Gaz 

Nx mini reviews. Samsung NX Mini: answering reader questions. Options and equipment

Samsung NX mini interface

The menu here is almost the same as that of the NX300 or NX30, only slightly trimmed down. The touch display allows you to set the focus point by touching your finger and release the shutter in the same way. The display can display a histogram and electronic horizon.

Functionality

When developing the NX mini, Samsung discovered a completely new sensor format. The inch matrix (13.2x8.8 mm) has not yet been used in any of the Samsung cameras. A resolution of 20 megapixels in this case looks overpriced. To improve sensitivity, a CMOS sensor with back-illumination technology is used. The extended ISO adjustment range is 100-25600, while the upper limit can be set at up to ISO 3200. I was especially pleased with the ability to set the minimum shutter speed in the range from 1/2000 s to 1 s. The camera tends to set longer shutter speeds rather than raise the ISO, which is not always convenient. However, you can always set these parameters manually. Samsung NX mini offers three settings for the aspect ratio of the frame - 3:2, 16:9 and 1:1. The maximum frame resolution is 5472x3648.

The performance of the camera was also a pleasant surprise. Within a second after pressing the power button, the camera is ready to use. In our case, however, time was also spent extending the lens. The continuous shooting rate is 6 frames per second in full resolution with continuous autofocus. By lowering the resolution to 5 megapixels and disabling autofocus, you can achieve a shooting rate of 30 frames per second. At the same time, performance is severely limited by the shallow buffer. After a dozen frames in JPEG format, the continuous shooting process seriously slows down. Here the Samsung NX mini is definitely inferior to the Nikon 1 J4. On the other hand, the rate of fire and buffer depth are important for reporters, not for the target audience of a budget mirrorless camera.

Autofocusing is carried out according to the contrast principle with 35 points. We recommend leaving the AF assist lamp on to avoid problems with focusing in low light. There are no complaints about the autofocus speed, but in the twilight the camera focuses very uncertainly. The test images in the next section of the article will show an example of a night city landscape, and in this case the camera focused only on the second or third attempt. As already mentioned, manual focusing is implemented using the navigation keys. In this case, the focus peaking function is not provided; there is only an increase in the frame fragment by five and eight times.

It is natural that such a thin camera has an exclusively electronic shutter, thanks to which the minimum shutter speed is 1/16000 s. However, the electronic shutter has one unpleasant feature in the form of stripes in the image when shooting in artificial lighting conditions at shutter speeds shorter than about 1/200 s. The same situation was observed in Panasonic Lumix GM1.

Image stabilization falls on the shoulders of the lens. Of the three available NX-M mount lenses, only the included zoom has a built-in stabilizer. We must give it credit in this regard, given its ultra-small dimensions.

Samsung NX mini is the first time in our memory when a camera is not only equipped with a built-in flash, but also equipped with an additional, more powerful flash. The optional flash, however, is not much more powerful than the built-in one. Its guide number is 7 m at ISO 160. An external stereo microphone can also be installed in the same connector. Note also that both the built-in and external flashes can fire on the front and rear curtains, which is usually unusual for cameras of this level.

The camera does not shine with additional modes and in general it is assumed that most of the time you will be shooting in automatic mode. In this mode, it is possible to shoot exclusively in JPEG format without any intervention in the exposure settings. We used the camera in this mode half the time and, admittedly, it turned out to work quite well. Samsung NX mini can shoot panoramas and stitch together HDR images, but multiple exposures and time-lapse shooting are not provided. In Smart mode, various shooting scenes and retouching tools are available; artistic filters are available only through the main menu.

If there's one thing the NX mini is strong at, it's its wireless functionality. It belongs to the Smart Camera 3.0 series, like the older NX30 mirrorless camera. This means that the set of possibilities here is the same. In addition, the camera is equipped with an NFC sensor for quick communication with mobile devices and transferring pictures with one touch. We are finally convinced that Samsung is the leader in terms of wireless capabilities today.

