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Jan 31, 2013

Firmware update available (XE-1 and X-Pro1)

and 35mm 1.4 lens update

X-Pro1 Firmware Update Ver.2.01

links to the updates:

For the Fujifilm X-Pro1
and for the Fujifilm XE-1



Jan 26, 2013

How to Clean the X-Trans Sensor

How to Clean the X-Trans Sensor:
by Rico Pfirstinger
It’s another X-PERT Friday! Before we start, please let me thank all those of you who have already read Mastering the Fujifilm X-Pro1. If you find the book (and hence this column) any useful, I’d be honored if you spent a few minutes of your time dropping a brief review on Amazon.com. As you may already know, the book is just as useful for X-Pro1 users as it is for users of the X-E1. I have also set up sample photo sets on Flickr, showcasing hundreds of pictures I took with both cameras. Click these links for sets of my X-Pro1 and X-E1 samples.
Now, let’s get into this week’s topic. The settling of dust and dirt particles on the sensor is a fundamental problem for all digital cameras with interchangeable lenses. These particles can mar images by showing up as distracting spots in the light areas of an image (e.g., sky, clouds, walls).
To minimize the effect of this problem, the X-Pro1 and X-E1 offer an integrated cleaning mechanism that runs when you turn your camera on or off. Navigate to SETUP MENU 2 > SENSOR CLEANING to control this setting. You can choose to run the cleaning manually (by selecting OK), or you can choose to have the cleaning process run whenever you turn your camera on and/or off.
I have my camera set to clean the sensor both when I switch it on and when I turn it off—it’s best to shake the sensor up a bit as often as possible. With the help of high-frequency vibrations, the dust particles loosen from the sensor preventing them from becoming permanently attached.
See, problem solved! Well, just kidding. Don’t put too much stock in the sensor cleaning function. If any dirt particles have set on the sensor, they’re likely to remain stubbornly attached even after running the cleaning mechanism.
Accordingly, the most important strategy for maintaining a clean sensor is the active and passive avoidance of dust:
  • Don’t leave your camera unnecessarily open without protective housing covers.
  • As much as possible, avoid changing your lenses in dusty or dirty environments.
  • When changing your lens, hold your camera pointed downward, not upward.
  • When attaching a lens, make sure that the rear lens opening and the optics are clean and free of dust to prevent transferring dust to the sensor inadvertently.
  • Don’t touch the sensor!
Despite diligent preventative measures, it’s unavoidable that the sensor of your X-Pro1 or X-E1 will collect dirt or dust over time if you use it regularly. So don’t deceive yourself—the question is not if, but when!
Dig the dust!
You can run a test to check whether dust has already settled on your sensor. Take an exposure of a blue or white sky, a bright wall, or a white piece of paper with a fully dimmed lens (= the highest f-stop possible). It’s best to use the camera’s automatic exposure bracketing feature (DRIVE button > AE BKT) and to manually set the lens to be out of focus—for the sky, set the focus for a short-range shot, and for a piece of paper, set the focus to infinity. If you then transfer your images to your computer and maximize the contrast, any flecks on your sensor should be readily visible.
The illustration below shows how the sensor of my preproduction X-Pro1 looked after three weeks of use in Asia. This exposure of a piece of white paper reveals (with the help of stark contrast settings on my computer) over a dozen flecks on the image sensor. Something no amount of shaking and vibrating will remedy…

Perform a blow job!


