Ok, the NX1 has long been dead. So, this is more of a lament than anything. A very late review perhaps? More than anything, just my thoughts and how much I liked using this camera.
In 2015 we needed a camera for a video shoot. For our needs, we required a camera that would shoot at least 120fps. After back and forth research on various cameras it came down to the Panasonic GH4 and the Samsung NX1. The GH4 only shot 96fps which is 4x slower than 24fps. I felt the additional 24fps (bumping it to 120fps) is what edged the NX1 out. So we took the plunge and dropped a couple of grand on the camera and a couple of lenses. Then, we got to work.
The Device
Using the device was a treat. It had a touchscreen or you could dial things in manually. I should also mention that it also shot 4k at 30fps. It had lenses that could be changed, always a bonus. The camera was mirrorless. This means that a mirror doesn’t flip out of the way to expose the sensor, whereas a DSLR works in this way. There was no physical “snapping” sound but it had a tiny speaker to simulate one. Cute, eh? So, you could effectively shoot images all day an no one would ever know. Good for candids! Manual controls were a breeze. Exposure, aperture, everything; easy to change on the fly without even taking your eyes off the subject.
One very distinct advantage of a mirrorless camera was filming welding. Normally you have to wear protective eyewear. However, the screen and eyepiece were tiny LCD screens. That meant that the light would only be as bright as the screen would allow it, registering as just white light. That, opposed to looking through optics only to magnify the intense light directly into your retina.
The only drawback was that it shot in h.265 vs h.264. At the time, no computers could handle that file format right out of the box. It’s like an mp3 version of a video file. Granted an h.264 mp4 is already compressed enough, h.265 took compression even further. That allowed smaller video files at 100mpbs. It required a lot of processing power to render those types of files. We had to use 3rd party software to render them to h.264 files and in the process, you could end up with a file that was 10x larger than the source file, at the same bit rate. Good compression indeed. A couple of years ago, it was a slight issue. These days things like Windows 10 play h.265 right out of the box. Adobe Media Encoder and Adobe Premiere can edit those files with no problems. Just make sure your machine has enough horsepower (CPU, GPU, RAM).
The Images
Images shot with this camera were clean and sharp if done correctly. Low light images had very little noise which made it ideal for me to take home and point at the night sky. Believe me, I’ve pointed lots of cameras at the night sky and none quite compared to the NX1. Samsung manufactured their own sensor as opposed to using a 3rd party. I guess that’s why I’d never seen anything quite like it before or since.
Video quality was equally amazing. I can’t say enough about how well this camera shot video. Shooting at 120fps was amazing because of the dramatic effect you could invoke in a scene. We would shoot 4k and then render to 1080p to have amazingly clear images. We could also pan/zoom with a 4k video if we chose to. It was a purchase that paid dividends, many times over. I converted a colleague over to this camera who was used to using Nikon devices. By the time I left my previous job, we would all fight off who got to use the NX1. It was that good.
I particularly like an image of the Andromeda Galaxy (M31) that I captured. It’s a feat I’ve only been able to accomplish with that particular consumer grade camera. This was literally out of the box with a 200mm lens. On the tripod. Snapped 4 pics. Stacked. Processed. Done. I was impressed. Are there better M31 images out there? By far, yes. With the kind of gear I used? Maybe. Still, I love that image. You can see it here.
The End
After a few months of use, a few firmware updates, software being able to support h.265; support was discontinued. I guess it just didn’t quite make enough money? Maybe competitors felt threatened by it and something happened behind closed doors? I really don’t know why, just that it did. No more lenses being made. No more updates. An amazing camera, frozen in time.
Eventually, entropy will take its toll and the camera will fall into disrepair. I’ve already seen people on Facebook (Only visible to members?) that lament about a damaged camera that cannot be easily repaired. Thankfully, it was water resistant so that gives it a little more longevity. One day, there will be a world where the NX1 is kept in a case, only to be looked at as a relic long since forgotten. Not by me though. I’ll never forget the joy of experiencing the Samsung NX1.
Godspeed the Samsung NX1 and Samsung, if you read this, maybe give a try to making the NX2. It’s a longshot but hey, never hurts to try?
What Came Next?
We eventually caved and bought a Pansonic GH4. We needed a dual camera setup and it was the logical choice. I will say this, it is also an amazing device. That being said, the NX1 was/is better. Less noise. Better sensor. 120fps vs 96fps. Better images. Conversely, the GH series has lots and lots of support. Also you can mount any lens to the GH4. So, it does edge the device out as far as practical use goes. Don’t get me wrong, the GH4 is great. The NX1 just holds a special place in my heart.
A Couple Of Examples
To see various images shot on the NX1, look no further than the NX1 Flickr page.
This video was shot entirely on the NX1 and was the single reason for making the purchase:
Another starry night image. The camera had a time-lapse mode that made things like this possible. Again, no fancy setup. It was plugged int and shield from the wind with a fan blowing nearby to ward off any sort of dew that might form: