NX500 28MP with 16-50mm Power Zoom Lens
I’ve been reading reviews online on the NX500 and many compare it to the NX1 which I am not familiar at all. From what I gather, the NX1 is a compact DSLR-type while the NX500 has many similar features housed in a much smaller body. This makes the camera ideal for photographers who want DSLR-quality images without the bulk. *raising hand, me!*
I sold my DSLR last month since I haven’t gotten much use out of it. It was time to say goodbye and let it go. It’s weird, I feel like I’ve lost something significant. Then again, I wasn’t using it all that much in the last handful of months. It’s better off in the possession of someone who gets more mileage out of it. I love the image quality a DSLR produces but have not quite found the right (smaller) replacement option yet.
Upon being asked to try out the NX500, I have high hopes that this camera can step in to fulfil that.
Similar to the NX300M which I own, this is also a touchscreen model. The two control dials on the camera body make it snappy for me to run through all the different menus. After acquiring the NX300M I’ve gotten much more familiar with the Samsung interface. The learning curve of using this for me was relatively lower compared to if I were to test out another brand.
This camera is packed with features, which I am still discovering by hands-on testing and also reading up the PDF user manual online. (I apologize in advance for not covering them all since I had a short loan window to figure this camera out).
I shoot a lot of food and still-life photography and find that this camera works great for that. I took some images of the Warm Goat Cheese and Pear Salad I made, using this camera. For comparison’s sake, I used both the NX500 and the NX3300 with the same mode, focus point, and settings. Looks like the higher MP makes a difference after all. The NX500 yields much sharper images with vivid colors.
There’s this fun Multi-Exposure mode in this camera which I don’t see in the other two models. I got curious and naturally started snapping away in this mode. I made two instant digital collages through this mode. The results were pretty nifty.
One evening I took random snaps of whatever and the camera pretty much assembled four shots to create a collage with varying transparency levels. I applied filters in post-processing to tweak colors and voila. All done in the Samsung NX500 camera.
Example 1:
Example 2:
Couple days later, I tried out the video capabilities of this compact camera. The Samsung NX500 boasts 4K video recording mode. This resolution is way beyond my needs since it’s unlikely for my food videos to be broadcasted on high-def televisions.
After filming a bit, I found out that the file format of recordings isn’t readable on my Mac *gwa, gwa, gwaaa~* so I needed a video converter software to settle this. The file conversion adds an additional step to my usual workflow and I’m not thrilled about that. But the video quality is definitely much sharper and the camera is really responsive during recording. Just like the images obtained using the NX500, footages are also more vibrant.
The Samsung NX500 comes in three colors: Black, White, and Brown, and is available at all consumer electronics stores for S$1,159 (with GST). Nnnhhhhh, I’m conflicted. On one hand I want to get this camera coz image and video quality is tack sharp and focusing is fast. But the incompatible video format is tripping up my workflow. How ah? -__-
NX3300, NX300M, and NX500. Have you read my reviews on these other Samsung NX Cameras?