To use the wireless arsenal, you need to install the free Samsung Smart Camera App, which supports Android and iOS. The camera can be controlled remotely, and the screen of a smartphone or tablet acts as a viewfinder. The application also allows you to copy pictures from the camera, and in the menu of the camera itself there is a function for sending content to several devices at once. The camera can also communicate via a wireless router with your home network and transfer pictures directly to your PC. The function of sending pictures by email and social networks, including VKontakte and Odnoklassniki, as well as the Samsung Link cloud service, is also available.

We tried the video nanny mode on the Samsung NX30, and now we played nanny again. This mode allows you to remotely turn on the camera as needed and keep an eye on your child on the smartphone display. To do this, however, both the camera and smartphone must be connected to your home wireless network. The function is especially convenient for large cottages, country houses and other situations where the child may be quite far from his parents. In this case, the camera reacts to the baby’s crying and sends a notification to the smartphone. Screenshots of the Samsung Smart Camera App and Home Monitor are shown below.

Contents of delivery:

  • Camera
  • Battery
  • Charger with USB cable
  • Lens 9mm (or 9-27mm)
  • External flash
  • Instructions
  • Adobe LightRoom version 5

Positioning

Samsung believes that the company must conquer the camera market; it was under these slogans that the expansion of its model range began several years ago. It was not possible to achieve any sense in this; the company followed the same course as in other segments, gradually increasing the functionality of the cameras, offering good lenses with the NX mount for little money - they are the best in terms of price/quality ratio. But at the same time, Samsung greatly underestimated the influence of the brand on the perception of cameras - it is extremely difficult to convince Canon or Nikon fans to try something different. When you have been using equipment of a certain brand for years and have acquired lenses, then switching to another photographic equipment is almost impossible; it must be an obviously emotional decision. And given that it was not possible to make the picture quality better than that of the giants of the photo industry, in general there was no active development of this direction within Samsung. Perhaps the second problem is the cost of such devices from Samsung - they are very, very expensive compared to their competitors. That is, there is no discount for the fact that Samsung is little known in the segment of semi-professional equipment; the company considered that the popularity of its other products would speak for itself. And I was wrong.

In general, good cameras, for example, the NX30 or last year's NX300, are quite good for filming and cover the needs of many amateur photographers, including advanced ones. But at the start, these cameras are obscenely expensive, which scares off potential buyers.



In the past, Samsung stormed the camera market with digital point-and-shoot cameras at minimal cost; in 2014, it decided to repeat this trick at a new technological stage. In particular, by creating the new NX Mini line, as well as the NX-M mount. This is a reimagining of what amateur cameras can be like in the coming years - predominantly point-and-shoot shooting, minimal size, long battery life. The ideas are right, but they didn't work in other models, so it's even more surprising to see what happened with the NX Mini. I had a prejudice against this device, I used it immediately after the NX30 and expected that in terms of price/quality ratio it would be far from optimal. Moreover, it will lose to many analogues with the same matrix. How it turned out in reality, read below, I will not reveal the secret.

Who is NX Mini for? Definitely not for those who know how to take photographs and do it all the time; it requires the maximum number of settings from the camera. Such people will not like the ergonomics of this solution. It’s quite suitable as a second camera – here its compactness comes to the fore. What more can be said? For amateurs who don't want to think too much about how to get a good photo, this camera allows you to achieve good quality with minimal effort and without taking up much space in your pocket or bag. Compactness comes to the fore.

Let the marketing story about how you can install lenses from the NX mount with adapters remain a beautiful fairy tale. There is no point in this - the crop factor in this case will be three times, and on a 1-inch matrix this will lead to very strange results, they will definitely not suit you. Moreover, I think that you should be guided by the fact that this camera is purchased with one lens and you will not be purchasing new ones. The target audience will definitely not need this. This is such a contradictory decision, which, nevertheless, has the right to life. Let's see why this is so.

Design, sizes, controls

Everything is in the classic style of the latest generation of devices - leather-like plastic, different body colors to suit every taste.

