Samsung NX30 Review: A $600 Mirrorless Camera that Feels like a DSLR

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[DongBUYShinKi]

I had NX10 and liked it a lot, but I started making unboxing videos and product photography so I upgraded to NX30 and I'm just in love with this little gem. It's a huge leap from NX10. I just love the touch screen and being able to flip it around,  and I'm really satisfied with image and video quality.

I also pair it up with my Samsung Note and use it as a remote shutter release when I want my camera to stay perfectly still.

[Scdny]

Good review! I've been a D5100 owner for a few years, and my problem is its size and weight. You don't so much as carry a Nikon and its lenses as lug them, and only when necessary. So I instantly fell in love with the lightweight Samsung NX20 the first time I saw one, and even more so with the NX30 (the NX1 is drop dead gorgeous, but a bit too big and expensive for me). I keep going back to B&H to check out the latest Olympus Pens, Lumix GX7s, Sony's, etc., but when I get down to the end of the aisle of tables and hold the NX30, I always feel it's the camera for me (until an NX50 comes out, I guess). I especially love how the viewfinder zooms in when you manually focus. Compared to the D5100 (or ANY Nikon, for that matter), the NX30 seems about 10 years ahead technologically. Chelsea & Tony's balanced review really confirmed my feelings.

[blurayffan]

I really like that u guys are looking at and reviewing less expensive cameras. Great job!

[MarinusVesseur]

Great review. I tried the NX30 next to the NX300 and would really recommend the latter. It boils down to wanting the EVF and/or the flippable screen of the NX30 or not. Otherwise I find the differences negligible. The NX300 makes a smaller, prettier, pocketable package which makes me prefer it. A nice feature both have: the manual focus magnification plus focus peaking works for any manual lens. By the way: there may not be many lenses yet, but Samsung is making a point of doing what they do really well (except for the flashes). The compact 30mm 2.0 and super-compact 10mm 180° fish-eye are absolutely brilliant, as is the 16-50mm OIS. And another thing which you've probably already noticed, but in case you haven't: the audio quality of your videos is not great - I've noticed that in other videos as well. Must be something with the mikes. Thanks for another excellent review.

[ales_krejci]

I own it and love it. I love EVF, touchscreen and focus peaking with old DSLR manual lenses. But I also love this for its lense selection. In fact you have super cheap super sharp 30mm f2 lense (approx 200 USD), one of the best bokeh prime 85mm F1, 4 lense for 1000 USD, 10 mm - the only fish eye pancake prime I am aware of... I was deciding between Sony mirrorless (which have crappy and very expensive lenses), Samsung mirrorless, fuji mirrorless (ok lenses but expensive as hell) and classic DSLRs (which lack too many features I really find useful. So I went with Samsung already few years back and I am still happy with that decision.

[mcol]

I really liked the pace of this review: you gave numbers but not too many, opinions but fair and well justified, examples but not pixel-peeping all the time. It also helps to have both of you there, as each brings a slightly different viewpoint.

[Astrogerms]

Just picked up two of your books on Amazon! Looking forward to some reading time! Have a great Christmas!

[johnfurious]

The best honest opinion I have heard so far... Other reviewers just say DSLR's are dead, just get a mirrorless. Thanks

[barnet]

After spending quiet a while at their stand at photokina. 
I think your review makes a lot of sense.
Samsung camera's often get a don't buy advice by people that don't know how good they can be.
The image quality is good and the lenses seem as well. Though there are indeed limited in options(more native then Sony though).
.
Overall yeah great job with the review agree with every single word.

[jwmpratt]

Interesting video Tony and Chelsea, thanks. I love that you used the sony a5100 as a comparison. I am always looking for more info about that camera and not many people mention it... I dont think people know how to classify the a5100, it came out without much fanfare, and perhaps clouded by A7/A7s. Perhaps a5100 is a bit under rated. Thanks again.

