Samsung Galaxy NX Review

October 1, 2013 | Mark Goldstein | Rating star Rating star Rating star Half rating star

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 Galaxy NX produced images of excellent quality during the review period. The 20.3 megapixel APS-C CMOS megapixel sensor used in the Galaxy NX produces noise-free JPEG images at ISO 100-800, with ISO 1600 also looking very good. ISO 3200 and 6400 only show a little noise, while the fastest settings of ISO 12800 and 25600 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 Galaxy NX 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 Galaxy NX 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.

Noise

There are 9 ISO settings available on the Samsung Galaxy NX. 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 Galaxy NX 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 (6.04Mb) (100% Crop) 20M Fine (3.89Mb) (100% Crop)
quality_superfine.jpg quality_fine.jpg
   
20M Normal (2.25Mb) (100% Crop) 20M RAW (28.5Mb) (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 Galaxy NX 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 (18mm)

Flash On - Wide Angle (18mm)

ISO 64 ISO 64
   

Flash Off - Telephoto (55mm)

Flash On - Telephoto (55mm)

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 Galaxy NX's maximum shutter speed is 30 seconds and there's also a Bulb setting of up to 4 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 200. 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

Optical Image Stabilisation

The Samsung Galaxy NX uses a lens-shift anti-shake mechanism, which allows you to take sharp photos at slower shutter speeds than other digital cameras. To test this, we took 2 handheld shots of the same subject with the same settings. The first shot was taken with anti shake turned off, the second with it turned on. With anti shake turned on, the images are noticeably sharper than with anti-shake turned off.

Shutter Speed / Focal Length

Anti Shake Off (100% Crop)

Anti Shake On (100% Crop)

1/13 sec / 27mm antishake1.jpg antishake1a.jpg
     
1/5 sec / 83 mm antishake2.jpg antishake2a.jpg

Dynamic Range

The Samsung Galaxy NX 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  

Sample Images

This is a selection of sample images from the Samsung Galaxy NX 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 Galaxy NX 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 highest quality setting of 1920x1080 at 24 frames per second. Please note that this 20 second movie is 41.1Mb in size.

As of February 2025, we are no longer providing full size sample images or videos for download.

Please contact us if you have any feedback on our new policy.

Product Images

Samsung Galaxy NX

Front of the Camera

 
Samsung Galaxy NX

Front of the Camera

 
Samsung Galaxy NX

Front of the Camera / Pop-up Flash

 
Samsung Galaxy NX

Side of the Camera

 
Samsung Galaxy NX

Side of the Camera

 
Samsung Galaxy NX

Side of the Camera

 
Samsung Galaxy NX

Side of the Camera

 
Samsung Galaxy NX

Rear of the Camera

 
Samsung Galaxy NX

Rear of the Camera / Image Displayed

 
Samsung Galaxy NX

Rear of the Camera / Home Screen

 

Samsung Galaxy NX

Rear of the Camera / Apps Screen

 
Samsung Galaxy NX

Rear of the Camera / Camera Screen

 
Samsung Galaxy NX

Rear of the Camera / Settings Menu

 
Samsung Galaxy NX

Rear of the Camera / Quick Settings

 
Samsung Galaxy NX

Rear of the Camera / Shooting Mode

 
Samsung Galaxy NX

Rear of the Camera / Albums Screen

 
Samsung Galaxy NX

Rear of the Camera / Power Off

 
Samsung Galaxy NX

Top of the Camera

 
Samsung Galaxy NX

Bottom of the Camera

 
Samsung Galaxy NX

Side of the Camera

 
Samsung Galaxy NX

Side of the Camera

 
Samsung Galaxy NX
Front of the Camera
 
Samsung Galaxy NX
Front of the Camera
 
Samsung Galaxy NX
Memory Card Slot
 
Samsung Galaxy NX
Battery Compartment

Conclusion

To borrow a footballing analogy, the new Samsung Galaxy NX is very much a game of two halves. In the first it delights with excellent image quality and the compelling ability to edit and share your images via the Android OS, but in the second it fades away as the convoluted interface, slow processing times and sky-high price detract from the overall performance. The Samsung Galaxy NX is a brave but ultimately flawed first-generation product, too expensive to entice more casual users to invest in the better image quality that it delivers, and not professional enough to tempt keen enthusiasts away from rival interchangeable-lens systems.