In my opinion, the plastic here is made very inexpensively, and the impression intensifies when you pick up the camera. But you quickly get used to it. What's more frustrating is that the plug covering the connectors constantly comes off, leaving a visible gap. This is perhaps the most serious flaw in the design, the sloppiness that catches the eye.



One of the minuses worth noting is that the flash must be screwed into the connector at the top end at the moment when you are going to use it. In most cases, it won’t come to this, and wearing a flash on the device all the time, frankly speaking, is inconvenient. Hence the conclusion - it’s good that it is included in the kit. You'll have to be content with the built-in flash, which is quite weak, but quite suitable for everyday purposes.



The camera weighs 196 grams, which is not much, you won’t feel it in your pocket. Size – 110.4x61.9x22.5 mm – a very small camera. But small size always results in inconvenience to operate; for example, one of the best compact cameras, the Sony RX100, in all three versions, is extremely inconvenient and takes some getting used to. The NX Mini will also take some getting used to - the buttons are small and the elements are crowded.



With a standard 9-27mm lens, the weight will increase by 73 grams, the size will increase slightly. By the way, the size of regular NX lenses is also a disadvantage for the camera; it will look awkward with them, not to mention the fact that they are almost completely useless here. Marketing, I won’t tire of repeating this.

On the right side, behind a folding curtain, there are connectors: microUSB (USB version 2), HDMI, as well as a slot for microSD cards (this is another proof that the camera is positioned for the mass market). On the top edge you will find the shutter button, Wi-Fi shortcut key, and the power key.

You can use the device with a tripod; the connector is, you guessed it, on the bottom end.

The display in this device is three-inch, it tilts 180 degrees, so you can take photos of your loved one. The screen resolution is small - 320x480 pixels, it becomes very blind in the sun, but you can still see the picture. The touch screen allows you to quickly change settings and shooting modes, which is a plus. But the display is a very weak point of the device, so if you are used to seeing what you are photographing, then this model will not suit you - I repeat, perhaps it will only be useful as a second device.




The lens does not have a motor, so it must be brought into working condition by hand (for a 9 mm prime lens this is irrelevant). Sometimes the electronics do not understand that the lens is in the working position, then you have to turn the device off and on again, after first turning the lens all the way.


Technical characteristics and ergonomics of the camera

Matrix resolution is 20.5 megapixels, size is 1 inch (CMOS, BSI), there is no ultrasonic cleaning of the matrix. ISO value in automatic mode is up to 3200, in manual mode – from 160 to 12800 (can be expanded from 100 to 25600). The working ISO value can be considered 1600, after which the matrix begins to make noise.


During continuous shooting, the camera can take up to 6 frames per second, the stated 30 frames are possible with a resolution of 5 megapixels.

The obvious disadvantages are adjusting white balance, exposure compensation, and changing ISO. In all cases, you have to go deep into the menu, which is inconvenient when shooting. You will have to suffer with this camera. Autofocus works averagely; in macro mode (the Camera detects it automatically), focusing often occurs on the background, and not on what you are shooting. In static scenes, autofocus can also miss; it is contrasty and not always correct.

The logic of the camera is not always clear, for example, why is it not possible to select the RAW format for saving your pictures in Auto mode? Only JPEG and no other options.

Of the three lenses presented for the NX-M, only one has a built-in stabilizer - 9-27 mm. In my opinion, it is worth focusing your attention on this delivery option. It is the most versatile.

Without getting into details, I’ll repeat my thought - this camera is not bad for the option when you take it out and take pictures without bothering with additional settings. That is, it can be a second camera or the main point-and-shoot camera for those who do not experiment with photographic equipment and shoot with one click.

It has everything you'd expect in a camera from Samsung, and even a little more. The device is equipped with built-in NFC as well as Wi-Fi. With one touch you can transfer pictures from the camera to a smartphone or tablet, it’s convenient. On the other hand, this won’t surprise anyone today – but still, it’s implemented conveniently and well in the NX Mini. For example, you can immediately send your photos to Dropbox, or you can also set up photos to be sent there when connected to your home Wi-Fi network. There is support for other services as well.












