Samsung NX1000 Digital Camera Review

Kit Lens & Mount

The lens we tested the Samsung NX1000 with was the 20-50mm f/3.5-5.6 kit lens. It offers a slightly truncated focal range compared to the 18-55mm lenses that are common on most entry-level DSLRs, but it also suffered from less distortion than we are used to seeing with kit lenses (though that may be due to some compulsory in-camera processing). The lens handles well, with a locking mechanism that draws the lens barrel inside itself, helping limit the lens' size. The lens is mostly made of plastic, however, with a plastic mount. This fits with the rest of the camera, but it may limit long-term durability if you swap lenses quite a bit.

The lens mount on the Samsung NX1000 is the same metal NX-series mount that we've seen on the NX200 and NX20 this year. The mount allows you to use Samsung's line of mirrorless lenses, which has grown in quality a bit since the line's launch in 2010. The two best lenses, in our opinion, are the 60mm f/2.8 macro and the 85mm f/1.4 portrait lens. These are expensive relative to the camera body itself, but they offer superb image quality and great sharpness.

Sensor

The 20.3-megapixel CMOS image sensor on the Samsung NX1000 is reportedly the same one that has appeared in their entire 2012 NX camera lineup, right up to the $1000+ NX20. It offers fast image throughput, relatively sharp images with the kit lens (and some in-camera processing), and generally acceptable low-light performance in all those models.

Convergence areas of different sensor sizes compared

Display(s)

The rear monitor on the NX1000 is a high-resolution (921k) TFT-LCD display. It's a bit of a step down from the OLED displays on some of Samsung's higher end cameras, but it's functional in most situations. It's not quite as bright, though, and we found it getting washed out on sunnier days. Without a viewfinder or the ability to articulate the display, this can make taking pictures very difficult at times outdoors.

Connectivity

The Samsung NX1000 uses standard ports hidden behind a plastic door on the right side of the camera. The ports include micro-HDMI and micro-USB. This provides a nice bit standardization that not all cameras have adopted yet. By sticking with standard ports Samsung makes finding replacements for your cables a breeze, eliminating the need to have extra, practically worthless cables cluttering up drawers in your house.

Battery

The NX1000 makes use of a Samsung BP1030 rechargeable, removable lithium-ion battery with an external wall-mount charger. The battery has a capacity of 1030 mAh at 7.4 volts, though Samsung didn't provide a CIPA rating on their site or in the manual. They do say that it's capable of up to 320 photos by "Samsung's test standards," which are likely different than the weird CIPA ones. We found that the battery was pretty limited, as we had to charge it roughly 3/4ths into a full day of shooting. Your mileage may vary, but the NX1000 seemed to need charging more often than we are used to in the testing process.