In attempting to bring together the best features of the Samsung Galaxy and NX300 cameras, with a little sprinkling of the older NX20's DSLR-like design, Samsung have ended up with a product that ultimately won't satisfy any of its target user groups. That's not to say that we don't like the Galaxy NX - it delivers excellent image quality, fast and reliable auto-focusing, a rich feature-set, and a much better sharing experience than other comparable cameras - it's just that we can't see exactly who will stump up the eye-watering £1299 / $1699 asking price, especially as that doens't even include any data costs to take advantage of the 3G/4G connectivity.

Ultimately we think that the Galaxy Camera serves the consumer better, and the NX300 the keen prosumer - and that's not even looking outside the Samsung family. Despite its huge potential, we can't justify recommending the Samsung Galaxy NX until its price, performance and user interface issues have been addressed.

3.5 stars

Ratings (out of 5)
Design 3
Features 4.5
Ease-of-use 3
Image quality 4.5
Value for money 2.5

Main Rivals

Listed below are some of the rivals of the Samsung Galaxy NX.

Canon EOS 6D

The Canon EOS 6D is a new full-frame DSLR with a much more affordable price-tag than the 5D Mark III and a few tricks up its sleeve that its bigger brother doesn't offer. At over £1000 / $1000 cheaper than the 5D Mark II, have Canon cut too many corners for the 6D to be a real contender? Read our in-depth Canon EOS 6D review to find out...

Canon EOS 70D

The new Canon EOS 70D is not just another DSLR camera, thanks to its innovative Dual-Pixel CMOS AF system. This new technology aims to deliver much better Live View and Movie shooting than any other DSLR on the market. Read our in-depth Canon EOS 70D review to find out if it delivers on its promise...

Fujifilm X-Pro1

The Fujifilm X-Pro1 is a new premium compact system camera. Building on the popularity of the X100, the retro, rangefinder-styled X-Pro1 offers a brand new sensor that's claimed to rival full-frame DSLRs, an improved hybrid viewfinder, and a new X lens mount with three prime lenses available on launch. Read our Fujifilm X-Pro1 review to find out if it can emulate the runaway success of the X100...

Leica X2

The Leica X2 is a pocket camera for professionals, offering a 16 megapixel APS-C sensor, fast f/2.8, 36mm lens, improved autofocusing and the usual superlative Leica handling and build quality. Is that enough to justify the Leica X2's £1575 / $1995 price tag? Read our in-depth Leica X2 review to find out...

Nikon D600

The Nikon D600 is a new full-frame DSLR camera. Featuring a 24.3 megapixel full-frame sensor, the small, lightweight D600 also offers 1080p HD video, ISO range of 50-25600, a 39-point AF system, 3.2-inch LCD screen and a viewfinder with 100% coverage. Read our in-depth Nikon D600 review now...

Nikon D7100

The D7100 is a new prosumer DSLR camera from Nikon, succeeding but not replacing the popular D7000 model. The weather-proof D7100 features a 24 megapixel DX image sensor, 51-point autofocus system, 6fps burst shooting and a high-resolution 3.2 inch LCD screen. Read our detailed Nikon D7100 review to find out if it's the right DSLR camera for you...

Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH3

The Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH3 is a new compact system camera that promises to offer both high-quality still images and movies. The exciting GH3 features Full 1080p HD video with bit rates up to 72Mbps, a 16 megapixel sensor, a 3 inch swivelling touchscreen OLED, built-in wi-fi connectivity, a weather-proof body, and an extensive ISO range of 125-25600. Read our Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH3 review to find out if it's the most complete video/stills camera yet...

Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX7

The Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX7 is an exciting new compact system camera aimed firmly at keen photographers. With a built-in tilting electronic viewfinder, 16 megapixel sensor, 3 inch tilting LCD touchscreen, pop-up flash, 60/50p high-definition video, integrated wi-fi and NFC connectivity, both lens and in-body image stabilization, and a stylish design, is the GX7 the ultimate interchangeable lens camera? Read our expert Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX7 review to find out....

