Range+

dynamic_range_01.jpg dynamic_range_02.jpg
   

HDR

 
dynamic_range_03.jpg  

Picture Wizard

Samsung's various Picture Wizard options are similar to Olympus' Picture Modes, Nikon's Picture Styles and Canon's Picture Controls, offering preset combinations of different sharpness, contrast, saturation and colour tone settings, all of which can be changed. The nine available Picture Controls are shown below in the following series, which demonstrates the differences. There are also three additional Custom styles so that you can create your own looks.

Standard

Vivid

picture_wizard_01.jpg picture_wizard_02.jpg
   

Portrait

Landscape

picture_wizard_03.jpg picture_wizard_04.jpg
   

Forest

Retro

picture_wizard_05.jpg picture_wizard_06.jpg
   

Cool

Calm

picture_wizard_07.jpg picture_wizard_08.jpg
   

Classic

 
picture_wizard_09.jpg  

Smart Filters

The NX2000 offers ten creative filter effects that can be applied to both stills and movies.

Vignetting

Miniature

smart_filter_01.jpg smart_filter_02.jpg
   

Clored Pencil

Watercor

smart_filter_03.jpg smart_filter_04.jpg
   

Wash Drawing

Oil Sketch

smart_filter_05.jpg smart_filter_06.jpg
   

Ink Sketch

Acryl

smart_filter_07.jpg smart_filter_08.jpg
   

Negative

Red

smart_filter_09.jpg smart_filter_10.jpg
   

Green

Blue

smart_filter_11.jpg smart_filter_12.jpg
   

Yellow

 
smart_filter_13.jpg  

Panoramas

The Panorama mode captures either a Live Panorama, which allows you to also capture subject movement at several points during a sweeping panorama, or a 3D panorama.

panorama1.jpg

Sample Images

This is a selection of sample images from the Samsung NX2000 camera, which were all taken using the 20.3 megapixel SuperFine JPEG setting. The thumbnails below link to the full-sized versions, which have not been altered in any way.

Sample RAW Images

The Samsung NX2000 enables users to capture RAW and JPEG format files. We've provided some Samsung RAW (SRW) samples for you to download (thumbnail images shown below are not 100% representative).

Sample Movie & Video

This is a sample movie at the quality setting of 1920x1080 at 25 frames per second. Please note that this 20 second movie is 31.8Mb in size.

Product Images

Samsung NX2000

Front of the Samsung NX2000

 
Samsung NX2000

Front of the Samsung NX2000

 
Samsung NX2000

Front of the Samsung NX2000 / Flash Closed

 
Samsung NX2000

Front of the Samsung NX2000 / Flash Raised

 
Samsung NX2000

Side of the Samsung NX2000

 
Samsung NX2000

Side of the Samsung NX2000

 
Samsung NX2000

Side of the Samsung NX2000

 
Samsung NX2000

Side of the Samsung NX2000

 
Samsung NX2000

Side of the Samsung NX2000

 
Samsung NX2000

Side of the Samsung NX2000

 

Samsung NX2000

Rear of the Samsung NX2000

 
Samsung NX2000

Rear of the Samsung NX2000 / Image Displayed

 
Samsung NX2000

Rear of the Samsung NX2000 / Turned On

 
Samsung NX2000

Rear of the Samsung NX2000 / Home Menu

 
Samsung NX2000

Rear of the Samsung NX2000 / Main Menu

 
Samsung NX2000

Rear of the Samsung NX2000 / Function Menu

 
Samsung NX2000

Rear of the Samsung NX2000 / Wi-fi

 
Samsung NX2000

Top of the Samsung NX2000

 
Samsung NX2000

Bottom of the Samsung NX2000

 
Samsung NX2000

Side of the Samsung NX2000

 
Samsung NX2000
Side of the Samsung NX2000
 
Samsung NX2000
Front of the Samsung NX2000
 
Samsung NX2000
Front of the Samsung NX2000
 
Samsung NX2000
Memory Card Slot
 
Samsung NX2000
Battery Compartment

Conclusion

The Samsung NX2000 takes the NX-series in a more smartphone-like direction, with a much greater reliance on its Android-aping touchscreen interface than previous models. It's so reliant on the excellent and very large 3.7 inch screen that we'd almost recommend not considering it if you don't like controlling a camera via a touchscreen. For everyone else the NX2000 is a very capable and intuitive device, with performance and quality that belies its modest price-tag.

