Samsung NX10

Lens & Sensor

Zoom Ratio Examples
18.0 mm	25.0 mm	55.0 mm

The NX10 uses a standard APS-C format CMOS sensor, measuring 23.4 × 15.6mm. The gross resolution is 15.1 megapixels, the effective resolution 14.6 megapixels. There’s a vibrating dust removal system, which for some strange reason is turned off by default. Turn it on and the sensor will be cleaned every time you turn the camera on, just like every other SLR we can remember that’s equipped with a sensor-cleaning capability.

Viewfinder (6.50)

The electronic viewfinder offers approximately 100% coverage, with 0.86x magnification and VGA resolution (921,000 dots). There’s a sensor below the EVF that automatically switches between the viewfinder and the LCD when you hold the camera to your eye. We found the sensor to be a bit finicky when shooting while wearing glasses, and there’s no manual override. Brightness is good, even in dim environments, but there’s a problem keeping up when you move the camera. The display stutters and blurs as you pan and scan, and it doesn’t take particularly fast movement to see this potentially stomach-churning effect.

Display(s) (7.30)

Instead of using conventional LCD technology, Samsung offers a 3-inch AMOLED (active matrix OLED) screen, with a 614,000-dot resolution. It’s a very sharp, good-looking display, particularly for reviewing photos and working with menus. We found the default configuration, with brightness set automatically by the camera, left us flying nearly blind when shooting in bright outdoor light. However, a quick trip to the setup menu let us turn the auto brightness off and crank it up manually (with five available settings). Now we could shoot even in the mid-day sun, though even then we prefer the EVF in the glare of direct sunlight.

The display color can also be finely adjusted, but we didn’t see any reason to change from the default setting.

Secondary Display

There is no separate monochrome LCD panel to display camera settings.

Flash (6.50)

The pop-up flash has a guide number of 11 at ISO 100. We found the illumination to be pleasingly even, but unfortunately underpowered. Also unfortunate is the way the flash is automatically deployed in low light when using the Smart Auto and scene modes unless you remember to turn it off through the menu system. We prefer requiring the user to raise the flash, to avoid accidental firing in areas where blasting away is unacceptable.

Flash exposure compensation is available in a ±2 level range, with 8 available settings.

There is a hot shoe for connecting a Samsung SEF 20A or SEF 42A flash.

Connectivity (4.50)

The I/O ports are located on the left side of the camera, behind a hinged door that pops open and, conveniently, stays open, though the fit isn’t going to do much to keep out the elements. There’s a DC-IN port at the top, for an optional AC adapter. Below that is the mini HDMI port for connecting directly to an HDTV (the cable is not included). Using HDMI, the camera can be controlled using a TV remote when connected to a Samsung HDTV set that supports the Anynet+(CEC) standard.

Below the HDMI port is a connector for an optional remote control cable (there is no support for a wireless remote). Finally, the proprietary USB port supports both data and standard-def TV connections. The USB data cable is provided; the AV cable is not, which is annoying.