Samsung crams SLR soul into little camera body
USA: Getting a head start on the PMA '09 photography conference, which officially kicks off in Las Vegas Tuesday, 3 March 2009, Samsung has announced a new so-called hybrid digital camera. The new camera, the NX Series, is designed to provide the photo quality of large pro and prosumer DSLR (digital single lens reflex) cameras in the body of a small point-and-shoot.
It seems simple enough, but there's more to it than just attaching a big lens on a small camera body.
Like conventional DSLRs, NX Series cameras use an APS-C sized image sensor, which provides a large surface area for gathering light. That, in turn, helps produce higher-quality images than sensors from smaller digital cameras.
However, unlike a DSLR, the NX Series does not feature a mirror box that sits between the lens and sensor and reflects the true image to the viewfinder. Instead, it employs what Samsung calls an "ultra-precise" Electronic Viewfinder (EVF), though the company doesn't provide many details. The use of an EVF lets Samsung reduce the size and weight of the new camera system by decreasing the distance between the lens and image sensor by approximately 60% compared to traditional DSLRs.
So, users will be looking at an electronic image through the viewfinder when they snap shots - or they can forgo holding the camera up close against their eyes and use the camera's larger LCD screen on the back to frame the shot.