The built-in photo editor is of little use, as is sending photos to social networks, such as Facebook. Still, you are more likely to do this from a smartphone/tablet, where such programs are more convenient. But the possibility itself is provided.





Battery

I complained a lot about how many photos cameras like the NX30/NX300 produced per charge - they were clearly inferior to all competitors. In the NX Mini, everything is exactly the opposite, the Li-Ion battery is 2330 mAh, the stated number of shots is 530 (CIPA method). In my case, in a week it was about 300 photos and about half the battery charge. The time to fully charge the battery is about 2 hours.

Image quality - video examples

Below I will give pictures that were taken on the NX Mini, since the camera acts as an amateur point-and-shoot camera, I didn’t see any point in trying it in different modes. Look at the photos, as well as the video - it, by the way, can be recorded in FullHD, with a frequency of up to 30 frames per second.

Brief impressions

Let's start with the strengths - compact camera, excellent implementation of NFC/Wi-Fi, pleasant photo quality (average, but this will be enough for many), excellent operating time on a single charge. Among the serious disadvantages, I would like to note the small display, which does not give a very beautiful picture; it becomes very blind in the sun. The presence of interchangeable lenses is not a necessity, but rather a thing that potential buyers of such a camera will not be interested in. This is a completely different target audience, and there was no need to be clever here.

Considering the competition that has unfolded in the market, it is extremely difficult to imagine that someone will choose the NX Mini over competing solutions. Let's look at the Sony RX100M2, this camera has a similar matrix, but is much more convenient to operate due to its greater similarity with digital cameras, and produces a much better picture. But it costs about 27,000 rubles and does not have interchangeable lenses (26-100 mm is quite sufficient).


You can remember a camera like Nikon 1 J3, it looks comparable to the NX Mini - not as compact, but with the same matrix, and the quality of the pictures is slightly higher.


You can give many other examples, the same Sony cameras. But this is unnecessary, since the NX Mini loses to all of them basically - Samsung cameras are unknown to the market and the mass consumer, all other things being equal, buyers will still choose devices from other companies, and this is impossible to change. At a cost of 14,990 rubles (NX Mini with a 9 mm lens, f3.5) this is not a very good buy for most, with a 9-26 mm lens priced at 17,990 rubles - exactly the same situation. This device is suitable only in one case - you need a minimum body size, you don’t need above-average image quality and manual settings. For those who want a point-and-shoot camera, this solution is noticeably more expensive than conventional cameras. Perhaps if Samsung puts in more effort, the NX Mini line will be at least somewhat popular in the future. In the distant future. But so far the prerequisites are only for this product to remain a niche product, greatly overpriced by the manufacturer. Having received such a camera as a gift, you will be pleased, especially if you do not compare it with others. But if you buy with your own money, you will definitely lose a lot - it is better to look for products from other manufacturers that will more fully meet your needs.

Samsung has released another camera for socially active citizens with very impressive characteristics: 20 megapixels, 6 fps, ISO 160-12800, shutter speed up to 1/6000s, interchangeable lenses - and all this in a miniature body, closer in size to a smartphone, rather than to the camera.

In reality, everything turned out to be not as optimistic as on the manufacturer’s website. However, it is worth noting that autofocus is relatively fast by the standards of mirrorless cameras. Featuring a touchscreen, the camera also allows you to point at an area in the image to focus, which is great when there's a lot on the screen. This is definitely better than the focus area selection found on larger cameras. On the other hand, the screen is the only viewfinder; there is no eyepiece in the NX mini. So, in bright sunshine, you have to guess what is in the frame and what is not. The display can also tilt vertically 180 degrees for self-portraits, while the camera turns on and goes into “portrait retouching” mode, which automatically improves the skin, as in numerous filters for Photoshop. Compared to other cameras, the Samsung NX mini does this very well.