The NX2000's 20.3 megapixel sensor delivers excellent still image quality, with a very usable ISO range of 100-6400, plus 1080p HD video at a range of frame rates complete with auto-focusing, full control over the exposure settings, stereo sound and a wealth of other options. The NX2000 offers all the advantages that a camera with a large APS-C DSLR sensor has, namely better performance at higher ISOs and greater depth-of-field than the smaller Micro Four Thirds format, although the trade-off comes in the form of comparably bigger lenses.

Bugbears are few and far between. The NX2000''s kit lens is something of a compromise, as it lacks built-in image stabilisation, only has a plastic mount and is slower to focus than the better (but larger)18-55mm optic. The jury's still out on the i-Function button, too, with opinions divided about whether it's a genuinely useful innovation or just another way to differentiate the NX system from its competitors, especially true given the lack of an eye-level viewfinder. A second control dial and an integral flash would also have been nice-to-have features, and we're not pleased to see the adoption of the Micro SD/SDHC/SDXC format in such a large camera.

Sharing the same core DNA as the other NX models, the new NX2000 offers a much more phone-like interface than either the NX300 or range-topping NX20, with built-in wi-fi and NFC connectivity too, so for some people it will actually offer a more familiar handling experience. The fact that it delivers exactly the same excellent image quality as its more expensive siblings is the icing on the cake, making it easy for us to highly recommend Samsung's so-called entry-level compact system camera once again.

4.5 stars

Ratings (out of 5)
Design 4
Features 4.5
Ease-of-use 4
Image quality 4.5
Value for money 4.5

Main Rivals

Listed below are some of the rivals of the Samsung NX2000.

Canon EOS M

The Canon EOS M is a new compact system camera that boasts 18 megapixels, full 1080p high-definition videos with continuous auto-focusing, and a touch-screen interface. Other key features of the EOS M include a 3-inch LCD screen with 1,040k dot resolution, ISO range of 100-25,600, and a flash hotshoe. Is Canon's new mirrorless model a real contender? Read our Canon EOS M review to find out...

Fujifilm X-M1

The Fujifilm X-M1 is a new compact system camera that's designed to expand the appeal of the X-system. The retro-styled X-M1 offers the same image sensor and lens mount as the more expensive X-Pro1 and X-E1 cameras in a smaller, lighter body. The X-M1 has a built-in flash, new 16-50mm kit lens, wi-fi connectivity, tilting LCD screen and of course a more affordable price tag. Read our Fujifilm X-M1 review to find out if it succeeds in bringing Fujifilm's mirrorless range to the masses...

Nikon 1 V2

The Nikon 1 V2 is a second-generation compact system camera that's clearly been redesigned to appeal to the serious enthusiast. In addition to a more direct control layout with shooting mode and control dials, a chunky hand-grip and built-in pop-up flash, the Nikon V2 also sports a new 14 megapixel sensor, faster 15fps burst shooting with continuous focusing, and improved Best Moment Capture and Motion Snapshot Modes. Read the World's first Nikon 1 V2 review to find out if this new mirrorless model can capture the attention of the more discerning photographer...

Olympus E-PL5

The Olympus E-PL5 is a new compact system camera that offers a lot more than first meets the eye. Also known as the PEN Lite, the EPL5 has exactly the same image sensor and processing engine as the flagship OM-D E-M5. It also boasts the World's fastest autofocus system, a 3 inch tilting LCD display, full 1080p HD movies, and an extensive range of creative filters. Read our in-depth Olympus E-PL5 review to find out if it's a true bargain or not...

Panasonic Lumix GF6

The Panasonic Lumix GF6 is a new entry-level compact system camera that offers a lot of cutting-edge features for not a lot of money. The diminutive GF6 has a tilting LCD screen, built-in wireless and NFC connectivity, fast 0.09 second auto-focusing, a 16 megapixel Micro Four Thirds sensor, 1080i HD video, and a touchscreen interface. Read our Panasonic Lumix GF6 review, complete with full-size JPEG and RAW sample images...

