Samsung NX200

The Samsung NX200 is the "not quite" camera.

It's not quite small enough to pocket; the zoom (on the kit lens) is not quite long enough; you cannot quite see the screen in sunlight; and the price is not quite low enough. Therefore, the NX200 does quite not make it to the top of our Mirrorless Camera shootout.

Still, with that said, this industrial-looking, solidly-built camera could become your travel companion - if you don't desire a viewfinder. Smaller and lighter than a DSLR, the NX200 is semi-easy to lug around but more essentially, it takes very respectable pictures - better than many of the other mirrorless cameras.

That's because of it large APS-C CMOS sensor with a 20.3 megapixel resolution, (only the Sony NEX-7 is higher in the mirrorless category). While more pixels don't guarantee better quality, good news, this camera delivers.

The Good, the Bad and the Not Quite

The features on the Samsung NX200 mirror (no pun intended) those of many other mirrorless cameras: a selection of interchangeable lenses; a three inch OLED screen; wheels and buttons to navigate through the functions; manual and automatic options for exposure settings; high definition video recording; RAW plus various levels of JPEG files; an external flash attachment; and of course, the omnipresent (frou-frous) options of photo effects.

I liked the organization and logistics of the camera: the physical buttons, the rotating wheels, the on-screen menu choices, the straightforward explanations, and (most) of the features.

Though I still haven't found a mirrorless camera that has positioned the dedicated movie button in a great location. The NX200 places it on the back near the thumb grip, which makes it too easy to inadvertently press. (I had to laugh at the camera user's manual when it demonstrated the proper NX200 handclasp, positioning the thumb on top of the movie button.)

Samsung should consider that curtailing straying fingers is not on our minds when literally chasing down a shot, whether crawling under tables chasing cute kitties or clawing up mountains chasing golden-hour sunlight.

As for navigating to your favorite features, the NX200 provides dedicated buttons for items like ISO and Exposure Compensation. And there are various routes to reach various other functions, so you can chart whatever course works best for you.

If you have options that you often use like White Balance, you can program the Fn button on the camera's rear for direct access.

Of note, the rear viewing screen is not touch sensitive. You access and move through the menus with the buttons and dials.

The minimalist grip is workable which means no added camera voluminosity is necessary. Even so, with the kit lens, the NX200 will not snuggle into a pocket.

Since the camera's mechanical viscera are wrapped in more metal (less plastic) than its predecessors (and many competitors), the NX200 feels like it could withstand some abuse. Though the attachable flash that comes with the kit is more fragile.

Samsung says that the contrast has been upgraded and refined on the NX200's three-inch OLED screen. Maybe so, but I shot a kite festival on a sunny Sunday and the screen was virtually useless.

Now this problem of screens washing out in glaring light is common with almost any camera. Since the NX200 does not include a dedicated viewfinder, I finally abandoned the tedious squinting and settled for shooting from the hip.

Please give me an integrated viewfinder. (No camera will substitute for a DSLR without one.)

Moreover, there is no option from Samsung for an electronic or optical viewfinder. Money can't even buy one.

In kinder conditions, like a cloudy day during Fashion Week, the screen was much more readable and the shooting much more rewarding. Autofocus worked admirably, catching fashionistas in mid-stride.

The NX200 boasts of an ISO range of 100 to 12,800, which is slightly higher than standard. I shoot with the camera set to high ISO numbers because I like night shooting.

Sure, the inevitable invasive noise and blur exponentially impedes the clarity of the images, but I would rather have the shot - warts and all - than have nothing. (Photo editing programs will minimize the damage but not magically clean up the image.)

Still, for best results stick with the lower ISO numbers. At 800, noise is evident. At 1600, it becomes problematic.

The ability to shoot panoramas is an addictive feature. The NX200's panorama sweep is not loud nor temperamental as its closest nemesis, the Sony NEX5n. Moreover, the NX200 goes vertically or horizontally without needing to reconfigure the camera settings. (Thank goodness.)

The HD video quality is good, but sound is still the neglected off-spring of the universal family of mirrorless cameras, marginalized on the NX200 even more by the absence of a port to plug in an external microphone.

As of this writing, Samsung offers a limited selection of compatible lenses that include the basic pancake, wide angle and telephoto types. Samsung still does not offer a power zoom lens that is useful for shooting videos.

The user manual is pretty good at explaining the overflow of the NX200's functions and features. None of the new mirrorless cameras are as easy to use as they claim.

You undoubtedly have often heard that cameras don't make good photos, photographers do. I beg to differ. You and your camera can create winning pictures, but first you have to master the machine.

The on-screen explanations and reminders provide welcome help, but proficiency still requires probing, practice and patience. And the NX200 is no exception.

Conclusion

Finally, the Samsung NX200 is one of the most expensive cameras in this shootout. If you don't want or need a camera with a dedicated viewfinder, then the thought of the image quality captured by the NX200's 20 megapixel APS-C sensor might be reason enough to pry your wallet open a little wider.

It is not a strong enough reason to displace the more moderately priced Sony's NEX-5N from its Best Mirrorless Camera throne.

Samsung NX200 Photo Gallery

More about the Samsung NX200

Samsung NX200 spec sheet