Samsung Galaxy Camera

It's not very often that something entirely new enters the camera market, but the Samsung Galaxy Camera certainly fits that bill. Half travel-zoom camera, half smartphone, with a dash of the Android operating system and a pinch of wi-fi and 3G/4G connectivity, the Galaxy Camera is a very brave attempt to breathe new life into the declining compact camera business. Read our detailed Samsung Galaxy Camera review, complete with 90 full-size sample images, to find out if it's a success or not...

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 A77

The Sony A77 is the flagship model in the second generation of Sony's SLT camera range. The A77 offers a 24.3 megapixel sensor, 12fps burst shooting, 1080p Full HD movies, high-resolution OLED viewfinder, 3-inch free-angle LCD, 19-point auto-focus with 11 cross-sensors, built-in GPS and an ISO range of 50-16000. Can it really challenge Nikon and Canon in the discerning prosumer market? Read our detailed Sony A77 review to find out...

Sony NEX-7

The Sony NEX-7 is a new compact system camera with a long list of photographer-friendly features. Offering a 24.3 megapixel APS-C CMOS sensor, 1080p HD movies, high-res 3 inch tilting screen, 10fps burst shooting, built-in electronic viewfinder and pop-up flash, the NEX-7 seems to be on paper at least a very exciting proposition. Read our full Sony NEX-7 review, complete with sample JPEGs, RAW files, and movies, to find out if this is the ultimate compact system camera...

Review Roundup

Reviews of the Samsung Galaxy NX from around the web.

pocket-lint.com »

The Samsung Galaxy NX is the first system camera to utilise Google's Android operating system, the same OS as found in many smartphones and tablets, which makes for easy on-the-go sharing and opens up a variety of additional uses.
Read the full review »

techradar.com »

The Samsung Galaxy NX was finally unveiled in all its Android 4.2 Jelly Bean-powered glory in June 2013, and we've now had a chance to test the camera fully.
Read the full review »

trustedreviews.com »

The short version is it’s the world’s first Android-based interchangeable lens camera, hence the confusing ‘Galaxy’ branding borrowed from the likes of the Samsung Galaxy S4 and S4 Zoom. The longer version is its Samsung’s latest play to make cameras more connected, with Wi-Fi, NFC, 3G/4G and Android combining to make it easier than ever to share photos straight from your camera. Consider it a high-end version of the Samsung Galaxy Camera. Read more at http://www.trustedreviews.com/samsung-galaxy-nx_Digital-Camera_review#H6UFTW8ly1QWTZCl.99
Read the full review »

amateurphotographer.co.uk »

Could the 20.3-million-pixel Samsung Galaxy NX with Android operating system change the way enthusiast photographers use and think about their cameras? Read the Samsung Galaxy NX review...
Read the full review »

Specifications

Network/Bearer and Wireless Connectivity

Infra LTE 4G
LTE LTE
3G HSPA+
Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n 2.4+5GHz
Wi-Fi Direct Yes
Bluetooth Profiles Bluetooth 4.0
Connectivity Support DLNA, HDMI 1.4
PC Sync. KIES, KIES Air

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

Lens

Usable Lens Samsung Lenses
Mount Samsung NX

Image Stabilisation

Type Lens Shift
Mode OIS Mode1 / Mode2 / OFF

Distortion Correct

Mode LDC always / half shutter / off

Dust Reduction

Type Supersonic drive

OS

Android

Display

Type ScLCD
Size 4.77"
Resolution 1280 x 720 (HD)
Field of View Approx.100%

ViewFinder

Resolution SVGA
Field of View Approx.100%
Magnification Approx. 0.68X
Eyepoint Approx. 18.0mm
Diopter Adjustment Approx. -4.0 ~ +2.0m-1