Ricoh GXR

The new Ricoh GXR is a camera unlike any other - it's not very often that we get to say that! Ricoh have created a truly innovative modular system, where you swap both the lens and the image sensor at the same time, not just the lens as with a conventional DSLR camera. The GXR is also smaller than either a DSLR or the recent Micro Four Thirds cameras from Panasonic and Olympus. Can Ricoh succeed with their GXR interchangeable camera unit system? Read the World's first in-depth review to find out...

Samsung NX300

The Samsung NX300 is a new mid-range compact system camera featuring a 20.3 megapixel APS-C sensor, hybrid AF system, 3.3-inch tilting AMOLED touchscreen, 8.6fps continuous shooting, Wi-fi and NFC connectivity, full 1080p video, and an ISO range 100-25,600. Read our in-depth Samsung NX300 review now...

Sony NEX-5R

The NEX-5R is the latest mid-range compact system camera from Sony. With a 16 megapixel APS HD CMOS sensor, 1080p HD movies, high-res 3 inch tilting screen and external flash, the Sony NEX-5R also features a touchscreen user interface, fast hybrid auto-focus, built-in wi-fi and downloadable PlayMemories Camera Apps. Read our full Sony NEX-5R review, complete with sample JPEGs, RAW files, and movies.

Review Roundup

Reviews of the Samsung NX2000 from around the web.

ephotozine.com »

The Samsung NX2000 is an entry level mirrorless camera from Samsung with interchangeable NX mount lenses and features a 20.3 megapixel APS-C CMOS sensor as well as one of the largest screens on a mirrorless camera, with a 3.7inch high resolution touch screen. The NX2000 is available for £499 and includes Adobe Lightroom 4 in the box.
Read the full review »

Specifications

Image Sensor

Sensor Type CMOS
Sensor Size 23.5 x 15.7mm
Effective Pixel Approx 20.3MP
Total Pixel Approx 21.6MP
Color Filter RGB Primary Colour Filter

Lens

Usable Lens Samsung Lenses
Mount Samsung NX Mount

Image Stabilisation

Type Lens Shift (Depends on Lens)
Mode OIS Mode1 / Mode2 / OFF

Distortion Correct

Mode LDC On / Off (Depends on Lens)

i-Function

i-Zoom (x1.2, 1.4, 1.7, 2.0)

Dust Reduction

Type Super Sonic Drive

Display

Type TFT-LCD with Touch Panel (C-type Touch Control Enabled)
Size 93.8mm (3.7")
Resolution WVGA ( 800x480 ) 1152k dots
Filed of View Approx 100%
User Display Grid (4types), Histogram, Icons: On / Off, Distance Scale: ft / m / Off

Focusing

Type Contrast AF
Mode Single AF, Continuous AF, MF, Touch AF&Shutter
Focusing point Selection: 1point (Free selection) Multi: Normal 21points, Closeup 35points Face Detection: Max. 10 faces Object Tracking AF
AF-Assist Lamp Yes

Shutter Speed

Type Electronically controlled vertical-run focal plane shutter
Speed Auto: 1/4000sec. ~ 30sec. Manual: 1/4000sec. ~ 30sec.(1/3 EV step) Bulb (Limit time: 4min.)

Exposure

Metering System TTL 221 (17x13) Block segment Metering: Multi, Centre-weighted, SpotMetering range: EV 0 - 18 (ISO 100 - 30mm, F2)
Compensation ± 3 EV (1/3 EV Step)
AE Lock AEL Touch Button
ISO Equivalent Auto, 100 ~ 25600 (1 or 1/3EV step) * AUTO ISO upper level is selectable. (Up to ISO 3200)

Drive Mode

Mode Single, Continuous, Burst (5M size only), Self-timer, Bracket (AE / WB / PW)
Continuous JPEG: High (8fps), Normal (5fps) selectable Burst: 10, 15, 30fps selectable, 30 shots by 1 release RAW: High (8fps), Normal (5fps) selectable
Bracket Auto Exposure Bracket (± 3 EV) / WB / PW
Self-Timer 2 - 30 sec (1 sec Step)
Remote Controller SR2NX02 (via Micro USB port) (Optional)