Using a cleaning bellows is one safe method to remove dust particles from the lens and sensor. Many photographers are using Rocket-air Blowers from Giottos. These blowers feature an air valve which prevents dust from entering their bellows—the last thing you want to do is blow additional dust into the camera’s chamber! The goal is to loosen and remove the existing blemishes with a clean stream of air. For the best results with this tool, blow from below into the sensor chamber of your open camera.
This Super Rocket-air Blower from Giottos not only looks comical, it also effectively removes dust from cameras and lenses:
Don’t use compressed air from a gas duster! These products contain propellants, whose particles can end up sticking to the image sensor, causing exactly the opposite effect of your intended result. Additionally, the stream of compressed air can harm the sensor by turning these particles into tiny and harmful projectiles. Not good!
Have a snack!
What about when the flecks on the sensor simply won’t go away? My colleague Michael J. Hußmann, who’s a legend when it comes to photo technology, recommends a “fruit snack on a stick”. This is his nickname of the Pentax Sensor Cleaning Kit—and you’ll see why people call it that at first sight:
Pentax’s Sensor Cleaning Kit includes a specially coated cleaning head that collects dust from the sensor. After every time you dab dust off of the sensor, you’ll need to clean the head with a special piece of sticky paper that comes in the kit. To clean the entire area of the APS-C sensor, you’ll need to blot off the cleaning head approximately six times.
If Fujifilm can do it…
I also asked Torben Hondong, the service manager for Fujifilm in Germany, how he handles dust removal from the X-Pro1’s sensors.
Fuji depends (as do countless other camera manufacturers) on the products from the U.S. company Photographic Solutions. The basis of every damp cleaning is the so-called Sensor Swab (for the X-Pro1 or X-E1 you’ll need size 2) that is soaked in a cleaning solution called Eclipse and then wiped like a windshield wiper across the sensor—one side of the swab from left to right, and the other side from right to left. It’s important that these swabs (which aren’t cheap, to say the least) are used only one time and that each side of each swab is wiped across the sensor only once. Otherwise the dirt and dust collected on the first pass can scratch the sensor on the way back.
Specialist Torben Hondong doesn’t rely on just this standard solution (available for anyone to purchase in camera stores). More commonly, he replaces the original cloth on the swaps with special “Cleaning Wiper” cloths from Japan, which he finds work better because they smear less. In particularly difficult cases, he treats the affected area of the sensor with a drop of Zeiss Optical Cleaning Mixture. Hondong cautions, however, that this relatively aggressive solution is NOT recommended for home use.
…so can you!
That being said, it is usually possible to take care of the normal dirt and dust buildup on the X-Trans sensor by yourself with products for DSLR cameras that are readily available in retail stores. The Canadian company Visible Dust offers a similar (and in fact more sophisticated) line of products, such as swabs and cleaning solutions, at prices that aren’t any higher than those of Photographic Solutions.
As a last resort for particularly stubborn sensor dirt that won’t come out, you can always send your camera in to be serviced. In Germany, Austria, and the Netherlands, this option currently runs at a cost of 72 Euros plus value-added tax and shipping.
There’s good news too, though: Fuji will perform the first sensor cleaning of an X-Pro1 and X-E1 for customers in these countries at no cost. This may be one of the best-kept secrets surrounding current X-Mount cameras. I wonder why? ;)
Rico Pfirstinger studied communications and has been working as journalist, publicist, and photographer since the mid-80s. He has written a number of books on topics as diverse as Adobe PageMaker and sled dogs, and produced a beautiful book of photographs titled Huskies in Action (German version). He has spent time working as the head of a department with the German Burda-Publishing Company and served as chief editor for a winter sports website. After eight years as a freelance film critic and entertainment writer in Los Angeles, Rico now lives in Germany and devotes his time to digital photography and compact camera systems. His book “Mastering the FUJIFILM X-Pro1” (Kindle Edition) (Apple iBook Store) (German version) is available on Amazon and offers a plethora of tips, secrets and background information on successfully using Fuji’s X-Pro1 and X-E1 system cameras, lenses and key accessories.

Jan 21, 2013

(UPDATED) Fuji firmware updates delayed to fix a glitch.

(UPDATED) Fuji firmware updates delayed to fix a glitch.:
Last Thursday Fuji UK unveiled that the new Firmware updates for the XPRO1, X-E1 and 35mm X lens would be released on January 18th (Click here to see the cached site). But the firmware release has been postponed because of a small software issue that will be fixed soon. As a reminder here you have them:
Fujifilm X-Pro1 – firmware version: 2.03 Changes:

* Allows compatibility with the new “XF14mmF2.8R” lens.

