Samsung Galaxy NX Mirrorless Review | 108 Data compared

The DPReview first impressions review of the Samsung Galaxy NX highlights a bold, hybrid design combining an interchangeable lens mirrorless camera with Android connectivity, boasting 3G/4G, Wi-Fi, and a large 4.8-inch touchscreen. The 20.3-megapixel APS-C sensor delivers excellent image quality, supported by a heavy-duty 4,360 mAh battery to manage constant connectivity. However, the device suffers from a lack of physical controls, poor ergonomics, a mediocre electronic viewfinder, and a high $1,600 price point, making it, in the reviewer's view, a case of the hybrid being less than the sum of its parts.

The ePHOTOzine review highlights the Samsung Galaxy NX as a premium mirrorless camera featuring a 20.3MP APS-C sensor, 3G/4G/Wi-Fi connectivity, and a large 4.8-inch touchscreen for instant sharing. Its robust design includes a strong handgrip, EVF, and a large 4360 mAh battery, with positive remarks on image quality and AF performance. However, the review notes a high £1,299 price tag, a reliance on the touchscreen due to limited physical buttons, and potential battery drain from constant Android background tasks. Softness at image edges and distortion on the 18-55mm kit lens were also cited.

The PCMag review characterizes the Samsung Galaxy NX as an ambitious, Android-powered mirrorless camera offering high-end 20.3-megapixel APS-C image quality, fast 7.4fps shooting, and robust 4G LTE connectivity. While boasting speedy performance and pre-installed software perks like Lightroom, the device is limited by its high price, minimal physical controls, and slow wake-from-standby times.

The Amateur Photographer review of the Samsung Galaxy NX highlights its innovative fusion of the NX300’s imaging capabilities with a full Android operating system, featuring a highly responsive, large 4.77-inch touchscreen for precise, linked spot-metering and focus control. The camera is praised for its intuitive, customizable Android interface, which allows for seamless third-party app integration, such as Adobe Photoshop Touch, and direct Wi-Fi cloud connectivity. Amateur Photographer Conversely, the review identifies significant ergonomic drawbacks, noting that the heavy reliance on a touchscreen interface rather than physical controls results in a slower, less tactile user experience compared to traditional cameras. While the menu system is logical, the, reduction of physical dials makes quick, on-the-fly adjustments less efficient, making the device better suited for those prioritizing connectivity over traditional handling.

The Samsung Galaxy NX stands out as the world’s first Android-powered compact system camera, featuring a 20-million-pixel sensor that delivers rich, vibrant colours and excellent detail retention even when images are cropped. Its general-purpose metering performs admirably in high-contrast scenes, and the standard 18-55mm f/3.5–5.6 kit lens yields sharp imagery with minimal chromatic aberration. Furthermore, the large screen provides a spacious interface for composing shots, while the extensive ecosystem of the Google Play Store opens up vast creative editing and photographic application possibilities. However, the camera suffers from several functional drawbacks, including sluggish raw file processing speeds and an unyielding, non-articulating screen that is highly susceptible to glare and reflections in bright sunlight. Autofocus speeds fail to match those of Micro Four Thirds competitors, and early firmware iterations struggled with accuracy by resetting selected focus points after each shot. Lastly, the integration of the Android operating system necessitates a massive, heavy battery that contributes to the camera's bulky proportions and drains rapidly if the device's smart features are heavily utilised.

Samsung Galaxy NX The Samsung Galaxy NX ($1,599.99 MSRP) is a groundbreaking, bleeding-edge hybrid camera that bridges the gap between high-end mirrorless photography and mobile connectivity by running a TouchWiz-skinned Android 4.2 operating system. On the hardware side, it shares the same internal components as the highly-rated Samsung NX300, featuring a capable 20.3-megapixel APS-C CMOS sensor, an interchangeable NX lens mount, a pop-up flash, an electronic viewfinder (EVF), and a massive rear touchscreen. Performance-wise, it stands out as the best-performing Android camera on the market. Testing revealed highly accurate color saturation (99.8% of the sRGB gamut), minimal color error, and low image noise below ISO 1600. Furthermore, it supports high-quality 1080p/30fps video recording, excellent low-light sensitivity, innovative voice-activated shooting commands, and—unique to the Android space—native RAW image support. Despite its impressive imaging foundation, the camera suffers from significant design, software, and financial snags. Its primary drawback is the steep price tag, which costs roughly the same as buying a standalone high-end smartphone and an NX300 camera separately. Physically, the device is unusually big, bulky, and heavy for a mirrorless model....