[photographerjonathan]

I hope the NX1 review is around the corner ) my first DSLR was a NIkon D80, witch seemed like the best camera for the money back then, and I was really excited to get it, but the ISO performance of any apsc camera nowadays would blow it away, but I think when you are a beginning photographer, you need to just learn what you are doing, and don't waste time pixel peeping, just master the camera that you have, before you consider other lenses or stepping up to a more pro camera, people get so caught up with reviews and comparisons, if you are a beginner, there is no apsc camera and kit lens that isn't good enough for you to spend two or three years or so learning on, just get out there and enjoy the process of taking pictures, and discover the love for photography, and when you feel like you know what you are doing, and you have allot more knowledge, then move up to the ultimate camera of your choice

[rbreznik]

Suggestion for cool video. Compare: expensive camera with cheap glass and cheap body with expensive glass. Like canon 100d with 500 f4. 

[SMGJohn]

I really wish Samsung kept making cameras because their NX1 and NX500 were fucking amazing when they came out and still are. Samsung's colour science was on point too in fact I still hold Sammy's colour science as the greatest out there, no camera ever seem to come close to their amazing sensor colour technology which is the reason why Samsung did so poor at low light, they choose to design their sensors for colour depth and accuracy instead.

[bencearadi]

Huge thumps up for this video, been waiting for so long for a "proper" channel to do a review of a Samsung NX camera. I think they are very underrated because of the lack of marketing. Such a nice choice for casual, event and travel photography with lower overall system price then its competitors. I was a Nikon DSLR shooter for 10 years but picked this over the D5300 because of the better grip!! and much smaller size / weight. Nice NX lenses out there too, check out the 30 mm f2 or the 12-24. Certainly not a professional camera but perfect for enthusiast like me.

[kimberlynorton]

I do not understand the negative votes, this is an excellent review of the Samsung NX30.  But you still have not done a review of the Ricoh GR, it is APS-C, small, and takes stellar images.

[marcosvazquez]

which camera do you recomend me more as a biginner D-SLR photographer. The Sony a58 or the Samsung NX-30. PD: i have watched most of your tutorial videos, so i have knowledge about the comands and different controls of a camera, but i don´t have one so that i could practice :(

[TheTuubster]

Mentionable:
+ i-Button on the lens in combination with the focus ring allows changing shutter speed and/or aperture, ISO speed, exposure compensation and white balance without having to take off the viewfinder from your eye.
+ Features a quick panorama shot via continuously sliding the camera left/right or top/bottom (in HD resolution).
- Does not support RAW files in Auto mode.
- Agressive noise filter for the JPEGs that cannot be switched off (removes fine texture details while producing blotches, images have no natural grain).

[supercurioTube]

I just got caught of guard when the 60p footage started to play :)
Good idea to upload this one in 1080p60!

Do you plan to upload more in 1080p60 or 4K?
- I know, this is where your traditional GH2 get obsolete.

[sjim]

I haven't used any mirrorless camera yet, but I have used the Sony SLT series. I maybe wrong, so please correct me. 
The reason why I can't use EVF camera is that I do studio/off camera flash works. You can't see anything at 1/200 sec, f8/11, ISO100. The EVF would a pitch black with only modeling lamps lighting up the scene. 

[dirragon]

While I get that Samsung doesn't have as many lenses available as perhaps other manufacturers, I'm not sure I'd agree that a reason not to buy would be if you want to buy into the lens line/go beyond kit lenses.  They have a couple of great pro lenses now that cover the standard ranges (16-50, 50-150), some very small, lightweight and useful pancake primes, a really good, usefully ranged wide angle (the 12-24, which I've owned, has great optics in a very small and light package), a good macro, and are coming out with a 300mm lens soon, in addition to other rumored lenses (16-80, 24mm, 11-24mm).  While I'm not sure they are the fastest to release lenses (probably an understatement), the lineup has merit, and certainly even a professional wouldn't have a problem using Samsung for their work (especially with the release of the NX1 and its improved focusing and sensor).  
I've owned just about every system in existence at one point or another, and have to say that I enjoy using Samsung cameras very much.  The interface is pretty intuitive, and I don't have to fight with the camera to get it to do what I want.  While I've yet to use the NX1, the NX500 is really fun and easy to use, and quite powerful to boot.  I like many different systems for many different reasons, but it's nice to see what feels like a re-dedication from Samsung to their cameras and lens line, and it certainly makes me hopeful for the future of the system.

Thanks for the review, by the way; I look forward to your take on the NX1.