* Improved performance of Auto Focus under various shooting conditions.
Fujifilm X-E1 – firmware version: 1.04 Changes:

* Allows compatibility with the new “XF14mmF2.8R” lens.

* Shutter release button now works when an external remote release is connected.

* Improved performance of Auto Focus under various shooting conditions.

* Audio performance has been optimised for the new Stereo Microphone MIC-ST1 (sold separately).
FUJINON XF35mm – firmware version: 2.02 Change:

* Improved accuracy of Auto Focus performance.

Jan 20, 2013

Using the XF14mmF2.8 R

Using the XF14mmF2.8 R:
by Rico Pfirstinger
Fujifilm kept their promise and started delivery of the new XF14mmF2.8 R wide-angle prime lens on January, 19. Many customers all over the web have already received their lens on Saturday, and I am one of them. So how’s the lens doing? Most of you will already have looked at my pre-production sample pics or may have read about how well the lens is optically corrected, so let’s focus on using the lens on your existing X-Mount camera.
14mmF2.8_R_FUJINON XF Lens
Updating the camera firmware


Let’s start with finding the new camera firmware that’s required to make all features of the lens work properly. It’s rather old school: The box contains an SD card (2 GB in my case) holding camera firmware upgrades for both the X-E1 and X-Pro1, named FWUP0001.DAT and FPUPDATE.DAT, respectively. Just insert the SD card into your camera (the card should be write-protected by default), then switch it on while pressing and holding the DISP/BACK button. Now follow the instructions on the display to update the camera body firmware. The new firmware versions supporting the 14mm lens are 1.03 for the X-E1 and 2.02 for the X-Pro1. Both versions will soon be replaced by a another upgrade from the global Fujifilm website, though.
A recent Fuji guideline recommends not to have a lens attached to the camera while updating the camera body’s firmware. This is a reversal from previous policy and was specifically issued for the XF18-55mmF2.8-4 R LM OIS kit zoom lens, but I guess it won’t hurt to follow this new procedure with all current XF lenses.
Lens hood
You may have noticed that the hood that comes with the new 14mm lens is the same that’s coming with the kit zoom, so they are fully interchangeable. If you have space constraints in your equipment bag, you can just bring along one hood for both lenses, as you probably won’t be using both of them at the same time.
Focus ring


A unique feature of the 14mm lens is a new focus ring with engraved distance and DOF (depth-of-field) markings and hard stops at each end of the manual distance scale. In order to use the focus ring and see all markings, it has to be unlocked by sliding the ring backwards. Once you do so, the lens and the camera will automatically enter manual focus (MF) mode. Slide the ring forward to relock it. This returns the lens and the camera back to the mode that’s set on the camera’s own AF mode selector dial.
Please note that the AF-L button will not focus the lens with One-Press-AF when the focus ring of the lens is set to MF mode. However, you can still use One-Press-AF by setting only the camera to MF and leaving the focus ring of the lens in its AF position. Personally, I find this a bit complicated and would like to be able to use One-Press-AF when both the camera and the lens are set to MF.
Distance and DOF scales
With this new 14mm lens, you get two different distance/DOF scales indicating the depth-of-field and focus distance of a shot. Apart from the conventional “digital” distance/DOF scale in the camera’s viewfinder or LCD, there’s also an “analog” scale engraved in the lens. However, the digital scale in the viewfinder will disappear once you set either the lens or the camera to MF mode. This means we are getting no more distance or DOF readings while we are looking through the camera viewfinder or at the LCD.
This is the lens in MF mode, showing the analog distance and DOF readings. Yep, it really looks like in the old days…
DSCF6405
But wait, there’s more! The digital and analog DOF scales do not match. While the digital scale is still based on the camera’s established, very conservative circle of confusion (CoC) of about 0.005mm, the analog scale on the lens barrel uses a less strict CoC of about 0.01mm. The digital version of the scale is still available in both AF modes (AF-S, AF-C), but it disappears once the lens or the camera are set to MF mode.
Manual focus and “focus peaking”


