Add this to your wishlist: The Samsung NX1

Damage:

Take a big gulp of air. R16 000 for the camera body alone. If you want the camera and a 16-50mm F2 – 2.8 Premium S Lens you’ll need to fork out around R30 000.

What you need to know:

28.2MP BSI APS-C CMOS Sensor
4K Video Recording at 24 fps
15fps Continuous Shooting
High-speed Image Processor
Extremely Fast AF System

What we think you should know:

It’s no secret that I’m messing around a bit with YouTube videos. My friend Dave and I have started a channel called Digital Custard and I have the Tech Girl channel running for gadget reviews and the like. Dave and I have been looking for a decent camera to film on because my GoPro and his handheld just aren’t cutting it. A camera has the added benefit of helping me out with better images on the blog – which I desperately need.

And then Samsung ruined it for us.

They let me use the new Samsung NX1 for two weeks. It is a “prosumer’s” camera. If you’re looking for quick snaps that are far superior to those taken on your phone but not much more then this is not the camera for you. This is the camera for a budding photographer, for the YouTuber looking to just make her videos that much better and for someone serious about the visuals.

It is a fantastic gadget. Weighing in at just under half a kilo it sits firmly in your hands (but will kill your shoulders when you carry it in a backpack as you trek along the great wall of China – thank goodness the camera was worth it!). When it comes to taking shots this baby comes with all the bells and whistles, but for an amateur like me, even the shoot and snap mode will produce some beauties. This is courtesy of the 28MP APS-C CMOS Sensor that Samsung claims makes use of “Black Side Illumination.” The way I understand it this means the sensor is able to let in more light and, as such, capture more detail in your photos.

It also records in 4K resolution and makes for really good looking YouTube videos. If you watch our Digital Custard Wearables video you can see the difference. The restaurant scenes were shot with Dave’s handheld, the rest with the Samsung NX1. The change in quality is extremely obvious.

The battery on the Samsung NX1 is fantastic. I dragged it around China recording video and taking snaps. I had to charge it only once during a 4 day trip. There is a small LCD screen at the top of the camera which keeps you updated on important stats and the like. The 3″ Super AMOLED touchscreen works much like a Samsung phone and you can manage almost all the camera’s features from here.

There is one downfall with the Samsung NX1 that you need to be prepared for. When you attempt to move video from the camera to your laptop for editing prepare yourself for a host of headaches. The footage is shot at such a high resolution that it actually needs to be converted and compressed before you can pull it in to the likes of Premier Pro. You need to load the Samsung Camera software onto your laptop and then once you pull the video over convert it before you can edit. It’s a long and time consuming process depending on the length of your footage and had Dave swearing considerably. All we can hope is that video editing software catches up to Samsung.

We’re still shopping for a camera because the NX1 is a bit out of a our budget. However, much like driving a Porsche before shopping for your first car, nothing seems to full us with glee the way this baby did. I was impressed. If you’re in the market for a top quality camera and you’ve recently robbed a bank – this may be the route to go (though I’m told the pricing, considering the specs, is actually rather good). If your bank account can’t cope the NX30 is a far more credit card friendly option. While my hunt for a good camera continues, playing with this baby has convinced me that Samsung is a serious contender in the camera space.