Flash

Type External Flash only (Bundle with SEF8A)
Mode Smart Flash, Auto, Auto+Red-eye reduction, Fill-in, Fill-in+Red-eye reduction, 1st Curtain, 2nd Curtain, Off
Guide Number 8 (at ISO 100) (SEF8A)
Angle of View Coverage 28mm Wide-Angle (Equivalent to 35mm)
Sync. Speed Less than 1/180 sec
Flash Compensation -2 - +2EV (1/2EV step)
External Flash Samsung External Flash available
Synchro (Flash attachment) Hot Shoe

White Balance

Mode Auto, Daylight, Cloudy, Fluorescent (W, N, D), Tungsten, Flash, Custom, K (Manual)
Micro Adjustment Each 7 Steps in Amber / Blue / Green / Magenta Axis

Dynamic Range Expansion

OFF / Smart Range+ / HDR

Picture Wizard

Mode Standard, Vivid, Portrait, Landscape, Forest, Retro, Cool, Calm, Classic, Custom (1 ~ 3)
Parameter Contrast, Sharpness, Saturation, Colour

Shooting

Mode Auto, Smart, Expert (Programme, Aperture Priority, Shutter Priority, Manual), Custom, Wi-Fi
Smart mode Beauty Face, Landscape, Macro, Action Freeze, Rich Tone, Panorama, Waterfall, Silhouette, Sunset, Night, Fireworks, Light Trace, Creative Shot, Best Face
Smart Filter Vignetting, Minature, Coloured Pencil, Watercolour, Wash Drawing, Oil Sketch, Ink Sketch, Acryl, Negative, Selective Colour (R / G / B / Y 4 Colours)
Image Size JPEG (3:2):20M (5472x3648), 10.1M (3888x2592), 5.9M (2976x1984), 2M (1728x1152), 5M (2736x1824): Burst mode only JPEG (16:9):16.9M (5472x3080), 7.8M (3712x2088), 4.9M (2944x1656), 2.1M (1920x1080) JPEG (1:1):13.3M (3648x3648), 7M (2640x2640), 4M (2000x2000), 1.1M (1024x1024) RAW: 20M (5472x3648)* 3D using 45mm 2D / 3D Image Size : JPEG (16:9) 4.1M (2688x1512), (16:9) 2.1M (1920x1080)
Quality Super fine , Fine, Normal
RAW Format SRW (ver.2.0.0)
Color Space sRGB / Adobe RGB

Image Play

Type Movie / Single Image / Slide Show / Thumbnails (3 / 9 / 20 Images)
Editing Back Light Comp. / Face Retouch / Photo Style Selector / Red Eye Fix / Resize / Rotate
Smart Filter Miniature / Fish-Eye / De-fog / Halftone Dots / Soft Focus, JPEG (3:2): 6M (3008x2000) / 2M (1920x1280) / VGA (640x424), JPEG (16:9): 5M (3008x1688) / 2M (1920x1080) / VGA (640x360),JPEG (1:1): 4M (2000x2000) / 1.6M (1280x1280) / VGA (480x480)

Movie Clip

Format MP4 (H.264)
Compression Movie: H.264 , Sound: AAC
Mode Program, Aperture Priority, Shutter Priority, Manual
Recording With Audio or without Audio (user selectable, recording time: 29 minutes 59 seconds)
Smart Filter Vignetting, Minature, Coloured Pencil, Watercolour, Wash Drawing, Oil Sketch, Ink Sketch, Acryl, Negative, Selective Colour (R / G / B / Y 4 Colours) (1920x1080, 1920x810, 1280x720, 640x480, 320x240 )
Image Size 1920x1080, 1920x810, 1280x720, 640x480, 320x240 for Sharing (Default: 1920x1080) (* 1920x1080 only with 3D lens)
Frame Rate 30fps, 24fps (1920x810 Only) (* 3D Lens 30fps Only)
Multi-Motion Recording x0.25 (640, 320 only), x0.5 (1280, 640, 320 only), x1, x5, x10, x20
Quality High Quality , Normal
Sound Stereo Sound
Movie Editing Still Image Capture, Time Trimming

