Although the Power Zoom is decent with a 35mm range of 24-75mm, we definitely missed a lot on the telephoto end. We put the NX500 kit through its paces over several weeks of long-term testing, in a variety of locales, shooting stills and videos. On the bottom are battery (rated at 370 shots – a bit more than other mirrorless models) and SD card slots, as well as the NFC tag.
The left side has a small compartment for USB 2.0 and HDMI connections (the NX1 has USB 3.0 for speedier transfers – another example of pricing compromise). Overall, this very plain-looking camera is actually fairly sophisticated underneath, making it a good choice of interchangeable lens newbies and more-sophisticated shutterbugs. We like i-Function because it gives you access to often-used parameters quickly. With the touchscreen, i-Function lens (pressing the button brings up an onscreen menu), and physical buttons, there are three ways to change settings. On the right edge is a red-dot video button it’s slightly hidden and we’d prefer it to be on the top-deck for easy access. A center OK button is surrounded by display, AF, ISO, and burst mode buttons that give access to major parameters. To the right of the touchscreen are the usual camera buttons, including exposure compensation, menu, function, playback, and delete. We will say selfies are fun to take with this camera, since the touchscreen makes it quick and simple. This bothered us as we like having the flash available for fill-flash duty, and it’s annoying to take the flash on and off. Here’s another head scratcher: The LCD flips up, and the camera automatically enters selfie mode, but you can only do this with the flash removed – otherwise, it blocks the screen. As alluded, not having an EVF in these situations is a drawback. Color accuracy is great, although we definitely had some reflectivity issues, making the camera hard to use on a lake or under bright sunshine during a whale-watching excursion off the Hawaiian coast.
The back is dominated by a 3-inch, 180-degree tilting Super AMOLED touchscreen (rated 1,036K dots). Nearby are the on/off lever, shutter button, and auto exposure lock. Samsung kept the highly regarded imaging components of its NX1 and packed them into a much smaller package.Īlso on the top-deck is a Mobile button to connect with a smartphone for sharing purposes, a jog wheel to move through menus and enlarge shots during playback, and a Mode dial. The lens is fine for everyday use, but there are other Samsung and third-party glass options to choose from, including primes and zooms. The camera uses Samsung’s NX-mount, and the kit lens is the solid 16-50mm Power Zoom with i-Function capability. It measures 4.7 x 2.5 x 1.7 inches, and weighs 10.1 ounces with the battery (body only).
The design is fairly standard in fact, it hasn’t dramatically changed from the NX300. The buyer here is the step-up user who wants an easy-to-use camera, but with the power of an interchangeable lens model. It looks like many other mirrorless competitors, such as the 24MP Sony A6000 (also $800). The NX500, however, is the epitome of a compact system camera (CSC): It is much lighter and smaller, with far fewer buttons and dials (construction is solid, but it doesn’t come close to the NX1’s). The NX1 looks and feels like an enthusiast DSLR, because that’s the market it’s targeted toward, particularly videographers. The NX500 may share the same guts as the NX1, but it’s obvious they aren’t entirely the same camera, nor are they designed for the same buyer.
You should download the full manual (218 pages) as well the suggested software: iLauncher, Power Media Player, Samsung Movie Converter, and RAW/DNG Converters. Also in the box is the AC adapter, USB cable, strap, and Quick Start guide.
Our kit comes with the f/3.5-5.6 16-50mm Power Zoom with built-in optical image stabilization (OIS). Just don’t expect the NX500 to have the NX1’s video prowess. Whether for travel or a replacement for an old entry-level DSLR, the NX500 is a great camera for both stills and videos. But this time around, 4K has a brighter future than 3D ever did. It was designed to help push content onto 3D televisions, which were heavily touted as the next big thing (to borrow from Samsung parlance), but failed to gain traction with consumers.įast forward to 2015, and Samsung is promoting another video feature: 4K. But the NX300 had a gimmick: it could shoot 3D images and videos. The NX500 is the successor to the NX300, a camera we loved back in 2013. In comparison, there are some sacrifices made to achieve the lower price, but Samsung managed its best to maintain the image quality and high performance, which is a feat. The company kept the highly regarded imaging components and packed them into a much smaller package, the NX500 ($800), for nearly half the price. It didn’t take long for Samsung to cash in on the popularity of its NX1, one of our favorites of 2014.