Chipset

CPU Type Quad
CPU Speed / TYPE 1.6GHz

Memory

16GB

Sensors

Accelerometer, Digital Compass, Proximity, Light, Gyro

Focusing

Type Phase Detection & Contrast AF
Mode Single AF, Continuous AF, MF, Touch AF
Focusing point Total AF Point: 105 points (Phase Detection AF), 247 points (Contrast AF, depends on display) Selection: 1 point ( Free selection ) Multi: Normal 21 (3 x 7) points (Cross point 1), Closeup 35points Face Detection: Max. 10 faces
AF-Assist Lamp Yes

Shutter Speed

Type Electronically controlled vertical-run focal plane shutter
Speed Auto:1/6000sec. ~ 30sec. Manual:1/6000sec. ~ 30sec. (1/3EV step) Bulb ( Limit time : 4min. )

Exposure

Metering System TTL 221 (17 x 13) Block segment Metering: Multi, Centre-weighted, Spot Metering range: EV 0 - 18 (ISO 100 - 30mm, F2)
Compensation ±3 EV (1/3EV step)
AE Lock Yes
ISO Equivalent Auto, 100, 200, 400, 800, 1600, 3200, 6400, 12800, 25600 (1 or 1/3EV step) ISO Step (1/3 Step / 1 Step) Auto ISO Range (Up to 3200)

Drive Mode

Mode Single, Continuous, Burst (5M size only), Self-timer, Bracket (AE / WB)
Continuous JPEG: High (8.6fps) , Normal (up to 5fps) selectable Burst: 10, 15, 30fps selectable, 30 shots by 1 release RAW: High (8.6fps), Normal (up to 5fps) selectable
Bracket Auto Exposure Bracket (±3EV), WB (AB - / +3, 2, 1 MG - / +3, 2, 1)
Self-Timer 2, 5, 10, 30sec
Remote Controller Micro USB port

Flash

Type Pop-up flash
Mode Smart Flash, Auto, Auto+Red-eye reduction, Fill-in, Fill-in+Red-eye reduction, 1st Curtain, 2nd Curtain, OFF
Guide Number 11 (at ISO 100)
Angle of View Coverage 28mm wide-angle
Sync. Speed Less than 1/180sec.
Flash Compensation -2 - +2EV
Internal Flash Pop-up flash
External Flash Samsung External Flash available
Synchro (Flash attachment) Hot Shoe

White Balance

Mode Auto, Daylight, Cloudy, Fluorescent (W, NW, D), Tungsten, Flash, Custom, Colour Temperature (Manual)
Micro Adjustment Each 7 steps in Amber / Blue / Green / Magenta axis

Dynamic Range Expansion

OFF / Smart Range+ / HDR

Shooting

Mode Auto, Smart Mode, Expert Mode (Program, Aperture priority, Shutter priority, Manual, User), My Mode
Smart mode (1) Portrait: Smart Mode Suggest, Beauty face, Best Photo, Continuous Shot, Best Face, Colour Bracket, Kids, Vignett+, Golf (2) Scenary: Landscape, Dawn, Snow (3) Close-up / Indoor: Macro, Food, Party / Indoor (4) Pro Style: Action freeze, Rich Tone, Panorama, Waterfall, Animated Photo, Multi Exposure, Drama, Eraser, Sound & Shot, Miniature, Creative Shot, Interval (5) Night Scenary: Silhouette, Sunset, Night, Fireworks, Light Trace
Smart Filter No effect, Vignette, Grey-scale, Sepia, Vintage, Faded Colours, Turquoise, Tint, Cartoon, Moody, Rugged, Oil pastel, Fish Eye
Image Size JPEG (3:2):20.0M (5472 x 3648), 10.1M (3888 x 2592), 5.9M (2976 x 1984), 2.0M (1728 x 1152), 5.0M (2736 x 1824): Burst mode only JPEG (16:9):16.9M (5472 x 3080), 7.8M (3712 x 2088), 4.9M (2944 x 1656), 2.1M (1920 x 1080) JPEG (1:1):13.3M (3648 x 3648), 7.0M (2640 x 2640), 4.0M (2000 x 2000), 1.1M (1024 x 1024) RAW : 20.0M (5472 x 3648) * 3D Lens Image Size: JPEG (16:9) 4.1M (2688 x 1512), (16:9) 2.1M (1920 x 1080)
Quality Super fine , Fine, Normal, RAW, RAW + JPEG
RAW Format SRW(ver.2.0.0)
Color Space SRGB, Adobe RGB