When you enter MF mode (by sliding the focus ring back, or by selecting MF on the camera, or both), you can use the magnifier tool by pressing the camera’s command dial (aka thumb wheel). Turn the dial to the left or right to choose between a 3x or 10x magnification level. The 3x option offers a “poor man’s focus peaking” feature, as it crisply outlines edges of objects that are in focus. This feature isn’t really new (it was part of the X-Pro1′s version 2.00 firmware update), but it doesn’t work equally well with all focal lengths and magnification levels. However, it does work well with this 14mm lens and the 3x magnification option of the magnifier tool. So use it to your benefit, and don’t worry: It works just as fine with the EVF in the X-E1 as with the less sophisticated EVF in the X-Pro1.
Using the OVF
Speaking of the X-Pro1: The 14mm lens is compatible with the optical viewfinder in the X-Pro1! It just fits the full (aka 85%) frame of the OVF, and the lens is also supported by the camera’s AF field parallax correction when used in AF mode. Consider this when you are thinking about whether to buy this lens or the upcoming Carl Zeiss 12mm AF lens. With quite some certainty, the latter won’t fit into the optical viewfinder’s field of view.
Handling and usability
Using the XF14mmF2.8 R in manual focus mode may be a mixed bag for some users: While most will appreciate the “traditional” focus ring with its hard end stops and engraved distance and DOF markings, offering two different DOF displays based on two different circles of confusion may, well, confuse some less-experienced photographers. Of course, many users have asked Fuji for a less conservative DOF scale (especially for zone focusing purposes), so this was obviously a deliberate decision to accommodate such wishes.
Since there are no distance or DOF indicators displayed in the viewfinder or LCD once the lens or camera are set to MF, you have to use the readings that are engraved in the lens. That may be hard to accomplish while you are busy looking through the viewfinder trying to frame a shot, and the engraved numbers could be difficult to read in dark surroundings. So from a usability standpoint (and admittedly not being much of a zone focus guy), I’d be just as happy with the 14mm being a “conventional” XF lens like the previous models. But that’s just me.
Manual focus with the focus ring is still “fly-by-wire”, meaning there’s no helicoil. That said (I’m already hearing the moaning from the usual suspects), manual focusing feels smooth and direct. Quite obviously, Fujifilm meant this lens to be used for zone focusing in MF mode. This is how it works: Preset a suitable aperture, focus distance and DOF on the lens barrel, then forget about focusing while framing the shot in the viewfinder and hunting for the decisive moment.
Auto focus works pretty fast (no surprise at 14mm focal length), even though it’s only powered by a traditional AF motor with low noise emissions. Like the kit zoom, I’d consider this lens to be very well built and a joy to operate and handle. It’s light-weight, and it delivers stunning results. This, of course, is the most important aspect.
Happy shooting, and have a nice week!
Rico Pfirstinger studied communications and has been working as journalist, publicist, and photographer since the mid-80s. He has written a number of books on topics as diverse as Adobe PageMaker and sled dogs, and produced a beautiful book of photographs titled Huskies in Action (German version). He has spent time working as the head of a department with the German Burda-Publishing Company and served as chief editor for a winter sports website. After eight years as a freelance film critic and entertainment writer in Los Angeles, Rico now lives in Germany and devotes his time to digital photography and compact camera systems. His book “Mastering the FUJIFILM X-Pro1” (Kindle Edition) (Apple iBook Store) (German version) is available on Amazon and offers a plethora of tips, secrets and background information on successfully using Fuji’s X-Pro1 and X-E1 system cameras, lenses and key accessories.

Jan 18, 2013

Snappgrip for Smartphones Goes Into Production

Snappgrip for Smartphones Goes Into Production:

Snappgrip is an iPhone case and grip that allows you to use your iPhone or Galaxy III more like a traditional point and shoot camera. The idea turned into a Kickstarter project, which recently met its funding goal, and is now going into production with commercial availability expected in March 2013.

