Samsung has released details of the NX mini interchangeable-lens camera plus three NX mini lenses (NX-M).
The new NX mini camera, shown in different colours with the three new lenses designed for the camera. (Source: Samsung.)
In a departure from the previous NX series cameras, the NX mini comes with a 1-inch type (12.8 x 9.6 mm) BSI CMOS sensor that has an effective resolution of 20.5 megapixels. With a body weighing only 158 grams and being just 22.5 mm wide, the NX mini can slip easily into a pocket or purse. The camera features a solid metal body with a leatherette finish and will be available in five different colours (white, pink, mint green, brown and black).
Back and top views of the new camera show a simplified user interface with few external controls.
The 3-inch touch-screen monitor flips up through180 degrees for easy ‘selfies’ and the NFC and Wi-Fi capabilities enable users to capture and share shots quickly and easily in real time. The NX mini’s new ‘Wink shot’ feature makes it easy to take self-portraits. Users simply set up their shot and wink at the camera to capture an image. Continuous shooting is supported at up to six frames/second and the camera’s electronic shutter has a maximum speed of 1.16000 second to ‘freeze’ action without blurring. Although not mentioned in Samsung’s press release, the NX mini supports raw file capture and can record movies in MP4 format with Full HD, HD and VGA resolutions at 30 frames/second.
Front view of the NX mini with the monitor flipped up. (Source: Samsung.)
Samsung’sTag & Go connectivity allows the NX mini to pair with NFC-enabled devices, such as smartphones or tablets, simply by touching the two together. Once paired, users can:
. Select and transfer multiple images to the paired mobile devices through Mobile Link;
. Send images to up to four devices with Group Share, eliminating the time-consuming and repetitive process of sending pictures to multiple friends;
. Control the NX mini via a smart-phone with Remote View Finder Pro;
. Use the camera as a Baby Monitor. When noise is detected, the paired smart-phone is activated via an app, allowing parents to see if they need to attend to their child.
Additional storage options are integrated into the NX mini and images can be uploaded directly from the camera to both Dropbox and Flickr. Dropbox provides 2GB of free storage to new users, accessible from just about any device and with Flickr users can upload up to a terabyte of images.
The three new lenses announced with the NX mini are the NX-M 9mm f/3.5 ED lens (24mm equivalent), NX-M 9-27mm f/3.5-5.6 ED OIS lens (24-73mm equivalent) and NX-M 17mm f/1.8 OIS lens (46mm equivalent). Existing Samsung NX lenses can also be used via the NX-M Mount Adapter, but a 2.7x focal length adjustment will be required for the 1-inch sensor.
We’ve been unable to obtain local release dates and pricing from Samsung’s Australian offices but the NX mini and lenses are being listed on US online re-sellers’ sites at US$449 for the bundled camera plus 9mm f/3.5 lens kit and US$549 for the camera plus 9-27mm f/3.5-5.6 OIS lens.
FOOTNOTE: We’ve just received the following information from Samsung Australia: The NX Mini will be available in Australia. Distribution, timing and colours to be available within retail is still being established. The option with 9mm lens is planned for a $499 RRP and 9-27mm lens option will be $599 RRP.
SPECIFICATIONS (Source: Samsung):
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Image Sensor |
20.5 effective megapixel BSI CMOS sensor |
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Display |
75.2mm (3.0-inch) Flip up and Touch LCD Screen |
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View finder |
N/A |
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Flash |
Built-in Flash: Guide Number 4.9 (at ISO160, 24mm), Guide Number 4 (at ISO100, 24mm) |
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[Optional] External Flash / SEF7A: Guide Number 8 (at ISO160, 24mm), Guide Number 7 (at ISO100, 24mm) |
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ISO |
Auto, 160, 200, 400, 800, 1600, 3200, 6400, 12800 |
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Image |
JPEG (3:2): 20.0M (5472×3648), 10.1M (3888×2592), 5.9M (2976×1984), 2.0M (1728×1152), |
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JPEG Burst mode: 5.0M (2736×1824) |
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RAW: 20.0M (5472×3648) |
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Video |
MP4 (H.264, Audio AAC): Full HD 1920×1080/30p, 1280×720/30p, 640×480/30p, 320×240/30p |
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Video Output |
HDMI 1.3a |
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Value-added Features |
Tag & Go (NFC/Wi-Fi) |
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SMART Mode: Beauty Face, Best Face, Landscape, Macro, Action Freeze, Rich Tone, Panorama, Waterfall, Silhouette, Sunset, Night, Firework, Light Trace, Continuous Shot, Kids Shot, Food, Parties and Indoors |
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Image SMART Filter: Miniature, Vignetting, Soft Focus, Sketch, Fish Eye, Classic, Retro, |
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Video SMART Filter: Miniature, Vignetting, Sketch, Fish Eye |
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Wi-Fi Connectivity |
IEEE 802.11b/g/n support (Smart Camera 3.0) |
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NFC |
Advanced Passive NFC (Wired NFC) |
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Bundle PC software |
Adobe ® Photoshop ® Lightroom ® 5, i-Launcher |
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Storage |
MicroSD, MicroSDHC, MicroSDXC, UHS-I MicroSD |
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Battery |
B740AE/B740AC/B740AU/B740AK (3.8V/ 2330mAh) |
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Dimension |
110.4 x 61.9 x 22.5 mm (excluding projections) |
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Weight |
158 g (196 g with battery) |
