Lunar New Year Special: Outfit + Samsung NX200 Review
Surprise! It's a new post... on time!
How are you enjoying the holidays so far? I've been stuffing my face full with Pig's Stomach soup, and it's been simply splendid.
Samsung kindly lent me a NX200 for the NAPBAS trip, and as a result, I've been neglecting my D90. Some of you may recall the mini-review that I did for the NX100 last year, and I've decided to do a more indepth one for the new model. So without further ado, here's my take on the NX200!
The Technical Overview
- 20.3 Megapixels with APC-C size CMOS Sensor
- ISO 100 - 12,800
- 1080p HD Movie Recording
- Weight: 220g
- 3.0" AMOLED Display
In English, it means that it's a really light mirrorless 4/3 camera with a spectactular ISO (film speed/light sensitivity) range, "true" HD and a crystal clear display.
Flash vs No Flash
As you can see, the flash doesn't make much of a difference in the day, lol. It's fantastic at night, though. The NX200, like its predecessor, does not come with a built-in flash. My set came with an external flash (SEF8A). I believe that the previous flash I reviewed ran on batteries, whereas this one is "powered" by the camera itself.
My opinion regarding the external flash hasn't changed- It's one of my favorite things about the NX series, as it makes your complexion look really good. Just take the photos in this post for instance. All the camwhore photos were unedited!
(And this is also why they don't usually ask shallow women to review cameras...)
Image Quality
Disclaimer: All the images in this post, which were shot with the Samsung NX200, are unedited with the exception of its levels. The same goes for the NAPBAS post (which has a better variety of visual examples).
With 20.3 megapixels, you really don't have to worry about the image's quality in print. Coupled with the fantastic ISO range of 200 - 12,800, the image quality is pretty much guaranteed, even in low-light situations. That said, I wouldn't recommend going past ISO 800 if you don't want any noise in your images.
My only critique is that the images all appear slightly soft when zoomed in. However, it's nothing serious, and it's nothing you can't fix with an image editing software.
Lenses
The NX200 comes with a 18-55mm kit lens, which isn't that different from the NX100 kit lens (20-50mm). If you're only using the camera to blog or camwhore, it's certainly enough.
Though I didn't get to try out any of the new lenses, I have to say that new range looks outstanding. I'm not going to bore you with the technical stuff, but the F1.4 85mm lens looks very promising! And at $1499, it looks very expensive as well ^^;
If you're seriously considering a lens upgrade though, I'd vote for one of the more affordable pancake lenses for its low aperture (as low as F2.0!)
Focus
The only component of the camera that I have issues with. I mentioned the previous time that the focus "can be painfully slow at night (a good 1-2 seconds?), but it's still acceptable when you take the less-than-fantastic lighting conditions into consideration."
That's... the same.
The Verdict
My experience with the NX100 has already converted me into a fan, so the NX200 was simply a welcome upgrade. I like the new look (all metal vs the old plastic body), the new weight (200g vs 330g), and the technical improvements!
The first time round, learning how to use the camera was an experience in itself, whereas this time, being familiar with the NX100 made the change to a NX200 feel seamless.
Honestly though, if you're a newbie in photography, you probably won't notice a difference in any the 4/3 cameras in the market. However, if you have a basic understanding of photography (i.e shutter speed/ aperture/ISO), you'll find that the NX200 is a worthy companion that's full of potential.
Once the camera's focus is improved, I'll be completely sold. But till then, I'll be lugging heavy DSLRs around ):
(Photos taken by John)
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