Snappgrip comes complete with a shutter button, mode dial and zoom toggle. On the bottom of the grip, you get a 1/4-20 adapter for tripod mounting, along with a micro-USB port and an on/off switch.
You can still pre-order the Snappgrip through the Kickstarter campaign at a discounted price of $79 for the next 10 days. After that, the Snappgrip will retail for $99 for the case and the grip combo.
Check it out here on Kickstarter.

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Jan 10, 2013

How good is the Fuji XF 35mm f1.4 R lens? | HamburgCam

How good is the Fuji XF 35mm f1.4 R lens? | HamburgCam: …. A few observations that I made during the test: While focusing I noticed that the Canon lens tended to show more color fringing from green to red while I was fine tuning the manual focus. The Canon was also more difficult to fine tune since the manual focus reacted rather fast and direct to [...]

X100s and X20 previews and catalogue + XF14mm f/2.8 test shot

X100s and X20 previews and catalogue + XF14mm f/2.8 test shot:
Xstory
Take a look at the technology inside the X100s and X20 (click here or the image above)
imaging-resource previews: For the X20 preview click here and for the X100s preview click here: From the X100s summary: “If you like your X100, you’ll probably want to run — not walk — to the nearest camera store or friendly internet retailer, to lay hands on the new X100S. We expect the improvements to be pretty dramatic.
X100s catalogue PDF: http://www.fujifilm.com/products/digital_cameras/x/fujifilm_x100s/pdf/index/x100s_catalogue_01.pdf
X20 catalogue PDF: http://www.fujifilm.com/products/digital_cameras/x/fujifilm_x20/pdf/index/x20_catalogue_01.pdf
One of the things that I really like about the X100 is the fact that you can process its raw files in just about any software, and they always come out pretty damn good. Well, kiss that option goodbye with the newly announced replacement.” If you want to read more, click here to read some thoughts on the announcement of Fuji and Nikon at CES. Do you share the worry of Thomas Fitzgerald? Leave a comment.
I’ve found most of the links posted here in the comments to my previous posts. Thanks for sharing your findings.
One more thing: Rico Pfirstinger took his first test shot with the new 14mm f/2.8 lens. For the hig-res version on Flickr click here.
XF14 test shot
PREORDER
X100S: AmazonUS / Adorama / B&H
X20: AmazonUS: silver and black version / B&H: silver versionblack version / Adorama: silver versionblack version
Europe: UK: Wexphotographic X100s for £1099 / X20 silver and black for £599

Lightroom Video – Fooling Lightroom Presets To Create Cool Effects

Lightroom Video – Fooling Lightroom Presets To Create Cool Effects:
Hey everyone. Got a new video for you. A question or comment I hear quite a bit about is the fact that you can’t save Adjustment Brush settings into a preset in Lightroom. Now, don’t confuse this with saving adjustment brush presets – that you can do (say you have a favorite brush setting for softening skin or whitening eyes). But if you paint something on to the photo you can’t save it. There is a semi-workaround though. It uses the Graduated Filter in Lightroom, and you’ll see in this video that, for certain effects and presets, it can come in really handy. The video is below. Enjoy!

Jan 4, 2013

Robin Wong: Olympus PEN E-PL5 Review: Nigel & Kel Li's Wedding...

Nice review by Robin Wong, and I bet that a lot us were wondering if the OMD/E-PL5 (same sensor), is capable of a really great job in a wedding.

Robin Wong: Olympus PEN E-PL5 Review: Nigel & Kel Li's Wedding...: Important Notes: 1. This is a user experience based review. 2. All images were post-processed, and NOT straight out of the camera. 3...