The kit includes either a 9mm prime or a 9-27mm zoom (analogous to 18-55mm on 35mm cameras). Considering the size of the sensor, which is small - 7 times smaller than the FX sensor on Nikon, one of the problems is noise at high ISOs. A high ISO here can be considered any value above 160. It is curious that at ISO 160 the noise reduction is not yet noticeable, but at ISO 200 it is already rampant, so much so that 20 megapixels are down the drain, every single one of them. Unfortunately, the noise reduction does not turn off and significantly reduces the detail of the picture. Almost all your photos will be affected by this effect, since according to statistics, most photos are taken in low light. The noise reduction work is clearly visible at 100% crop, this is an example at ISO 1600:

Honestly, with good optics, even on a 12-megapixel camera, the detail will be higher. But the noise was overcome.

The standard zoom lens looks stylish, but is inconvenient to use. Firstly, to start working, you need to put it into working condition by turning it from the locking position to the 9mm mark or further. Secondly, the surface of the lens is absolutely smooth and there is nothing for your fingers to catch on, so turning it is inconvenient. In addition, it is not always possible to understand by touch whether you have turned the lens or not. Needless to say, with such a system you will not be able to take the camera out of your bag with one hand and quickly take a picture. Almost any operation requires manipulation with both hands, so in an emergency you will not be able to quickly take a photo. In this regard, I recommend taking lenses in which you don’t need to turn anything.

There is one more note regarding ergonomics - the power button is indistinguishable from the Wi-Fi button to the touch, you always have to watch where you are pressing. Sometimes I even manage to press the camera shutter button instead of the shutter button; although the shutter release is larger, the button itself is just as inexpressive and hard to see.

Wi-Fi is a different story. The idea itself is very good, and I have been waiting for this on cameras for a long time.

But specifically on the Samsung NX mini this is done in such a way that it is completely impossible to use. To upload a photo via Wi-Fi somewhere, you first need to complete the quest from the menu and settings. Initially, integration with social networks was supposed, but my attempts ended after an unsuccessful connection to Dropbox. I was never able to download photos from the camera, and the application interface itself looked like a WAP page from 2002:

Although the Samsung NX mini does not have a standard flash shoe, it does have a built-in flash, which is only suitable as a fill flash when you are shooting against the light. Unfortunately, I was unable to use the built-in flash as a signal for the large Yongnuo YN-560III. Yongnuo only worked when the built-in Samsung flash was in second-curtain sync mode, and for some reason not always. That is, sometimes it worked, but most often it didn’t.

You can even get a rainbow bunny like the one at the bottom of the frame:

This will be enough for an inexperienced client, but for my taste the color rendition in the NX mini is not very good. In standard settings, the picture is too faded and lacks contrast for my taste. And if you turn on bright colors, the photo begins to give off an acidic feel. This is easy to see if you compare it with the colors produced by the Nikon D7100, with which I photographed approximately the same thing under the same conditions.

In addition to photos, the NX mini can shoot FullHD video, but keep in mind that autofocus will wander around as helplessly as on DSLRs, and in manual focus mode you will have nothing to turn on the lens - the focus is adjusted using the buttons on the back of the camera very slowly and with large jerks. Therefore, I would immediately forget about the video.

Another myth about the rate of fire. 6 frames per second is a really serious request. But keep in mind that like any other mirrorless camera, the NX mini will not be able to adjust the focus between frames, so you won’t be able to shoot anything fast-moving and in focus in this mode. The question arises why such a rate of fire is needed at all, even if you don’t really photograph the child. Any, even the simplest SLR camera will cope with this task much better, without having such impressive characteristics.

It is worth noting that the Samsung NX mini supports microSD memory cards and is charged via micro USB, which is a big plus, saving you from the need to carry additional chargers with you. The built-in battery is enough for a whole day, unlike.

It is surprising that Samsung itself has much better color rendition of the Galaxy S4 smartphone camera than the NX mini camera. They say the camera on the Galaxy S5 is even better, but I haven't had a chance to test it yet.

