An Innovative camera with DSLR Specs: Samsung NX300

by Cem Ulger · April 29, 2014

If you are ready to change your habits on DSLRs, without loosing main features such as interchangeable lens, classical 18-55, 50-200 kit lens, various other lenses options, APS-C sensor, high ISO etc.;

If you are looking for a technology adaptable DSLR, with social media and email integration, NFC, GPS location, digital image processing, digital filter, digital zoom, 3D, panorama capture etc.

If you are tired to carry a heavy camera bag on your shoulder in all your travel, and holiday, or in day life;

You may consider a Mirrorless camera.

I moved to Mirroless cameras form DSLR in 2010. Sony were the pioneer on Mirrorless cameras with SLT A series. But current Mirrorless cameras are more handy, lightweight and the as the most important characteristics, have interchangeable lenses for the DSLR like usage.

I’ve seen Samsung getting better every year in each model and response to wide user range. I preferred Samsung NX300 for my use in all case. By the way this is my first Samsung. I previously used Pentax, Canon, Sony SLT A DSLR series.

There are various cameras other than DSLR that provide lots of electronic features. But most of them lack of large APS-C sensors, very high ISO range, optical solution such as interchangeable lens, wide angle or tele lens, optical stabilization, etc. When you need such professional specs, Samsung NX300 response you with lots of feature addition to those.

Samsung NX300 has DSLR features such as;

· APS-C sensor
·      Wide range of Interchangeable lens selections
·      18-55 and 55-200 kit lens options
·      Optical stabilization on some lenses
·      Manual focus on lens
·      Availability of prime lens
·      High ISO (25,600)
·      Uncompressed RAW format
·      1/6000 max shutter, and 30 sec or Bulb for min shutter
·      Aperture priority, Shutter priority, Manual, Program modes
·      Picture wizard bracketing
·      AE bracketing
·      WB bracketing
·      Histogram
·      Tilt screen that most DSLR has either tilt or fully articulate screen.
·      External flash
·      Flash sync

Missing features compared to regular DSLR are features that can user compromise or change habits.

·      No viewfinder
·      Smaller for hand
·      No external charger, charge battery on camera

NX300 features that really exceed most DSLR.

·      Rangefinder for distance measurement
·      247 focus points
·      3.3” touch screen
·      9 fps continuous frame rate
·      331 gr. Weight which is quite light.
·      Built in wireless and NFC
·      Remote control on any smart phone or tablet. It has live view too using smartphone as remote.
·      It can send pictures to social media or to an e-mail address. All you need is WI-FI connection anywhere. No need for any setup. It has a soft keyboard on the screen when necessary.
·      It can send picture to any device with NFC or WI-FI
·      It has Digital zoom feature. But it doesn’t spoil the quality. Instead it zooms a portion of the picture with less pixel rate naturally.
·      3D video recording or image capturing with 3D lens
·      Panoramic shooting
·      Fade in/out in video recording
·      Best face mode takes multiple photos from a scene with people. One can cut and replace the best looking face for a person from any shoot. Cut and paste the face from any sample. So make your own picture with the best possible image.
·      Aperture, shutter speed, ISO, WB or Exposure can be set from dial switch, touch screen or from lens dial ring. Select the most convenient one.
·      Several scene modes to help user to best shoot for common scenes
·      Picture wizard for post processing of images. You will love these filters and processing
·      Image rotation, correction, resize, crop and save as new file
·      Photo color adjustment
·      Support with beep, for correct focus on your own face on “selfie” portraits.
·      Select AF point with touch
·      Capture photo with touch to screen during AF.
·      Very small and lightweight charger
·      Very fast AF
·      Optical image stabilization with convenient lens
·      I-function button on the lens is an easy to use button to display some parameters and set them easily.
·      Auto backup from camera

Innovative features of NX300

·      Build in WI-FI
·      Photo transfer to any device via WI-FI or NFC
·      Directly sending e-mail from camera
·      Directly sending photo to social media or a web site
·      Remote viewfinder on a smart phone or tablet
·      I-function button on the lens
·      Auto backup from camera to a storage
·      3D imaging on interchangeable camera series

This camera is easy to go professional lightweight camera for all conditions. One should forget about the pentaprism viewfinder, and start the use of technological integration, speed and easiness. Menu and buttons are intuitive. IQ is great up to ISO 6400. Leather coating brings great retro look and feel. I bought the camera with 18-55 and 50-200. 2X Digital zoom makes it act like 400mm. I’m looking forward to buy 45mm f1,4 2D/3D prime lens for sharper photos and 3D experience.

The bad thing about the camera is the remarkable noise after ISO 6400. Also I don’t have any problem but it must be a small camera for the large hands. In return it is very easy to carry in terms of both size and weight.