First Impressions: Samsung NX300 and 45mm f1.8 3D

First Impressions: Samsung NX300 and 45mm f1.8 3D:
Chris Gampat The Phoblographer Samsung NX300 and 45mm f1.8 3D first impressions (4 of 11)ISO 16001-550 sec at f - 5.6
Samsung introduced their new NX300 mirrorless interchangeable lens camera today; and we were able to get some quick hands on time with it. The new camera (that replaces the NX 210) features a redesigned 20.3MP sensor, the ability to shoot 3D and 2D stills and video with the also announced 45mm f1.8 3D, includes a new DRIMe 4 engine, has both contrast and phase detect focusing, and lots more. To boot, you’ll also receive the camera bundled with Adobe Lightroom 4.
Here’s our overview:

Tech Specs

All info taken directly from Samsung
NX300 Product Specifications
Image Sensor 20.3 effective megapixel APS-C CMOS
IS OIS mode is only provided on 2D shooting mode
Display 84.0mm (3.31”) AMOLED with a Tilt Touch Panel
WVGA (800×400) 768k dots
ISO Auto, 100, 200, 400, 800, 1600, 3200, 6400, 12800, 25600
Image JPEG (3:2):20.0M (5472×3648),  10.1M (3888×2592), 5.9M (2976×1984),
2.0M (1728×1152), 5.0M (2736×1824): Burst mode only
JPEG (16:9):16.9M (5472×3080), 7.8M (3712×2088), 4.9M (2944×1656), 2.1M (1920×1080)
JPEG (1:1):13.3M (3648×3648),  7.0M (2640×2640), 4.0M (2000×2000),
1.1M (1024×1024)
RAW : 20.0M (5472×3648)
* 3D Image Size : JPEG (16:9) 4.1M (2688×1512), (16:9) 2.1M (1920×1080)
Video MP4 (Video: MPEG4, AVC/H.264, Audio: AAC)
1920×1080, 1920×810, 1280×720 , 640×480, 320×240 for Sharing
Video Output HDMI 1.4a
Value-added Features SMART Mode : Beauty Face, Landscape, Macro, Action Freeze, Rich Tone, Panorama, Waterfall, Silhouette, Sunset, Night, Fireworks, Light Trace, Creative Shot, Best Face
3D still image & video capturing
Wi-Fi Connectivity IEEE 802.11b/g/n support Dual Channel (SMART Camera 2.0)
. AutoShare
. Cloud
. Email
. Auto Backup
. Remote Viewfinder
. MobileLink
. Wi-Fi Direct (playback)
. AllSharePlay
. Social Sharing
Bundle PC software iLauncher, Adobe Lightroom
Storage SD, SDHC, SDXC, UHS-1
Battery BP1130 (1130mAh)
Dimension (WxHxD) 122 x 63.7 x 40.7mm (excluding the projection part)
Weight 280 g (without battery)
-          NEW 3D Still and movie capture
-          NEW Hybrid AF (Phase and Contrast Detection)
-          NEW 3.3-inch AMOLED Touchscreen and Tilt Display
-          NEW SMART Camera 2.0 functionality
-          NEW Premium retro modern design
-          20.3 MP CMOS sensor (APS-C)
-          Full HD video recording (1080p/60fps)
-          Dual-band Wi-Fi Connectivity (2.4G/5G)
-          Available in retro-modern black/silver and white/silver
-          MSRP: $749.99
45mm 2D/3D lens Specifications
Focal Length 45mm (equivalent to 69.3mm in 35mm format)
Elements in Groups 7 elements in 6 groups
Angle of View 34.7°
Aperture As of 2D : F1.8* (Min. F22), (Number of Blades : 9 , Circular Aperture Diaphragm)
OIS NO
Minimum
Focus Distance
0.50m
Maximum Magnification Approx. 0.12X
i Scene Night, Portrait, Beauty shot, Children, Backlight, Sports
Lens Hood Yes
Filter Size 43mm
Mount Type NX Mount
Dimension (DxL) 44.4 x 61.5mm
Weight 115g