Holi (Phagwah, Bhojpuri) came to us from India. The festival is held on the full moon day, Phalgun Purnima, which falls in February-March and marks the beginning of spring. There are several versions of its origin. We will not go into them, but will only say that Holi is a holiday of fun, positivity and smiles, erasing any social and national differences.

Let's look larger.

And now even larger, in detail.

These results were pleasing. Of course, we can’t talk about the “ringing” sharpness of the full frame, but compared to similar cameras, the result is really good.

Another example.

Long exposure experiments

As a fan of photographing dynamic scenes with long exposures, obtaining various effects of blurring and highlighting the main subject, I was interested to see what results the Samsung NX Mini would show here. To shoot this type of camera, you need to use the “Shutter Priority” or “Aperture Priority” mode.

/ 1/80s; F/5.6; ISO 1600; 27 mm

The lens is not fast. The aperture value at the minimum focal length is 3.5. At maximum - 5.6.

/ 1/40s; F/5.6; ISO 200; 11 mm

Ideal for selfies

One of the features of the camera, as I already said, is a screen with a 180-degree rotation. According to the manufacturer, its presence will allow the photographer to take high-quality self-portraits wherever he is. And although I’m not a big fan of selfies, it was simply impossible not to try this function. This turned out to be really convenient, except for the amused festival participants who did not stop sprinkling another portion of bright paint on my head.

/ 1/60s; F/4.5; ISO 160; 9mm

When you lift the screen and rotate the camera, it automatically understands that you want to take a selfie. After pressing the shutter button, the countdown begins: 3, 2, 1... and you can show off your self-portrait to all your friends on social networks!

conclusions

So, it's time to draw conclusions. The main reason to choose the NX mini is that you want to take high-quality pictures that will be much better than those from a regular point-and-shoot camera or smartphone, but you don’t want to put up with the huge size and weight of DSLR cameras! And here are 10 reasons why the new model from the Korean manufacturer is likely to suit you. Samsung NX Mini is your best choice if:

  • It is not important for you that the camera does not have a viewfinder and dials for setting aperture, shutter speed and exposure;
  • Do you like touch controls?
  • the appearance of the camera is important to you no less than its technical abilities and the camera is also an accessory for you;
  • you are not a professional photographer and you need a compact camera primarily to record the events of your own life;
  • you are tired of carrying heavy, bulky DSLRs with you and finally want to do creativity lightly;
  • you lead an active lifestyle and are looking for a compact auxiliary camera that you can always take with you and whose picture quality will be better than in mobile devices;
  • you attend various public events and like to take self-portraits;
  • you are free from the prejudice that a good camera must be big and heavy;
  • you like to experiment with different modes;
  • you want to be in trend and aware of the latest and most interesting new photographic equipment.

Specifications Samsung NX-M 9–27 mm F/3.5-5.6 ED OIS

Lens type

universal zoom

Bayonet

Focal length

variable

Minimum focal length, mm

Maximum focal length, mm

Aperture at minimum focal length

Aperture at maximum focal length

Minimum focusing distance, m

Optical stabilization

Zoom when shooting macro

Minimum viewing angle, o

Maximum viewing angle, o

Maximum aperture value

Number of aperture blades

Number of elements

Number of groups

Lens diameter, mm

Filter diameter

Length, mm

Weight, kg

Bright and easy shooting for you!

Download photo in jpeg

About the camera

The main advantages of the NX mini can be called, as we have already said, an inch matrix (the same as in the Sony RX100 or Nikon 1), a rotating touchscreen (180 degrees) 3-inch display and dimensions: 110 × 62 × 23 mm with a weight of 196 grams

Another nice addition: the camera is made in a stylish, beautiful case in various colors. The photographer's choice: turquoise, pink, white, brown and black.

It’s immediately clear that such a camera will be very attractive to girls: a stylish gadget will not take up much space in your purse and will allow you to take high-quality selfies anytime, anywhere.

The camera has a new NX-M mount, for which there are currently three lenses: F/3.5-5.6 zoom, 9 mm F/3.5 and 17 mm F/1.8.

