Subscores
For 2012 Samsung decided to renew its entire hybrid range. The fairly recent NX200 has therefore already been supplanted with the NX210, which we're reviewing here. The body and sensor are exactly the same; what's new is the addition of Wi-Fi functionality, which has been tagged on to every camera in the NX series.
Handling
Did you like those "spot the difference" games when you were a kid? Well, try this one on for size: try and tell the NX210 and NX200 apart without looking at the reference number. From the front they're identical, right down to the rubber on the grip handle. From the back they're the same, all the way down to the logo. The only difference is the "Wi-Fi" setting on the mode dial. Please see our review of Samsung's WB850F for a more detailed review of the Wi-Fi functions.
The build is nice. The camera feels comfortable in your hands and has a good-looking body, but we still feel there are a few things missing. We wish it had a built-in flash (although an external mini-flash comes in the box) and a tiltable screen like the one found on the recent Sony NEX-F3. Also, the dials turn a tad too easily, so when you're walking around with the camera dangling from your neck, for example, there's always the risk that the settings might get changed accidentally. The dial on top is too far away from the shutter release and the overall style doesn't quite have the class that the less expensive Sony NEX-5N has.
The screen is still 614,000-dot AMOLED (VGA resolution and RGBG structure). The display image is slightly cold and the mid-greys are too light, but the main problem here is how the screen reproduces colours: the average Delta E is nearly 10. This won't pose any problems for lining up shots, but you definitely don't want to rely on it for any subtle colour alterations, such as adjusting the white balance.
The interface follows suit with Samsung products: it's simple, clear and looks good, with fairly relevant help functions, and the iFn button on the lens is as practical as always for certain settings (by default it's set to adjust exposure compensation, although this is customisable).
Responsiveness
What do you get for three seconds? Three stars. Seriously, what else can we say when most interchangeable lens cameras start in less than a second, including the time for the retractable lens to move into position (as is the case with micro four-thirds cameras equipped with the Panasonic 14-42 mm X lens)?
The worst is that once it's on and running, the NX210 still isn't exactly a speeding bullet. The autofocus works perfectly fine, but we were unable to get any faster than 1.9 seconds in between photos, whereas the NX200 was a whole second faster.
Picture Quality
The NX210's 20-Megapixel sensor is nothing new; it's the same one that's on the NX200 and the rest of the NX range, including the NX20, which we also recently reviewed. The 18-55 mm kit lens is nothing new either, so there are no surprises in this section.
The ISO sensitivity tests confirm this: noise is limited up to 1600, even 3200, ISO, and while smoothing begins at 800 ISO, it stays reasonable up until 1600 ISO. At 3200 ISO, there's still enough detail to make great-looking 8" x 12" (20 x 30 cm) prints because only at 6400 ISO does image degradation really become a problem.
The 18-55 mm kit lens is decent, but quality can vary from one model to another. The one we got with our NX210 is much better than the one that came with our NX20, giving nice, consistent quality in wide-angle settings from f/5.6, whereas the NX20's lens had to close to f/8 before we could get anything acceptable out of it. At telephoto settings quality is still decent. In any case, it's better than most of Sony's 18-55 mm lenses—another lens for APS-sensor interchangeable lens cameras that's known to vary in quality from one model to another.
Video
The video mode is one of the NX210's strong points. The image (HD 1080p at 25 fps) is sharp and devoid of noise, dynamic range is handled well, and you can access the PSAM modes while filming. The audio's also good, with a well-rendered stereo sound and clearly reproduced sounds.
Are there any weaknesses? Yes: the continuous autofocus, which has a tendency to "pump" back and forth any time the focus isn't perfect. All it takes is a moving subject or a quick zoom-in for the autofocus to start looking closer, then further, before finally locking on to the right focal length.
Handling
Did you like those "spot the difference" games when you were a kid? Well, try this one on for size: try and tell the NX210 and NX200 apart without looking at the reference number. From the front they're identical, right down to the rubber on the grip handle. From the back they're the same, all the way down to the logo. The only difference is the "Wi-Fi" setting on the mode dial. Please see our review of Samsung's WB850F for a more detailed review of the Wi-Fi functions.