Ergonomics

Chris Gampat The Phoblographer Samsung NX300 and 45mm f1.8 3D first impressions (3 of 11)ISO 16001-240 sec at f - 5.6
The NX300 has what the company is calling a, “Retro-modern look”; and indeed it seems to have design cues that balance that. For example, the front is very plain with a faux leather covering and a top and bottom that looks like silver.
Chris Gampat The Phoblographer Samsung NX300 and 45mm f1.8 3D first impressions (5 of 11)ISO 16001-400 sec at f - 5.6
The top of the NX300 has a shutter control dial that doubles for zooming in and out of a photo during playback, on/off switch with the shutter release in the middle, direct wifi link, and the mode dial. To the left of all this is the hot shoe and stereo microphones.
Chris Gampat The Phoblographer Samsung NX300 and 45mm f1.8 3D first impressions (6 of 11)ISO 16001-180 sec at f - 5.6
The back of the camera looks very interesting with the video record button being placed a bit out of the way. Then there are other controls such as exposure compensation (or aperture control), a menu button, custom function button, display, drive mode, focusing mode, confirmation button, ISO control, playback and trash.
Interestingly enough, the screen is an AMOLED touch screen, and nearly any of these parameters can be controlled via the screen.
Chris Gampat The Phoblographer Samsung NX300 and 45mm f1.8 3D first impressions (7 of 11)ISO 16001-480 sec at f - 5.6
The screen is big (3.3 inches), bright, and beautiful. When I switched the camera into manual focusing mode, it also helped me with focusing due to the combination of magnification and focus peaking.
Chris Gampat The Phoblographer Samsung NX300 and 45mm f1.8 3D first impressions (8 of 11)ISO 16001-60 sec at f - 5.6
The cameras menus also include quite a bit of info that might be crucial to those trying to become more advanced. Here for example, ISO is explained more.
Chris Gampat The Phoblographer Samsung NX300 and 45mm f1.8 3D first impressions (9 of 11)ISO 16001-250 sec at f - 5.6
But the visual menu layout overall has to be the best in the industry: trumping Olympus, Sony, and Panasonic in simplifying and sexifying the menu overview.
Chris Gampat The Phoblographer Samsung NX300 and 45mm f1.8 3D first impressions (10 of 11)ISO 16001-150 sec at f - 5.6
As is standard, the user also can have a quick menu overlay. This overlay would be excellent if the camera had a viewfinder (or one that attaches.) Alas, it doesn’t.
Chris Gampat The Phoblographer Samsung NX300 and 45mm f1.8 3D first impressions (11 of 11)ISO 16001-105 sec at f - 5.0
The camera also comes in white if the user so chooses to spring for that.
Chris Gampat The Phoblographer Samsung NX300 and 45mm f1.8 3D first impressions (1 of 11)ISO 16001-180 sec at f - 4.0
One of the more interesting parts of today’s announcement though is the company’s new 45mm f1.8 2D/3D lens: which incorporates two different shutter curtains. When 3D video or stills are being shot, the left moves and then the right. In 2D mode: only one curtain moves.
Chris Gampat The Phoblographer Samsung NX300 and 45mm f1.8 3D first impressions (2 of 11)ISO 16001-240 sec at f - 4.0
Here’s another view of the curtains.

Build Quality

The NX300 was remarkably solid in my hands; but I tested an engineering sample, so not all of the kinks were ironed out. However, Samsung said that a photographer went to the arctic with one of their cameras and a DSLR; and the NX model survived while the DSLR couldn’t take the extreme cold.

Autofocus

Samsung claimed that the autofocusing should be the best in the world now that there is phase detection incorporated into the camera. I begged to differ in my short time with the camera; but am willing to blame it on the fact that I held an engineering sample.

Ease of Use

The NX300′s menu system and overlays were all very intuitive and at no time did I feel intimidated by the buttons, menus or anything else. The audience that this camera is targeted to (consumers) will have no problems using it or its direct link WiFi settings.

Image Quality

Because this was a pre-production model, we couldn’t put a card in the camera at all. We are working on calling in a review unit though.

First Impressions

The NX300 felt awesome in my hands, though it was a bit bigger than I’d like. The lovely screen is very much a show stealer: and the company seems to be positioning itself for an even more aggressive push in the camera market. In the years passed, Samsung wasn’t always such a big hit. But maybe now they will be. This little camera surely deserves it from what I’ve seen so far.

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