The Focus Review highlights the Samsung Galaxy NX as a highly innovative camera that blends the extensive functionality of an Android-powered smartphone with the top-tier image quality of an APS-C digital SLR camera. Equipped with a 1.6 GHz quad-core processor, 2 GB of RAM, and 16 GB of internal storage, this camera operates via a massive, beautiful touchscreen interface that is almost entirely devoid of physical buttons. It is celebrated for offering standalone connectivity options—including Wi-Fi, 3G, 4G, and NFC—which allow photographers to directly edit RAW files through mobile apps, tag photos with built-in GPS, and back up or share images immediately without needing a laptop or separate mobile device. The review explicitly outlines the distinct advantages and disadvantages of this hybrid system camera

The Samsung Galaxy NX stands out as a unique, comfortable mirrorless camera that integrates an APS-C sized sensor with an Android-powered interface. The exterior build utilizes a sturdy polycarbonate plastic, featuring an uncluttered design with zero buttons on the back plate. Instead, settings are smoothly adjusted via a massive 4.77-inch AMOLED touchscreen and a single physical clickwheel. The camera delivers excellent photographic performance with fast hybrid autofocus, helpful focus peaking, and crisp 20-megapixel files with high dynamic range and strong low-light capabilities up to ISO 1600. Furthermore, the integration of Android 4.2.2 enables users to install custom apps like time-lapse tools or upload RAW files directly to online services. Key Pros and Cons

The Samsung Galaxy NX, as reviewed by What Digital Camera, is an innovative mirrorless hybrid that combines the Android operating system with robust hardware, boasting 3G/4G connectivity, an exceptional capacitive touchscreen, and a 8.6 fps continuous shooting mode. The device is lauded for its solid build quality, reliable battery life, and high-speed performance, setting a new standard for connected cameras. However, the review identifies significant cons, including awkward On/Off button placement, a clunky scroll dial, and a lackluster electronic viewfinder (EVF) that falls short of the rear screen's quality. Additionally, the camera's system is limited by a still-developing lens range, affecting its versatility against more established, conventional rivals.

The DPReview review of the Samsung Galaxy NX identifies the device as an ambitious, interchangeable-lens mirrorless camera paired with an Android smartphone, featuring a 20.3-megapixel APS-C sensor and a large 4.8-inch touchscreen. Its primary strengths include unmatched connectivity with 4G LTE/Wi-Fi for immediate sharing and excellent image quality for its time. Conversely, the $1,600 body-only price tag is steep, and the lack of physical controls forces tedious menu-diving, making it difficult to operate while shooting. Ultimately, the camera is described as a bulky, innovative device that feels less than the sum of its parts.

The Samsung Galaxy NX is an innovative but expensive camera that attempts to merge SLR-level image quality with a high-end Android smartphone ecosystem. Priced at £1,250, it features a massive 4.7-inch sharp touchscreen, a highly detailed 1.4-million-dot electronic viewfinder, and an excellent 20-megapixel APS-C sensor that delivers pixel-sharp details and rapid 8fps continuous shooting. It stands out by running a full Android operating system powered by a quad-core processor with 3G/4G connectivity, allowing users to edit and instantly upload photos via apps like Snapseed directly from the device. However, this unique hybrid design introduces several performance and usability flaws. The camera suffers from slow menu access while saving RAW images, frequent focus hunting during video recording, and noticeably heavy noise reduction at or above ISO 6400. Furthermore, its physical ergonomics are compromised by a lack of a dedicated mode dial, and the touch autofocus point can easily be accidentally shifted by the user's nose when looking through the viewfinder. Power management is another major drawback; the camera has a mediocre 440-shot battery life and suffers from a frustrating 23-second startup...