Image Play

Type Gallery
Editing Photo Editor in Gallery
Smart Filter Filter in Gallery

Movie Clip

Format MP4
Compression Movie: H.264 , Sound: AAC
Mode Program, Aperture Priority, Shutter Priority, Manual
Recording With Audio or without Audio
Smart Filter No effect, Vignette, Grey-scale, Sepia, Vintage, Faded Colours, Turquoise, Tint, Cartoon, Moody, Rugged, Oil pastel, Fish Eye
Image Size 1920 x 1080, 1920 x 810 (Cinema - 24fps), 1280 x 720 , 640 x 480, 320 x 240 for Sharing (Default: 1920 x 1080)
Frame Rate (1) NTSC: 1920 x 1080 - 30fps 1920 x 810 - 24fps 1280 x 720 - 60fps, 30fps 640 x 480 - 60fps, 30fps 320 x 240 - 30fps (2) PAL: 1920 x 1080 (25FPS) 1920 x 810 (24FPS) 1280 x 720 (50FPS) 1280 x 720 (25FPS) 640 x 480 (50FPS) 640 x 480 (25FPS) 320 x 240 (25FPS) * 3D Lens 1920 x 1080 30p (Side by Side)
Multi-Motion Recording 1/2x, 1/4x, 1/8 (Slow Motion Movie: VGA) 2x, 4x, 8x (Fast Motion Movie: 1920 x 1080, 1920 x 810, 1280 x 720, 640 x 480, 320 x 240)
Quality High Quality , Normal
Sound Stereo
Movie Editing Video Editor

Services and Applications

Samsung Apps Samsung Apps
ChatON, mFluent IM ChatON
Special Features Photo Suggest

Storage

Media 1) Built-in Memory (16GB) 2) Card Slot - Micro SD, SDHC (32GB), SDXC (64GB) Support
File Format RAW (SRW ver2.0.0), JPEG (EXIF 2.21), MPO (for 3D)
Capacity (2GB) 20.0M: RAW 39 20.0M (3:2): Super Fine 130, Fine 163, Normal 217 10.1M (3:2): Super Fine 277, Fine 356, Normal 505 5.9M (3:2) : Super Fine 471, Fine 570, Normal 727 2.0M (3:2): Super Fine 1053, Fine 1426, Normal 1941 Burst (5.0M): Super Fine 430, Fine 514, Normal 638 16.9M (16:9): Super Fine 153, Fine 190, Normal 251 7.8M (16:9): Super Fine 346, Fine 417, Normal 568 4.9M (16:9): Super Fine 512, Fine 670, Normal 896 2.1M (16:9): Super Fine 1015, Fine 1349, Normal 1700 13.3M (1:1): Super Fine 217, Fine 227, Normal 284 7.0M (1:1): Super Fine 336, Fine 465, Normal 592 4.0M (1:1): Super Fine 559, Fine 752, Normal 1203 1.1M (1:1): Super Fine 2149, Fine 2471, Normal 2819 * These figures are measure under the Samsung standard.

GPS

Type O

Interface

Digital Output Connector USB 2.0
Video Output HDMI 1.4b
External Release Yes

Physical Specification

Dimension Dimension (WxHxD) 136.5 x 101.2 x 25.7mm (37.65mm)
Weight 410g (without Battery)495g (with Battery)
Operating Temperature 0 ~ 40°C
Operating Humidity 5 ~ 85%

S/W and PC OS

Bundle PC S/W Adobe Lightroom

Battery

Capacity 4360mAh
USB Chargeable Yes
Still Image Capturing Up to 440 shots
Video Recording Up to 190Min
Audio playback Up to 104Hr
Video Playback Up to 14Hr
Internet use Up to 13Hr (3G), 13Hr (LTE), 16Hr (WiFi)

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