Samsung Announces NX300 – 3D – Capable 20MP Mirrorless Camera
Samsung has announced the NX300 – the latest in its NX series of APS-C mirrorless cameras. The NX300 looks a lot like its predecessors, the NX200 and 210, but it includes a series of updates that show signs of ever-greater integration between the company’s cameras and its smartphones. The NX300 is built around a 20MP sensor that includes phase-detection focus elements to allow a Hybrid AF system for faster focusing. It gains a larger screen than previous NXs – the 3.3″ OLED screen has 768k dots (essentially an extended version of the existing screen) – it’s also touch-sensitive. A faster processor helps the NX300 hit nine frames-per-second for continuous shooting, and allows 1080p movies to be shot at 60fps. Upgrades to the camera’s Wi-Fi should make connectivity simpler than its predecessors.
Samsung has also launched a 3D-capable version of its 45mm F1.8 NX lens. The 3D version can be used as a conventional lens but also has two LCD screens that scissor down into the optical path when you engage 3D mode. These two screens take turns to black-out their respective sides of the lens, meaning a slightly different image is projected onto the camera’s sensor. The NX300 can capture and combine these alternating frames to create either 3D movies or stills.