Storage

Media MicroSD, MicroSDHC, MicroSDXC, UHS-1 MicroSD Support
File Format RAW (SRW ver2.0.0), JPEG (EXIF 2.21), MPO (3D), MP4 (Movie), DCF, DPOF 1.1
Capacity (2GB) 20M: RAW 3920M (3:2): Super Fine 130, Fine 163, Normal 21710.1M (3:2): Super Fine 277, Fine 356, Normal 5055.9M (3:2): Super Fine 471, Fine 570, Normal 7272M (3:2): Super Fine 1053, Fine 1426, Normal 1941 Burst (5M): Super Fine 430, Fine 514, Normal 63816.9M (16:9): Super Fine 153, Fine 190, Normal 2517.8M (16:9): Super Fine 346, Fine 417, Normal 5684.9M (16:9): Super Fine 512, Fine 670, Normal 8962.1M (16:9): Super Fine 1015, Fine 1349, Normal 170013.3M (1:1): Super Fine 217, Fine 227, Normal 2847M (1:1): Super Fine 336, Fine 465, Normal 5924M (1:1): Super Fine 559, Fine 752, Normal 12031.1M (1:1): Super Fine 2149, Fine 2471, Normal 2819Movie: 1920x1080 30p: High Quality 17m 21s, Normal 21m 44s 1920x810 24p: High Quality 21m 11s, Normal 26m 31s 1280x720 60p: High Quality 16m 33s, Normal 20m 42s 1280x720 30p: High Quality 28m 38s, Normal 35m 53s 640x480 30p: High Quality 70m 48s, Normal 88m 58s 320x240 30p: High Quality 213m 41s, Normal 271m 09s * These figures are measure under the Samsung standard.*

Languages

29 Languages (Korean, English, Danish, German, Dutch, Swedish, Spanish, Italian, Czech, French, Portuguese, Polish, Finnish, Russian, Norsk, Simplified / Traditional Chinese, Arabic, Persian, Turkish, Hebrew, Thai, Greek, Hungarian, Estonian, Lithuanian, Latvian,Serbian, Croatian)

GPS

Type Geo-tagging w / Optional GPS Module (WGS84)
Function -Location Name(OSD) (English and Korean only)

NFC

Yes

Interface

Digital Output Connector USB 2.0 (micro USB Jack)
Video Output NTSC, PAL (user selectable) HDMI (1.4a)
External Release Yes
DC Power Input Connector DC 5V, 1A via Micro USB port

Power

Power Source Type Rechargeable battery: BP1130 (1130mAh)
Battery 170 min / 340 shots (CIPA Standard)

Physical Specification

Dimension Dimension (WxHxD) 119 x 64.5 x 35.7 (21.9) mm (excluding the projection part)
Weight 228 g (without battery)
Operating Temperature 0 - 40°C
Operating Humidity 5 - 85%

S/W and PC OS

Bundle PC S/W Adobe Lightroom, iLauncher

Wireless

Wireless IEEE 802.11b/g/n support (Smart Camera 2.0) . AutoShare . SNS & Cloud (Microsoft Sky Drive Cloud) . Email . Auto Backup . Remote Viewfinder (Touch AF Video Quality - QVGA ↔ VGA) . Mobile Link . Wi-Fi Direct (playback) . Samsung Link (TV Link, Samsung Cloud)

System Requirement

Windows iLauncher PC with processor better than Intel Core 2 Duo 2GHz / AMD Phenom 2.4GHz or higher Minimum 512MB RAM (Over 1GB recommended) Windows XP SP2 / Vista / 7 / 8250MB of available hard-disk space (Over 1GB recommend) USB 2.0 port CD-ROM drive nVIDIA Geforce 7600GT or later / Ati X1600 series or later 1024x768 pixels, 16-bit colour display compatible monitor (1280x1024, 32-bit colour display recommended) Microsoft DirectX 9.0c or later
Macintosh iLauncher Mac OS 10.5 or higher (except PowerPC) Minimum 256MB RAM (Over 512MB recommended) Minimum 110MB of available hard-disk space USB 2.0 port CD-ROM drive

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