The build is nice. The camera feels comfortable in your hands and has a good-looking body, but we still feel there are a few things missing. We wish it had a built-in flash (although an external mini-flash comes in the box) and a tiltable screen like the one found on the recent Sony NEX-F3. Also, the dials turn a tad too easily, so when you're walking around with the camera dangling from your neck, for example, there's always the risk that the settings might get changed accidentally. The dial on top is too far away from the shutter release and the overall style doesn't quite have the class that the less expensive Sony NEX-5N has.
The screen is still 614,000-dot AMOLED (VGA resolution and RGBG structure). The display image is slightly cold and the mid-greys are too light, but the main problem here is how the screen reproduces colours: the average Delta E is nearly 10. This won't pose any problems for lining up shots, but you definitely don't want to rely on it for any subtle colour alterations, such as adjusting the white balance.
The interface follows suit with Samsung products: it's simple, clear and looks good, with fairly relevant help functions, and the iFn button on the lens is as practical as always for certain settings (by default it's set to adjust exposure compensation, although this is customisable).
Responsiveness
What do you get for three seconds? Three stars. Seriously, what else can we say when most interchangeable lens cameras start in less than a second, including the time for the retractable lens to move into position (as is the case with micro four-thirds cameras equipped with the Panasonic 14-42 mm X lens)?
The worst is that once it's on and running, the NX210 still isn't exactly a speeding bullet. The autofocus works perfectly fine, but we were unable to get any faster than 1.9 seconds in between photos, whereas the NX200 was a whole second faster.
Picture Quality
The NX210's 20-Megapixel sensor is nothing new; it's the same one that's on the NX200 and the rest of the NX range, including the NX20, which we also recently reviewed. The 18-55 mm kit lens is nothing new either, so there are no surprises in this section.
The ISO sensitivity tests confirm this: noise is limited up to 1600, even 3200, ISO, and while smoothing begins at 800 ISO, it stays reasonable up until 1600 ISO. At 3200 ISO, there's still enough detail to make great-looking 8" x 12" (20 x 30 cm) prints because only at 6400 ISO does image degradation really become a problem.
The 18-55 mm kit lens is decent, but quality can vary from one model to another. The one we got with our NX210 is much better than the one that came with our NX20, giving nice, consistent quality in wide-angle settings from f/5.6, whereas the NX20's lens had to close to f/8 before we could get anything acceptable out of it. At telephoto settings quality is still decent. In any case, it's better than most of Sony's 18-55 mm lenses—another lens for APS-sensor interchangeable lens cameras that's known to vary in quality from one model to another.
Video
The video mode is one of the NX210's strong points. The image (HD 1080p at 25 fps) is sharp and devoid of noise, dynamic range is handled well, and you can access the PSAM modes while filming. The audio's also good, with a well-rendered stereo sound and clearly reproduced sounds.
Are there any weaknesses? Yes: the continuous autofocus, which has a tendency to "pump" back and forth any time the focus isn't perfect. All it takes is a moving subject or a quick zoom-in for the autofocus to start looking closer, then further, before finally locking on to the right focal length.
Pros
- Nice build, AMOLED screen is easy on the eyes
- Clear and extensive interface
- Wi-Fi functions (transferring images, smartphone commands)
- iFn button for quick access to settings
- Image quality up to 1600 ISO
- Image & sound quality in video mode
Cons
- No built-in flash (external flash included)
- Slow to start & shoot (especially with RAW)
- Screen doesn't tilt, isn't touch-enabled
- Autofocus "pumping" in video mode
Conclusion
The NX210 is only a minor update of the NX200. In fact, the only major addition is the Wi-Fi function. The image quality is good, but the camera's a tad too slow and lacks the charm of the Sony NEX and Panasonic GF5.
OUR SCORE
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