NX mini has Wi-Fi and NFC modules. With their help, you can instantly transfer photos to social networks, or manage photos using your smartphone. Also, the camera has many interesting modes: “Macro photography”, “Landscape”, “Freeze frame”, “Panorama”, “Waterfall”, “Products”, “Shooting children”, “Best face”, “Party”.

With Samsung NX mini you can shoot continuously at 6 frames per second and record video in Full HD (30 frames per second). It is important that it is possible to shoot in RAW.

The cost of Samsung NX mini with a lens is about 18,000 rubles.

On June 7, we will try the Samsung NX mini at one of the most colorful events of the summer - the Holi Festival of Colors. Follow our news and soon you will see many colorful photos with no less vivid emotions!

One of the smallest mirrorless cameras, SAMSUNG NX mini, which has a 20.5-megapixel matrix, a touch display with the ability to rotate for taking self-portraits, good functionality and proprietary wireless capabilities

One of the smallest mirrorless cameras, SAMSUNG NX mini, which has a 20.5-megapixel matrix, a touch display with the ability to rotate for taking self-portraits, good functionality and proprietary wireless capabilities.


Equipment

The compact box contains the camera itself with optics, a power supply and a microUSB cable for charging and synchronizing with a computer, a thin wrist strap, and a small external flash. A separate package contains quick start guides and software discs, including Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 5.

Design and ergonomics

The mirrorless camera is indeed very compact, its dimensions are comparable to smartphones and the smallest compacts. Even with optics, the camera is small enough to fit in a jacket pocket, not to mention a woman's purse, in which it is quite capable of getting lost. And this is with a zoom lens. And the model with a wide-angle lens will not be much larger than the same Galaxy Zoom and even more compact than the Samsung Galaxy Camera.

The NX mini has a stylish appearance, a bit reminiscent of a classic retro camera. The mirrorless body is made of magnesium alloy, as is the top panel along with the lens.

The front, side edges, as well as the thumb insert on the back side received a texture that imitates leather. By the way, they are made of durable plastic. The camera is available in classic colors - white, black and brown, and in more feminine pink and turquoise. The new product looks especially cool in black and brown.

Due to its compact size, the camera is not the most ergonomic. The grip handle is especially lacking, so you have to support the mirrorless camera from below to prevent it from slipping out.

On the front edge to the right of the mount there is a lens eject button. On the left, under the model name, is the NFC area. And on the metal insert there is a built-in flash with an autofocus illumination lamp.

If there are no functional elements on the left panel, then on the right behind the cover all available wired connectors are installed: microUSB, microHDMI, a slot for a microSD memory card and a battery compartment.

In addition to the controls, on the top panel there is a microphone hole and a connector for connecting the supplied external flash. The port is covered with a plug, which is not always possible to close tightly the first time.

Most of the back side is occupied by a 3-inch touchscreen display.

It can rotate 180° - ideal for taking great selfies.

Above the controls is an oval hole for the built-in speaker and an eyelet for a strap.

Let me add that on the bottom edge, right under the lens, there is a tripod thread.

Menu and controls

The manufacturer decided not to oversaturate the camera with a large number of settings and control buttons. Therefore, even a child can understand it.

On the top edge there is a shutter button and small power keys, etc. Direct Link for quick access to wireless features.

The camera can also be turned on by rotating the display to portrait mode. To shoot, you also need to unlock (unfold) the lens by turning its front ring to the 9 mm mark. The solution is not the best - if you sharply return to a wide angle (from 27 mm to 9 mm), you can accidentally block it and lose a good shot. In addition, the lens is smooth - fingers sometimes slip.

On the back there is a classic 5-position switch, with which you can instantly change the autofocus mode, select one of the parameters for quick adjustments (shutter speed, aperture and sensitivity), the type of shooting and the information displayed on the display. Around it are buttons for entering the menu and selecting shooting modes, viewing and deleting files (it’s also the Custom key, which can be assigned in the settings). Under the strap eyelet there is a video start button and a small indicator.

