New Gear: Samsung NX11 Adds Improved i-Control Integration

A redesigned grip and i-Control-specific buttons define Samsung's latest ILC.

By Stan Horaczek Posted December 28, 2010

Apparently Samsung was just too excited to wait for next week's CES convention to launch the latest update to their line of interchangeable lens compacts. As the name suggests, the NX11 has a lot in common with its predecessor, the NX10. The most important difference is the addition of the i-Control system that was debuted with the dew drop-inspired NX100 and later added to the NX10.

The 14.6 megapixel, APS-C CMOS sensor can also grab 720p HD video at 30 fps. To maximize i-Function compatibility, they have added a lens priority mode dial and a dedicated i-Function button for controlling common camera functions directly from the lens. That means you'll have even less of a reason to take your eye away from the VGA (640 x 480) electronic viewfinder when shooting. If you prefer to shoot in Live View mode, you can do so on the big 3-inch AMOLED.

Ultimately, the design of the NX11 is very similar to the NX10, but the grip has been noticeably revamped to make it easier to hold in both normal and Live View positions. While better hand position will likely lead to better images, we can't help but wish they had included in-body image stablization as part of the upgrade.

The NX11 will be bundled with the 18-55mm F3.5-5.6 OIS Lens starting in February for $649. That's the same price that the NX10 is currently fetching (before savings) at most online retailers and about $50 more expensive than the NX100 bundled with the 20-50mm lens. While the upgrades aren't exactly earth-shattering, it's good to see that Samsung is still going full steam ahead on their NX series cameras.

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CES 2011: First Hands On With Samsung NX11, SH100 and WB700

Last night's "CES Unveiled" event wasn't very dense with new cameras, but Samsung did have their recently announced models on-hand for up-close looks. We got some quick first impressions from these pre-production units.

SH100

The first thing we noticed about Samsung's new budget-friendly ($199), super-connected compact was how small it is. Even compared to the Canon S90 with which this picture was taken, it felt tiny and extremely light in the hand. Unfortunately, they didn't have a Galaxy S smartphone on-hand to show off its Android connectivity, which we're very much looking forward to messing with.

The touchscreen interface is a familiar one for those who know their way around Samsung cams. The screen itself feelt huge on the back of this tiny camera. It also seemed fairly snappy and responsive despite pre-production firmware that was clearly not running at full speed.

WB700

We had the chance to check out the 18x zoom-range on the WB700 super-zoom. Although going from wide angle to telephoto was a very slow process, it can likely be chalked up to the fact that the camera is still pre-production status. However there will have to be a very big increase in speed if the WB700 is going to be a contender.

The real draw of this cam is its big zoom packed into a small package. While we didn't have one to compare it to, the WB700 feels a little smaller and a lot more pocket-friendly than Canon's 12.1x PowerShot SX130 IS. By the way, the lens is fully extended in this photo.

NX11 Vs NX100

This overhead shot gives a pretty good idea of the size difference between the two cameras.



NX11

We knew going in that there weren't any huge changes internally between the NX11 and its predecessor the NX10. The big difference is the tighter i-Control integration which is a more than welcome addition. The NX11 feels more like an NX100 or even an updated NX10 with i-Control. If you've used either of the two, you know what we're talking about.

The redesigned grip is the other big talking point for the NX11 and it is a welcomed upgrade. Having used the NX10 a bit, we can definitely say that the NX11 feels much more comfortable in our larger-than-normal hands.

NX11 Vs. NX100

A back comparison shot of the NX11 and the NX100 shows just how similar looking these two are.


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Top Coverage Highlights at CES 2011!

USA Today included a prominent mention of the NX11 and WB700 in a recent cover story detailing various new tech
announcements being unleashed at CES. The ease-of-use of the NX11 is highlighted - “Photographers can easily use their left hand to easily adjust exposure and other functions, while keeping their grip with the right hand”.



PopPhoto.com posted a “hands-on” review with the SH100, WB700 and NX11 while out at the show. The NX11’s i-Function compatibility and updated grip were both noted as “welcome upgrades”, while the compact size of both the SH100 and WB700 were noted as being standout features.



Ubergizmo highlighted SMX-F50 series of camcorders in a recent article, stating: “Samsung intends to make a statement with their new SMX-F50 series of camcorders… This camcorder will boast a pretty impressive 65x zoom lens without sacrificing on quality, as it incorporates other features including an SD memory card slot as well as the first Smart Background Music (BGM) ever in a family camcorder.”



CrunchGear posted an article on all of Samsung’s new camcorder offerings, with particular attention given to the H300 series.



InfoSyncWorld prided the P300 and P100 camcorders, stating that they are “geared for the average YouTube shooter and uploader, with a One Touch Sharing feature”. InfoSync went on to mention that “the best part is that both camcorders record at 30fps, which is ideal for video sharing sites like YouTube”.



CNET covered the HMX-Q10 quite positively, bringing to light the camcorder’s extremely competitive price-point given its multiple beneficial features.



Gizmodo praised the Wi-Fi capabilities of the SH100 digital camera, stating: “Samsung's SH100 isn't the first point-and-shoot to have Wi-Fi, but it makes better use of it than most: You can use Samsung's Galaxy S Android phones as a wireless remote and geotagger for the camera.”



PopPhoto.com posted an article prior to the NX11 launch in which Samsung was commended for moving forward with the NX line by adding notable upgrades to its newest NX-series camera. “It's good to see that Samsung is still going full steam ahead on their NX series cameras.”



PopPhoto.com commended Samsung for making strides in the Wi-Fi enabled digital imaging space, stating “The SH100 definitely represents a step forward in the compact camera field. With Wi-Fi available in many public locations, the demand for cameras that can painlessly share photos and videos for viewing by friends and family on social networking sites is growing.”



Engadget stating “To say that Samsung had an unforgettable day here at CES would be understating things dramatically. The company has introduced dozens upon dozens of new (digital imaging) products, and now it's dishing out a few more before letting everyone else grapple for a share of the limelight.”