The touch screen is used to set up, select the focus point, quickly change settings and even shoot with one touch. Although this feature can be disabled if desired.

The main menu is also as simple as possible with built-in help that will help you understand unknown parameters.

There are 7 modes available: Auto, Smart, Program, Aperture Priority, Shutter Priority, Full Manual and Wi-Fi.

In addition, you can apply filters (Image Wizard) and effects (Auto Filters).


Functionality

For such a small size, the NX mini's performance is impressive. It uses a 13.2 x 8.8 mm BSI CMOS sensor with a resolution of 20.5 megapixels. The ISO range is variable from ISO 100 to ISO 12800, expandable to ISO 25600. The shutter speed is 1/16000 and the continuous shooting speed is 6fps, in RAW and JPEG formats.

The camera turns on almost instantly, less than 1 second after pressing the button, filters and effects are also applied quite quickly. But with serial shooting, everything is not so smooth. When shooting in JPEG in the best quality, the camera takes about 12 pictures, then a couple more, and then processes the whole thing for 10 seconds. When shooting in RAW, the buffer is enough for 5 shots, and then there is quite a long processing time. And when shooting in JPEG+RAW, the camera will take 4 pictures, then 2 more, and then go away for 15 seconds.

I would like to note that autofocus is quite fast compared to most mirrorless cameras.

The mirrorless camera has a new NX-M mount, for which the company has created 2 lenses – a complete zoom NX-M 9-27 mm F/3.5-5.6 ED IOS and a wide-angle prime NX-M 9mm F/3.5 ED. But with the help of a special adapter you can use standard lenses with the NX mount.

The supplied optics are equipped with an image stabilizer, which copes well with the tasks, as well as low-dispersion elements to reduce chromatic aberrations.

Photos created by the NX mini have good detail, good colors and sufficient contrast. Unfortunately, everything is spoiled by the small size of the matrix, which is why quite noticeable noise appears even at medium ISOs. And the noise reduction system blurs the picture and reduces detail.

Examples of photos:





In addition, the camera shoots Full HD video at 30 fps and autofocus.

Video examples:

The 2330 mAh battery is enough for 600 shots and 500 photos with an external flash.

Wireless capabilities

The camera is equipped with Wi-Fi and NFC modules, which are useful for sharing pictures, transferring to social networks and cloud storage, remote control and sending to a mailbox. Everything is like in Samsung NX30.

Impression

Samsung NX mini is an excellent camera for socially active girls and boys. It creates high-quality images, has great functionality, bright appearance and compact size. The rotating display is designed specifically for selfies, and the Wi-Fi module is designed for quickly publishing pictures on social networks. In addition, users will receive ease of use, fast autofocus and high speed of the camera itself.

PECULIARITIES

Incredibly compact

Stylish appearance

Magnesium body

Interchangeable lenses

20.5 MP matrix

Touchscreen

High shooting speed

Rotating screen

Wi-Fi and NFC modules

External flash included

SPECIFICATIONS

  • Model SAMSUNG NX mini
  • Sensor BSI CMOS, 13.2 x 8.8 mm, 20.5 MP
  • Maximum image resolution 5472 x 3648 pixels
  • Video resolution 1920 x 1080, 30 fps
  • Lens f = 9 – 27 mm, F3.5 – 5.6
  • Zoom optical – 3x
  • Bayonet Samsung NX-M
  • Image format RAW (SRW), JPEG,
  • Video format MP4 (H.264)
  • Display TFT LCD, 3", 320 x 480 pixels (460,800 pixels)
  • Image Stabilizer optical, built into the lens
  • Card memory MicroSD, MicroSDHC, MicroSDXC, UHS-I MicroSD
  • Interfaces microUSB 2.0, microHDMI, Wi-Fi, NFC
  • Dimensions 11 x 6.2 x 2.25 cm (without lens), 11 x 6.2 x 5.6 cm (with lens)
  • Weight 272 g with lens and battery
  • Nutrition Li-Ion 2330 mAh